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Wonderful (Conversations 1976)

Expressions researched:
"wonderful"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: wonderful or wonderfully or wonderfulness not "very wonderful" not "very wonderfully" not "wonderful things" not "wonderful thing"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 18, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: (break) So then the chance is lost. Repeatedly Kṛṣṇa is saying, "You give up all this habit. Just become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Sarva-dharmān..." Nobody will hear. "Why shall I not?" There is a Bengali song, cakṣe yadi lāge bhālo keno dekhbo nā: "If it is gratifying to my eyes, why shall I not see a beautiful woman? Why you are forbidding me?" Cakṣe yadi lāge bhālo: "It is pleasing to my eyes. Why you are forbidding me? This is going on. Cakṣe yadi lāge bhālo. If there is little happiness, don't mind it is flickering. It will go on. The Carvaka Muni: ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā ghṛtaṁ pibet: "Some way or other prepare foodstuff with ghee." "I have no money." Ṛṇaṁ kṛtvā: "Just take. Beg, borrow, steal, bring ghee and prepare nice foodstuff and eat and enjoy life." This is the material world. But śāstra says, "No, no, no. Don't do this. This is the hog's business. Tapo. Just try to go, follow austerity." Even those who are so-called advanced in knowledge, karmī, jñānī, yogī, they are also after sense gratification. Karmī is openly after sense gratification and jñānī is subtly. "No, no. This kind of..." Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. "Now I shall enjoy Brahman. I shall become God." This is another side, the same sense enjoyment. Because I have failed becoming a minister or becoming a king, becoming a leader, becoming—I have failed, now I shall become God. Same sense grati.... They cannot understand that this is also sense gratification. "I am not no more satisfied by becoming a little minister and king and.... No. I shall become God. Why shall I.... By becoming king or minister I beg to the goddess of fortune, 'Mother, give me a little money.' Why shall I beg? I shall enjoy her. I become Nārāyaṇa." Same disease. A yogi also, after mystic power they want to show magic: "I shall make like this and gold will be there. People will worship me as I am God." Do that. People do that. If you play something wonderful they will accept you: "Oh, you are God." But he does not know that he cannot become God. That is not possible. Although he gets little fractional authority to puzzle others that he has become God.... Because people are fools, if he can produce little gold like this, they will be immediately amazed: "Oh, how powerful he is." They have no capacity to understand. If God is meant for making gold, why not worship the God who has made already millions of gold mines? Unlimited. There is no limit. Why this paltry god? They have no such knowledge. They are amazed.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: By association they will be also.

Bhavānanda: Yes, they have also improved.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jagaman has.

Bhavānanda: Jagaman is wonderful.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He works very hard. So I think we should try to get as many of these young boys as we can. We should use the facility of this prasādam distribution.

Prabhupāda: The thing is that whether we should... This pamphlet, I don't think it has got any value.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It has no value, Prabhupāda. What we should do is build this temple. If we just build this temple... This is my point. Let us build this temple immediately. Once this temple is built, everything is finished. All the glowworms are completely extinguished. There will be nothing left. They can do anything they want, and nothing will matter. If they have a 350-foot building with escalators, with huge compounds, then everything is ended.

Prabhupāda: So do like that, like America.

Bhavānanda: He can come here and stand outside and scream, "I am the ācāryadeva." Just like in America so many people are saying, "I am Napoleon." No one...

Prabhupāda: That everyone says. That is not...

Bhavānanda: We have to build this temple because...

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: So do like that, like America.

Bhavānanda: He can come here and stand outside and scream, "I am the ācāryadeva." Just like in America so many people are saying, "I am Napoleon." No one...

Prabhupāda: That everyone says. That is not...

Bhavānanda: We have to build this temple because...

Prabhupāda: So make something like American which is wonderful for the world. So you are Americans. You must do something.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If we build this temple with escalators and the people go in the temple and they go up the escalator...

Harikeśa: They'll never come back.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Do you think that they're going to then go down the road to go into Śrī Caitanya Maṭha? Why would... What is the point of it after doing something like that? They'll never go.

Prabhupāda: And if you can arrange some... What is called, that? This helicopter.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Helicopter.

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

Bhavānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: There are at least four roofs like this.

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

Morning Walk -- March 11, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break)

Jayapatāka: They have big umbrella overhead.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they did it. They did it in South India when I was there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Nellore. That was wonderful.

Jayapatāka: We can make such arrangement?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Ācāryopāsanam. That is in the Bhagavad-gītā. Ācāryopāsanam. It is not self-aggrandizement. The ācāryopāsanā goes to Kṛṣṇa directly. Therefore it is needed. Not that it is a pompous thing. Ācāryopāsanā. Kṛṣṇa says. That is the way of knowledge. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23).

Pañcadraviḍa: How does that work, that if somebody has the association of a pure devotee for only a lava, one-eleventh of a second, that he attains all perfection?

Prabhupāda: If he is so sincere.... Just like dried wood immediately ignites. And if it is moist, it does not. It is the quality of the wood. One takes three hundred years; one in three minutes. That's it. (break) One is dry from the material moist of contamination, he becomes immediately ignited in spiritual...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is that drying process?

Morning Walk -- March 12, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Oh, brown... Stone it is. That is nice. (break) ...new temple? No.

Rādhāvallabha: That's Ottawa, Canada.

Prabhupāda: Canada.

Rāmeśvara: That is the capital city of Canada.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Johannesburg. That is wonderful. (break) Stockholm, yes.

Rādhāvallabha: People will wonder when they see all these pictures. You are in half of them.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Actually, he's in all of them.

Prabhupāda: Virginia. Here I did not go.

Rāmeśvara: It's near Washington, D.C.

Prabhupāda: Baltimore.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The new Miami temple, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Oh, very nice.

Satsvarūpa: There are ten acres. That's just a tiny bit.

Rāmeśvara: They have nice mango trees?

Satsvarūpa: Oh, yes, they have many, many, a whole orchard with irrigation pipes.

Rādhāvallabha: This sign on the door of the Tokyo temple says, "Hare Kṛṣṇa Temple."

Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They accept a better theory when it is presented.

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is presented. This is the beginning, that "Your knowledge is imperfect. You are believing your eyes, but that is not perfect knowledge. You have to see with knowledge." Paśyati jñāna... Paśyanti jñāna-cakṣuṣā. Śāstra-cakṣuṣāt. That is seeing, not seeing like a child. A child is seeing, a motor car is running, a airplane is running. He thinks a wonderful machine, but it is not the machine. It is the pilot. It is the driver. A child cannot see it. The father knows that it is not the machine. The machine may be however perfectly made; it cannot run. There must be a perfect pilot also. Just like we get on aeroplane. There are hundreds of men. If there is any trouble, then the pilot can stop it, not the hundreds of men.

Mahendra: In these Communist countries, Śrīla Prabhupāda, such as Russia...

Prabhupāda: Not Communist country, everywhere, a pilot is required. Not Communist country.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Every country has a leader.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So these... All this ism, Communism, this ism, this ism, beginning from that Greek history, so many changes have been made in Europe, leaders, sometimes Napoleon, sometimes Mussolini, sometimes Hitler. It is going on. So where is the perfect situation? You have changed so many leaders for so many years in the history, but where is your perfect situation?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We have one leader, and our situation is perfect, and we are not changing that leader.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is perfection. We have taken Kṛṣṇa as leader. We are not taking any other leader.

Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Not only that, that he prepared himself, "Now I am going to die. Now I am sleeping. You just pierce with your arrow." So where is that death? Even that death is perfect.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, it's glorified from time immemorial.

Trivikrama: Like Haridāsa Ṭhākura.

Prabhupāda: Actually it is not death, but if you take it as death, that is also glorified.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's wonderful.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Look at Lord Caitanya's disappearance. Wonderful.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: A leader means that he's following a system. So what are the criterion of...?

Prabhupāda: That already told. He does not commit any mistake.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that I understand.

Prabhupāda: He is not illusioned, he is not a cheater, and he is perfect.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So now you've defined a perfect leader. What is a perfect system? What are the criterion for a perfect system?

Prabhupāda: Perfect system means from which we do not suffer. That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No suffering.

Morning Walk -- March 16, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Caitya-guru... (Bengali) (break) You are not going to China?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, we not so impressed by roṭī here, but it is really a...

Prabhupāda: Very nice, a good news. You are eating nicely. That gives me pleasure.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Everybody is so satisfied. This... What is it? Shantilal is just a wonderful cook.

Prabhupāda: So just give him the leadership of cooking everywhere. When the prasāda is supplied?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: At one o'clock.

Prabhupāda: So you can send me at half past one?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Oh, yes, it can be kept warm very easily. Hot capatis, he says, for hundreds of people.

Prabhupāda: Hot. That is wanted. That I had asked. Therefore it is so filling.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, everything is hot. (break) ...so...

Prabhupāda: No, no. Prasādam, when it is supplied from the temple, in any condition it is prasādam. So communists should be impressed that "You are trying to establish a perfect society. That is your philosophy. So unless there is perfect leader, how you can establish?" This is the way.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And we know what the qualities of a perfect leader are. "We don't find that you have any such persons."

Prabhupāda: No, phalena paricīyate, by result. (kīrtana as they approach temple) (end)

Morning Walk -- March 19, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: "These people, they have no illicit sex, no intoxication?" Oh, immediately they become praising, "Such wonderful men. No illicit sex?" which is unknown to you, the Western people.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They think it is like Superman.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Superman, actually. That is the fact.

Satsvarūpa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, today starts a big international convention for the Association for Asian Studies, and we're there. It's in Toronto. We have an advertisement in this book, with Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, with a quote by that Bruce Long. And we have that big sign at our booth: "The largest publisher and distributor of books on the philosophy, culture and religion of India." This shows also with all the exhibitors, we're listed, the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. And this is where we are, this booth here.

Prabhupāda: So who is taking care?

Satsvarūpa: Two of the library men who didn't come, just so they could go to this convention.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...therefore they search. And who goes to the airport? All respectable gentlemen, who can pay lump sum for air fare. So he's also searched out. That means there is no gentlemen. The airport security is searching through. Then in this world there is no gentleman, no honest men.

Morning Walk -- March 21, 1976, Mayapura:

Pañca-draviḍa: Half moon.

