Our Srila Prabhupada's topics - tribe.net

Prabhupada's Letters, an example

2008-06-21T22:49:46Z

Friday, February 2, 1968

Los Angeles, Calif.

My Dear Purusottama,

Please accept my blessings. I am so glad to receive your letter (undated), and I have noted the contents carefully.

Krishna is so sublime and transcendental that He cannot be realized by mental speculation or by personal endeavor, education, or material acquisition. He can only be approached and understood clearly by our service attitude, engaging all our senses in His service. The beginning of service is to engage our hearing organs, and receive the transcendental message by aural reception.

And whenever we are mature in receiving the transcendental message from books like Bhagavad-gita, and Srimad-Bhagavatam, via media the transparent bona fide Spiritual Master, then we are able to chant or engage our tongue in the service of the Lord, being engaged in the service of the Lord.

The material covering of our senses becomes inactive and actual spiritual form of activity becomes manifest. I very much appreciate your development of this spiritual perception, and Krishna has given you a good chance in the matter of your proposed dealings with the U.N. Please immediately finish the job by incorporating our association in the U.N. It is a very good opportunity. Consult Brahmananda and do it immediately.

In the future, we will have very great scope for introducing our Krishna Consciousness for leaders amongst all the nations. I think it is a very great opportunity for us, and we should utilize it.

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Prabhupada's Affection Letters, an example

2008-06-21T22:49:20Z

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Viraja River

2008-04-09T17:20:07Z

As quoted by Srila Jiva Gosvami, we can know from the Narada-pancaratra that the transcendental world or Vaikuntha atmosphere is enriched with transcendental qualities. These transcendental qualities, as revealed through the devotional service of the Lord, are distinct from the mundane qualities of ignorance, passion and goodness. Such qualities are not attainable by the nondevotee class of men. In the padma purana, Uttara-khanda, it is stated that beyond the one-fourth part of God's creation is the three-fourths manifestation. The marginal line between the material manifestation and the spiritual manifestation is the Viraja River, and beyond the Viraja, which is a transcendental current flowing from the perspiration of the body of the Lord, there is the three-fourths manifestation of God's creation. This part is eternal, everlasting, without deterioration, and unlimited, and it contains the highest perfectional stage of living conditions. In the Sankhya-kaumudi it is stated that unalloyed goodness or transcendence is just opposite to the material modes. All living entities there are eternally associated without any break, and the Lord is the chief and prime entity. In the Agama puranas also, the transcendental abode is described as follows: The associated members there are free to go everywhere within the creation of the Lord, and there is no limit to such creation, particularly in the region of the three-fourths magnitude. Since the nature of that region is unlimited, there is no history of such association, nor is there end of it.

The conclusion may be drawn that because of the complete absence of the mundane qualities of ignorance and passion, there is no question of creation nor of annihilation. In the material world everything is created, and everything is annihilated, and the duration of life between the creation and annihilation is temporary. In the transcendental realm there is no creation and no destruction, and thus the duration of life is eternal unlimitedly. In other words, everything in the transcendental world is everlasting, full of knowledge and bliss without deterioration. Since there is no deterioration, there is no past, present and future in the estimation of time. It is clearly stated in this verse that the influence of time is conspicuous by its absence. The whole material existence is manifested by actions and reactions of elements which make the influence of time prominent in the matter of past, present and future. There are no such actions and reactions of cause and effects there, so the cycle of birth, growth, existence, transformations, deterioration and annihilation--the six material changes--are not existent there. It is the unalloyed manifestation of the energy of the Lord, without illusion as experienced here in the material world. The whole Vaikuntha existence proclaims that everyone there is a follower of the Lord. The Lord is the chief leader there, without any competition for leadership, and the people in general are all followers of the Lord. It is confirmed in the Vedas, therefore, that the Lord is the chief leader and all other living entities are subordinate to Him, for only the Lord satisfies all the needs of all other living entities.

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Kaivalya, kaivalya pataye namah

2008-04-08T17:13:01Z

"Whatever intelligence, I have got, I may try to become happy, if Krsna does not sanction, I'll never be happy." This is the distinction between devotee and nondevotee. So Krsna says that: "Anyone who is trying to approach Me, to become Krsna conscious, at the same time, he wants to become materially happy, he's not very intelligent." That means he's wasting his time. Our main business is how to become Krsna conscious. This is the main business of human life. But if we waste our time for material improvement, and forget chanting, then that is loss, great loss. So such mentality, Krsna says: ami vijna tare kena visaya diba. "So this rascal is asking some material prosperity from Me by discharging devotional service. Why shall I give him material prosperity? Rather, whatever he has got, I shall take it away." Yes. (Laughter) It is not laughing. When it is taken away, we become very morose. But that is the test. Thatis stated by Krsna Himself to Yudhisthira Maharaja: yasyaham anugrhnami harisye tad dhanam sanaih.

Yudhisthira Maharaja indirectly inquired from Krsna that: "We are completely dependent on you, and still we are suffering materially so much, that our kingdom is taken away, our wife is insulted, we were attempted to be burned in a house." So Krsna said: "Yes that is My first business." Yasyaham anughrnami harisye tad dhanam sanaih. "If I specially favor anybody, then I take away all his sources of income." Very dangerous. Yes. I have got my practical experience in this connection. Yes. That is Krsna's special favor. I do not wish to narrate, but it is a fact. It is a fact. My guru maharaja ordered me when I was twenty-five years old that: "You go and preach." But I thought: "First of all, I shall become a rich man, and I shall use that money for preaching work." So that's a long history. I got good opportunity for becoming very rich man in business. And some astrologer told me that: "You should have become like Birla." So there was some chances, very good chances.
I was manager in a big chemical factory. I started my own factory, the business was very successful. But everything was dismantled. I was forced to come to this position to carry out my order of my guru maharaja. Akincana vittaya. When everything was finished, then I took Krsna, that: "You are the only..." Therefore Krsna is akincana vitta. When one becomes finished of all his material opulences.... And now I am realizing that I have not lost. I've gained. I've gained. That's a fact. So to lose material opulences for Krsna's sake is not loss. It is the greatest gain. Therefore it is said: akincana vitta. When one becomes akincana, nothing to possess, everything finished, then Krsna becomes the only riches for such person. Because he's devotee. Just like Narottama dasa Thakura says: haha prabhu nanda suta vrsabhanu suta yuta, karuna karaha ei bara, narottama dasa kahe na theliya ranga paya, tumi vina ke ache amara. This position, that: "Krsna, except Yourself, I have nothing to claim.

I have nothing, no possession. So don't neglect me because YOu are my only possession." This position is very nice. When we do not depend on anything material, simply depend on Krsna. That is first-class position of Krsna consciousnesss. Therefore Krsna is addressed: akincana vittaya. "When one becomes impoverished materially, You are the only wealth." Akincana vittaya. Namo akincana vitta,... nirvrtta guna vrttaye. "The result is that when one takes You as the only possession, immediately he becomes free from the activities of this material nature." That means immediately he's posted on the transcendental position of the Absolute. Akincana vittaya, nirvrtta guna vrttaye, atmaramaya. At that time, he becomes happy with You, as You are Krsna, You are happy with Yourself..." Because Krsna has no difference between body and self. He's simply self, spirit soul. So we have got now this body and self. I am self, but I possess this body. Then when actually we become dependent on Krsna, as Krsna is self-satisfied, similarly we can e also self-satisfied with Krsna.

Kaivalya, kaivalya pataye namah. The Mahavadi philosophers, they, monists, they want to become one with the Supreme. As Supreme is self-satisfied, they also want to be self-satisfied by becoming one with the Supreme. Our philosophy is also the same, kaivalya. But we depend on Krsna. We do not become one with, one with Krsna. That is oneness. If we simply agree to abide by the order of Krsna, there is no disagreement, that is oneness. These Mayavadi philosophers, they think that: "Why shall I keep my individual, seperate existence? I shall become merged into..." That is not possible. Because we are created, not created, from the very beginning... We are seperated part and parcel. We are seperated parts and parcels. therefore Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita: "My dear Arjuna, you, Me, and all these persons who have assembled in this battlefield, we were in the past individuals. We are, at present, individuals, and in the future, we shall continue to remain as individuals.
We are all individual." Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. He's the Supreme Nitya, Supreme Living Force amongst many, innumerable living forces. We are jiva, innumerable. Ananta. There is no counting how many we are. Sa anantaya kalpate. So this ananta, innumerable living entities, and Krsna is also a living entity, but He's the chief. That is the diffe- rence. Nityo nityana... Just like there is leader. Leader is one, and followers, there are many. Similarly Krsna is the Supreme Living Entity, and we are subordinate, dependent living entities. That is the difference. Dependent, we can understand, if Krsna does not supply us food, we starve. That's a fact. We cannot produce anything. Eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman. So Krsna is maintaining, and we are being maintained. Therefore Krsna shall be the predominator, and we shall be predominated. That is our natural constitutional position. Therefore if we want to become predominator falsely in this material world, that is illusion, That we must give up.
That we must give up. We shall always try to become predominated by Krsna. That is successful life. Thank you very much.

