Whole thing (Conversations 1976)

Expressions researched:
"whole thing"

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Yes, "Govindāya namaḥ." Purify, govindāya namaḥ. Don't take it. Simply immediately throw it in the street. It is obnoxious. Immediately break the whole thing, and, part by part, sell it. But that is not possible. Ask him to first of all get it outside and then leave here. Don't allow this nonsense. (break) ...stand this space. Why? Why should we allow it? Useless.

Jayapatāka: We were thinking about whether we should repair it or not.

Prabhupāda: No. You should not take anything which requires repairing. Don't accept. (break) ...in the meantime. (break) (Bengali) It has not worked for three hundred years. (Bengali) You do not engage them for cleansing?

Bhavānanda: These boys are in charge.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Bhavānanda: They were definitely the ones behind that case. They somehow got their hands on that man and had him bring charges, even though the whole thing was dropped.

Prabhupāda: Who was behind them?

Bhavānanda: Well, this man, he mentioned Śrīdhara Mahārāja's name. He said, "Some Gauḍīya Maṭha person."

Prabhupāda: He's a very good lawyer.

Bhavānanda: Yes. He's retired, but he's the most respected lawyer in Nadia. So he mentioned.

Morning Walk -- February 3, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Rascal. He is doing transcendental meditation. He got so much opportunity to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He did it in the beginning very nicely. A rascal, he became victim. These things are for ajitendriyāṇām. Those who are not able to control the senses, they make this business, transcendental meditation, and secretly doing all nonsense. The whole thing, this transcendental meditation, that, what is that, Maharishi Yogi, they are doing all nonsense and advertising, "We are transcendental meditation."

Hari-śauri: They openly advertise that "If you do transcendental meditation, then you can do your business better, you can have better sex life."

Morning Walk -- February 4, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: It is not quickly. It is only...

Harikeśa: But when the Bhāgavata says the whole thing moves, then there is no friction.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Harikeśa: Therefore it is still. It's not rubbing against everything because everything is moving.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like this earth also. According to them it is going around the sun. But we don't feel anything. According to them. And according to..., it is running at the rate of twenty-five thousand miles, and if you, in airplane, it is going six hundred miles per hour, and still there is so many jerking. That is your creation, tiny machine. And God's creation, it is moving. Even it is moving, you cannot understand. That is perfect creation. Pūrṇam. The word is pūrṇam idam, everything perfect. Pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate (Iso Invocation). Because God is all-perfect, whatever He has created, they are all-perfect, relatively, all perfect.

Morning Walk -- February 5, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Was active, He is active, but you, you rascal, you cannot see. You cannot say, "Once He was active. Now He is no more active. He has finished His activity." That you cannot say. Dormant? What do you mean by dormant? Huh? Dormant means potential. He can act. And He is acting. That acting you have to learn, how He is acting. He appears to be not acting, but He is acting. That is knowledge. Just like airplane is running. A intelligent man knows that "The pilot is there. He is acting. Therefore it is running." And a foolish man will say, "The airplane is going automatically." That is the question of observation. A foolish boy... I have given this example many times, that I was thinking that in the fan there is a ghost. But the idea is, there must be somebody. Although I was a child... I could not explain how the fan is running in my childhood. I was thinking there must be some ghost. And in the gramophone box I was thinking there must be one man within this box. So this is foolish thinking, but I was convinced that without somebody, it cannot sing or it cannot run. Even one is very innocent child, he can think like that. So whole thing is going on, prakṛti, the activities of material nature... Just like there was cloud and rain. Now it is not raining. So there is activity already. It is being managed. So you cannot say that God is dormant. He is acting because His creation is acting, and God says that mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram: (BG 9.10) "Under My direction the nature is working." How you can say He is dormant? The nature is working?

Morning Walk -- February 5, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Whatever direction is there, you take that. The medicine is given. Doctor gives direction. "So many drops you can take." Now you say, "Oh, the good medicine. Let me eat the whole thing. I become cured immediately." Then you die. You have to take, enjoy, but according to direction. God does not say that "You don't enjoy." You are, what is called, ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). A living entity means ānandamaya, enjoyment. But that ānanda, where it is permanent ānanda, how we have to reach that permanent ānanda, that is being taught. Otherwise, you foolish, you'll eat the whole medicine and die. That's all. Therefore the varṇāśrama-dharma. Varṇāśrama-dharma means that is real human civilization. There is direction that "You enjoy like this." And if you become mlecchas and yavanas, then you'll not enjoy. You simply suffer. You do not know how to enjoy.

Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Now, just like blind man says, "Nobody is with eyes. Because I am blind, so everyone is blind." Ātmavat manyate jagat. That is the way.

Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, the whole thing is actually nonsense because Marx himself in his old age became senile and died in a crazy condition.

Prabhupāda: Yes, he must be. He was crazy always. Many, many leaders die like that.

Trivikrama: Every leader.

Madhudviṣa: They will point out that our ācāryas also died. You say that Marx died, so they will say, "Your ācāryas also died."

Morning Walk -- March 18, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: No.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Or is it simply the sun's movements that causes the day and night, everything?

Prabhupāda: No planet is fixed except the sun. All are fixed up. But the whole thing is moving. That is Bhāgavatam. And that you can see at night.

Gurudāsa: What'd he say?

Pañca-draviḍa: No planet is fixed. The earth and sun, they're all moving.

Gurudāsa: The sun is fixed.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, but they're all moving.

Hari-śauri: But they're all moving.

Morning Walk -- March 18, 1976, Mayapura:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: No. Everything is not moving around the sun.

Hari-śauri: Like that tree, if the tree revolves by itself, like that, then the sun(?) is going around the whole thing.

Prabhupāda: This is also another intelligent.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Hari-śauri: The tree is just moving like that, and the different branches, they remain in the same position in relationship to the center of the tree.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: But the sun has it's own...

Hari-śauri: But the sun has an orbit around the whole thing...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It's own course.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: That is the prescription.

Prabhupāda: The whole thing is described in the Bhagavad-gītā.

Reporter (1): Which particular teachings do you find so uplifting and ennobling for a man?