Prabhupāda: About these movements, my position is different. My position is.... There is two movements, a sun movement and the whole planetary system movement. So according to the movement.... That is explained in the Bhāgavatam.

Pañca-draviḍa: Why is it sometimes there's only quarter moon, no moon, half moon, full moon?

Prabhupāda: The same explanation. On the whole, we have to accept that something wonderful is going on. And that is Kṛṣṇa's arrangement.

Trivikrama: Jaya.

Prabhupāda: You cannot explain. You, you rascal scientists, from so much distant, you have calculated, "This is thi..." This is all wrong. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. They are carrying order of Kṛṣṇa, not your order. Yasyājñayā. "By the order of Govinda," not your order. Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ.

Pañca-draviḍa: (break) "There may be a God, but all these stories..."

Prabhupāda: "There may be." That is rascaldom.

Pañca-draviḍa: All these stories about Him...

Prabhupāda: Anyone who says "maybe," he's not scientist. He's a rascal. Then why shall I hear him? Rascal. Why shall I waste my time? I am not going to waste my time to hear a rascal. How can I? I have got value of my time. As soon as he says "Maybe there is God," he's a rascal.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Reporter (2): Are these bad conditions or ailments not part and parcel of God?

Prabhupāda: Yes. But you are suffering. You should admit. Just like a prison department is part and parcel of the government. But who is in the prison, he is suffering.

Reporter (2): That's a very good answer. That's a wonderful answer.

Reporter (3): Your Divine Grace, would your message be exactly the same for, say, a starving man in India and a Westerner who's got everything that a person needs?

Prabhupāda: We say that not only in India, everyone, you'll starve, because you are rebellious to God consciousness. You must starve. That is the punishment. Just like anyone who is a criminal, he must be punished. That is the law of nature.

Reporter (3): So by that, I suppose one would presume that people in India have been most rebellious to God.

Prabhupāda: Why India? Everywhere. Why you speak India?

Reporter (3): Because...

Prabhupāda: When you speak of God, don't take India, or America or Europe. Everywhere.

Reporter (3): No. Because the number of starving men here is much larger.

Morning Walk -- April 24, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: The stool, you take them and keep it apart. They will go again to the stool. Nature's way, they must suffer. So-called philanthropic activities, welfare activities—useless. You cannot do any welfare activity; you must suffer. Only way you can do them some good, inducing them chanting, that's all. Otherwise no possibility.

Guru-kṛpā: In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam class this morning, that was the verse. The greatest welfare activity is if they hear and chant about Kṛṣṇa's wonderful activities. That is the greatest welfare activity. So yesterday, when that man came from the government...

Prabhupāda: Government?

Guru-kṛpā: Yes, the social minister came. He did not.... You simply told him to come and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and he didn't, couldn't believe it.

Prabhupāda: They are practically seeing and still not believe.

Guru-kṛpā: He doesn't have such a nice house.

Devotee (1): He accepts the result, but he won't take the process. He sees that they've given up everything he is trying to defeat, which is sinful activity, illicit sex, intoxication, but he won't take the process.

Guru-kṛpā: One reporter told you that she was happy, and you said, "Well, if it is happiness, then it's simply happiness of the dog." So they have become satisfied with that standard of happiness.

Room Conversation -- April 30, 1976, Fiji:

Prabhupāda: All right, that is also kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Prasādam means we offer the foodstuff to Kṛṣṇa; then it is prasādam. So you have not come, but you have to come to take prasādam. This, it has got connection with Kṛṣṇa. So therefore we welcome you that at least for eating, you are coming to Kṛṣṇa. Gradually, you'll understand Kṛṣṇa, by eating only. Kṛṣṇa is not so easy to be understood, but we are giving you facility to eat kṛṣṇa-prasādam so that one day you can understand this movement. This is the policy. Actually, that is the policy. We are not poor-feeding. That is not our philosophy. Like Vivekananda. Daridra-nārāyaṇa-sevā. No, we are not after that. We are giving you prasādam. And that is fact, that by eating, eating, eating, eating, you one day will become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Simply by eating. Because you are so dull, you cannot understand the philosophy. You know the belly like the animals. So therefore we are giving facility, "All right, fill up your belly, fill up your belly. And you'll be infected." As you take foodstuff from a infected area, you become infected with some disease, so this is Kṛṣṇa infected, prasādam. You take it, and one day you'll be diseased with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And that is a fact. Some way or other, let him come in contact with Kṛṣṇa. He'll be benefited. Some way or other, let him come to the light. May be dim light or very big light. Light is light. So if anyone understands that there is a soul which is conducting the business of this body, then he can very easily understand that there is a Supersoul who is conducting the business of the whole material manifested world. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). If you convince that the body is useless, a lump of matter only, but the soul is the prime factor, similarly, he'll very easily understand that there is huge, gigantic material body of earth, water, air, fire, sky; they are working so wonderfully on account of the Supersoul. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: athavā bahunaitena kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna. Find out this verse.

Room Conversation -- April 30, 1976, Fiji:

Prabhupāda: Yes. There are so many verses. Another verse is mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ (BG 9.10). "The prakṛti is not important. Material energy is not important. My supervision is important." Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. The sun is rising and setting by whose order? Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam aham... This is to be understood. And if one understands that because the soul is there within the body, therefore the body is working so wonderfully, then he can very easily understand there must be a soul of this universe. How he can deny it? How he can say that it is working automatically? There is no such experience, working automatically. I have given several times the example: the 747, wonderful aeroplane machine, but that is not important. The important is the pilot who is pushing the button and it is, in such big sky, it will stay balanced; in balance it is flying in six hundred miles speed, onh-onh-onh-onhh. (imitates sound of plane flying). And as soon a little.... Finished. So it is a fact. Why the security checking? Because sometimes these, what is that, hi.... hi...?

Devotee: Highjackers.

Prabhupāda: Highjacks, they attack the pilot. They're not attacking the passengers. (end)

Room Conversation -- May 4, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Oh, you are adding two more.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Well, we had almost finished two. They'll be added in June, so that will make eight, a total of eight. And they're having a normal program going on nicely. And Madhudviṣa Mahārāja also went to visit the other temples. He said in Boston they've gotten.... I think they've already gotten it, right? That restaurant? Ambarīṣa Prabhu has gotten the most wonderful restaurant there, just around the corner from the temple. So it will be very, very high class restaurant with waiters, and...

Prabhupāda: Now, this New York restaurant being organized, other restaurant will follow.

Guru-kṛpā: This restaurant down here, I just was there. Gaura-govinda, he's the one who decorated it. First class. People really like it.

Prabhupāda: From the very beginning I was asking to open restaurant and farm. Produce ghee in the farm and send to the restaurant, and make nice samosā, kachori preparation, and there will be no scarcity of money. And if you organize in this way, your whole country will be transferred into Kṛṣṇa conscious country. Whole country. So, what about your China program?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, we went to New York to meet with Dhṛṣṭadyumna Mahārāja's father, and he was very helpful. We approached him in a frank way, and he immediately got the help of his office. He's the president of this Far East American Council.

Room Conversation -- May 4, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: That means the little children's policy. Children, just like imagining so many things, "I shall do that. I shall do." The potter's imagination. You know that? Potter's imagination? You do not know the story? One potter is selling earthen pots, and he is saying that "Now, these two paisā, it has cost me one paisā. I shall make one paisā profit. Then I can make such profit. I shall invest again. I shall make another profit, another profit. In this way I shall become millionaire. Then I shall marry, and my wife shall be very obedient. And if (s)he does not become obedient, I shall give him a kick like this." And he, what was.... One pot was there. He kicked that pot and broke. (laughter) It broke. "Oh, again I am poor man." So this is going on, imagination. Imagination.... "I shall become so great that I shall kick Kṛṣṇa's law," and whatever pot he had-broken. That's all. Rascals, simply rascals. If anyone thinks like that, that "I shall surpass the laws of nature," then he's madman. He's madman. So what is the use of dealing with madmen? And as soon as you challenge them that "Show us that you have surpassed the laws of nature," "Yes, we are trying. In future we shall do." That's all. This is their reply. So it is better to avoid such men. But if you peacefully you can introduce, "All right, you will do. You are wonderful men, so kindly if you read some pages of this, it is not very costly. You can keep. At leisure hour you can read," in this way, imploring, then they will be benefited. That much we can do to any rascal. He sādhavaḥ sakalam eva vihāya dūrāt caitanya-candra-caraṇe: "Oh, you are so nice. Therefore I am flattering you. I humbly obeisance. Kindly hear one thing. Keep some books. It is not very costly." Bas. This much you can do. And let them become puffed up by their false notions. But if they keep some books, sometimes they will read or their sons will read. That's all. Therefore I am stressing so much on books, that if the puffed-up rascals take some book and sometimes, if they read, he'll be benefited, perfectly benefited. So distribute these books anywhere possible. It doesn't matter where it is. The same process. Dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya.

Room Conversation -- May 7, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Because Kṛṣṇa has two business, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtam (BG 4.8). We are for delivering all people. Anyone who will put hindrance, then we have to finish. Not small, big. That is going on all over the world, politics.

Guru-kṛpā: Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, he also...

Prabhupāda: That is the way everywhere. (break) They will be automatically finished. Just like the Rāmakrishna Mission, who are advertising that they have got wonderful importance. They are now finished. They are simply making false propaganda in India. Actually, they have got fangs, what is called, fangs?

Devotee: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: The quality?

Devotees: Fangs.

Prabhupāda: Fangs, fangs. That is broken. So make... First of all try to push books, everywhere all over the world. They have got so many languages, like Russian or... Blackmarket. Chinese also. Blackmarket, they cannot check.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, no, and you don't need permission either.

Prabhupāda: No.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And there's more profit too.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In black market.

Morning Walk -- June 5, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They have palatial buildings in Ahmedabad, oh.

Prabhupāda: That, when I was staying there, that young girl, the daughter, she was always taking care, always taking care: "Swamiji, what do you want, what can I serve?"

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That was a wonderful stay. That was when Mrs. Nair surrendered. (laughs)

Prabhupāda: The Bhogilal was coming daily.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: To talk with you?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And Pranlal was offering any help that he could. And they gave our, the secretaries were also treated very nicely, they gave us each a car.

Rāmeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, when I first came to this, to your movement, the first thing I was told is that Lord Caitanya's movement in this age will, like a moon, rise for ten thousand years. I was told that number, ten thousand years. Is that true?

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Rāmeśvara: And then after that, they will...

Prabhupāda: This movement will go for ten thousand years without any impediment.

Rāmeśvara: So that means increasing, because it's the nature of the spiritual energy.

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

Prabhupāda: Purport.

Hari-śauri: "The Supreme Personality of Godhead has innumerable energies, and all of these energies are divine. Although the living entities are part of His energies, and are therefore divine, due to contact with material energy their original superior power is covered. Being thus covered by material energy, one cannot possibly overcome its influence. As previously stated, both the material and spiritual natures, being emanations from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are eternal. The living entities belong to the eternal superior nature of the Lord, but due to contamination by the inferior nature, matter, their illusion is also eternal. The conditioned soul is therefore called nitya-baddha, or eternally conditioned. No one can trace out the history of his becoming conditioned at a certain date in material history. Consequently, his release from the clutches of material nature is very difficult, even though that material nature is an inferior energy, because material energy is ultimately conducted by the Supreme Will, which the living entity cannot overcome. Inferior material nature is defined herein as divine nature due to its divine connection and movement by the divine will. Being conducted by the divine will, material nature, although inferior, acts so wonderfully in the construction and destruction of the cosmic manifestation that the Vedas confirm this as follows: māyāṁ tu prakṛtiṁ vidyān māyinaṁ tu maheśvaram. Although māyā is false and temporary, the background of māyā is the supreme magician, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is Maheśvara, the supreme controller. Another meaning of guṇa is rope. It is to be understood that the conditioned soul is tightly bound by the ropes of illusion. A man bound by the hands and feet cannot free himself. He must be helped by a person who is unbound, because the bound cannot help the bound. The rescuer must be liberated. Therefore only Lord Kṛṣṇa or His bone fide representative the spiritual master can release the conditioned soul. Without such superior help, one cannot be freed from the bondage of material nature.

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

Prabhupāda: Why not? He's the most beautiful. Otherwise, why people are attracted? There is a verse in the Brahma-saṁhitā: kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobham (Bs. 5.30); barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam. He has got one peacock feather on His head and He's blackish, but wonderfully beautiful. These words are used. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya. He's so beautiful that thousands of Cupids cannot be compared with His beauty. Cupid is understood to be the most beautiful person within this universe. You know Cupid? Yes. He enchants by beauty. But Kṛṣṇa's beauty is so great that millions of beauty, kandarpa or Cupid, cannot be compared with Him. Kandarpa-koṭi-kamanīya-viśeṣa-śobhaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi (Bs. 5.30). It is a question of attraction. It is not a question of black and white. Attraction. So unless Kṛṣṇa is beautiful, why He has got so many millions of devotees? This very word is kandarpa-koṭi. Barhāvataṁsam asitāmbuda-sundarāṅgam. His blackness is compared with the black cloud. Asita-ambuda, ambuda means the cloud. The black cloud is full of water. When there is black cloud in the sky, you can be sure that the rain is going to fall down. Not the white cloud. White cloud means no water. Is it not? So you understand this philosophy and add water to the suffering humanity. They are suffering in the burning, blazing fire of material existence. So blazing fire can be extinguished when the water falls from the sky, not by your fire brigade. When there is blazing fire in the forest, it is beyond your control. You cannot get there fire brigade. So these small attempts of fire brigade is useless to extinguish the blazing fire of this material existence. The water must come from the cloud. That is by Kṛṣṇa's grace. You have no control over the cloud. But that water wanted. Not your fire brigade water when there is all around blazing fire. The small fire brigade-(imitates bell) dung-dung-dung-dung-dung. It can vibrate very loudly-dung-dung-dung—"I'm going to, going to," but they'll go when everything finished.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Very good argument, that these drunkards, rascals, how you can rule over the country? You are always intoxicated.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Actually, the general mass of American people, if they hear this, they will respect us very much. Just like we were staying in the campsites. The little children, they come to the āratis, then they go back to their campsite, and they told, "Oh mommy, daddy, come see this wonderful bus." So they bring their fathers to Bhagavad-gītā class, and we were lecturing to the fathers of all these children. And afterwards they were all giving donations and taking Bhagavad-gītās. Because they are very much upset about the country, but they have no solution.

Prabhupāda: No.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: And then we can give alternatives.

Mādhavānanda: In a recent issue of Newsweek magazine, there was a very large article about Washington, D.C. politicians-congressmen and senators being exposed by the press for going out with prostitutes and taking money and misspending. Big expose, scandal.

Prabhupāda: What is that sound? Airplane?

Mādhavānanda: There is a very large factory over there. You can see the smokestacks. What is it? What kind of factory? Electrical company.

Prabhupāda: We have got open place, but not very pleasant. You cannot sit down for a long time. The wind is cold.

Mādhavānanda: Very beautiful here, all over the grounds. There's also very beautiful places over there and all over.

Room Conversation with Ambarisa and Catholic Priest -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Therefore we are presenting these books, that we are not a so-called sect of whimsical faith. It is based on science and authorities. Recently we have got report that our books have been taken in Hamburg University. You know Hamburg University?

Stansky: Yes.

Prabhupāda: As their textbook for Sanskrit class. They found it so wonderful. Because for Sanskrit scholar it is good opportunity to learn Sanskrit, because each word we have given in English and German synonyms.

Stansky: I want very much to learn basic Sanskrit, but I have so much to learn right now that ah,...

Prabhupāda: No, it is not necessary, but those who are interested in studying Sanskrit literature, for them it is very good help. And at the same time they get sublime knowledge. They study Sanskrit and get knowledge. So you have kindly come to join us. You study our philosophy very minutely and then try to do something for the suffering humanity.

Conversation with Clergymen -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Well, that is another.... That is exceptional. Generally, anyone is born, according to Vedic civilization, everyone is born fourth class. When he takes his birth, it is to be accepted he's a fourth class. Now by training, you can make him first class, second class, third class. By birth, everyone is fourth class.

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.

Kern: No, but you were saying that you speak, you are looking for the intelligent, the...

Prabhupāda: Not looking for. I am talking that anyone can be, I mean to say, elevated to the intellectual platform by training. Not the handicapped. Handicapped, there are special cases. That is another thing.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. Gajendra also.

Hari-śauri: That means four parts. That means four books for the Eighth Canto.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Kīrtanānanda: Each volume is more wonderful. Each volume...

Prabhupāda: Aḥ? Oh, yes. There is no comparison of this literature.

Kīrtanānanda: I think before you came, Bhāgavatam was unknown.

Prabhupāda: Unknown, yes. The Ramakrishna Mission published one Bhāgavatam commentary. You know that? Farce. They, these Ramakrishna Mission people have done the greatest harm to the Vedic culture. Of course it is not taken very seriously, Ramakrishna Mission.

Hari-śauri: Not in the West.

Prabhupāda: But they publicized in India that they have made all, everyone In India they were doing like that. "Vivekananda Road," "Vivekananda Square," and rascals, they do not inquire even what is Vivekananda's contribution. Pradulika(?) prabhāva.

Hari-śauri: You made a good point about why although now thousands of American boys and girls are coming to India, no one is going to the Ramakrishna Mission, so what kind of impact has he had?

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

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes, I can understand.

Kīrtanānanda: Many people come by every week to see what progress has been made. And everybody who drives by, they stop.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is something wonderful in this quarter.

Kīrtanānanda: You can drive fifty miles away around here and they'll stop and ask you about how's the palace coming.

Devotee: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Changing New Vrindaban. It is already organized, New Vrindaban? (in car:) Little further.

Kīrtanānanda: We're trying to clear all this now too.

Prabhupāda: This is ours?

Kīrtanānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Kīrtanānanda: It takes a long time to clear it, though.

Prabhupāda: Never mind. Do slowly, that is pleasure.

Kīrtanānanda: Well, we could do it much faster if we didn't try to utilize the wood, but we want to utilize.

Prabhupada Inspects New BTG -- June 24, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "...God's property from being occupied by God's sons. America and other nations in the United Nations should agree that wherever there is enough land it may be utilized by the human society for producing food. The government can say, 'All right, you are overpopulated. Your people can come here. We will give them land, and they can produce food.' We would see a wonderful result, but will they do that? No. And what is their philosophy? Roguism. 'I will take the land by force and then I won't allow others to come here.' "

Reporter: "One American motto is 'One nation under God.' "

Prabhupāda: "Yes. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There should be one nation under God, and one world government under God as well. Everything belongs to God and we are all His sons. That philosophy is wanted."

Kīrtanānanda: Who is this reporter?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Jagannātha Suta. This was in Māyāpur. (continues reading) "But in America people are very much afraid of the central government"—this is the reporter—"because they think that wherever there is a strong government there will always be tyranny."

Prabhupāda: "If the leaders are properly trained, there cannot be tyranny."

Reporter: "But one of the premises of the American system of government is that if a leader has too much power, he will inevitably become corrupt."

Prabhupāda: "You have to train him in such a way that he cannot become corrupt."

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

Kīrtanānanda: A little bit, not too much.

Prabhupāda: Detroit temple, it was, that building was constructed at a cost of two million dollars, say some fifty years, sixty years ago. And we purchased it at three hundred thousand dollars. So when they said that there is a nice house, so I told "Let me go immediately." So I went there and talked with the proprietor, so I liked it very much. It is a wonderful palace. So he asked $350,000. So I talked with him and asked some concession. Then I last bid again, "I'll give you cash, three hundred thousand." So he said "Yes, I accept." There was no money. (laughter) So the Bombay purchase, you know, it was simply speculation. So Kṛṣṇa is giving us. For a karmī, it is not possible, but Kṛṣṇa gives us all facilities. You have been in that palace, Detroit? Very, very nice. Perhaps the best in our society, huh?

Hari-śauri: Without a doubt.

Prabhupāda: London, that is also nice, but not as nice. The building is so strong, and the rooms are so palatial, big, big, rooms. One room of this size of the whole...

Kīrtanānanda: How big is the temple room?

Hari-śauri: The temple room is not so big, fifty feet long and about thirty feet wide.