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Sadhu

2008-04-02T02:43:31Z

Sadhu means sage, or saint. Who is a saint? Who is a sadhu. That description is given. Titiksavah karunikah. Titiksavah karunikah suhrdah sarva-bhutanam, ajata-satravah santah sadhavah sadhu-bhusanah. This is the definition of sadhu. Saint, who is a saint? A saint is called who is very tolerant, tolerant, tolerant to the utmost. You have got very good example of Lord Jesus Christ, a great saint, or sadhu also.

He was, of course, more than sadhu. Now, just see his behavior, how much tolerant he was. He was being crucified and he was praying God, "O Lord, forgive these people, what they are doing." That, this is the significance of sadhu. Titiksavah karunikah. For their personal sake, they're always very tolerant, but they are very kind to all people, all living entities, very kind. In spite of their all disadvantages, they try to give something, real knowledge, to the people in general. Karunikah. And suhrdah sarva-bhutanam. And a sadhu is not a friend of a particular class, particular community or particular country. No. A sadhu, a saint, is he who is friend of all, not only of human being, even of animals and less than animals. These are the qualification of sadhu. Ajata-satravah. And they have no enemies. Or they are not anyone's enemy. Everyone's friend. Enemy, of course, even the greatest man, you will find some enemy. This is the nature of this world.

Even the most perfect man will have some enemy. So that is different thing. But the sadhu, the saint, is no, no one's enemy. He's friend of everyone. Titiksavah karunikah suhrdah sarva-bhutanam, ajata-satravah santah. Ajata... They are nobody's enemy, and santa, always peaceful. These are the qualifications of sadhu. Now, here the Lord says that "I come, or My representative comes..." Why? Paritranaya sadhunam. Sadhunam. The Lord is very much anxious for the saintly persons. Who have sacrificed everything for the service of the Lord, they are very, very dear to the Lord. Lord cannot tolerate any insult, or any, I mean to say, misbehave to a sadhu. Although sadhu, they do not, I mean to say, mind if they are insulted, they do not mind, but the Lord will never tolerate if a sadhu is... Just like a small boy, your child, if somebody slaps him in the street... That boy may excuse, "Oh, all right," but his father and mother will never tolerate.

"Why you have slapped my son?" That is the nature. Similarly, the sadhu, who is a great devotee of the Lord, they might be tolerant. You can crucify him, can do any misbehavior to him. He's never angry. But God will never tolerate. We must always remember that. He has got special protection, special vision, on the sadhu. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gita that, that... Samo 'ham sarva... Samo 'ham sarva-bhutesu na me dvesyo 'sti na priyah. The Lord says, "I am equal to everyone." Otherwise, how He can be God. He is equal to everyone. Yes. "I am equal to everyone. Nobody's My enemy and nobody's My friend." Samo 'ham sarva-bhutesu na me dvesyo 'sti na priyah: "Nobody's My enemy. Nobody's My friend. I am equal to everyone." But ye tu bhajanti mam pritya tesu te mayi: "But anyone who is devoted to Me, oh, I have got particular attention for him." Although He's neutral, still, the person who is devotee, who's always thinking of Krsna, Krsna consciousness, oh, there is a special protection, special.

Therefore Lord Krsna declares... You'll find in the Bhagavad-gita, kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati: "My dear Kaunteya, Arjuna, you can declare it in the, to the world that My devotee will be never vanquished, never be vanquished." So here the same thing is said, that what is the mission of Lord, why does He come down. Now, that is explained here. He says, paritranaya sadhunam: "I come down, I incarnate Myself, or I send My representative only for the protection of the saintly persons, sages." And vinasaya ca duskrtam. Duskrtam: "Of those who are miscreants, just to finish them." Lord Krsna's mission, this was two things. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam. He wanted to establish Arjuna, the five brothers, the most pious, I mean, devotees and ksatriyas, He wanted to establish them for ruling over this world, and He wanted to vanquish the party of (sic:) Arjuna. That was His mission. Two things. Paritranaya sadhunam vinasaya ca duskrtam, duskrtam, dharma-samsthapanarthaya.

And another mission is to establish what is real religion, what is religion. In the name of religion, so many things are going on, but the real religion is that we must know that our natural function is to render service to the Lord. That's all. That is real religion.

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Srila Prabhupada's Forgiving Mood

2008-04-02T02:41:24Z

Dear Vaisnavas and Vaisnavis, Please accept my humble obesiances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada ! I just came across Tribe today, while looking for some health advice on improving digestion, but the most healthy thing I came across is this wonderful site on Srila Prabhupada ! Thank you very much for creating it , and contributing to it !

Ive been asked to give a lecture in England about Forgiveness, and I would be greatful if anyone would please share with me a pastime they may know of where Srila Prabhupada exhibited his forgiving mood toward a devotee or group of them, and what we can learn from it. THank you very much for your input. I look forward to hearing from you !

Your aspiring servant,
Gaura dasa

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Interview - Los Angeles, February 1, 1968