Prabhupāda: You have read Bhagavad-gītā?

Reporter (1): Yes, I have..., I mean, not so thoroughly, but I have in parts.

Prabhupāda: So what is that question? Which part?

Reporter (1): Which particular teachings you think can purify a man? Because you said the salvation lies in practical teachings of Gītā.

Morning Walk -- April 5, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. (Hindi)

Lokanātha: We should buy some for you, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: No, we can buy the whole thing. (Hindi) I'll talk with him. (Hindi—Prabhupāda bargaining with chili seller in long exchange) You have got money?

Jayatīrtha(?): Yes.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) So give him two rupees, eight annas. (Hindi)

Guru dāsa: Bargain.

Prabhupāda: My father used to do that. He'd go to a vegetable vendor. He has got a big basket, and he'll say, "What do you want for all, the whole basket." So he is ready because he'll sit down so long, so at very cheap rate he'll give it. And it was not required in the family so much.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: But you must know first of all what is the aim of life and what is better. That we must know. So that is described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that we are not interested in God; then whole thing is spoiled. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). We are not interested in God. We want to be happy by adjusting the external energy of God. That is blind leadership. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. This will never be successful, and it is blind leadership because we do not know what is the aim. If you know the aim of life and if we make program according to that aim, then it will be successful. Blindly everyone is manufacturing his objective, different leaders, different isms. The Communists, they have got different aims. The capitalists, they have got different aims.

Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is explained, there is no difficulty. But if there is difficulty to understand, then we have to approach a person who has understood Bhagavad-gītā. Otherwise the language is very plain, there is no difficulty. Unfortunately they bring their own interpretation and spoil the whole thing.

Reporter: Ah...?

Prabhupāda: Otherwise where is the difficulty? Just like the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā it is said,

dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre

samavetā yuyutsavaḥ

māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva

kim akurvata sañjaya

(BG 1.1)

The beginning of Bhagavad-gītā is the battlefield, and the battlefield is called Kurukṣetra. So Kurukṣetra is still there in India, but these so-called learned scholars, politicians, they're squeezing out some meaning out of Kurukṣetra. What is the necessity?

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

Prabhupāda: No, I saw that television, at that time, the whole thing broke wrong. There was a press representative. He protested. I was protesting from the beginning, but they could not show how they jumped, at the last. Going, going, going, but at the time of jumping, melancholy. Ceylon jumping melancholy.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But I mean they do, these men who are space travelers, they say "We did land on the moon." Now are they lying?

Prabhupāda: No, they, but the television was showing. They could not show this.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jumping on the moon?

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

Prabhupāda: That can be given as loan, not for...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: As loan, the whole thing...

Rāmeśvara: Originally you told me wherever they go, the temple will pay fifty percent and the BBT will pay fifty percent.

Prabhupāda: No, that is loan.

Rāmeśvara: Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's got to be a loan.

Prabhupāda: BBT is, our policy is fifty percent for reprinting and fifty percent for temple. Nothing else.

Morning Walk -- June 16, 1976, Detroit:

Devotee: Everyone in the world is becoming tenth-class men, but Śrīla Prabhupāda is turning the whole thing around. Had you not come, there would be no hope for the whole world.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They say that "Thou shalt not kill," that's okay, but this is an impossible instruction.

Prabhupāda: This is rascaldom.

Hariśauri: That's a common philosophy. The Ten Commandments are there, but they're an ideal that no one can ever achieve.

Prabhupāda: Then you go to hell, rascaldom. (last two minutes of tape indistinct) (end)

Conversation in Airport and Car -- June 21, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: These things are not required at all, but they have created. They are called anartha, unnecessarily diverting valuable attention of the human being to waste their time and energy and next life become a dog. That they do not know. This science is unknown to them. They'll believe, "This life finished, everything finished. That's all." (break) ...is working. That they do not know. Life is eternal, and how they are under the cycle of birth and death, nothing. Yāvad jīvet sukhaṁ jīvet.(?) Cārvāka philosophy. So long you live, live happily. But actually they are not living happily. To work in this factory is not happy. They are not happy men. But they are thinking they are happy. Just like the hog eating stool, he is happy. This is gross ignorance. Actually, therefore, there is revolt against these capitalist. There is another unhappiness. Now there is strike. So where is happiness? If there is happiness, why there is strike? Why there is so many strikes? Why there is protest? There is no happiness. But they are thinking... Whole thing is based on ignorance, māyā. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje. And the direct method for subduing these anarthas, unnecessary troubles-bhakti-yoga. There is no other. Anarthopaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje, lokasya ajānataḥ (SB 1.7.6).

Prabhupada Visits Palace and Garden -- June 22, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). The Vedic secret(?) is that, parā bhaktir, yasya deve, unto the Lord, similarly, to the guru, they, to them, the whole thing becomes revealed automatically. Vedic knowledge is grasped not by erudite scholarship. Mundane scholarship has nothing to do. The secret is yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau. My Guru Mahārāja wanted that some books should be published. So I tried my best, and he's giving success more than expectation. In the history nobody has sold religion, philosophical books in such large quantity.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Or quality.

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

Prabhupāda: One floor is like this. Very costly house.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: They told me that the prasādam room floor alone, three hundred thousand dollars to build. And you have gotten the whole thing.

Prabhupāda: Everywhere it is so beautiful, nice, strong, and quite suitable for our purpose. Everyone is living. Still, big, big three, four rooms, not yet utilized. And climate also is nice, at the present moment, huh?

Hari-śauri: Yes.

Prabhupāda: I think the same climate here.

Hari-śauri: Yes, same as here.

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Benefit will be then the whole thing will go in order. That is already described many times, that there must be brain, there must be arms, there must be belly, there must be legs for the complete composition of the body. If there is no brain, there is no head, then what is the use of these arms and legs and belly? It is all dead. So in the society, human society, if there is not a class of selected, truthful, honest, and so many brahminical qualifications, then society is ruined. Therefore they are perplexed. Everyone is a śūdra. Go to the factory. That's all. Go to the factory and bring money. And he is getting 25 dollars or 50 dollars daily and immediately purchasing wine and flat on Bowery Street. You'll produce such men, useless men, disturbing in the human society. You cannot make classless. If you make classless, naturally they will be all śūdras, fourth-class men. Then there will be society chaos.