Prabhupāda: Bigger than here, double.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Very nice garden.

Prabhupāda: Very nice garden and on the riverside.

Garden Conversation -- June 27, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Where is that boy? You are hearing?

Devotee (2): Yes, Prabhupāda.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "Knowledge of the transcendental science of the Upaniṣads can free one from the entanglement of existence in the material world, and when thus liberated, one can be elevated to the spiritual kingdom of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by advancement in spiritual life. The beginning of spiritual enlightenment is realization of impersonal Brahman. Such realization is effected by gradual negation of material variegatedness. Impersonal Brahman realization is the partial, distant experience of the Absolute Truth that one achieves through the rational approach. It is compared to one's seeing a hill from a distance and taking it to be a smoky cloud. A hill is not a smoky cloud, but it appears to be one from a distance because of our imperfect vision. In imperfect or smoky realization of the Absolute Truth, spiritual variegatedness is conspicuous by its absence. This experience is therefore called advaita-vāda, or realization of the oneness of the Absolute. The impersonal glowing effulgence of Brahman consists only of the personal bodily rays of the Supreme Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Since Śrī Gaurasundara, or Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, is identical with Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, the Brahman effulgence consists of the rays of His transcendental body. Similarly, the Supersoul, which is called the Paramātmā, is a plenary representation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. The antaryāmi, the Supersoul in everyone's heart, is the controller of all living entities. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā, wherein Lord Kṛṣṇa says sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I am situated in everyone's heart." (BG 15.15) Bhagavad-gītā also states; bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29), indicating that the Supreme Lord, acting in His expansion as the Supersoul, is the proprietor of everything. Similarly, the Brahma-saṁhitā states, aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham: (Bs. 5.35) the Lord is present everywhere within the heart of every living entity and within each and every atom as well. Thus by this Supersoul feature the Lord is all-pervading. Furthermore, Lord Caitanya is also the master of all wealth, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation because He is Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself. He is described as pūrṇa, or complete. In the feature of Lord Caitanya, the Lord is an ideal renouncer, just as Śrī Rāma was an ideal king. He accepted the order of sannyāsa and exemplified exceedingly wonderful principles in His own life.

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

Prabhupāda: These boys are playing with Kṛṣṇa. Who is Kṛṣṇa? He is the essence of Brahma-sukha, Param Brahman. So these boys are playing with Param Brahman. Itthaṁ brahma-sukhānubhūtyā dāsyaṁ gatānāṁ para-daivatena. And for the devotees He's the supreme master, and for the ordinary man He is ordinary child. But these other children who are playing, they have got this position kṛta-puṇya-puñjāḥ. "After many, many births' pious activities, now I have got this position, playing with Kṛṣṇa on equal terms." So this is the conception of devotional service, that when you go to the Goloka Vṛndāvana you cannot distinguish.... But they have got unflinching love for Kṛṣṇa. That is Vṛndāvana life. The cows, the calves, the trees, the flowers, the water, the elderly men, Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodāmayī, everyone is attached, central point is Kṛṣṇa. Everyone is loving Kṛṣṇa. And there is no such knowledge that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality.... Sometimes they see Kṛṣṇa's wonderful activities and they talk on: "Kṛṣṇa may be some demigod. He has come here." But they could never recognize that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When Kṛṣṇa passed some dangerous position, so many demons were coming, mother Yaṣodā was chanting some mantras to protect Kṛṣṇa that "He may not be put into some calamity." They never understood that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality. But their natural love for Kṛṣṇa so intense. Therefore Vṛndāvana life is so exalted. Arādha... What is called? Arādhyo bhagavān vrajeṣa-tanāya tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that first of all Kṛṣṇa, Vrajendra-nandana, the son of Nanada Mahārāja, He is arādhya. Tad-dhāma vṛndāvanam. And His dhāma, His abode, Vṛndāvana, is also worshipable. They are equal.

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

Prabhupāda: Nail is sufficient to kill an enemy like Hiraṇyakaśipu. No other weapon required. Simply tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-śṛṅgam. Wonderful nails. Tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-śṛṅgam, dalita-hiraṇyakaśipu-tanu-bhṛṅgam. Just like we sometimes press some insects; immediately dies. So this Hiraṇyakaśipu, simply by nails pressed and finished.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Like to go inside now, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Devotees: Jaya. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda!

Prabhupāda: Give it to Kīrtanānanda. Tava kara-kamala-vare nakham adbhuta-śṛṅgam. (kīrtana) (end)

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But in the..., from our experience, it is quite clear though that matter, as such... For example, let's take a crystal of diamond or, that will be shown later in the slide, that there are... Actually crystal of diamond is built in very simple structures. It's a hexagon, six carbon atoms, one after another, forms a very simple structure. But on the other hand, now when life is in association with matter, if we take a simple cell, the cell is composed of so many big, big molecules like proteins and DNA's and all these giant molecules. And they are wonderfully complex.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So what this studying of a dead man, the molecules? When a man is dead, what is the condition of the molecules?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The molecules will deteriorate to simple molecules. It will degrade from big, big molecules to small molecules. In other words, it tends to be simple. When the living entity is out of the material body, the body itself becomes very simple.

Prabhupāda: No varieties.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, no variety.

Prabhupāda: That I explained.

Hari-śauri: The complexity is there because the spirit soul is complex.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Rūpānuga: The characteristic here, Śrīla Prabhupāda says, is that life has specific complex form and activity by nature. So that this activity, complex activity...

Morning Walk -- July 4, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Oh, Coleman, yes. Last time in India, he gave me twenty-five thousand rupees. (laughs)

Rūpānuga: He did?! Wow, twenty-five thousand! He still has the original tape of this record.

Prabhupāda: Let him now do. He wanted to pay me something, but he never paid.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I sent Kṛṣṇa-kānti, he made a, recorded this in South Africa and printed it. It's not actually legal, but we did it because we didn't think it would... This is the most wonderful record for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness because you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. So pure.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Originally.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: People can more appreciate Hare Kṛṣṇa than these bhajanas, because they do not understand.

Prabhupāda: Bhajana, they do... (break) ...Brahmānanda, you...

Rūpānuga: Brahmānanda, yes, he's singing. Satsvarūpa. Hayagrīva was there also, and Jadurāṇī was there. We were playing all kinds of instruments, all kinds of things. We were playing bells and sticks.

Prabhupāda: Kīrtanānanda was playing sitar.

Rūpānuga: Yes.

Prabhupāda: And I was playing a broken mṛdaṅga.

Rūpānuga: It was wood. Was it wooden?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I think they had that at the New Vrindaban farm.

Arrival Comments in Car to Temple -- July 9, 1976, New York:

Rāmeśvara: But that will increase. You can get ten thousand, twenty thousand dollars for one painting in the future, because they are paying that much now for inferior work.

Prabhupāda: Who is painting nice? Muralī?

Rāmeśvara: Muralīdhara, Jadurāṇī, Parīkṣit.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Parīkṣit is wonderful.

Prabhupāda: Parīkṣit, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. He's expert. We have one boy in the temple here who has been doing murals on the walls in the temple room, and he's done it very quickly with a technique called air-brush. Instead of using a brush, you use a spray gun, and you spray the paint on. It's a modern technique. It's especially good in murals and things.

Prabhupāda: First of all they draw in lines?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And then they spray on the paint. He finishes a painting in two or three days. Big murals. (laughs) He's expert. He's known as the human camera. He can copy any picture onto a wall. His name is Viṣṇu dāsa.

Prabhupāda: So why does he not go to Māyāpur-candrodaya...? (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, he's meant to go, after he finishes the temple. You already told him to go last time.

Rāmeśvara: We knew you would say that, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We were talking this morning how as soon as you see these murals, you'll say he should go to Māyāpur. He paints very quickly. We could actually send him with that spray gun.

Morning Walk -- July 17, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: We started with five hundred. What was that machine?

Kīrtanānanda: Mimeograph. Then I think it went to two thousand then to five thousand.

Rāmeśvara: Now for December we are printing two million copies. Last year we printed one million copies, so this year we must double. Two million copies in one month.

Kīrtanānanda: Wonderful.

Prabhupāda: It is all Kṛṣṇa's mercy. You have seen the first copy? They have brought photograph from which library?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Congress Library in Washington. They found the original...

Prabhupāda: Yes. I do not know how they got my...

Rāmeśvara: Oh, your original, from India.

Prabhupāda: Yes, 1944, the first copy. I get them from selling. Perhaps they had been, American.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Very thick, it was a thick magazine.

Prabhupāda: In those days I was spending three hundred rupees per month.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That was a lot.

Prabhupāda: Yes, three hundred rupees, nowadays at least ten times. Three hundred ten times?

Kīrtanānanda: Three thousand.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: At least three thousand. I think even perhaps more, Prabhupāda.

Morning Walk -- July 17, 1976, New York:

Devotee: They poison them.

Kīrtanānanda: They put poison feed out.

Prabhupāda: Ah, killing experts.

Kīrtanānanda: This civilization is that "If you cause a little disturbance to my sense gratification, I will kill you."

Prabhupāda: But there is civilization. I saw it practically, that there is no disturbance in our Pennsylvania farm. The cats, the dogs, the cows, the boys, children, they are living like family. In your farm also. Wonderful. The cats are not afraid of the dogs. It is very peaceful. (break)

Hṛdayānanda: They are showing paintings from a museum in Spain.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: (break) ...posters advertising Ratha-yātrā.

Prabhupāda: Hmm? Yes. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...pure devotee will also come here and therefore he's (indistinct) bringing for you.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Caitanya Mahāprabhu goes with His associates, He does not go alone. Sa-pārṣadam. Sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: "As stated in Brahma-saṁhitā, Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. No one is greater than Him; He is the cause of all causes. Here it is also stated by the Lord personally that He is the cause of all the demigods and the sages. Even the demigods and great sages cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. They can neither understand His name nor His personality, so what is the position of the so-called scholars of this tiny planet? No one can understand why the Supreme God comes to earth as an ordinary human being and executes such commonplace and yet wonderful activities. One should know, then, that scholarship is not the qualification necessary to understand Kṛṣṇa. Even the demigods and the great sages have tried to understand Kṛṣṇa by their mental speculation, and they have failed to do so. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also it is stated clearly that even the great demigods are not able to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They can speculate to the limits of their imperfect senses and can reach the opposite conclusion of impersonalism, of something not manifested by the three qualities of material nature. Or they can imagine something by mental speculation. But it is not possible to understand Kṛṣṇa by such foolish speculation. Here the Lord indirectly says that if anyone wants to know the Absolute Truth, 'Here I am, present as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I am the Supreme.' One should know this. Although one cannot understand the inconceivable Lord who is personally present, He nonetheless exists.