2008-03-22T08:54:57Z

Interview

Los Angeles, February 1, 1968

Interviewer: I think the first question is kind of basic, is why is everything always taped at all the...
Prabhupada: Because we have got so many branches, they want to hear me, my singing, my speech, therefore they record it and send it to different branches. We have got thirteen, fourteen
branches: one in New York, one in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Buffalo, Boston, Montreal, Vancouver, London, Hamburg. We have got so many branches.
Interviewer: What are the basic beliefs of the Krsna religion?
Prabhupada: Krsna means God. So God, this word, does not explain the nomenclature of God. Now this Krsna is Sanskrit word, and it conveys the full meaning of God. Krsna means all-attractive. All-attractive means He is full of all opulences. In this world we are attracted by one who is very rich, we are attracted by one who is very famous, we are attracted by one who is very highly educated, we are attracted by someone who is very beautiful. Similarly, these are features of attraction. And when all these attractions are reposed in one place without any rivalry, He is God. That is the conception of God. So Krsna means all these six opulences in fullness together. That is the full definition of God.
Interviewer: What effect to the followers does chanting give? I heard from one that it transports them to a utopian type situation. I wondered if you could elaborate on that a little more.
Prabhupada: Which situation?
Interviewer: Utopian-like, where there is no harm, no..., all is good, and...
Prabhupada: Yes. Now, this our process is chanting. It is very innocent. If you sit down and chant with us, you have no loss, no harm, but there is great gain. You see? By chanting, you gradually cleanse your heart and you can realize what is God. That is the greatest gain. Human life is meant for knowing God. The animals, they cannot know, although the bodily demands of the animal and the human being are the same. The animals, they sleep; man also sleeps. Animal, they eat; man also eats. The animal, they are also afraid of some enemy; man is also afraid of some enemy. The animals, they mate with the opposite sex, and men also do that. But what is the special significance of man? He can understand about God, but the animal cannot. Therefore if a man does not take to this understanding, he is no better than animal. A man who has no God consciousness or Krsna consciousness, he is no better than animal because he has no other business than the four principles of bodily demands. So that is also prevalent in animal kingdom. Therefore this is a privilege for human being, to understand about God, and as such, in every human society there is some sort of religious principle. This religious principle means to understand God. Either you take it, Christianity or Judaism or Hinduism, every religion is trying to understand God according to their capacity. So without this understanding, means Krsna consciousness, human life is as good as animal life.
Interviewer: Do you believe that other religions have some truth to them because they all are...
Prabhupada: I have already told that religion means searching after God, every religion. The process may be different. The audience may be different. Just like in Christianity there is conception of God, "God created this world." So this is a fact. We also say. But we say in very lucid explanation from the Vedas. We don't stop, simply saying, "God created," but how created, how things developed, these descriptions are there in the Vedic literature. That is the difference. Otherwise there is no difference of opinion. The Christians accept God created this world; the Jewish religion, they also accept God created this world; the Muslims they also accept God created this world; we also accept God created this world. So "God is the supreme; God is great," that is accepted by everyone. But the only difference is that we give details so that modern mind, who are advanced in education and scientific knowledge, they can understand, whereas others, they cannot give in detail. Therefore they are deviating gradually because the modern, advanced, educated persons they want to know how God created this world, and that description is lacking. But we can give that. That is the difference. Otherwise the primary principle, to understand God--God is great; we are small, tiny; we are subordinate; we are maintained by God--this idea is everywhere.
Interviewer: Yes, well, what is your explanation of the creation of the world?
Prabhupada: That is a huge thing. That we have to see to the Srimad-Bhagavatam, that God expanded Himself first of all in Maha-Visnu, He lied down on the Causal Ocean. And while He was in sleeping mood, from His breathing, innumerable universes came into existence. Then each and every universe, Maha-Visnu entered. Then again He lied down there, and from Him the first creature, Brahma, generated. Then Brahma created other planets. First there was creation of sound. From the sound, the sky came into existence. From the sky, air came into existence. From air, fire came into existence. From fire, water came into existence, and from water, this land developed. In this way, there are very detailed description in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. So we have to take it that way.
Interviewer: Were you born in this country or were you born in...
Prabhupada: No. I was born in India, Calcutta. My birthplace is Calcutta.
Interviewer: When did you come to this country?
Prabhupada: I came here in September, 1965.
Interviewer: Did you come with the purpose of spreading Krsna consciousness?
Prabhupada: Yes. I am an ordained minister for preaching these missionary activities. So I came here in September, 1965. Then, for one year, I was traveling in many parts of your country. In the beginning I was in Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, and then I went to Philadelphia. Then I came to New York. And in this way I was traveling, not very much. And in 1966, in July 1st, I started my class in New York at 26 Second Avenue. That is my first starting. Then the younger generation began to come to me, and they started the San Francisco branch, Montreal branch. In this way the institution is going. And we have sent our students to Europe also. They have already started one branch in London, one in Hamburg. And we have sent our students in Honolulu. They have started a branch there. So our program is to start several..., as many branches as possible to spread this Krsna consciousness movement. And it is very easy. We simply invite persons to come and chant with us. It doesn't matter what he is, what is his language, what is his religion. We don't take into account all these things. And this Hare Krsna is so easy to utter, that any man can utter. That we have experienced. Any part of the world, we chant Hare Krsna, and they can very easily imitate and chant. Even child, they also. So by chanting, he gradually becomes Krsna conscious. His heart becomes cleansed and he can understand what is science of Krsna, what is science of God. Then he automatically offers himself for initiation. Then we initiate him and guide him in different ways. But our students are strictly forbidden to have illicit sex life or meat-eating or intoxication or gambling. These four things are strictly forbidden for our students. And they take it seriously. We get our... In your country boys and girls, they live as friend. I don't allow that. If there is such friendship, I immediately ask them, if they become my student, I immediately ask them to be married. And this experiment has proved very successful. I got these young boys and girls married, and they are very happily living, and husband and wife, they are preaching. All my students in London-- there are six boys and girls--they were married by me, and they are doing very nicely. So the Krsna consciousness movement is very nice in everywhere, especially in this country. That is my opinion. And people will be benefited, especially the younger section who were feeling frustration in every respect, and they are now happy. It is practical. Just ask any one of my students how they are happy. You have seen in our temple how happily they are living and dancing from their face. Face is the index of mind. You will understand from their face how happy they are feeling. They are not smoking. They are not taking marijuana or are taking... No. This nonsense we don't allow. Simple food and chanting. That makes them happy. Simple thing.
Interviewer: I notice that most of your followers, at least in this temple, are young, like in the college age or in the teenage. Is it because Krsna doesn't attract the older generation, I mean, yourself excluded?
Prabhupada: No. Krsna attracts everyone. Just like magnetic stone attracts iron. But the iron is covered with too much muddy things--the magnetic force does not work. This younger generation, they are not too much dirty; therefore they are very easily attracted. You see? It is like a magnetic force. The same example, that magnetic force attracts iron. That is natural. But if the iron is too much rusty and covered with muddy things, then it does not act. So older generation means they are convinced in some way. They cannot accept any new thing. You see? They are in the last stage of life. Whatever they have understood, they cannot forget. But younger generation, they have got capacity to take new things. Just like nobody goes... No old man goes to school because they are unable to receive education. But younger generation, they go. So there is a age to receive. So this age is recipient. Therefore naturally--it is nice thing--they are receiving.
Interviewer: You spoke of initiation. What is that initiation?
Prabhupada: Initiation means formally acceptance of the line of activities in Krsna consciousness. Before that, before initiation, we invite everyone to come and sit down with us, chant, dance, take prasadam, hear philosophy. And if he understands, "Oh, this is very nice," then he offers himself to be initiated. Then we accept. Then we impose this restriction that "If you want to be initiated..." We get hundreds of letters by everyone who has attended our classes. Daily we are getting some married couples or boys and girls, but most of them are younger. My students are within thirties. The oldest student I have got at the present moment, he is twenty-eight years. No, Kirtanananda is about thirty years old. That's all. So, of course, I do not get any older people. That is nice, hopeful, because younger section, if they take it very seriously, then I have hopes that they will preach in future, even in my absence. And old people, if a man becomes too much accustomed to a certain limited habits, in old age it is very difficult to give it up unless one is extraordinarily intelligent.
Interviewer: What is the purpose of the robes and having your head shaved?
Prabhupada: That is not very difficult to understand. Just like you dress in a certain way, I dress in certain way. So we have got this dressing system in our Krsna consciousness movement, and this is taken from Vedic literature. A brahmacari should dress like that. And that is very economical. Our dress is saffron dress. It does not become dirty very quickly, and we... (break) This dress is not very important thing, but when one is initiated, he accepts the regulations which I give them. So it is not that if you do not come in that dress in our temple you will not understand our philosophy. That is not... We don't mean that. But it is convenient. But anyone who does not want to change this dress, that does not matter. We don't insist. These brahmacaris, they voluntarily change. Otherwise there are many students, just like we have got two, three students, they are working. They come just like ordinary American gentlemen. So there is no objection in that way. Dress is not very important thing.
Interviewer: Do you have a name that you call... are they called students? Like, would he be called a student or a...?
Devotee: Brahmacari.
Prabhupada: Brahmacari. We have got four divisions. Those who are not married, they are called brahmacaris. And those who are married, they are called grhasthas. And those who are retired, they are called vanaprasthas. And those who are renounced, they have no connection with anything worldly, they are called sannyasa. Just like I am a sannyasi. Sannyasi mean I have got my family, I have got my wife, children, grandchildren in India, but I have no connection with them. I live alone.
Interviewer: Could I ask for a spelling on those?
Prabhupada: Sannya... Yes, brahmacari: b-r-a-h-m-a-c-h-a-r-y, this is brahmacari. Then grhastha: g-r-i-h-a-s-t-h-a, grhastha. H-a-s-t-h-a, grhastha. G-r-i-h-a-s-t-h-a. Is that clear? Grhastha. Then vanaprastha: v-a-n-a-p-r-a-s-t-h-a, vanaprastha. Then sannyasi: s-n-n-y-a-s-i, sannyasi. Four divisions. These four divisions, and there are other four orders of social system. That is according to work, division according to work and quality. Just like the brahmanas, b-r-a-h-m-a-i-n-s, brahmanas. Brahmanas means the most intelligent class of the society. The ksatriyas, k-s-h-a-t-r-y-a-s, ksatriyas. Ksatriyas means persons who are interested in politics, in the management of the country, political affairs. They are called ksatriyas. Similarly, there is the vaisyas, v-a-i-s-y-a-s. Vaisyas means the mercantile, productive class. Those who are engaged in producing grains or trade, milk, and in industry. Of course, industry, artisans, they are called, artists, sudras. Anyway, any person engaged in producing for the needs of the society, they are called vaisyas. And the worker class is called sudra. So according to Vedic system, these are eight divisions. Unless the human society is divided into these eight divisions in terms of material and spiritual progress of life, that is not accepted as human society.
Interviewer: Have they encountered any problems in, like out on the Hollywood Boulevard? Police action or telling them to move or...?
Prabhupada: Yes. Only that depends on the whims of the police. Sometimes they say, "You are blocking our roads." Sometimes, "Oh, you are doing nice." So that depends on their temperament.
Interviewer: How about from the crowd?
Prabhupada: Crowd, of course, whenever there is crowd, it is natural--police do not like it. So we don't create crowd. But generally, people, out of inquisitiveness they gather together and see how they are chanting. They are sympathetic. They contribute. They purchase our books and literature. The people, public is sympathetic. The police are also sympathetic. They don't object when we go at night, but during busy hours, they object. So one of our students was arrested by the police. So he was taken to the court, and I gave them $315 for what is called? Bail. But he was not convicted. He was immediately liberated, and now our money was returned. So it is not a problem.
Interviewer: Were there any followers before you came to this country?
Prabhupada: No. In this country, of this Krsna consciousness movement, there was none. It is the first time. I have introduced. But in India it is very, very old, since the advent of Krsna, and at least since last five thousand years. So Krsna is very popular in India. In every home, Krsna is worshiped, and there are many millions of temples of Krsna in India and followers also. Followers means almost all Hindus are followers of Krsna. They read this Bhagavad-gita. So I have recently published Bhagavad-gita As It Is. It is published by Macmillan Company, and this book is very nicely being received. It is being reviewed by several papers. I have got many others books. They are being gradually introduced. Perhaps you have seen in our counter. We have got books, magazines, calendar, and other literatures. So it is a very scientific movement. It is not a sentiment, bogus hoax. Anyone who wants to understand this movement philosophically, scientifically, they will be very much satisfied with this. The idea is that any religious movement without philosophical basis, it is simply sentiment or fanaticism. And philosophy without idea of God is simply mental speculation. Therefore religious principles combined with philosophy, that is perfect. So the younger section become attracted to this movement because we are giving some religious principle based on philosophy.
Interviewer: About how many followers would you say there are in the United States?
Prabhupada: Initiated members, there are about one hundred or little more, but sympathizers, admirers, there are many. Those who come, those who contribute, take sympathy, they help, and in that way there are many followers. But actually initiated members, there are about a little more than one hundred.
Interviewer: What is the significance of... Right after the chanting, everyone bows, and that I don't understand, what they're doing.
Prabhupada: Yes. That is offering respect. The whole, our Krsna consciousness movement, is to ask people to surrender to God. They have rebelled against God. Somebody says, "There is no God." Somebody says that "I am God." These nonsense things are to be eradicated from human society. So they should be trained to submit. So the submission is symbolized by bowing down: "Yes, you are great; I am humble." This should be taught. Otherwise, whimsically somebody is thinking that "I am God." They do not know what is God. It is most foolish proposal if somebody claims that he is God. He is dog. We very much hate this proposal, when a man claims that he is God. It is most blasphemous.
Interviewer: Have you... Did you... Well, you've only been over here about four years. But have there been dropouts, out of the movement, of the hundred that were initiated?
Prabhupada: They are doing nicely. They are making progress. They are understanding the philosophy. They are working for it. Now I am the only man who came from India, and still, I am one. I have no... There are many Indians, but I have no Indian follower here. Of course, in India we have got. That's a different thing. But these, all these American boys, they are cooperating with me. That means they are taking this movement very seriously. We have got two great papers, magazines, already, Back to Godhead. One is published from New York, and the other is published from Montreal. (break) In French language. Montreal it is published in French language, and they are well received. Recently I have received one letter from my disciple, Janardana. He is Janus Dambergs, M.A., he is the editor of that paper. He is a very good scholar in French language. His wife is also good scholar, Muna. She is also very good scholar in French language. So they are publishing, and the magazine is well received by the French-speaking people there. And we have contemplation to publish the same magazine in German language also from Germany.
Interviewer: I was talking to one the other day, and he said his name was Tamul.
Prabhupada: Tamala, yes. Tamala Krsna.
Interviewer: Tamala? And he was from Manhattan. Now, I assume when you join, do you assume a name? Do you change your name?
Prabhupada: Yes, when one is initiated, I give him a name which means remembrance of Krsna.
Interviewer: Is it necessary to know of the Indian language when you join? Because I noticed that when your...
Prabhupada: This is not Indian name. This is Sanskrit name.
Interviewer: It's what?
Prabhupada: Sanskrit. Sanskrit is a language which is mother of all languages. Sanskrit, S-a-n-s-k-r-i-t, Sanskrit language. So this is the original language of this..., not only of this planet. In other planets also, this language is spoken. So the names are in Sanskrit. They do not belong to any community or any section. It is universal. We have no information. Just like this word, Krsna. It is universally known: "all-attractive." The exact English translation is "all-attractive." So there cannot be any proper nomenclature for God than this "all-attractive." Unless God is all-attractive, how He can be God? This is the perfect nomenclature. Similarly, anything Sanskritically named, that is all perfect. Yes.
Interviewer: I think that's all the questions I had. I can't think of any more. Let me think. (end)