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What is the śloka? The śloka I do not remember exactly, but there is continuation. You read the whole thing. What is that chapter?

Hari-śauri: This is Chapter Two.

Prabhupāda: Begin it.

Hari-śauri: Start at the beginning of the chapter?

Prabhupāda: Um, hm.

Hari-śauri: "Seeing Arjuna full of compassion and very sorrowful, his eyes brimming with tears, Madhusūdana, Kṛṣṇa, spoke the following words."

Prabhupāda: One translation of every verse, go on, read.

Answers to a Questionnaire from Bhavan's Journal -- June 28, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So the whole thing is that if you chant hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and give up these sinful activities, automatically you become reformed, come to the spiritual platform, and in this way your life will become successful.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Can we go on to the next question, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Question fourteen. "It is said that the karma-kāṇḍa in the Vedas has almost gone out of use, except for a few rites which remain in vogue for marriage, śraddhās, etc. Is it advisable to revive the karma-kāṇḍa with its stress on the performance of various yajñas?"

Room Conversation -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Hari-śauri: I was reading a very good example like that. These men, they have this what's called divining, that they find water by means of a stick. They lay a stick on their hands like this, and they turn around in different directions, and the stick suddenly dips and points to the ground wherever there's water underground. And it's proven that it works. It's a very effective way of finding water. But no one knows how it works. So they put a suggestion during the Vietnam War to the Marines that they should use this method for finding out the underground tunnels of the Vietcong so that they could find them very easily. So they showed them by experiment that it's practical and it works, so they gave the rods to the physicists, and they checked them all out, and they couldn't figure out how they worked, so they said that because the physicists could not understand how it worked, therefore it was rejected. So they rejected the whole thing. So then the Marines in Vietnam, they heard about it, so they started to use the rods themselves, and in that way they were able to destroy many enemy hideouts. But officially the Marines had to reject it, because the scientists couldn't understand how it worked, so therefore they said that it was not good, it wasn't viable.

Prabhupāda: The scientists' first proposal is, what they cannot understand, don't bring. That is not scientific. Whatever you say, that is not scientific. Whatever they say, that is scientific.

Arrival Room Conversation -- July 2, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: It was not used.

Rūpānuga: It was simply for office, like that. And the temple building was a gymnasium. It used to be a gymnasium, and we have converted the whole thing.

Vipina: That was one reason that we were very much attracted to the property. The property itself was not very beautiful when we came, but the gym was built, and we saw it as an immediate temple where we could hold kīrtana and preach. So we then made a contract and the fish bit.

Prabhupāda: Nobody was taking.

Vipina: No one was taking it.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Our Detroit property is like that.

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

Prabhupāda: Immediately, work stopped.

Hari-śauri: Yes, he made that point, in that he said that in the development of a motor, he said the whole thing has to be there, the whole idea has to be there to start with, to make the motor and to make it work, then it works.

Prabhupāda: It is good.

Hari-śauri: It's very convincing, this presentation.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I think they are mahātmās, no doubt, it's just that most chemists, most scientists are very, very skeptical. Going from ovals,(?) and all of a sudden they see the form of Viṣṇu.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Conversation with Prof. Saligram and Dr. Sukla -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much.

Dr. Sukla: And same thing with Bhāgavatam. We all know what a great book that is, and what I really appreciate about the whole thing is, number one, that there are no misprints in the book. So that's a great delight. Especially, for people who do not know Sanskrit, for them, there's no difference between the wheat and the germ that comes with it. The translations are very accurate. So it's real scholarship there. And people who were not aware of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they know that if the intellect is so powerful, the spirit must be powerful too. Our library, of course, has several copies, and our bookstore has almost all the...

Prabhupāda: All over the world they have given standing order. (laughter)

Dr. Sukla: Of course, it's very attractive to look at, another thing, the colors. So it's a beauty sight. But for some people...

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

Prabhupāda: No. Powerful, this is different element. Powerful, it is, certainly, because it is moving the whole thing. Powerful, that particular body is destroyed. But the spirit soul, there are so many, otherwise how the germs are coming? It is not powerful.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: When cyanide is introduced the body becomes unsuitable.

Prabhupāda: For a particular soul.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Now my point, coming to this complex form, now matter it is understood easily in terms of science, when matter is associated with life, then comparing this...

Prabhupāda: Then the matter works. Otherwise it has no working capacity. Yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat (BG 7.5). The material world is working on account of the presence of the spirit soul.

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

Rūpānuga: All right, so then in an embryo stage...

Prabhupāda: Any stage, it is, the whole thing is complicated.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: But you are saying that the soul is actually by nature very simple.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: At least compared to the material world.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The soul is not complicated.

Sadāpūta: I believe what Svarūpa Dāmodara Prabhu is saying is that matter, each element studied by itself, has a simple structure, but when the body is formed with the soul, then it becomes apparently more complex; the chemical reactions become more complex.

Rūpānuga: As a matter of growth even. Because life is present, then this small pea grows.

Prabhupāda: That means that soul is not complicated.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes, matter is utilized for the purpose of spirit soul. Otherwise matter has no independent existence. The whole thing is matter, but it is formed according to the desire of the spirit.

Hari-śauri: So if matter is inferior to the spirit soul, then isn't it correct to say that the spirit soul is more complex or sophisticated than matter? If matter is inferior?

Prabhupāda: Spirit soul is living. Naturally he has got desires. That is not complexity. That is a symptom of life.

Rūpānuga: Matter has no desire.

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

Prabhupāda: ...roll, it was like that.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Catastrophism.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then the whole thing would be filled up with water. So water course is very heavy. So it can turn even big, big rocks, mountains rolling.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That happens when there is devastation.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee: At the end of Manu's day, when there is flood?

Prabhupāda: End of the day of Brahmā. End of fourteen Manus.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: At that time is the earth destroyed, or is it simply covered by water?