Morning Walk -- July 19, 1976, New York:

Bali-mardana: Preaching and kīrtana.

Prabhupāda: Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja chanted.

Devotees: Oh, yes, very nice.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda, this festival was wonderful. So many people took prasādam, and afterwards they had a play and then they had, they did some bhajanas, and the people were enchanted by the whole thing. And the neighbors there, they said that "In the five years I've lived by the park, the park has never been so nice." It was just wonderful. They say about seven thousand people took prasādam.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: See, seven thousand.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: There was a line all the way around the park. They couldn't serve it out fast enough.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Seven thousand took prasādam! That was the free prasādam. And another seven thousand we sold prasādam.

Hari-śauri: They had big queues for buying watermelon. Bali-mardana had bought lots of watermelon, and they were selling slices for fifty cents each.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Lassi also, and lemonade, very tasty.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They were also selling lassi and lemonade. It was very big.

Bali-mardana: Burfi and lugloos, sweets, everything.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: You can send one, this cutting, to Mr. Bhajaj, "Fifth Avenue, Where East Meets West." Very good.

Hari-śauri: Send one to Māyāpur as well?

Prabhupāda: Huh? You can send to many place, but this title is very nice. This is the point, this is the point. East, as I say always, the lame man meets the blind man. Together they do wonderful. And different they cannot do anything. He is blind, he is lame. But they join together, Indian culture and American money, they will save the whole world. Here is the... Money required. (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You want to hear what they wrote? Should I read to you what they said?

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very nicely written. "With everybody pulling together and everybody puffing together, a huge float is tugged down Fifth Avenue yesterday during the first Ratha-yātrā Parade of International Society for Krishna Consciousness. The parade moved south from Central Park to Washington Square Park, where a free feast, music, art, dance and theater festival was held. According to a spokesperson, Ratha-yātrā is a time when people come to dance, sing and feast amidst a sublime atmosphere of bright flags, festoons, banners, garlands, flowers and incense, simply to feel the poetry and blissful nature of life.' "

Prabhupāda: Very good, this is blissful nature.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, you can see the devotees pulling the float.

Car Ride -- July 20, 1976, New York:

Rāmeśvara: At the park.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: At the park. One woman who lives next to the park said "In all my years of living here I've never seen such a wonderful festival held." And one..., the official of the park, who's in charge of the park, was on CBS television, and he said that "You see? Spiritual life is still present in Washington Square Park." He made that comment. He said "We are very proud to be able to say that in our... This park was founded hundreds of years ago, when America was religious." And he said "Spiritual life is still present in Washington Square Park."

Prabhupāda: So why not ask the mayor to construct a temple there? (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't think they'd...

Prabhupāda: People will come.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Maybe, but, ah, I don't think they will agree to that. They're not that spiritual.

Rāmeśvara: No, in America you have to raise your own money for temples. You cannot get the city to build it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, you can't get their land either, not for a building like that. You can put a hospital maybe. Thing is, park space is so short in that area of the city that they..., I don't think they'd give it up for a building. Prabhupāda told us yesterday that we should rent a small building downtown in that area and call it Guṇḍicā, so that Lord Jagannātha will stay down there.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Pṛthu-putra: "And there is also an index and some notes which are giving the work much more easy for the reader, even the profound. This teaching took its root in the teaching of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that prophet of Kṛṣṇa's. His preaching in Bengal in Orissa in sixteenth century is again appear deeper for the devotion to Bhagavān. Srila Prabhupāda is descending in the disciplic succession, direct vamsa, from Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His first disciples, the famous Gosvāmīs. It is a considerable advantage for the French public to have these volumes where there is a vitality manifested from one of these past pantha, which are the most followed by the followers of the Hinduism. We hope that there is a large distribution of this tradition and commentary of the Bhāgavata-Purāṇa. Anyone who is interested in the life of India can find the authentic teaching, spiritual teaching authorized, and can also have access to one of the most beautiful religious poem from the Hindu tradition." This is the.... It's wonderful.

Prabhupāda: Yes, very good.

Jayatīrtha: What was his name?

Pṛthu-putra: Jean Vardin

Bhagavān: You met him several years ago, two years ago, when you were in France.

Prabhupāda: Yes, I met one...

Bhagavān: He took all your books.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So he likes our...

Bhagavān:. Oh, yes. We are very respected in the country.

Prabhupāda: That's nice. You must keep our position. Yes.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Bhagavān: It's a nice picture. Everyone who sees it says how friendly Prabhupāda is.

Hari-śauri: This one is downstairs. George Harrison immediately pointed to it and said, "Oh, that's a wonderful picture."

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is Vaiṣṇava picture. Vaiṣṇava is always humble. (looking at picture) Jagannātha Purī.

Bhagavān: They are distributing these books for no less than ten dollars each.

Jayatīrtha: Ten dollars each? Fifty francs.

Bhagavān: Fifty francs, ten dollars. This is Gaura-Nitai, New Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: Baltimore?

Bhagavān: At the farm.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Jayatīrtha: They are similar to the ones in Baltimore. I saw that picture. One boy from Baltimore just came here, Śrutadeva.

Bhagavān: We have done this like in the English, with the explanation on this side.

Jayatīrtha: C'est magnifique. (laughter)

Bhagavān: The color has come out nicely.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Pṛthu-putra: (translating) "The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is most known under the name of Bhāgavata-Purāṇa. The Sanskrit word Purāṇa means 'ancient, old work.' It is a commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra by Vyasadeva, its author, from which we also learn about the Mahabharata. From a general way, but particularly the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the Purāṇa is a true encyclopedia containing all the aspects of the life of spirit. We have to see that this great work is containing all the predictions, this, of realizing in every detail. Then it is very important to point out that the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam under its poetic form is a very actual by the subject which it's treating about. The truth is one and universal, and the tradition of this work is always valuable. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is an essential development of the Bhagavad-gītā. It's talking about the questions metaphysical, philosophical, religious, psychologic, political and social. The wonderful tradition of Swami Prabhupāda is inspired from the same principles that the one who guided him in his translation of the Bhagavad-gītā. Every Sanskrit verse is written in Latin characters and then a literary version. The commentary, which is referring always from the Veda, Upaniṣad, and other texts, is allowing the reader to make spiritual progress. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is a precious work and will be revealed for a lot of people from the Western. And there is a very urgent need to spread this message throughout the world."

Jayatīrtha: Ah! It's a very good decision.

Bhagavān: Doctor of letters.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: These European scholars are very appreciative of your books.

Bhagavān: Every book comes with these bookmarks.

Prabhupāda: Oh, bookmark. So, it is another step forward. (laughs) Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126).

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Bhagavān: Twenty-five thousand. And same, Kṛṣṇa book also, twenty-five thousand.

Prabhupāda: Yes, this cover is wonderful.

Jayatīrtha: Very beautiful.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayatīrtha: In France especially they will appreciate it, so ornate.

Prabhupāda: Same size?

Bhagavān: Same size, same thickness, all the same as the Gītā. It's a whole library of books.

Hari-śauri: You doing a color scheme on the different color for each canto?

Bhagavān: Maybe not, maybe keep the same.

Prabhupāda: There will be three parts or two?

Bhagavān: Two parts.

Prabhupāda: So give Bhagavān prabhu nice prasādam. Our, the devotees only eat prasādam.

Bhagavān: My prasāda was sitting here. I'm sorry to hear that you are so sick. You are sick.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Should have, cough, to stop.(?) The coughing is continuing and practically no appetite, and palpitation of heart. Going up the step is.... So how under this condition I can travel? It is not...

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Jayatīrtha: No, in Philadelphia, New Barṣaṇa. First-class farm.

Prabhupāda: They have very well managed. And everyone is eating very nicely. (laughter) Similarly in New Vrindaban. What is the.... I want this, that you have sufficient grain, sufficient milk, then where is your economic question? And from milk, by intelligence you can get so many preparation-luci, puri, halava, rasagulla, sandesh, rabri, wonderful.

Bhagavān: There is one boy, one of our sankīrtana devotees, who previously was a farmer. His father has given him a farm in the north of France. So recently he has given us his whole crop of hay for the cows. The value of that was thirty thousand dollars. It's enough hay to supply twenty-five or thirty cows for two years, and on top of that he's able to get a loan from the bank of forty-five thousand dollars for twenty years at four percent.

Prabhupāda: To be repaid.

Bhagavān: Yes. But this he can use to purchase cows and build barn.

Prabhupāda: Only four percent. How their bank is giving so cheap?

Bhagavān: Because he's a farmer. They're helping...

Prabhupāda: Oh, farmers...

Jayatīrtha: Special concession for farmers to help farm.

Prabhupāda: That means government encouraging farming.

Bhagavān: Yes.

Jayatīrtha: Because no one wants to farm anymore these days. I heard that, especially in France.

Pṛthu-putra: Yes, especially in France.

Bhagavān: We have also paid our loan to Los Angeles. One month ago I paid seventeen thousand dollars.

Prabhupāda: So you, you can take back loan.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Whatever you decide.

Bhagavān: Prabhupāda, the only thing I'm just a little concerned is just if you have difficulty in the car. But if that won't be too difficult, I really think that this is ideal. Your quarters are really first class, extremely wonderful. And the only other thing is at night it's cool, but that's not so bad either.

Prabhupāda: No, at night cool will be good.

Bhagavān: And in the morning it is warm at ten o'clock.

Prabhupāda: So kitchen is (indistinct).

Bhagavān: Yes. You have a cook here? Your temple was cooking?

Jayatīrtha: No, Arundhatī is cooking. I think Palika should come? Palika should not come for cooking?

Prabhupāda: She has come?

Jayatīrtha: Should she not come? She wants to come.