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San Fransciso - March 12, 1968 - Interview with KGO

2008-03-19T17:00:13Z

Caller: Yes, Swamiji, I'd like to know where in India was your native place.
Interviewer: Where in India did you come from originally?
Prabhupada: Oh, I was born in Calcutta. But after my acceptance of this renounced order of life, I am inhabitant of Vrndavana.
Caller: Of where?
Prabhupada: Vrndavana. V-r-i-n-d-a-v-a-n. Vrndavana is a sacred place. It is about 90 miles south of New Delhi, capital of India.
Caller: Yes, yes, I see. One thing I just wanted to clarify, did you... are you are follower of Lord Krsna?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Caller: That's all I wanted to know. Thank you.
Interviewer: The callers know more about the subject today evidently than I do. Now, your guru told you to be a wanderer.
Prabhupada: Yes. A sannyasi means itinerant teacher. He will wander and teach from door to door.
Interviewer: When was it that you arrived from India with $2?
Prabhupada: It was in September, 1965.
Interviewer: Several years ago.
Prabhupada: About three years before.
Interviewer: Now, you met a gentleman by the name of Harvey Cohen?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Interviewer: And how has he helped you?
Prabhupada: Yes, in the beginning he helped me. Because I rented one room. That was $72 per month. So...
Interviewer: Was this in New York?
Prabhupada: In New York, yes, Seventy-second Street West. So whatever there was shortage, he was supplying. I was getting some money by contributions in my lectures. But in the beginning my all expenditures were not sufficient collection. So the deficiency he was giving me.
Interviewer: Did he aid you in setting up the first center or temple?
Prabhupada: No, I started my temple in 1967, first July.
Interviewer: In New York.
Prabhupada: New York, yes.
Interviewer: How many temples are there now?
Prabhupada: Now we have got six temples. One in New York, one in San Francisco, one in Los Angeles, one in Boston, one in Montreal, and one in Santa Fe. And another one of our students has gone to Buffalo, he's on the professional, for starting another temple.
Interviewer: How many people belong to these six temples?
Prabhupada: In each temple there are average about fifty people.
Interviewer: Fifty people.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Interviewer: Are they mostly young people? From the calls we've been getting and from the people here in the studio...
Prabhupada: Yes, they are invariably all young boys and girls. Yes.
Interviewer: All right, hold for one second. We're talking with Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta, head of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. (break) And our telephones are open to you. (gives phone numbers again). What hair cut? Oh, is there any significance of your hair cut over there? Is there a microphone over there we can get you on? Put that other one over there. Because we have several young men here in the studio with the Swami. What is the significance of your hair cut?
Subala: Well, my head is shaved and I have a, what's known as a sikha on the back of my head. This sikha is a sign that I'm a Vaisnava, which is a follower of Krsna's.
Interviewer: Do you live here?
Subala: I'm from the Santa Fe temple, I'm just visiting here.
Interviewer: How did you end up in this Krsna order?
Subala: I was looking for a man who could tell me the answers to the questions that Swamiji mentioned before, such as "What am I? What is God? What am I doing here?" And Swamiji was the first one who could answer these questions satisfactorily. And I could see that the process of Krsna consciousness is no phony bluff. I could see it really works because I saw people making progress in it. And I made progress myself by chanting. So I accepted him as my spiritual master, because he was the only one...
Interviewer: Do you accept a new name?
Subala: Yes.
Interviewer: Well, what is your name?
Subala: Subala dasa Adhikari.
Interviewer: So each one accepts a new name.
Subala: Yes. The initiation by the spiritual master is known as the second birth. You enter the spiritual world by taking a second birth. Your spiritual life begins.
Interviewer: Do you still live in, quote, the rest of the world, the outside world, or is your whole life within the Krsna consciousness?
Subala: My whole life is within Krsna consciousness, but yet, at the same time, I function within the world at large.
Interviewer: We have a lot of people who have some questions here, and caller, you're on the air on KGO with the Swami. Hello.
Caller: Hello?
Interviewer: Go ahead, sir.
Caller: Is this Swami?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Caller: What is God?
Prabhupada: What is God? That's your question?
Caller: Yes.
Prabhupada: God means the controller. Everywhere we have got some controller. So... But you will find there is another controller over the controller. So if you go on searching one after another, controller and the supercontroller, and, or the next controller, next controller, in this way, when you come to a place when the controller is absolute, there is no other controller, He is God.
Interviewer: Thank you caller. That's... Something... I get the impression that all the calls today are people within Krsna consciousness. I would like to hear some other people with questions here. Caller, you're on the air with the Swami on KGO.
Caller: Yes. Swami, you say you have to know yourself. Now, how does a person go about knowing when he knows himself, who he is and what he is. In other words, when does he reach the stage where he says, "Hah! I know where I am and what I am."
Prabhupada: Yes, there are two different processes of acquiring knowledge. One process is to research oneself by his own endeavor, by his limited sense speculation. And another process is to know from the authority. Just like deductive process, we say, man is mortal. This knowledge is received from higher authorities, just like our teacher or parents, we understand that man is mortal. Another process is one can make research whether actually man is mortal.
Caller: Well, is there some kind of a spiritual signal you get within yourself that tells you this?
Prabhupada: No, your question is what I am? So this what I am, you can search yourself by your mental speculation, that is one way. Another way to understand your position, from higher authority. So we take this process. We understand what I am from higher authority, Krsna. Krsna says that He is God, and He says, "All these living entities are My part and parcels." So we are component parts of the Supreme Lord. Therefore as the component part of machine is to cooperate with the full machine, so our duty is to cooperate with the Supreme Lord. That is our identity.
Interviewer: Thank you, caller.
Caller: Thank you.
Interviewer: To join Krsna consciousness is a total commitment, then, to your way of life.
Prabhupada: Yes, it is total commitment to the way of life as it is prescribed in the Bhagavad-gita, the science of God.
Interviewer: Must one renounce his present religion?
Prabhupada: No, not necessarily. Religion is a kind of faith. So naturally, if you go to the higher standard of life, the stereotype faith does not act there. So this understanding, Krsna consciousness, is transcendental to all religious faith. Faith you can change. But this you cannot change. Your constitutional position as part and parcel of God is never to be changed. You may accept a faith as Christianity or accept a faith, Mohammedanism. That is a mental situation. But this is your actual constitutional situation that you are part and parcel of the Supreme. That cannot be changed.
Interviewer: What happens in your temples. Do you have services like other religions?
Prabhupada: Yes, generally we chant this mahamantra, Hare Krsna, and then we deliver speeches from Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and then there are questions, we answer, and in that way the audience and the disciples they become enlightened and they advance.
Interviewer: But there's no sermon as we would know in other churches?
Prabhupada: That is, you can call sermon, because there is prayer song and there is, I mean to say, recitation from scriptures...
Interviewer: Well, you have six chapters, so evidently you cannot be everywhere at once. Who is in charge of a temple when you're not here?
Prabhupada: The students are being trained. The students, they also speak the same thing. There is nothing new. I also speak from the Bhagavad-gita and the students also speak from the Bhagavad-gita. The Bhagavad-gita is the same in all the centers. But it may be because I have little more experience I can explain them a little more nicely. And the students, they also explain according to their experience. But the principle is the same.
Interviewer: Caller, you're on the air on KGO with the Swami.
Caller (woman): Ah, yeah. I'm not involved with it, but I'm curious. I'm wondering if there's any similarity between meditation and hypnosis? In other words, the hypnotic state?
Interviewer: Or is meditation self-hypnosis? Is that what you're asking?
Caller: Is it similar? It sounds like it might be.
Interviewer: Swami?
Prabhupada: I do not know what is self-hypnosis.
Interviewer: Hypnotizing yourself.
Prabhupada: No, it is no question of hypnotizing. Meditation means to search out what I am. Just like if you sit down quietly, if you see your body, first of all see your finger, and question whether I am hand? You'll say, no. Whether I am this head? You'll say no. Whether I am this leg? Because everywhere I will say, "It is my hand, it is my head, it is my leg, it is my sole." Everything "my." So you have to find out what is "I."
Caller: I see.
Prabhupada: Unless you come to that point, what is "I," there is no meaning of meditation. Then the meditation is finished. Now, the activities after meditation begins. Meditation is to search out what you are. As soon as you know your identity, then your real activity begins. So we take it from Bhagavad-gita what is my real identity and begin our service. So that is called devotional service.
Interviewer: We're talking with Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta, head of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. We'll be back in a minute. (break) KGO.
Caller: Yes, I wanted to ask the Swami if he didn't think that the teachings of Jesus Christ expressed exactly what he's saying. I'm not speaking of orthodox Christianity as such, but the essence of what Jesus said about the Father within and "If thine eye be single, thy body shall be full of light," and the beautiful phrase that he said, "Before Abraham was, I am." Has he studied anything about the teachings of Jesus?
Interviewer: Swami?
Prabhupada: We don't disagree with the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ because he's speaking also the same thing which we are also speaking, about the science of God.
Interviewer: But she, I think she's saying, couldn't you just have taken the teachings of Jesus Christ as your religion?
Prabhupada: But there is already adjustment...
Caller: (breaking in) No, I'm not saying that. I'm saying that I believe that the Swami and many others who practice meditation and study the Gita are really dealing with the same premise, the first cause, that Jesus spoke of.
Prabhupada: Certainly.
Caller: Right?
Prabhupada: Yes, certainly.
Caller: Yes, that's what I wanted to know. I think there is a comparison, not between organized religion as such, but just getting down to the bare facts of what Jesus spoke about. I think there's a similarity.
Prabhupada: There is similarity, but one thing is, just like mathematics taught in the lower class. Two plus two equal to four is equally applicable in higher mathematics, two plus two equal to four. In higher mathematics it does not become two plus two equal to five. Similarly, the teachings of Bible or teachings of Bhagavad-gita are the same, the same "two plus two."
Caller: Right, right...
Prabhupada: But in the Bhagavad-gita, it may be taken as higher mathematics. That's all.
Caller: You know, may I ask you one thing, I read some parts of the Bhagavad-gita is it? And it said that knowledge is enveloped in ignorance, hence all men are deluded.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Caller: And I thought that was a profound...
Prabhupada: Real, our real knowledge is covered by delusion.
Caller: Yes.
Prabhupada: Yes, the real knowledge is that I am spirit.
Caller: Yes.
Prabhupada: But we are identifying ourself with this body. Therefore we are covered in our knowledge, actual knowledge.
Interviewer: Thank you caller, very much. Bye bye. Twelve minutes before four on KGO. And, caller, you're on the air with the Swami on KGO.