Prabhupāda: Covered by water.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I asked, there's another very special magazine came out, and I asked Rādhāvallabha to bring it and present it to you. It's from New York, but I wanted him to read some of the things. He read the whole thing, it's a whole magazine devoted to meditation groups, and they have featured our society as the best. It's clear, our society was featured more than any others. They mentioned Maharishi and so many others, but they gave...

Prabhupāda: We are also mentioned.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They gave us the most space in the magazine.

Hari-śauri: They did it in sections. There was a bit about kīrtana, there was a section about shaving the head, there's a whole section about Kṛṣṇa prasādam, how to offer it and cook it and everything. It was very nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's getting it ready. He wants to read you certain things in the magazine. He likes to prepare things to discuss with you, Rādhāvallabha, controversial topics.

Prabhupāda: What is that controversial? (laughter)

Evening Darsana -- July 11, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: There is nothing doubtful; everything is very plain. But we, by our rascaldom, we make it doubt. By our rascal interpretation. Everyone can understand. Just like dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). The Kurukṣetra is dharma-kṣetra. Still Kurukṣetra is there in India, and it is dharma-kṣetre. People go there for performing religious ritualistic ceremonies. So where is the difficulty to understand? And five thousand years ago the Kurus and Pāṇḍavas, they assembled there for fighting—that is clearly stated, dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). Who were they? Māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva: "My sons and the sons of Pāṇḍu," Kuru-Pāṇḍava. So where is the difficulty to understand? But by misinterpretation they'll write volumes of books and spoil the whole thing. This is going on. This business should be stopped. Then we will be benefited. Everyone is misinterpreting. Is it not a fact they are misinterpreting? What do you think?

Morning Walk -- July 12, 1976, New York:

Rāmeśvara: ...of dinosaurs.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, the whole thing is dioramas, the whole museum practically. I'll go with you also.

Rāmeśvara: They are convinced that dinosaurs, these gigantic animals, were living on this planet millions of years ago. They found some bones, and they have created the form of the animal body.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is it true that there were big dinosaur bodies?

Prabhupāda: If they were, it is still now.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, wow.

Prabhupāda: We don't say it is extinct.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But you've explained that even if not here then it must be on another planet.

Prabhupāda: Yes, another. This planet, what you have seen?

Morning Walk -- July 12, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: These scientists, they find one little bone and they make a hundred-foot body out of their mind. They say, "Well if this bone was like this, then the whole thing must have looked like this."

Rāmeśvara: That is the Museum of Natural History. They spend millions of dollars on these museums, making these displays. (break) (walking)

Prabhupāda: ...for dog, means she's going to become dog. She does not know how she is spoiling the life.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Unless she gets one of our books.

Prabhupāda: No, that is another plan. At least she does not know how things are going on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, unless someone gets one of your books, there's no way they can come out of the darkness of this material world. There's no other source of knowledge for the people nowadays.

Morning Walk -- July 12, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Whole thing is personalism. You are talking because you are a person. You are talking all nonsense because you are person. Neither the air is talking, neither sky is talking. Because you are a person you are talking so many nonsense things.

Devotee (1): But then they'll say that after death that person doesn't exist any longer. That personality ceases to...

Prabhupāda: Talk of the present, when you are existing.

Devotee (1): Yes. Their mentality forces them to believe only what they see.

Prabhupāda: You see there is father and mother. Why don't you believe that there must be a father and mother for the whole cosmic? You see everywhere there is father and mother.

Morning Walk -- July 12, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: How is that? In America, city, New York, they cannot pay?

Hari-śauri: New York almost went bankrupt.

Devotee (1): They have mismanaged the whole thing.

Hari-śauri: They had big strikes last year or early this year. They wouldn't clear the garbage away, and the whole city was piled up with garbage everywhere.

Devotee (2): Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam says in this Kali-yuga they are all lazy, misguided.

Prabhupāda: So much drinking, they must be lazy.

Devotee (1): Yes.

Prabhupāda: So much drinking excessively. Drinking means laziness.

Morning Walk -- July 13, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: And fell down later on.

Bali-mardana: There is a story in the Bible how they were trying to build this big building, the Tower of Babel, and then the whole thing... Because they were so proud, God made them all speak different languages so they could not communicate with one another, and the whole project was finished. They were trying to build a huge building.

Rādhāvallabha: They were actually trying to reach God.

Bali-mardana: Yes. To reach heaven. That is how the Christians, in Christianity, explain that people speak different languages.

Room Conversation -- July 17, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right. It has a bathroom in it. That's going to accompany the parade in case at any time you require it, that will be right there. So it can go alongside the cart. At four o'clock we'll arrive, and at about four-thirty Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja will give a short introduction for you, and at four forty-five you'll speak. So at four forty-five you're expected to give the lecture. It begins at two o'clock at Fifty-ninth Street for two hours. Then by five or five-fifteen the whole thing will be over. So I wanted to know what time you would like to join the parade.

Prabhupāda: So you suggest.

Morning Walk -- July 20, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: But they bluff, "We have taken photograph." And what you have known about it? Simply bluff.

Hari-śauri: The whole thing is so childish, it's...

Rādhāvallabha: They tried to find the bottom of the deepest part of the ocean, and their submarine snapped in half and they all died. There's too much pressure. (break)

Prabhupāda: How life is coming by force? And they say there is no soul.

Hari-śauri: You made the point the other day during massage that even though our building is twelve stories high and it's made of steel and concrete, still, there's small plants growing straight out of the cement.

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

Prabhupāda: Why underneath? I said another pot. You are so dull brain. Here is hot sand. I bring in another pot, the grains, and the hot sand I pour on it.

Hari-śauri: Pour on it, on top of the grains. Oh.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And then agitate and then put the whole thing on a mesh and make it like this, again put the hot sand there. Is it clear? Then you get the puffed-up grains. That is very good food.

Hari-śauri: Devotees make popcorn.

Bhagavān: That's another thing.

Prabhupāda: Popcorn, they fry it in ghee, hot ghee.

Hari-śauri: Not much though, just a little.