Bhagavān: There are so many cooks. Malati is there, and we have.... You've never had problem with cooking in France before.

Hari-śauri: Harikeśa can cook also.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: What is the water there?

Bhagavān: Oh, yes, we have our own water.

Prabhupāda: Creek water?

Bhagavān: Underground. It's very nice. Very tasty and light. It's not heavy water.

Jayatīrtha: It's a fact that on the whole, this farm is a wonderful place. I was there a couple of times. I very much liked it.

Prabhupāda: Spring water?

Bhagavān: Yes.

Prabhupāda: All right, let us go.

Hari-śauri: Tomorrow?

Prabhupāda: Any time.

Hari-śauri: As soon as we can book a flight.

Bhagavān: We can arrange things.

Jayatīrtha: Bhagavān, we should.... Couldn't we somehow arrange it so that Prabhupāda doesn't have to go through the heavy traffic to the airport?

Hari-śauri: We'll have to see what time they're flying.

Jayatīrtha: Every hour. All right, so you're sure that this is...

Radio Interview -- July 27, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Yes, that means it is fictitious. You don't believe in God.

Harikeśa: We have to get you on every radio in the world, Prabhupāda. We just have to put you on the radio everywhere.

Prabhupāda: You do it, I give you the ideas.

Harikeśa: Oh, everything you say is so wonderful. We have to put you on the radio. These people, they have no idea.

Prabhupāda: No, thing is that I say all these things because I always think of this. I always think.

Hari-śauri: If you don't forget Kṛṣṇa, then...

Prabhupāda: Yes, you always think how to talk with these demonic people. Then Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence.

Hari-śauri: This is the most difficult welfare work.

Harikeśa: They don't want it.

Prabhupāda: Not difficult, it is easiest. But this rascal will not take the easiest.

Hari-śauri: That's the difficulty.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They have made it difficult. Accept the supreme controller, everything is clear. Accept the father, everything is clear. There is mother, there is children, no father. How rascal they have made. How it can be? No experience, and still they will persist, "No father." Can you show me the father? What is nonsense, if you do not see the father, it does not mean that there is no father? Father must be there. You may not have seen, that is different thing. And you can see the father because the father is maintaining the family order. Therefore there is father. From this simple analogy. Just like father gives money in the hand of the mother and she maintains the children comforts. Similarly, whatever comforts we are getting, from the nature's gift, you say that is arrangement of the father. Mayādhyakṣena prakṛtiḥ sūyate sacarācaram (BG 9.10). Clearly said. Father gives order, "Nature, do this way, do this way. He's disobeying, then punish him like this, that's all. Don't give him anything. Punish him." Just like nature is not supplying water. The order of Kṛṣṇa, "Let them suffer for some time." This is going on. You cannot check it, father's order. Common sense. How they can deny the supreme father? Dull-headed fools. Mūḍha. Any fruits you have got?

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

Bhagavān: It's a very wonderful place.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We can get many wonderful places like this all over the world. But they have not been taught how to utilize them.

Bhagavān: But I think in one year they have done nicely. They have built a greenhouse and planted all the cultivated land.

Prabhupāda: No, they are working hard, there is no doubt about it.

Bhagavān: And the temple also, Deity worship and everything.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, things are going nicely. There is no doubt about it. And children should be given that much education—to read and write and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Bhagavān: The devotees are talking how nice it was to sit outside with you and chant and hear you speak tonight. I remember the last time I was in New Vrindaban many years ago, when I first became a devotee. You were sitting outside, giving some lecture, series of lectures on Vyāsadeva and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Prabhupāda: Yes. No, I like this life, from my very childhood. And on our roof there were trees, plants, flower plants, and... My grandmother, she... We, all grandchildren used to water it. So downstairs we took water in, what is called? A jhāri?

Bhagavān: Sprinkling can?

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

Prabhupāda: You can ask him to open that book. Then read it. (translation read in French) So what is the difficulty in understanding? Ask him. This is military. Kṛṣṇa is asking that "You are in the battlefield. Wherefrom you got this cowardice mentality?" This is the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā teaches how to become a brave hero in the battlefield. This is the instruction. Kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame sam. Just read the purport. Is there any purport? (purport read in French) (break) ...difficulty to understand.

Translator: He finds it very admirable that from a small verse you are able to always find something new and wonderful to say about it. And he say you go from verse to verse, and the complexity of what you explain is always new and wonderful to read. So he's very admiring of the book.

Prabhupāda: Thank you.

Bhagavān: How you can go from two lines to three pages.

Prabhupāda: I can go more. (laughter) But I have made shortcut. Kṛṣṇa is unlimited. So He can be described unlimitedly. But we have no unlimited patience.

Translator: He is explaining that there are so many things to understand about Kṛṣṇa, but we do not have the capacity to understand always. But he feels that at one point, when the soul is pure, these things will be understood automatically, but because we are very far, these commentaries are needed to bring us closer to Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes, this is the first study of Kṛṣṇa. ABCD. When we learn Bhagavad-gītā, then we can have some glimpse of idea of Kṛṣṇa. Then we go further in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Evening Conversation -- August 8, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Ah, nobody can see their attitude.

Jñānagamya: So it is very good. On the abridged Bhagavad-gītā we have Americans, Emerson and Thoreau saying this is a wonderful book. That is very good, that is very impressive to Americans. They will accept if some great Americans have said.

Prabhupāda: That was my policy from the very beginning, that if the Americans accept, then my mission will be successful. And that is being done gradually, and I am insisting that, preach in America vigorously. If America accepts, then whole world will accept. That's a fact. Anywhere, although America may be fallen, the ideal is American, everywhere. Because they have got money. Kali-yuga means money. If you have got money, then you have got culture, you have got education, you have got everything. That is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Formerly, they were attached, family, aristocracy, culture, education. Nowadays there is no such thing. Get money and you get everything. It is not? Somehow or other, if you have got control over money then you have got everything. Bring that black Bhāgavatam. What is that sound coming? There is goat?

Parivrājakācārya: I think a lamb, sheep.

Prabhupāda: Lamb.

Parivrājakācārya: Yes.

Prabhupāda: They keep lambs for?

Evening Darsana -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: They are also chanting.

Nandarāṇī: It is good for them here because they can preach. The guests who come, they are very attracted to these little children who can sing so many wonderful songs and read Sanskrit and preach from these heavy philosophical books that the Iranians cannot even understand. So they are learning to preach. I have a Gurukula here for the Indian children. Thirty children I have.

Prabhupāda: Oh, very good.

Nandarāṇī: I have class only two days a week because the city is big and I have to go myself and collect them from their homes or meet in one home downtown and the traffic is very difficult, so we only have class two days a week, but I teach Bhagavad-gītā and Kṛṣṇa book.

Prabhupāda: They cannot come here?

Nandarāṇī: This, it takes them almost two hours to come from the city to here, so now they are coming here because on Janmāṣṭamī all thirty of them are putting on a play of Kṛṣṇa's birth from your Kṛṣṇa book. So starting Sunday until the 18th, every day I am bringing them here. I'm renting a minibus and getting them from city and bringing them here for play practice. Then on Janmāṣṭamī we are having four hundred guests from the Indian community, and the children are putting on this "Birth of Kṛṣṇa" play, and they learn to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and play the karatālas. These children are actually like American children; they have no touch with their culture. Most of them don't know Kṛṣṇa from anyone else. So now I've taught them, just like we had to teach American children. And they like it very much. So they are doing the plays...

Prabhupāda: The parents also like it.

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: ...a small child, he does not know what is the meaning of bowing down. But he's doing it. This is association. But he's getting benefit. Not that because he does not know, he's not getting benefit. He's getting benefit. (pause) You can put this light on that side, anywhere, or down, keep it down. (speaks in Hindi to guests)

Atreya Ṛṣi: Mr. Sharma is a devotee. He's a wonderful person. He's taken to spiritual life and is very serious about it. Mr. Sahani is also very serious, he's...

Prabhupāda: No, every Indian is a devotee. This is the privilege of taking birth in India. There is... Naturally he's devotee, and if he takes little education, take advantage of the Vedic instructions, then his life is successful. In the śāstra it is said even the demigods, they desire to take birth in India because this facility is there in India. This facility, the land is so sanctified that anyone who takes the body from this land, he's born sanctified. Now, if he further takes advantage of the Vedic knowledge, then his life becomes successful. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is that anyone who has taken birth in India, make his life successful, and then preach this knowledge to the outside world. The exact word,

bhārata bhūmite manuṣya janma haila yāra
janma sārthaka kari 'kara para-upakāra
(CC Adi 9.41)

Outside India they are in darkness. So it is the duty of the Indian to make his life perfect and spread his spiritual knowledge to the outside world. That is real welfare activity in the human society. That we are trying to do. Unfortunately, they have not taken very seriously what glorious activities for India we are doing. They do not understand.

Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Eh? No difficulty. If you chant Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, where is the difficulty? That is mana-manā. Apply your mind to Kṛṣṇa. Where is the difficulty? The difficulty is that we'll not do it. That is our determination. We shall do everything, but not this. That is the difficulty. Otherwise, there is no difficulty. Everyone will teach about Bhagavad-gītā, so many things they will speak, but nobody speaks that you surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Rather, they will say Kṛṣṇa is fictitious, there was no Kṛṣṇa, there was no... They mislead, that's all. And he becomes a big scholar. The more he deviates you, misguides you, he become a big scholar. This is going on. Is it not? There are so many scholars, politicians, philosophers, they are talking of Bhagavad-gītā. Nobody is talking that Kṛṣṇa, surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Am I right or wrong? They'll say "We have got different meaning of Kṛṣṇa" All the sages, all the saintly persons, they have accepted Kṛṣṇa. Just like Arjuna, when he understood Bhagavad-gītā, he immediately accepted Kṛṣṇa: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). This is understanding of Kṛṣṇa. Sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye yan māṁ vadasi keśava (BG 10.14). "Keśava, whatever You have spoken, I take it altogether as it is." Sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye (BG 10.14). All fact. And they are manufacturing some meaning. How they'll understand Kṛṣṇa? This is going on. And our, this movement has become little successful.... People give me such credit, "Swamiji, you have done wonderful." But I do not know what wonderful. I do not know any magic. I simply say that you accept Kṛṣṇa or Bhagavad-gītā as it is. That's all. That is my magic. And they are accepting it. They are accepting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. They do not make any interpretation, that "Kṛṣṇa means this, Kurukṣetra means this, Pāṇḍavas means this." No. We are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. You have seen our Bhagavad-gītā? That's all. (break) Before this, before this movement I started ten years ago, so many swamis, philosophers came in the Western country. Not a single person became a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That is our challenge. And now you'll find thousands and thousands. Because, what is secret? "As it is," that's all. No change.

