Zambia

Expressions researched:
"Zambia"

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Devotees on Theology -- April 1, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Method is there, the Ten Commandments, but they won't follow.

Prajāpati: Well, instead of being dissatisfied with the fact that people are sinful...

Prabhupāda: Method is already there in the Bible.

Prajāpati: They're dissatisfied with the fact that the...

Prabhupāda: But they don't follow it.

Prajāpati: ...that the air is polluted, that people are...

Pañcadraviḍa: So the hippies are dissatisfied that the air is polluted also. So what?

Pañcadraviḍa: Yes, who cares for the hippies?

Prajāpati: That, exactly, is the point. They're looking to Freud, they're looking to Marx, they're looking to everyone as an authority.

Ravīndra-svarūpa: I'll give you an example, In Zambia, the president, his name is Dr. Kenneth Kaunda. (break) He's exactly one of these persons. I met with him a couple weeks ago. He's John, John... What's his name? John Patrick? Śrīla Prabhupāda, you met him in London. And he's one of these philosophers. And his argument against our work and our preaching was that we shouldn't fly on jet planes because it pollutes the air. That was his argument

Acyutānanda: How did he get to Africa from London?

Ravīndra-svarūpa: He said he walked. (laughter)

Acyutānanda: And you killed so many insects under your feet.

Ravīndra-svarūpa: No, he goes on jets. But that's his argument to defeat our philosophy. This is how they argue. What he's saying is true. They actually argue like this, that we are, we are, our philosophy is not correct because we fly on jet planes. They have a completely materialistic... Yes.

Pañcadraviḍa: Well, then how's he travel?

Ravīndra-svarūpa: Well, for him, it's all right. He doesn't care. But for someone who's preaching a nonmaterialistic philosophy. So this is... These are the kind of people that are influencing people like Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, who's the president of a country, of Zambia, that has something like twelve million people.

Acyutānanda: Well, we say, "What is the difference between matter and spirit?"

Ravīndra-svarūpa: Yes, we argued all these points with him, but still, his ultimate...

Acyutānanda: So actually all these people are just word-jugglers who want to keep their position with the government.

Prajāpati: They have government.

Ravīndra-svarūpa: Yes, and that's what they do.

Prajāpati: They have grants. They write books.

Acyutānanda: Just to keep their, their...

Prajāpati: But the books are being read.

Pañcadraviḍa: There's a saying that.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- June 29, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Snake they eat. Even in India there is a class, they eat snake, (indistinct). Chinese, they eat. They are Chinese?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Yes. Hong Kong.

Prabhupāda: They eat anything.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: So many abominable things.

Hari-śauri: Someone was telling me in Mexico they have a sandwich called tortilla. It has live cockroaches. And as they're eating, the cockroaches are running to get out of the sandwich, and they are pushing them back in and eating it.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In Africa also they eat live bugs. Cockroaches, dead or alive, anything. Once when we were in Zambia, there was this one African who was cleaning around the house, his name was David. He was about twenty years old. So we swept up his room because it was so filthy—I was there at the time. And there were all these cockroaches in a pile, and we were about to throw them out and he said, "What? You're throwing them out? You mean you're not going to eat them?" (laughter)

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Even (indistinct). There was one big, big professor we met in the college...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It's hard to understand that prasādam is (indistinct). (laughter)

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Not only the Africans, but this big, big professor, she is advocating that people should eat the bugs because they are good protein. She is experimenting different bugs to eat—the worm, the cockroach, the beetle—and she's making a big study, being paid money, how to feed people by eating insects.

Hari-śauri: They're already doing that. In France, you can buy cans of chocolate-coated ants.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Grasshoppers too.

Hari-śauri: Grasshoppers, frog's legs, bumblebees, fried bumblebees you can get. The French eat the most abominable foodstuff.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The English think that way, anyway.

Hari-śauri: They all do.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Letter to Russian -- January 5, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Cyavana Swami? (break) I think they're going to have war in Africa pretty soon. They're going to have war.

Prabhupāda: War. Civil war?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, between... Not where Kenya is, but between Rhodesia and Zambia, in that area.

Hari-śauri: Whites and blacks.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Rhodesia.

Hari-śauri: Whites and blacks.

Prabhupāda: That is inevitable. The whites cannot...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Rhodesia has rejected...

Prabhupāda: ...cannot kill them, repress any more. That is not possible. The other blacks will join.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And it appears that even President Carter of America is more soft on the blacks now. He is more sympathetic. So if they get American support...

Prabhupāda: Nowadays you cannot be a suppressor of any particular foreigner. That is not possible.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Cyavana -- Vrindaban 26 October, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letters dated October 16 and 9, 1972, and I have noted the contents with care. Brahmananda is collecting many life-members in Zambia, and if there is financial crisis there in Nairobi, why not he should send you the money he is collecting? He is not going to open centres there, there are not enough men to manage, so I think he can send you that money. But try to persuade Shah and Damji to leave their money with us as gift. Why they are giving to Krishna then taking back? Both are rich men, out of sentiment they have been offended, so try to pacify them as best you can, then they will give.

Letter to Brahmananda -- India 3 November, 1972:

I am just now in receipt of your letter from Zambia dated October 21, 1972 along with the photos which were very nice, and I have shown them to many guests. Yes, as I said in my last letter, there is no possibility to start temple there without sufficient local men who join us. If you think you shall keep the money you collect there for future use for temple, that's alright, but my Guru Maharaja used to say, "Trust no future, however pleasant." Or in other words, there is some urgent need for finances in Nairobi, so why not send there, and later we shall see in Zambia, and other places?