Morning Walk at Niavaran Park -- August 8, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: This is family relation. Ṛktha-haraiḥ svajanākhya-dasyubhiḥ. Ṛktha-haraiḥ(?). Their only business is that you earn money with hard labor, and they'll take away. Their business is to take away. And they have got legal right. Dāya, dāya-bhāga. The son has got the right, legal right, to take whatever the father has accumulated. Nobody will say "No, you cannot take." No, he has the right, and so far wife is concerned, her business is to extend your condition, material condition. When one is alone, brahmacārī, he has no condition, he lives freely. But as soon as he's married, so many obligations. Ato gṛha-kṣetra-sutāpta-vittaiḥ (SB 5.5.8), must have a nice house, must have good land, good source of income. And then if you have got house and good source of income, then you call friends to oblige them. Then get children, give them education, put them in nice condition of life, get them married, again grandchildren, and so on, so on. That means these material conditions which have embarrassed me, that business is very nicely done by the wife for increasing my embarrassment. Nowadays nobody takes responsibility of family. That is another thing. But marriage means to take so many responsibilities. That is another condition of material life. Then home, people are sacrificing so much for home, for country, for nation. That also will be finished with the end of this body. When the body's ended, you are no more Iranian or American or Indian. You do not know what you are. Even if you have got attachment for the country, you can become a tree in that country. If you become animal, you are slaughtered in that country. Dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), even though you have got attachment, on account of changing the body your situation is changing. So in this way Bali Mahārāja analyzes the whole thing, that "What is the use of all this?" Is he right or wrong, his analysis?

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

Prabhupāda: Chemical theory. Why do they not in the end mix something and see if life is coming? They are all rascals, speaking one after another, rascals.

Hari-śauri: That's their whole thing, that if...

Prabhupāda: If by mixing something they can bring life, why not in the egg?

Hari-śauri: Yes, they can't even do it here.

Prabhupāda: Simply for... But you rascals you cannot understand how they are speaking rascaldom.

Hari-śauri: No, I can see now. I've been with you so long I can understand now.

Parivrājakācārya: They have sent this one ship to Mars at a cost of one billion dollars. They are making these tests.

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Eh? You cannot, if you have own design, don't touch Bhagavad-gītā. You make your own design and preach otherwise. Why you take advantage of the Bhagavad-gītā? This is criminal. If you have got a different philosophy, you preach. Everyone has got the right. But why you misinterpret Bhagavad-gītā? When you take advantage of the popularity of Bhagavad-gītā and you speak nonsense, that is not good. That has murdered the whole thing. And practically we see that. Bhagavad-gītā as it is, you try to understand, you get the benefit and you life is successful. Besides that, interpretation when it is required. When things are understood directly, there is no question of interpretation. The law of interpretation is like this: when the things are not distinct, then you can interpret in your own way, I can interpret in my own way, but when the things are distinct, there is no question of interpretation.

Evening Darsana -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pañcarātra-vidhi (Brs. 1.2.101). Everything is there. So there is no question of being mistaken. The guide is there, the spiritual master is there. So there is no difficulty. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). That is the best way, follow the mahājana. Unfortunately, the mahājanas, without following mahājana, everyone is becoming mahājana in his own way. And that is being supported, that you manufacture your own way of spiritual progress, that is all right. That is dangerous. That is dangerous. And that is going on now. You can manufacture in your own way. And there are thousands who are coming, manufacturing their own way and spoiling the whole thing. That is the... Otherwise there is no difficulty, mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ. We are therefore requesting people that don't be misled. Here is the greatest mahājana, Kṛṣṇa Himself.

Arrival Conversation -- August 13, 1976, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The whole thing is being done in one week. I just got the whole text from Nirañjana on Sunday from England. We've got it composed, it is going into printing tomorrow, it will be ready by Vyāsa-Pūjā. It's a Hindi Back to Godhead on Janmāṣṭamī...

Prabhupāda: Nirañjana is helping to translate it?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, and he's the most reliable. The others I find are not reliable. Even with Yaśomatīnandana, I give him a book, it gets stuck for three months. But now we are moving very fast. The first Hindi Back to Godhead we printed up forty-five thousand, it is sold. So I'm reprinting thirty thousand more in Delhi, and in Bombay, we are producing a new Back to Godhead with thirty thousand first print. Forty-five thousand of first printing is almost sold. People can't believe it. Even Hitsharan Sharma couldn't believe it that we distributed forty-five thousand Hindi magazines in two months.

Prabhupāda: We are distributing millions in English.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Those who cannot read the book, they are still better. Those who can read the book, they are still more dangerous.

Guest (1): They will misinterpret the whole thing. They will misrepresent, the danger is still more there. It is rather more with the educated people that the danger is there than the uneducated. But to reach the uneducated we have, I was thinking this is a better media. This is one of the medias perhaps, I wouldn't say better. Perhaps one of the medias by which we can reach them in a larger crowd.

Guest (2): But not in the way that the films are made.

Guest (1): No, that is not say. I don't want. I could produce...

Prabhupāda: That Kṛṣṇa consciousness is developed when one practices according to the prescribed method,

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: They...

Guest (4): Whole thing if we make it...

Prabhupāda: Just like, practice is also not very difficult. Just like Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). So if you daily come to the temple, see the Deity, he'll have some impression and he can think of Kṛṣṇa, how He is playing flute, how He is nicely dressed, how Rādhārāṇī is standing (indistinct). Then man-manā, he can think of Kṛṣṇa very easily. So man-manā bhava mad-bhakto, and as soon as you think of Kṛṣṇa, you become a devotee. Because a businessman will not spare so much time thinking (of) Kṛṣṇa, how He is playing flute. He has no business. Without being bhakta, nobody will be interested to meditate on Kṛṣṇa, how He's standing, how He's playing flute. This is bhakta's business. So anyone who is planning some trying(?) to think of Kṛṣṇa, that means automatically he becomes bhakta, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto. Mad-yājī, then naturally if he becomes bhakta, naturally then why not offer to Kṛṣṇa something?