Room Conversation -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:

Dayānanda: They say that "You may have so many wonderful philosophies, but our desire is just to enjoy life."

Prabhupāda: That means animal. That means animal. Animal has no philosophy.

Nava-yauvana: Also they say that religions are the causes of war. In Lebanon now the Christians are killing the Muslims and the Muslims are killing the Christians in the name of...

Prabhupāda: And the Communists are killing capitalists and capitalists are killing Communists. What is that? Is that religion? Then? How you can stop war? Because you are animal, you fight, you can give some name, either on religious ground or this philosophical ground. But because you are animal you will fight. You can give a different name. That is different thing. But because you are dogs, you'll fight. The real religion is why they will fight? Religion means to accept God. So if you are Muslim, I am Hindu, if I accept God, if You accept God, then where is fight? If we accept that God is the proprietor, God is the father, then where is the question of fight? Because we are not religious, therefore fight. Otherwise, if you accept God is the supreme father, if I accept God is the supreme, why fight? We have to go down?

Nava-yauvana: Everything you say, Prabhupāda, makes sense. Everything you say makes sense.

Prabhupāda: Yes, our preaching should be sensible, then people will accept. After all, they are human being. There is sense, but by force they are covering the sense. So we have to awaken them by handling carefully, that's all. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, jīv jāgo, jīv jāgo gauracānda bole. Who are... Uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varan nibodhata. They are sleeping. We have awaken them, that's it. That is preaching. Even the animal-killing, where it is absolutely necessary... So according to any religious principle, there is God. Just like who was telling me? You were telling me about the lamb killing? The injunction is the mouth(?) should be toward Mecca. Is it like that?

Room Conversation -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Hm? Because they do not know.

Devotee: Yes, the result is...

Prabhupāda: Wonderful. Do not know. Wonderfully do not know. The platform is, "Do not know"; it is still wonderful. Wonderful foolish, like that. The platform remains "Do not know," but still it is wonderful.

Jñānagamya: Their most intelligent philosophers and thinkers always say...

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Jñānagamya: Their most intelligent philosophers and thinkers, they always say that the more that we know, the more we understand that we don't know. (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: And that is wonderful. The more they become convinced that "I do not know," that is wonderful. When they'll know?

Devotee: Then they make these statements that "The earth is this old..." They make statements like "The earth is this many years," without any factual basis.

Prabhupāda: They are wonderful rascals. Shameless. Wonderful shameless rascals. They say that the moon planet is desert, vacant, no living entities. And we say that it is the planet for the pious men to live there very opulently for ten thousand... Of these two classes of knowledge, which is better? We have got some evidence from the śāstra, but they have no evidence. They are simply speculating. Now this moon..., er, Mars, they'll find the same result. Then how long they will go on like this?

Evening Darsana -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: No, here. (break) ...Kṛṣṇa practically showing how to live Vṛndāvana life. In Vṛndāvana nobody knows Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, nobody knows. But their love for Śrī Kṛṣṇa is intense. That is wanted. Premā pumartho mahān. That is required. You simply become an intense lover of Kṛṣṇa, bas. Your life is successful. It doesn't require any education or... That is the Vṛndāvana residents' life. They did not know what Kṛṣṇa is. But it is, very loving center, all the residents of Vṛndāvana. When Kṛṣṇa's wonderful activities are discussed, Nanda Mahārāja's friend would suggest, "Nanda Mahārāja, your son is wonderful. He must be some demigod. He has come to live with us." They did not know that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. (long pause) How far it is, Afghanistan from here?

Mr. Sahani: Actually, it's only one and a half hours.

Prabhupāda: Only? By car?

Mr. Sahani: No, no, by air. It's about, less than two thousand kilometers. Border is even nearer, but Kabul is less than two thousand kilometers.

Prabhupāda: One Afghan gentleman came. In Afghanistan there are many domiciled Hindus.

Mr. Sahani: Yes. Originally we use to live in Peshwar and they used to work and do business in Kabul and they lived in Kabul, but then they stayed on there and became Afghans.

Prabhupāda: After Pakistan. They left Peshwar and went to...

Mr. Sahani: No, they were not living there because there was no passport, there was no need of visa, you could anytime come and go. But after independence of Pakistan, at the same time, they made border, and a country of their own, and then these people stayed on this side, and they became Afghans. There are about, oh, six thousand, five, six thousand.

Prabhupāda: Homes.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa is... That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). All incarnation of God is described, and the summary is given at the end that all these names, Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, and so many, hundreds and thousands, so all of them are Kṛṣṇa's plenary portion or portion of the plenary portion. Ete ca aṁśa-kalāḥ. And this Kṛṣṇa, tu bhagavān, He is the original. Ete ca aṁśa-kalāḥ. And this Kṛṣṇa, tu bhagavān, He is the original. Ete cāṁśa-kalāḥ puṁsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). It is clearly stated. And Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). There are many incarnation of God. So many incarnations that you cannot count even. Just like it is said in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that like you cannot count the waves of the river, similarly you cannot count how many incarnations are there. But Bhāgavata gives you the information that all these incarnations, innumerable incarnations, they are portions or part of the portions. But kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. And Kṛṣṇa also confirms that mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the origin." Mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. What is the difficulty? But unfortunately you have got fertile brain. You manufacture things. And that is your misfortune. It is better to remain a fool before the ācārya. Then he'll make progress. As Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana (CC Adi 7.71). "My guru saw Me a fool number one, and he has chastised Me." When Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī asked Him that "You are a sannyāsī, You are simply chanting," so He replied like that: guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana, "My Guru Mahārāja saw Me a fool number one. Therefore he has said, 'You simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. You rascal, You cannot do anything.' So I am doing like that." He said that. He represented Himself a representative of the fools and rascals. So kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā. This is the only business, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then you gradually come to your original sense. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam (CC Antya 20.12). It is very easy thing. People will not take it. They want to see magic, they want to see jugglery, they want to hear all nonsense. This is the... If you talk nonsense, cheating them, they will like it. Satya bole tomāre lata yuta jagat bihar dana kali-yuga tuk lage anahaspar.(?) Kṛṣṇa is speaking, but... Personally? That is not good. They'll go to some rascal who can talk jugglery and show magic. Who can show greater magic than Kṛṣṇa? Who has done it? A seven-years-old boy lifting the mountain. That is mythology. When Kṛṣṇa shows something wonderful, that is mythology.

Room Conversation -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: That C.P.I. member, what does he say?

Acyutānanda: Well apparently they're a little bit envious because Māyāpur is becoming very popular amongst the local people. We get five thousand people now for the prasādam. And even the Congress leaders, they come here and eat with the people. They said, "This is wonderful."

Prabhupāda: Where is that?

Acyutānanda: At Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Acyutānanda: And Jayapatāka is going to the villages, I gave him one bus and he is selling about six to seven hundred Gītār Gāns a day.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: You'll run out of those pretty...

Jayapatāka: We'll be finished in two months with those thirty thousand.

Acyutānanda: And the response is wonderful within the villages. They all say, "Hare Kṛṣṇa," everywhere.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Acyutānanda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- August 24, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: When you are here, you can read all the books.

Indian man: I personally can do this sir, by coming here. But people would like to purchase these books, but they are very costly. If they can be printed in India...

Harikeśa: We're working on printing them in cheaper editions in India.

Indian man: That would be wonderful.

Prabhupāda: Yes, we are trying for that.

Gurukṛpā: Already this Bhāgavatam, First Volume has been printed in Delhi for about three times less cost.

Prabhupāda: So you are not getting that book?

Gurukṛpā: No, in Hyderabad we haven't gotten that.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Gurukṛpā: I don't know. I'm not in a management position. Mahāṁsa Mahārāja is ordering.

Prabhupāda: Get this cheap edition. You can order cheap edition. (break. Paṇḍita chants Śrī Īśopaniṣad and Gāyatrī. Prabhupāda speaks in Hindi, quoting Sanskrit ślokas.) (break)

Garden Conversation -- September 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Caraṇāravindam: And He paints wonderful flowers with perfume.

Prabhupāda: Anything, anything. Kṛṣṇa is giving dictation, "Do like this." Intelligence is of Kṛṣṇa.

mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ
sūyate sa-carācaram
hetunānena kaunteya
jagad viparivartate
(BG 9.10)

Caraṇāravindam: Lord Caitanya, He had the mango tree grow almost instantly with His direction.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He can do that because He is Kṛṣṇa. Immediately He can do. That is His inconceivable energy. Now by medical treatment man is made into woman, and woman is made man. Is it not?

Hari-śauri: Yes, there was that article in the Blitz the other day.

Prabhupāda: So formerly, by simply desire of very exalted person like Lord Śiva and others, they could turn a man into woman, woman into man.

Garden Conversation -- September 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Caraṇāravindam: Is such a bird the bird that was a servant of Sītā?

Prabhupāda: And monkey-eating birds I have seen in Los Angeles. They go very high on the top of a tree and capture a monkey. And take him high and drop him. As soon as he falls he dies, then again comes down and eats it.

Caraṇāravindam: We need one of those birds here to capture these monkeys.

Prabhupāda: There are so many wonderful creations. That is God's inconceivable energy. (end)

Garden Conversation -- September 7, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Very good. Common man in Bengal, Orissa, they'll take on banana leaves all vegetable preparations. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when he was invited by Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, he was taking on banana leaves.

Caraṇāravindam: I have some bitter gourd. I'm going to dry it and we can plant the seeds, karelā.

Prabhupāda: Karelā it is also...

Caraṇāravindam: Wonderful sabji.

Hari-śauri: Paṭola?

Prabhupāda: Paṭola also.

Hari-śauri: Can that be grown? Paṭola.