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Cyavana -- Bombay 13 October, 1973:

I am in due receipt of your letter from Zambia dated August 24, 1973. I am very much pleased with your preaching there, how you are making members and distributing books. It is also encouraging that the Indians there are taking note of the authority of this movement of Lord Caitanya.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Cyavana -- Bombay 1 November, 1974:

I have seen your telegram to Brahmananda Swami and am glad to learn that you have opened a center in Zambia. You have made some progress there since going and I am pleased. You are a good worker. All my disciples they are good boys, intelligent, and hard working. I pray to Krishna that you all may use your intelligence for Krishna's service and not for any personal ambition. We have worked very hard and established a great institution, but if we think for our personal benefit then it will become ruined. This is my only concern.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Mr. Punja -- Bombay 2 January, 1975:

I am writing this letter to inform you that I am now sending Bhagavata dasa brahmacari there to Fiji to be co-manager with your good self. This man is very experienced in the Gujarati communities. He has preached in Africa to the Gujaratis there in Kenya, Tansania, Zambia, etc. for over 3 years, as well as London and Gujarat. He is I think capable of working with you very nicely there. If you would be so kind as to send him a ticket from Bombay to Fiji, he can leave Bombay immediately upon arrival of the ticket. He is very eager to make Fiji an established Krishna Conscious center and to work with you co-operatively. Please send the ticket to his Christian name, Joseph M. Selvester, passport number Z1964356. He is waiting here in Bombay at our Hare Krishna Land. I think you can send the ticket by wire through one of the airlines there that has their branch office in Bombay.

Letter to Caranaravinda -- Mayapur 2 April, 1975:

Zambia

My dear Caranaravinda dasa,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 15-3-75 and have noted the contents. Thank you for the interesting Photographs that you sent. I am very glad to hear report of your programs going on there, especially with the young boys. Please continue these programs with added enthusiasm. They are very important. You should be very careful to follow all of the principles very rigidly. You must rise early (before 4:00 AM), attend the mangala arati, attend the classes, chant at least 16 good rounds daily, and observe the four basic principles. These things you must do without fail otherwise, there is no question of spiritual life.

I hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/ps

Letter to Mr. N.V. Bhakta -- Honolulu 8 June, 1975:

N.V. Bhakta

Box 130, Nelola

Zambia, Africa

My dear Mr. Bhakta,

Please accept my greetings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated 21-5-75 and have noted the contents. I can go to Zambia at any time by my secretary's arrangement. So, Brahmananda Swami, my chief secretary, is coming to meet me in Los Angeles on the 20th of June, and then he can give you reply as to when I shall be coming to Zambia.

I hope this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/ps

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Purusottama -- Los Angeles 4 June, 1976:

Lusaka, Zambia

My dear Purusottama Das,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 6, 1976, which has been forwarded to me by our Nairobi centre as you had requested there in.

Life cannot be prolonged by heart transplant. You cannot increase the duration of life. One can perhaps give some relief to disease, that is another thing, but the duration of life is destined. From the dead body, one cannot bring life. Similarly, it may appear that one is prolonging the duration of life by medicines or heart transplant, but that is not the case. If one lives 4 years after having had a heart transplant, then by nature's law he was destined to live four years with or without having had a heart transplant. So what is the value of heart transplant?

Only by the yogic process can one prolong the life. By stopping the breathing process, keeping in samadhi, the breath period is not being misused, and he increases the life span. Therefore, destiny can only be changed by devotional service or yoga. Otherwise, what you must suffer, you must suffer, and what you must enjoy, you must enjoy. For a devotee however, whatever it may be, he takes the opportunity to chant Hare Krishna, and if by Krishna's Grace destiny is changed, then it is alright. Nature's law will work. We cannot change that, but Krishna, the Supreme Controller, He can change it; just like if a man is sentenced to be hanged, no one, not even the judge can pardon him, except the king or president. He only can excuse the offender. Similarly, I have to execute Krishna's order, and suppose I have to suffer to execute this order. Therefore, devotional service and the devotee is so dear to Krishna. The devotee is prepared to die at any moment, but he simply wants to be engaged in Krishna's service. "I am suffering, I cannot carry out the order of Krishna. . ." This line of thinking is sense gratification. Suppose a devotee had to suffer in preaching work, just like Haridasa Thakura or Prahlada Maharaja. Prahlada's father, Hiranyakasipu was giving so much trouble, but to Prahlada it was not trouble. He was simply concerned to see that others who were suffering might take to Krsna Consciousness. That is the Vaisnava's concern. For myself, let me go to hell, I can chant Hare Krishna, but the Vaisnava is simply lamenting for the nondevotees who must go immediately from the room? No. The living body or the dead body, either way it is the same, simply earth, air, water, fire, and ether.

What is the proof that they have gone to the moon? Why they are not now utilizing it, and they simply remain quiet? They have simply squandered so much money but there is no proof that they went. A foolish man squanders and does nothing and still we are to believe that they are scientists? According to the Bhagavad-gita, yanti deva vrta devan . . . without the necessary qualification, namely visa, etc., one cannot even go to another country what to speak of another planet, and the moon planet, Candra-loka, being a heavenly planet, how can we accept that they have gone to the moon? Our point is that they are accepting foolish men as scientists.

I hope that this meets you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

ACBS/pks