Room Conversation -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: They are rascal fools because they do not take Kṛṣṇa's word. Kṛṣṇa says tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Why should we bother? Our mission is simply to propagate Kṛṣṇa's instructions. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We don't manufacture anything. So-called yoga, so-called meditation, so-called this and... We don't care for all this nonsense. Our only business is how to implement the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, the rascals may understand and be happy. That is our mission. We haven't got to manufacture anything. This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). You simply carry the message of Kṛṣṇa and try to deliver it to anyone you meet. This is our... We haven't got to manufacture anything. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Take it, without interpretation. Don't spoil the whole thing. Interpretation means spoiling. Whole thing spoiled.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Gargamuni: Well, the only thing is with these flats in Calcutta, they are so mismanaged, these new places. They become a slum in two months. In Bombay the flats are managed nicely, but in Calcutta when they build a new one, within two months the whole thing is filthy dirty. The elevators don't work. It's not worth purchasing a flat. I have one now. I am renting. It's on the twelfth floor, and the members of our traveling party stay there. There is nice water and so many things. But the building is so mismanaged. Who wants to stay there more than a year? We need our own place. Then we can keep it clean and nice.

Prabhupāda: Where is that own place?

Gargamuni: Well, there are buildings that we can get. In Balijunj we have some offers. That's if this park doesn't come through. If the park does not come through, then we can...

Room Conversation About Blitz News Clipping -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Charge in the court, "What do you know about godly that you have charge us ungodly." Then it will be exposed. Do, immediately do. Immediately plan to bring in the court.

Hari-śauri: Actually, in the same newspaper they were doing a whole thing about Sai Baba. They had a big article about Sai Baba.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They're supporting him.

Hari-śauri: Supporting him.

Prabhupāda: Which newspaper, this?

Hari-śauri: Yes, this paper.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Room Conversation with Endowments Commissioner of Andhra Pradesh -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: They are doing that. You can see from this big, big person. Gandhi used to say that he believes in Gītā and Gītā gives him solace in difficult times and so on, so on. But has he ever preached about Kṛṣṇa? Tilok has ever preached about Kṛṣṇa? Radhakrishnan has ever preached Kṛṣṇa? Nobody. Their policy is take Sītā and kill Rāma. Rāvaṇa's policy. Take away Sītā. Take away Gītā and kill Kṛṣṇa. So Rāvaṇa's policy will never be successful. Rāvaṇa's policy means he will be destroyed. You cannot do any harm to Rāma, but he will be destroyed. This policy, that take Sītā and kill Rāma, means he will destroy himself. So this is going on. Take Gītā and kill Kṛṣṇa. This will destroy the whole thing. This Rāvaṇa's policy. And Hanumān's policy is somehow or other rescue Sītā and get her seated by the side of Rāma. Therefore he's worshiped, Vajrāṅgajī.

Meeting With Member of Parliament, Mr. Krishna Modi -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: No, you can take. You can take.

Krishna Modi: You give something so that...

Prabhupāda: No. You give the whole thing to him. (indistinct)

Krishna Modi: I will arrange.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Mahā-prasādam. (Hindi)

Krishna Modi: You will reply and also the article, so that I am arranging to call all the members Parliament concerning this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. They are some members, so you give me the list of them. And then we will discuss all the matters. Then we will give the articles to all the other papers from outside.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. That will be very nice.

Room Conversation -- September 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually many of the life members were telling us, we met some in Delhi. They said they couldn't get the whole thing was full.

Akṣayānanda: They were fighting to come.

Prabhupāda: So, they are allowed three days free?

Akṣayānanda: Only. Also book distribution has improved very much.

Prabhupāda: Locally?

Akṣayānanda: Here in the temple specifically. Haihaya has been concentrating very good.

Prabhupāda: Hindi?

Akṣayānanda: Yes, Hindi magazines and what we can get.

Room Conversation -- September 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So let them come first of all here from Delhi.

Indian devotee: They come first here.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Thing is, the whole thing has to be completed in three weeks because the American GBCs don't like... They think it is a very big loss financially. (Hindi) Book distribution stops completely. (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: Is that correct? Is that correct key?

Hari-śauri: This one's for some of the locks on the doors.

Prabhupāda: Which door?

Hari-śauri: Ah, from the... I think it was one on the bedroom originally. They may have taken them off again.

Room Conversation -- September 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: For washing cloth you require soap. But does not... You require everything, but because you are spending without any sense... So I calculated yesterday the whole thing, Deity worship, Deity pūjā, will require five hundred rupees per month.

Akṣayānanda: I had requested for the flowers, Viśvambhara said twelve rupees you had decided last night.

Prabhupāda: Twelve rupees, thirteen rupees...

Akṣayānanda: Twelve, thirteen. Actually today, I wanted for today but the flower man was not able to... We could not catch him in time. But from tomorrow it will start, definitely.

Garden Conversation -- September 7, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Ash?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Ash. So all the local, a big crowd would come to see him. So they went and they sat right next to the child. So that day the ash was not produced. So later on the whole thing got exploded and the child's parents admitted it was bogus. Now that "god" is finished. Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He was six year old Śrī Kṛṣṇa. So this Sai Baba refused to answer the questionnaire. He said, "Why should I respond to these people?"

Indian man: He's angry from that.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This group of professors, they're exposing all these bogus gurus who are saying they are God.

Prabhupāda: Have you got it?

Room Conversation -- September 9, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And he was old. So he had to agree. Otherwise, the whole thing was catastrophe. So the king said, "Yes. She's not married. If you like I can offer my daughter to you." Then everything was settled up. But the daughter was young, and he was like her grand, great-grandfather. Match was not at all suitable, but he had to offer. So this girl also took it seriously, and she was serving the old husband very faithfully like honest, chaste wife. Never mind. Then, some days after, the same saintly person was visited by two heavenly physicians, aśvinī-kumāras. The aśvinī-kumāras, they had some difficulty. They were not allowed in the society of the demigods while drinking soma-rasa. They had some defects, something like that. So when the physician came to see Cyavana Muni he said that "If you can give me young age, beautiful, you can make me by your treatment beautiful young man, which is very pleasing to young girls, then I shall give you the facility of drinking soma-rasa in the society of demigods." "Yes."