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Festival for the Eyes 2008

2008-03-11T06:20:12Z

Would you like to participate in creating a beautiful experience? This Gaura Purnima ISKCON News is putting together a 'Festival for the Eyes' that you're invited to help us put together.

On Gaura Purnima Day 2008 we're going to unveil a multimedia presentation featuring Gaura-Nitai deities worshiped in devotees' homes around the world.

We've set a goal to compile 108 photos so if you'd like to give our current readership of more than 3,500 weekly visitors a glimpse of the Gaura-Nitai deities who live in your home then dress them gorgeously, get the lighting just right and snap us a digital photo. (Try to avoid using a flash please.)

When you submit your entry you'll need to include the following details:

- What's your name? (Please make sure you spell this exactly how you'd like it to be presented.)

- Where do you live? (Include the name of the city and country.)

Send just one photo as an attachment to: editor AT iskconnews.com

Please try to keep the size of the file under 1 Megabyte. The best image resolution for our purposes is 800px by 600px.

Alternatively you could upload to a photo hosting site such as www.flickr.com and send us a link.

The deadline for entries is Tuesday the 18th of March 2008.

Only the first 108 photos will be presented so send them in today!

For more details please visit here: http://news.iskcon.com/node/931

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Experience An India Yoga Odyssey

2008-01-11T02:19:16Z

Experience a Transforming India YOGA Odyssey
(February 21 to March 6, 2008)

Just imagine your airplane touching down at the India airport of your choice – Mumbai or Ahmadabad – on Thursday, February 21, 2008. Awaiting you at the airport is your guide, who will escort you by rail or taxi to your hotel accommodations in Surat City, Gujarat State. You will have arrived just in time to take in the World Yoga Championships, either as a participant or as a spectator. If anyone wishes to participate in the Championships the necessary registration forms can be downloaded at www.lifemission.org. The Championships run from February 22 though February 24. (The Championships were primarily founded as a means for encouraging youth worldwide to engage themselves in the ageless science of yoga for the betterment of body, mind and spiritual development in similar fashion that society worldwide encourages youth to participate in common sporting events.)

Following the Championships, you will be escorted to Malav Ashram for a five night stay, which includes three days of “hands on” yogic training under the expert guidance of Acharya Yogendradev, who has taught in North America, Taiwan, and India

And now – the Tours – you will tour the historic spiritual pilgrimage site of Kayavarohan and visit the Brahmeshwar Temple of Lord Lakulish (the 28th incarnation of Lord Shiva). You will spend 5 nights at a beautiful oceanside resort near the city of Div, overlooking the Indian Ocean with its miles of sandy beaches, and visit surrounding points of interest including the renowned Somnath Temple; a lion wildlife reserve, an ayurvedic clinic of a renowned ayurvedic physician where you will be able to observe the natural preparation of ayurvedic medicines and receive a free medical check-up. You will also have the opportunity to visit the temple complex at Rajrajeshwardham, where Lord Lakulish materialized in his divine body on January 29, 2007. Then – another great grace awaits you – you will have the rare opportunity of having darshan with the highly advanced yogi, Swami Rajarshi Muni.*

Now your yoga trip is reaching its end – on March 6, you will be escorted by your guide to your departure airport for your trip home – to reflect on and absorb your many yoga experiences of the past 2 weeks; the multitudes of wondrous Indian sites you've seen; the unmatched hospitality of its people and the many lasting new friendships you've made.

The cost per participant is $ 695.00 USD. This price does not include your transportation costs to and from India, which is entirely your responsibility, as are any required passports, visas etc. This price does include designated tour accommodations and meals in India, and all ground transportation to the Championships and touring sites in India, as well as ground transportation to and from airports at Mumbai or Ahmedabad. Any profits after all costs have been met will be directed to projects for the poor, including schools and hospitals. For further information, go to www.lifemission.org, or email: Acharya Yogendradev, ggvaghela@yahoo.com; or Dennis Konchak, lifema@telus.net; or Hans Splinter, Hsplinter@cogeco.ca.