Prabhupāda: Paṭola, both leaves and fruits they're useful. Very useful.

Caraṇāravindam: What is that?

Hari-śauri: Little round, green, oblong shape. Looks like a small cucumber. About this long. You can see some in the kitchen. (break)

Prabhupāda: You give me lunch in banana leaves. Give me.

Hari-śauri: We were doing that in Māyāpur. I remember last time.

Prabhupāda: Because there are so many banana leaves. You can utilize it. One leaf is sufficient for four plates at least.

Room Conversation -- October 9, 1976, Aligarh:

Hari-śauri: Ghṛta-kumārī. Looks like a cactus. The English name is aloe vera.

Indian man: Which has got pulp? Yes. You want it? I have got it in my house. My wife takes them by making in the cāpāṭi, or paraṭā, because of her knees. It is wonderful for this pains in the knees. Yes.

Hari-śauri: We were told it was good for relieving high blood pressure and clearing the...

Indian man: Relieving high blood pressure, best is garlic.

Prabhupāda: Garlic.

Indian man: Garlic, you don't want it. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Garlic, onions, prohibited.

Hari-śauri: But if you could get some of this Ghṛta-kumārī...

Prabhupāda: It is there in his house.

Indian man: Yes, it is in my house, it is in my garden. So my wife will prepare for your breakfast. Small cāpāṭi. You will find it very tasty and delicious. That's called Gwaraka-pata. (Hindi) Gwaraka-pata. Gwaraka. I will show you.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā. That's nice. It is little bitter?

Indian man: No. It is tasteless. And it is...

Room Conversation -- October 9, 1976, Aligarh:

Prabhupāda: Ācchā. That's nice. It is little bitter?

Indian man: No. It is tasteless. And it is...

Prabhupāda: You know?

Gaursundara: Yes. We have in Hawaii. It's called aloe cactus. Aloe vera.

Indian man: It is kneaded in the flour and little ghee and the paraṭā will be... It is wonderful for your joints. And this arthritis, it is wonderful. I got it about a year back and put in my garden because my wife needed and we were getting it from somebody else's garden. So I told my gardener, "Why don't you put it in our own...? We have plenty of land."

Prabhupāda: It doesn't require to taken care of very much. It grows automatically.

Indian man: It's growth is very good. And plenty of it. If your Divine Grace gets any benefit from it, then it can be planted in each temple on one side. No problem. And then on your visits, the place where you will use.

Prabhupāda: Then we can, in Vṛndāvana.

Indian man: Yes, yes. Vṛndāvana we will put the plant in Vṛndāvana. And I will show you tomorrow.

Prabhupāda: No, he got from Vṛndāvana.

Indian man: Got from Vṛndāvana.

Hari-śauri: Yes but not from our temple. From an āśrama it's grown.

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Prabhupāda: America we have nine, eleven centers like that.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Farms. This is a review from a local, from O.P. Baradraj, Principal of Government College for Men, Chandigarh.

Prabhupāda: One minute. Perhaps you are, any representative of Novara Times?

Interviewer: Yes, he is here.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So you published I think two years before, about our New Vrindaban. And you stated that it is a wonderful land, that... What is that?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) It is your remark. You have seen. Your representative went there and saw it.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: In October '74.

Interviewer: Yes. Along with photographs.

Prabhupāda: In big, whole page article.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: (indistinct) published a series of four, three articles and last year's Janmāṣṭamī. This review from Mr. Baradraj...

Prabhupāda: We are giving cow protection in the country where they are eaten by the people. Their staple food, beef, and they are accepting this movement, giving cow protection.

Interviewer: Which are those areas?

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Could we just take two minutes of your time? This is a review from Śrī Baradraj, Principle of Government College for Men, Chandigarh. He says, "Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is one of the great classics of India. This commentary is a significant contribution to the religious literature of this country. Many of the conflicting views on certain ślokas have been beautifully resolved by Swamiji. I congratulate the members of the Society for bringing out this wonderful work in such a lucid form. I shall be looking forward to the other publications." This is a review from Dr. Varsneya (?), senior professor and Head of Hindi Department, Dean and Curator of Arts, honorary librarian, Allahabad University, Allahabad. "Śrī A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda has really done a great service to Indian philosophy, religion and culture by translating Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam into English, with learned commentaries, and has thus provided source material to the Western world. Other philosophical and religious works published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust also present a golden opportunity to the Western philosophers and scholars to drink deep at the celestial fountain of ancient Indian philosophy and spiritual wisdom." I'm just reading a few very quick ones. There's one from a leading professor in Chandigarh who you must be knowing. Dr. Jagadish Sharma, M.A., (indistinct) Delhi? He's from Punjab University. Author of nineteen books including Encyclopedia of India. So here is what Dr. Sharma says. "India's contribution towards the revivalism of the Hindu civilization culture by way of printing the Harvard Oriental Series was tremendous. But the work done by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda is unsurpassable." He says it's even greater. "His Holiness has done a great service to the Indian culture by re-interpreting the concepts enshrined in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This edition of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam will go a long way to help the scientists in rediscovering phenomena of the universe which is yet to be discovered. The printing and the get up of this book is excellent. The thoughts of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam radiate to anyone who sees it. This book helps to brighten the gloomy and dark clouds which are covered by the nuclear fear and apprehension of society."

Prabhupāda: Where is that book, Scientific Basis of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness? Some of my students, they are Ph.Ds in science. They have written this book, Scientific Basis of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. And we are going to publish another book, Life Comes From Life.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I saw in London... Near London there is a village, Chelmsford, and he is Lord Chelmsford. We thought Chelmsford, the big state. (laughter) We were under the impression, Thames River is four times bigger than Ganges and (laughter) it is a canal. When I saw it, it is nothing but a canal. But they advertise this river, very big river. And underneath the water, men are going, and upper and wonderful. Big Ben, that Big Ben advertisement.

Haṁsadūta: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: Parliament. All photograph (laughter) actually. Downing Street, 10 Downing Street, Prime Minister's office and so on. And actually it's all (chuckles) no importance. Parliament, big, big advertisement. People are still going, they are paying fees to see.

Hari-śauri: Hm.

Prabhupāda: Now that is their income.

Hari-śauri: Yeah, tourism is their big source of income, now.

Prabhupāda: It is always cloudy; people are going to see the West Minister Abbey and Parliament.

Haṁsadūta: The whole tourist industry runs on propaganda.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Haṁsadūta: When you get there, there is nothing to see.

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

Mahāṁśa: Right.

Prabhupāda: Society means some combination of some men.

Devotee (4): These are very fantastic stones here. Especially this one stone.

Prabhupāda: Who explains how the stone came like this?

Devotee (4): Yes, I think it's wonderful.

Devotee (5): They will say from the formation of the mud. Mud accumulated over the years and became stone. Or vice versa.

Devotee (4): This one stone is so big. It is just holding on a little stone, it is just in the air, like somebody's underneath and holding it. (break)

Prabhupāda: Cow dung can be collected. At least they can be used as cow dung. Here, you should.

Devotee (6): In the small villages the women and children they make the paddy for burning in cooking.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Mahāṁśa: This whole rocky area which we see here used to be like a natural dam, and the land on that side which is now our field used to be a big tank so the soil there is very good. It's like silt. But then, afterwards, somebody had cut through this natural dam and there's a canal that flows through here and goes into that tank over there.

Prabhupāda: The canal is in our land?

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

Prabhupāda: Eh? You are intelligent, you... Eh?

Mahāṁśa: You are the intelligent man, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Now, what do you think this idea?

Harikeśa: No, it's wonderful.

Prabhupāda: Yes, do that.

Harikeśa: In Vṛndāvana I saw a water-bull, just goes around in the circle all day and makes the water come up on these little catchers. And then it goes...

Prabhupāda: Yes, so many means there are watering.

Harikeśa: The whole field.

Prabhupāda: Yes. People have lost the program. These rascals they draw all these men to manufacture Goodyear tire and eat store (?). This is going on. Modern man, they draw all these man, "Come on, I shall pay you 20 rupees daily. Prepare Goodyear tire, and eat store. Take paper. Purchase store. That's all. This is going on. What brain they will have? Twenty rupees they get and they spend ten rupees for wine, and five rupees for cigarette, and fooding, say five rupees. No ghee, no milk. Soul killing civilization. And again this soul killing civilization. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness... Hm, what you wanted to say?

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

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Mr. Malhotra: Bad and good, mātra may be different.

Prabhupāda: But India is especially meant for understanding God. That is India's... Just like this place, such a nice place, automatically you'll remember God.

Mr. Malhotra: You will like this place, this Panchakini, (?) where we are going now. A wonderful peaceful place, very peaceful. The atmosphere... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...live peacefully, save time, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is my mission.

Mr. Malhotra: The requirement of every human being is...

Prabhupāda: Very simple.

Mr. Malhotra: Very simple. But all these, you know these added added, added.

Prabhupāda: That is asurika. To increase artificially necessities of life. And become entangled.

Room Conversation with Mr. Tombe (M.L.A.) -- December 25, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then things will be perfect. India, if the whole world can be saved from this chaotic position, India can do. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. But that India leaders first of all make his life perfect. Then it will be all right. Just like our... Of course, I'm not proud, but I am alone. I started this movement alone, without any help. But because I am giving them the perfect information, whole world is taking it. Otherwise, from practical point of view, one man without any help, within ten years he cannot do like this. That's a fact. But I have no difficulty because I am following the Supreme Leader, Kṛṣṇa. People may say that I've done wonderful, but there is nothing magic. Because I am following Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Leader, so far it has become successful. So everyone can do that. Where is the difficulty? Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). If we follow the paramparā system it is not difficult.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: These are all of Prabhupāda's books. Eighty books.

Prabhupāda: Eighty-four books we have, I have written within ten years. And our publication house, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the first in the world for publishing religious and philosophical books. We are selling not less than six lakhs worth books daily.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This is Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, publishing division.

Mr. Tombe: I have got only a few of them now. I would like to pick up...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Here, these are... We only have sample copies in India. So I'll tell Girirāja to bring you some. These are only sample copies for Prabhupāda's display. (end)

Page Title:Wonderful (Conversations 1976)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:17 of Nov, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=71, Let=0
No. of Quotes:71