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Prabhupāda: Yes, let me finish, that... We are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and it is being accepted all over the world. People are very much, those who are scholars, they say that even Rādhākrishnan and Aurobindo, they presented Bhagavad-gītā making some compromise with Western ideas. But here is presentation of Bhagavad-gītā in India's original traditional way. So they welcome it. And this is our, I mean to say, object also, that we cannot allow Bhagavad-gītā to be understood by anyone's imagination. No. That is not possible. And that is not allowed in the Bhagavad-gītā by the author. Kṛṣṇa says in the Fourth Chapter that as soon as the paramparā system of understanding is lost, then the whole thing is lost. In the Fourth Chapter it is said. Find out Fourth Chapter.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Is there another Bhagavad-gītā?

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Prabhupāda: "Now, this paramparā system being lost, I am again reviving the Bhagavad-gītā again to you, Arjuna." That means the author says if one does not understand Bhagavad-gītā through the paramparā system then the whole thing is lost. So you cannot interpret Bhagavad-gītā in your own way. Then the authority and the purport of Bhagavad-gītā is lost. So we are trying to revive this paramparā system, and fortunately we have sold million copies of this edition of Bhagavad-gītā. We are printing five hundred thousand, three hundred thousand, like that. And all over the world... There are many Bhagavad-gītās. There are about six hundred and forty different editions. But still our, this Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, it is being accepted very widely, and therefore we are very much hopeful. And as practical example you can see so many European, American, they have taken to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness very seriously. And before this movement, many swamis, yogis, and scholars went to the foreign countries, but not a single person became a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That's a fact.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1976, Vrndavana:

Hari-Sauri: People are being duped now into believing that advancement means simply to research. Not to actually find out anything valuable, but just to do some research. They think that that's the whole thing, education is just to research.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the European, you don't get the result, go on researching and spoil the money.

Devotee (2): Kṛṣṇa has manufactured everything in such a complicated way, that their search is never-ending.

Prabhupāda: That article written by Svarūpa Dāmodara in the recent Back to Godhead.

Hari-Sauri: That was not.... Oh, which one?

Room Conversation with Dr. Theodore Kneupper -- November 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, we have got our books. You are philosopher. You can read. You can understand the whole thing. There is no question of "This devotee, that devotee." We are giving in writing. So we cannot deny that.

Dr. Kneupper: The question though is that there seems to be an advo..., that you advocate that there be a kind of Vedic society, that you are...

Prabhupāda: No, Vedic means knowledge, intelligent society. Why do you understand Vedic? Veda means knowledge. Vetti veda-vido jñānena. This Veda word coming from knowledge. When I say that "Here is a man of knowledge," so what is the objection? Is there any objection? If I say that "Here is Mr. such and such, a man of knowledge," so is there any objection?

Morning Walk -- December 5, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: People applauded. This is foolishness. They do not know how to act. Just like if you pour water on the tree, then it is accepted that you are pouring water on the tree but that is not the process. The process is to pour water on the root of the tree. Practically we... You can make an experiment. Just like here is a tree. You don't pour water on the root but pour water on the leaves. Then it will dry in due course of time. It will not be effective. But if you pour water on the root, the water will go everywhere. So the whole thing is just like a tree. God is the origin of everything. He is the root. Aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). Therefore He is the root. So if you pour water in the root, then the water is distributed everywhere. But if you pour water on the leaves, on the twigs, on the fruits, it will take time and it will not be successful. So one who is not in awareness of the laws of nature, they commit this mistake.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- December 7, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Fifteen rupees?

Mahāṁśa: Kilo or whole?

Devotee (7): Whole thing.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Devotee (7): Ten kgs. Ten kgs altogether.

Prabhupāda: Ten kg.

Devotee (7): Approximately he is selling ten kgs.

Devotee: 1.50 a kilo.

Mahāṁśa: It's high priced.

Room Conversation -- December 7, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Now there is no confusion. Immediately they can go, all the devotees. They are not required. What is the use?

Jagadīśa: That temple is a big, big project. Ānandamaya is not competent to handle the whole thing. He doesn't have the respect of the other members, enough. And I don't see him taking charge anymore. If you ask him to get something done he says, "Well..." He always makes some excuse. This was my experience while we were there.

Prabhupāda: Who is that man?

Mahāṁśa: Ānandamaya. He has been here since four years, and he knows practically everybody in Hyderabad. He was working with me all the time.

Prabhupāda: So then why does he not go there? Why he's here?

Room Conversation -- December 7, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: What is the money? How much?

Mahāṁśa: We don't have enough money. It will cost at least a thousand rupees or more, the whole thing, at least a thousand, maybe more. We don't have so much money right now.

Prabhupāda: So I'll pay you thousand. But... You pay me the rent, I'll pay you thousand. Yes. What is the rent per day?

Mahāṁśa: I'll get it free, without rent.

Prabhupāda: Then don't purchase.

Mahāṁśa: That member, he has a store. He gives...

Room Conversation on Farm Management -- December 10, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Not nice, it is not eatable even by the dogs. But you are less than the dogs if you (prepare) such thing. I was surprised. You allowed a sweeper to cook. I was surprised. We have distribution prasādam, not dog's food. Such rascals as here. You do not know. I do not wish to discuss anymore on this point. You have murdered the whole thing in two days. Now if possible, bring them, bring them first class prasādam, very palatable. Foodstuff means even one has no appetite he'll eat. That is food. Not that even one has got appetite, he'll forget. That is not food. So do like that and for money produce, use cane, sugar cane, rice. We shall spend for that. Don't spoil money, but do like businessman. He invests money, he gets a return. Spend it for Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. There is no question of becoming a miser. I never did it. When I have got that farthing, I want to spend it. Immediately spend.