* Swami Rajarshi Muni is the author of a vast library of nearly 100 titles in four different languages, including ten books in English. Some of the English titles are: Classical Hatha Yoga, Divine Body Through Yoga; Tenets for the Spiritual Life; Infinite Grace (The Story of My Spiritual Lineage), Awakening the Life Force, and Light from Guru to Disciple. For more information, check the Life Mission website www.lifemission.org and www.amazon.com under Rajarshi Muni

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Lakulish Yogasan Championships 2008: Feb. 22; 23; & 24th, - City of Surat, Gujarat State, India

2007-12-10T11:52:05Z

For details and application forms, please refer to: http://www.lifemission.org/ and under "New" go to item #4 and click on "World Open Yogasan Championships".

Please note, to optimize your India trip and your experience of Lakulish Yoga you could attend or participate in the Yogasan Championships and also take in the 3 week Certificate Yoga Training Course being offered at Swami Rajarshi Muni's Malav Ashram from January 30 -February 20th. For details on the training go to http://www.lifemission.org/ and under "New" click on item # 5 " "Overseas Students Annual Yoga Certificate Training Program"

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a quick INTRO to Prabhupada

2007-12-01T00:03:50Z

Well, Srila Prabhupada began his jouney in India. When he was born it was prophesized that he would bring Krsna Consciousness to the entire world, which was at the time a small and radical religion in parts of India. His gurus also told him he would travel the world and spread KC. However, he was a pretty regular guy, was married with several children, and although he practiced his devotional services to Krsna, he did not want to leave his family to become a renunciate. It wasn't until he was a senior citizen that he finally got on a boat for America with 50 cent in his pocket. He arrived in New York city in the 1960s with nothing but a prayer in his heart, began to preach to kids in the park about his beloved Lord Krsna. The prema (love of God) within Srila Prabhupada was so fierce that everywhere he went, the hearts of the people blossomed, and only 11 years after his arrival in America, he had established hundreds of temples all over the world and suddenly written endless volumes of books and translated english versions of holy texts. Within those final 11 years of his life, he travelled the world dozens of times and made hundreds of thousands of devotees of Lord Krsna everywhere! Such is the glory of Lord Krsna and the pastimes of his eternal associates.

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the guitar

2007-11-29T19:35:25Z

Prabhupada was sitting on a straw mat on the sunny balcony of the Calcutta temple about to receive a massage from his servant when a new disciple, Pancadravida dasa, approached to ask a few questions.
"Prabhupada, I used to be a musician," said Pancadravida, "so could I be a musician again and just play music for Krnsa?"
"Yes," said Prabhupada, "you can do that." Prabhupada spoke calmly, relaxing under the hands of his massaging servant. "But then there will still be some karma you will have to accept."
"Well, maybe that's not what I should do then," said Pancadravida. "But it's just that brahmacari life is a little difficult for me. In the life of a brahmacari you have to live under very institutional conditions." A few other devotees had gathered around, watching Prabhupada and listening to his words. The sound of birds and street noises filled the air.
"You can be a brahmacari and live outside the temple," said Prabhupada.
"Really?" Pancadravida was sruprised to hear such liberal concesions, but again Srila Prabhupada qualified it.
"Yes, you can live outside, follow the four principles, and be a brahmacari, but of course if you did that, you wouldn't be part of our movement."
"Oh." Pancadravida sounded disappointed. "Well, maybe, Prabhupada," he continued, "maybe I can get married."
"Yes," said Prabhupada in a leisurely, tolerant manner, "you could do that if you like." Pancadravida decided to ask no more questions, and he excused himslf from Prabhupada's presence.
Later, some of the senior devotees told Pancandravida that they had never heard Srila Prabhupada speak quite like that, sanctioning whatever his disciple had asked for. Pancadravida wasn't satisfied.
The following day he happened to be outside Prabhupada's room just as Srila Prabhupada was looping his brahminical thread around his ear as he prepared to enter the bathroom. Seeing his spiritual master, Pancadravida spoke his mind again.
"Srila Prabhupada, you know yesterday I asked you all those questions and you said I culd do so many things, play music, live as a brahmacari outside the temple, or get married? So I am a little confused. I was wondering, if I do these things, will I have your blessings?"
Prabhupada cast a penetrating glance into his disciple's eyes and replied, "Why are you asking so many stupid questions? If you do not know what the spiritual master wants, how do you expect to have his blessings?" Srila Prabhupada then walked away and entered his bathroom. Pancadravida was left with his first lesson of spiritual sife: do what the spiritual master wants. And he also better appreciated, by the way Srila Prabhupada was dealing with him, that Prabhupada was transcendental, not an ordinary being of this world.

A few months later after his questions to Prabhupada in Calcutta, Pancadravida approached him in Bombay and handed him a piece of paper, saying, "I wrote this song."
"All right," said Prabhupada, "just leave it here and I'll look at it later." Pancadravida thanked Srila Prabhupada and started to leave the room when suddenly Prabhupada spoke again. "Here, let me see that."
Prabhupada then looked at the words to Pancadravida's song and said, "So, can you sing this?"
"Yes, Srila Prabhupada," said Pancadravida. "I have a guitar."
Prabhupada then asked Pancadravida to get the guitar and sing along with Prabhupada and his servant. Prabhupada took the mrdanga on his lap, his servant played karatalas, and Pancadravida began strumming chords to accompany his own singsing of his original devotional song.
Prabhpada smiled and enjoyed the song along with his desciples. Outside Prabhupada's room, one of the devotees told Pancadravida that he should consider this the perfection of his guitar-playing career, and that he could now forget about the guitar. Pancadravida held on to his gitar for another month or so, however, althought it wasn't much appreciated by the other brahmacaris. Then one day he decided to give it up. Although it was a two hundred-dollar guitar, he accepted five dollars for the guitar and case and sold it to another devotee musician. The same guitar then became part of further interaction with Srila Prabhupada in Mayapura.
The new owner of the guitar, and American disciple, had been causing considerable trouble fo rhte devotee community because of his violent temper and almost all the devotees were apprehensive of his presence. Prabhpada heard different complaints and one day called the devotee before him.
"You sing so nicely," said Srila Prabhupada. "Why don't you and your wife just travel all over the world, singsin to attract people to Krsna consciousness?"
Greatly encouraged, the devotee soon left Mayapura. On the authority of SRila Prabhupada, he walked off singing with his guitar. Although the sastras say that no one can know the mind of the acarya, and although Prabhupada never siad that he had sent away a troublesome devotee by suggesting that he travel and sing, nevertheless most of the devotees in Mayapur could not help but appreciate how Prabhupada was masterfully solving problems.

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One evening in Bhaktivedanta Manor...

2007-11-12T19:27:45Z

One evening in Bhaktivedanta Manor in London, Srila Prabhupada was sitting in his room with his disciples and a few guests, including a woman reporter who had come to interview Srila Prabhupada. Despite the chilly English summer weather, the reporter was dressed in a scanty mini skirt. Her first few questions revealed her skeptical and almost cynical attitude toward the Hare Krsna movement. As ususal, Srila Prabhupada coolly and expertly answered her questions. Somewhat exasperated and in a challenging mood, she brought up the old question, "Why do you people have bald heads?" Srila Prabhupada immediately retorted, "Why do you have bare legs?" She was speechless. Srila Prabhupada then offered, "Better to have warm legs and a cool head." Everyone, including the reporter, laughed with delight. Prabhupada added, "You must have a cool head to understand this Krsna consciousness philosophy."

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story by mangalamata

2007-10-15T04:41:48Z

ok here I go with the first of my tiny stories-Thank God we have Bhagvat prabhu here to carry us over -
Well everyone went to pick up Prabhupada from the airport accept me -I had to stay back and care for the dieties--the whole time I kept wondering I wonder who will cook for Prabhupad-isn't he going to be hungry when he arrives-the thought kept comming but foollish as I am I didn't do anything about it-I just stuck to my regular duties- but all along thinking I should forget the duties to the dieties and cook something for Srila Prabhupada--so he arrives-he comes into the temple room to see the dieties--I opened the curtain for him and I was high up on the alter-- he was down below on the floor--when I saw him he looked like a small child looking up at the dieties as he folded his palms. I felt so small and worthless-he went to each of the alters and did dandavat pranams- and looked at all the pictures--finally we got around the temple room and he was looking at his asana and said is there anything to eat? They looked around at each other and said oh yes -then they discoverd there was nothing! Then they said oh Prabhupada-we will drive you right over to the Berkley temple -thats where they have some prasad for you--Prabhupada looked tired and said ok--then they took him over there and low and behold there was no prasadam there either--Prabhupada was very tired and hungry and asked if they could at least make him some chapaties--well it took a while and finally Prabhupada ate!!!!!! He said we should feed any guests that may come to the temple! Espically if we know they are comming! Prabhupada had traveled quite a long distance--
Since that time I have learned a good lesson to try to listen to supersoul a little better! I didn't have enough love-Love can break any rule and leave behind any duty-Let the deity fast-Let me get in big trouble by the president or anyone --Let me get kicked off the alter -sri guru is so dear to the Lord !
And in another light what is the use of a big oppulent temple--beautiful palace temples grounds and amazing dieties-what is the use of anything or anyplace where there is no honor and invitation of the pure vaishnav ? To me -that heaven is like a hell! I'd rather live in a dirt hut where the pure vaishnav is honored!

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Room Conversation with Carol Cameron

2007-08-19T17:37:15Z

May 9, 1975, Perth

Amogha: Çréla Prabhupäda, this is Carol Cameron from the University of West Australia. She has a degree in Social Work, in Arts, and she's working on a Master's Degree in Anthropology. In this degree her paper is on the subject of the influence of Hindu and Buddhist mysticism on the West. So she would like to ask you some questions. This is our spiritual master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda.

Carol: I would like to know why in the beginning why you came to the West. I know a bit about your background, but not very much. Why you saw the need to come.

Prabhupäda: That I was speaking. Of course, it is very strong words. That Western people they are claiming very civilized, but I have got objection. Therefore I have come to the West. Because, for example, the animal-killing. The Western people are mostly Christians. Now, Lord Jesus Christ said that "Thou shall not kill." But the result was that two thousand years passed, but the people of the Western countries, they are still killing. So when they have accepted Christianity? What is your answer?

Carol: But the actual original scriptures aren't enacted in Western life.

Prabhupäda: I mean to say that Lord Jesus Christ said, "Thou shall not kill." So, what kind of men were there that Lord Christ had to request them not to kill? That means they were killers. Suppose if somebody's thief, and if I give him some good instruction, I say "You should not commit theft." That means you are thief. You are already. Otherwise why I say that "Thou shall not commit theft"? A naughty child is disturbing. I say, "My dear child, don't do this." Similarly, when Christ said, "Thou shall not kill," that means he said amongst people who were in the habit of killing. Is it not?

Carol: Hmm.

Prabhupäda: Now, after taking instruction from Christ, first of all they killed Christ. That means they could not understand the instruction. Therefore their first business was to kill the instructor. And after that, two thousand years passed, still they are killing. So when they have accepted the teachings of Lord Christ? Can you answer this?

Carol: So you think the Christian faith hasn't been reflected in the behavior of Western people.

Prabhupäda: This is practical. You are maintaining huge slaughterhouses, regular killing. So, you took instruction from Christ, "Thou shall not kill." You first of all killed him, and then the killing process is going on among the animals, and declaring wars every now and then. So the killing business is going on regularly. In your regular life also. You are maintaining big, big slaughterhouses. Then when you accepted the instruction of Christ? That I want to know. What is that date?

Carol: Do you see any hope for the world? We seem to be moving towards destruction.

Prabhupäda: No, my... You just explain.

Amogha: He's asking you when did this civilization actually accept the teachings of Christ?

Carol: When have they? Not overall at all, only in small pockets. Never overall.

Prabhupäda: Then why you are claiming that you are Christian? Just like you are having cross. That is the sign that you killed Christ. The cross is the killing symbol of Christ.

Carol: This is the resurrection symbol.

Prabhupäda: Maybe. (laughter)

Carol: But it's not only Christian symbol...

Prabhupäda: But many, many priestly order, they carry the cross. Cross is the sign when Lord Jesus Christ was killed. Is it not?

Carol: It is, but that symbol is used in a lot of ways.

Prabhupäda: That means how you killed Lord Jesus Christ. That is the sign. That reminds you that you killed. You accuse the Jewish people "They killed," but you are also killing. Although you are claiming Christian. Therefore I want to know—you are a learned scholar—when you abided by the order of Lord Jesus Christ? That is my question. When?

Amogha: When did you abide by the orders of Jesus Christ?

Carol: When did I?

Prabhupäda: Every one of you, Western countries. And if you have abided by the order of Jesus Christ, then why you are systematically killing? The order is, "Thou shall not kill."

Carol: It reminds me of the Gétä, you know? Where Arjuna is on the battlefield about to commit an organized sort of killing against his relatives.

Prabhupäda: No, two thousand years passed, but you could not accept the instruction of Lord Jesus Christ. And you are all claiming that you are Christian. When did you accept Christianity? That is my question. Because you have disobeyed the order of Christ. So when did you accept? Two thousand years passed. Hmm? Who will answer this question?

Jayadharma: Never.

Prabhupäda: Hmm?

Jayadharma: They never accepted.

Carol: Hmm. What is the main part of your philosophy? Is it based on the Vedänta school?

Prabhupäda: No. This is no question of philosophy. You could not accept the simple instruction. Then where is the question of philosophy?

Carol: The question of love.

Prabhupäda: Yes. You cannot understand the principles of life and morality, Jesus Christ's instruction that "Thou shall not kill." So how you become philosopher?

Carol: How is the love to be understood? Between people or through inner sort of communication with a higher self?

Gaëeça: Çréla Prabhupäda said that you could not understand the simple instruction, so where is the question of understanding philosophy? Not love. Philosophy.

Prabhupäda: You have no love, because you are accustomed to kill. Philosophy begins when you know that everyone is part and parcel of God, and everyone should be given the full facilities to live without injuring anyone for one's personal benefit. Paëòitaù sama-darçinaù [Bg. 5.18]. A paëòita, philosopher, means learned scholar. Not fools and rascals can become philosopher. Those who are learned scholar, thoughtful, they can become philosopher. But if one has no knowledge how to behave with other living entities, what is the meaning of becoming a philosopher?

Carol: How would you go about teaching this idea of love?

Prabhupäda: Love means that I want to eat something, and if I love somebody, then I will see that my beloved also eats. If you take something from your beloved, naturally the lovers present things. Just a boy loves a girl. He presents something to the girl. So, if you accept presentation by others, we should give him also something. And, if I have got some confidential thing, I must disclose it to the lover, and the lover is also expected, he should not keep anything confidential. He should disclose it. These are the six reciprocal exchanges between the lover and the beloved. If I love you, because you are beautiful, for my sense gratification, but I keep everything secret, that is not love. That is sense gratification. Lust. These are the signs of love.

dadäti pratigåhëäti

bhuìkte bhojayate caiva

guhyam äkhyäti påcchati

ca ñaò-vidhaà préti-lakñaëam

Préti means love. These are the symptoms. Give and take, eat and give to eat, open you mind, and know the other party's mind also. This is love. The more you increase the six kinds of exchange, there is increase in the love.

Carol: Do you think a man who says he loves God should withdraw from the world, say into a community or something like that?

Prabhupäda: First of all between two. Then you can expand it. First the love between-love means there are two, the lover and the beloved. So, the transaction begins between the two, then it expands.

Carol: How do you go if you look at the two as say the creator and the person? Would that be the two that you have in mind? How would you go about fostering that relationship?

Amogha: She says if you mean by the two the creator and us, how would you go about fostering or increasing that relationship between us and...

Prabhupäda: Creator, created. Do you believe in creator?

Carol: Impersonal creator, yes.

Prabhupäda: Huh?

Amogha: She says impersonal creator.

Prabhupäda: Impersonal?

Amogha: Yes.

Prabhupäda: Oh, what is that philosophy? Impersonal creator?

Carol: Without any attributes that we can...

Prabhupäda: Creator is an attribute. To become creator, that is attribute. If I create this bell, I know the art of how to create a bell.

Carol: Hmm.

Prabhupäda: So, this is my attribute. How you can say the creator is without attribute? This is false philosophy. I know how to create this bell. That is my artistic sense. That is my qualification. And how you say I am without qualification? As soon as you say "creator," then He has got many qualifications.

Carol: How can ignorance be removed?

Prabhupäda: The ignorant people can also learn from the learned. If you have got this idea that creator is impersonal, that means you are not a learned. You have no knowledge. And this is the simple answer. As soon as you say "creator," He has so many qualities. The bell... Suppose I am ringing. Now, when the spring is loose, it does not sound. So, others may not know, but one who has created—"Oh, the spring is loose. Now we wind it again." That means I know, ins and outs and everything. That is creator. So, if one is cognizant of everything, how He can be impersonal? What is this philosophy? Hmm? Answer. You are philosopher.

Amogha: He says if the creator, if one is cognizant of everything, then how can He not be a person? The creator is cognizant of everything. So if He is cognizant, how can He not be a person?

Carol: Well, He would incorporate personal attributes...

Prabhupäda: Hmm? She says "He."

Carol: ...not be governed by them.

Prabhupäda: She says "He," but He is impersonal. (laughter)

Carol: Yes. (laughs) It's the intellect and the emotion.