Room Conversation -- December 20, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, I mean to say instead of collecting so many hundreds and thousands of literature on the Bhagavad-gītā, why not take Bhagavad-gītā as it is? What is the difficulty? Kurukṣetra is this position is fact. Mahābhārata, Mahābhārata means greater India. And that is, it is itihasa. It is called itihāsa. Itihāsa, if you don't believe that there was a battle in the Kurukṣetra... But that is the fact. It is the history. Then how you can finish (?) Bhagavad-Gītā? Every point of Bhagavad-gītā, it is clear. It is clear. There is no need of interpretation. That is the first thing. If you interpret you spoil the whole thing. Because interpretation is required when the things are not clear. If everything is clear, why should you interpret?

Room Conversation -- December 20, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Take Sanskrit. Take Sanskrit. Dharmakṣetre kurukṣetre. do not interpret to any other language. Take Sanskrit. Kurukṣetra is clear, dharmakṣetra is clear, Pāṇḍava is clear. Then why should we interpret? Why not take the particular verse. Everything, when there is a (indistinct), then please do not try to cut, or (indistinct) your (indistinct). If there is... (indistinct) ...but by translating the whole thing you mistake then what is the use of such translation? (indistinct)

Guest: (indistinct)

Room Conversation with Indian Man -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Prabhupāda: Now where you get the knowledge?

Indian man: From the learned one.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So who can be learned more than Kṛṣṇa?

Indian man: To be honest about this whole thing as for memory level goes, I have forgotten the Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By the virtue of coming in contact with you realized people, we can also understand. Otherwise it's the gospel truth, written in scripture, holy men say we accept it. It's not our experience.

Prabhupāda: No, it's not experience. Then there is no. If you do not accept one authority, then there is no answer of your question.

Indian man: We have to accept. But realization is not there, as you holy men will say.

Room Conversation with Indian Man -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Prabhupāda: At least, you do not know where gold is purchased and sold. But others know. Otherwise, how they are transacting business, lakhs and crores in gold. He knows. (Hindi) There are many other persons who are dealing in gold. Therefore it is advised... The first is that I want to purchase gold. Śraddhā, this is called śraddhā. Ādau śraddhā. Then sādhu-saṅga (CC Madhya 22.83). If you have to deal, you have to associate with persons. (aside:) I do not know exactly. For the present, we can go there. If I require, we can get up. (pause) At least, if you read Bhagavad-gītā to understand, and one is anxious to understand the need of spiritual life all over the world, So one should read Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Why he should interpret foolishly, spoiling the whole thing?

Indian man: Still, if (indistinct) of Tilak and...

Prabhupāda: Why, why should you read Tilak and Tilak and Tilak? Straight.

Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Prabhupāda: One thing is that you have to become intelligent. Just like Bhagavad-gītā it is said, dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). Now why I shall accept interpretation on these plain words? That is my foolishness. If somebody says dharma-kṣetra means this body and Pāṇḍava means the five senses, why this nonsense interpretation? If you are not intelligent, then you will accept such rascals interpreting unnecessarily. Interpretation is required when things are not very clear. But when the things are clear, why you should accept interpretation? That is my foolishness. There is no need of interpretation. (break) ...is it still there? Why, if the rascal interprets Kurukṣetra means this body, why shall I accept it? Kurukṣetra is still there. There is no difficulty to understand. And if somebody interprets... (break) ...interpretation, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that as soon as you interpret, the whole thing is lost. So why shall I be so foolish, I shall accept something which is lost.

Room Conversation -- December 26, 1976, Bombay:

Jagadīśa: There are some psychiatrists who are on our side though. So if we can rally their support... The whole thing is so emotional and based on this strong appeal by the scientists and leaders to avoid religion because of the distraction from sense gratification, that all of the charges against us are completely baseless. There's no foundation. And if we just carefully and with calculation expose all of their nonsense accusations, it will be a great victory. Especially now it has become such a national issue that the leaders of society have to become involved, otherwise they'll become implicated. They have to come out and say whether they support the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Prabhupāda: But they're supporting.

Morning Walk -- December 27, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes, bhakti means tapasya. Just like they are in the bhakti line. They are doing tapasya. They are rising early in the morning, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, observing maṅgala-ārati, no meat-eating, no illicit sex, no intoxication, so many things. It is tapasya. Whole thing is tapasya, tapaḥ, because by this tapasya the contamination of the soul will be cured. Then, if he understands Kṛṣṇa, then he is transferred to the spiritual world. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). He does not come again to accept the material body, and he permanently lives in the spiritual world. That is perfection. The modern civilization, they do not know all these things. They are misguiding that "You earn to your best extent. Work very hard like hogs." And there is advertisement "Work hard. The next (?)." They are pulling one trailer, rickshaw, still, their leaders are advising, "Work hard.

Room Conversation -- December 29, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So Mahābhārata is the history and there was Battle of Kurukṣetra. And that Kurukṣetra is mentioned there in the Bhagavad-gītā, and it is dharma-kṣetra since Vedic age. So the word used, dharma-kṣetre and kuru-kṣetre, it is completely understood. Why should you interpret unless you have got a motive. And why a sane man accepts that interpretation? If you have got a different philosophy you can write your own book. Why should you cheat others, taking Bhagavad-gītā and interpreting in your own way? This has spoiled the whole thing. And Kṛṣṇa says that as soon as you deviate from the disciplic succession system then it will be lost. So what is the use of reading something which is already lost? If I want to supply you something food, it must be fresh and palatable. Then you'll enjoy. But if it is rotten, decomposed, and if we supply you that foodstuff, what you will enjoy and what you will get benefit out of it?

Room Conversation -- December 31, 1976, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: So Prabhupāda, I was just finalizing today this year's festival when the devotees come. I think instead of having a festival, a pandal in Delhi like we had last year. We had one in Ludhiana and Mathurā. In Ludhiana Caityaguru promises that he can raise money for the whole thing. Our devotees won't have to spend a penny. In Delhi if we do a pandal it will require an investment of at least twenty thousand rupees. If we do our festival in Ludhiana, book distribution I calculated will be as good and no money will be invested. We have a festival in Mathurā in Janma Bhumi. Every evening by buses devotees will go from Vṛndāvana to Mathurā. You wanted to have a big program there, you remember? When I was in Vṛndāvana. So we can invite different leaders also.

Prabhupāda: Yes.