Prabhupäda: How vague ideas. And they are passing on philosophy. "He" contradicts. You say "He." And again He is impersonal.

Carol: At the emotional level it's a very personal...

Prabhupäda: Why should you emotional? You are a philosopher. You should talk very nicely.

Carol: Talk?

Amogha: He said, why be emotional? You are a philosopher, so talk very nicely.

Carol: Oh. (surprised) I don't philosophize.

Amogha: What she just said was that He is impersonal, but He incorporates personal features?

Carol: If God is in everything, then the personal attributes must be part of Him, it, whatever.

Amogha: She says personal attributes are part of God.

Carol: But God is not just limited to...

Prabhupäda: You have no idea of God.

Carol: No. I don't think...

Prabhupäda: He must be person. As soon as you say "He knows everything," "He creates," and so many other things, then these are all personal. You say "He." "He." These are all personal.

Carol: This in only our idea of God though, not necessarily...

Prabhupäda: That means you have no clear idea of God. You have vague idea. So you have to learn what is God.

Carol: You think you can know the nature of God?

Amogha: She says do you think you can know the nature of God?

Prabhupäda: Yes. You can know also.

Carol: In an intellectual way?

Prabhupäda: You can know also.

Carol: You might know something in your heart but not be able to express it.

Prabhupäda: Why not express it? You can express it. If whatever is within your heart, if you cannot express, then you are not perfect. You must express what is within your heart very clearly. Not that I have got something within my heart and I cannot express. That means my knowledge is imperfect.

Carol: So often our understanding moves sort of separately the emotional, the heart.

Prabhupäda: Emotion is not required for scientific knowledge. Emotion is not. Useless. It must be factual. Emotion is no use. Emotion is useful in high, ecstatic love. Not for scientific study of something you require emotion. No.

Carol: In the bhakti way of doing things, this emotion and love are very closely entwined, aren't they?

Prabhupäda: Yes. That is higher stage. Not in the beginning. In the beginning devotion means I should be devoted to you. Why should I be devoted to you unless you are worthy? Just like Kåñëa says, "You surrender unto Me." So unless I understand that Kåñëa is worth for my surrendering, He is worthy, why shall I surrender to Kåñëa? If I demand, immediately you have come, that you surrender. Would you like to do that?

Carol: To surrender?

Prabhupäda: If I ask you that you surrender. I am meeting you for the first time. Would you like to surrender?

Carol: Yes.

Prabhupäda: I don't think. (laughter)

Carol: To want to and to do it is different.

Prabhupäda: No, unless you are fully aware of my abilities, qualities, why should you surrender? (indistinct) So, before surrendering, one has to study the person where he is going to surrender. Then he surrenders. That is real surrender. And blindly surrender, that will not stay. So, our first business is to surrender to God; therefore we must know what is God. Then you must surrender. And, the emotion is good. That means you are advanced. If you understand that God is giving us everything. So, that emotion is very good. If one from the very beginning becomes emotional, "Oh, God is so kind. God is so great, that He is giving us everything, our necessities. I must serve Him." This emotion is very good. But for ordinary man, this emotion does not come. He wants to study what is God. Then when he fully understands, "Oh, God is so great." Then that emotion is very nice. That is genuine emotion. Otherwise emotion is sentiment. That will not stay. That will not endure. It is temporary.

Carol: Would the intellect be helpful in knowing God?

Prabhupäda: Yes. Unless you have got the necessary intellect, then you are no better than the animals. The animals have no intellect to understand God, but the human being has got that intellect. That is the distinction between animal and human being. [break] Sleeping, the human being also sleeps; they also sleep. Then sex enjoyment: the human being also enjoy, and the animals also enjoy. And protection from fear or becoming fearful—the human being is also fearful and arranges for protection, and the animal also does. So far the primary necessities of life, that is equal in animal and human being. But the human being has a special intellect developed than the animals that he can understand what he is, what is God, what is this cosmic manifestation, and what is the aim of life, how we should conduct. These things are prerogatives for the human being. The animals have no such prerogative. So if we do not utilize these special intellectual activities, then we remain animal. We do not make any development. So at the present moment they are improving the method of primary necessities of life—eating, sleeping, mating and defending. They are thinking the dog is eating on the floor; if we can eat on table, chair and nice dish, that is advancement of civilization. They are thinking like that. The dog is sleeping on the floor, and if we sleep in very nice apartment, very decorated, that is advancement of civilization. The dog is having sexual intercourse on the street without any shame, and we are also coming to that point already. And if we have sex intercourse in the name of love and so on, so on, that is advancement. And dog is defending with his jaws and nails and teeth, you are defending with atomic bomb, therefore we are advanced. But they have forgotten that the human being has got this special intellect to understand God. That they are not doing. Just like you are going to be a doctor in anthropology. Is it not?

Carol: Yes.

Prabhupäda: Where is the sense of God there?

Carol: I only do it for a living. The other side of me is something...

Prabhupäda: No. I mean to say the anthropology it is a big scientific department. Where is the understanding of God there?

Carol: I find it difficult to reconcile the love of God with actually doing something like this.

Prabhupäda: Then how you are going to speculate on anthropology?

Carol: Hmm.

Prabhupäda: If you cannot adjust, how you are wasting your time in the science, anthropology? It is a false science.

Carol: I'm waiting to be led into something which is good.

Prabhupäda: There is no meaning.

Carol: Yes. You can only decide in...

Prabhupäda: The whole theory, Darwin's theory, is a false theory. It has no sound background. He says it is theory. Theory is not science. I can propose some theory, "It is like that." But that is not science. Science means observation and experiment. That is science. You observe how the rules are working, and when you practically bring them into experiment, then it is science. If you simply theorize, that is not science. Mental speculation. It has no benefit. You can speculate, constructing a castle in the air. That is not a very good thing. You should present something which will benefit the people, and practical. That is science.

Carol: Do you think it is possible to live in say an education framework, or should it be something quite separate?

Prabhupäda: Education, if it is not for the benefit of the people, then what is the use of such education? That is not a good education. Education means something which will benefit the mass of people. That is education. To enlighten them to do something better. That is education. And this whole Darwin's theory is false. But people are giving too much stress. First of all, anyone, even Darwin, he's not independent. Just like Darwin has died. So, he is under the control of something higher. Nobody wants to die, but he is forced to die. Is it not? Then where is his independence?

Carol: That is the illusion.

Prabhupäda: Hmm?

Amogha: She says that is the illusion of independence.

Prabhupäda:? Yes, so if you simply in illusion you live, then where is your education? If you remain in darkness, then where is your education? Illusion means darkness. So if you are in darkness, now what is your education? And where is your philosophy?

Carol: The only way to remove this darkness is through love. Is this what you are saying?

Prabhupäda: Love is far away. First of all you be educated.

Carol: How? In what way?

Prabhupäda: Education means right knowledge. Right knowledge. Just like, everyone wants to live. Nobody wants to die. So, the enquiry should be that "I do not wish to die. Why death is forced upon me?" What is that force? What is the nature of that force? If I submit, "Yes, the force is there," then where is my knowledge? I do not wish to die. So why death is forced upon me? Nobody wants miserable condition of life, but miserable condition of life is enforced upon me. So this should be first of all enquired, that I do not want these things, and who is enforcing upon me these things? This is the first enquiry, philosophical.

Carol: I tend to approach from the other side and ask "Who am I?" and "What is this thing that I call myself?"

Prabhupäda: It is everyone's problem. I don't want something, but something is enforced upon me. Just like you are now a young girl. You do not like to be old woman. But you will have to become old woman.

Carol: Become?

Amogha: Old woman.

Carol: Oh, yes. Hmm.

Prabhupäda: Nature will force you that after forty years of age you must become old, and you must not remain so beautiful. This is forced. But no one wants that. No woman wants that "I shall look not beautiful and my flesh should be flabby and no more luster. I don't want all these things." Why it is forced?

Carol: Suffering and pain leads people to God, doesn't it?

Prabhupäda: Hmm?

Amogha: She says doesn't the suffering and pain lead people towards God?

Prabhupäda: Yes, that is the law, but we are so dull-headed that we do not enquire. That is my statement, that you should enquire "Who is forcing these things?" Then there is enquiry of God. First of all we must be... Just like a dog. He cannot understand. He's under chain. He's leading a life most dependent. And he is jolly. He is jumping here and there. That is dog's life. If the master kills him, he cannot do anything. But he is very jolly. He is jumping. That is dog's life. But not human life. Human life is that I am dependent in every step, still I am declaring independent. What is this nonsense? This enquiry should be there. He is dependent in every step, exactly like the cats and dogs, but he is claiming, "I am independent."

Carol: Is it possible to carry out that enquiry while you're engaged in activities?

Prabhupäda: Yes. That is the real enquiry. Wherefrom my life has begun? What is the ultimate goal of my life? Why I am put into these conditions which I do not like? Who is enforcing? These things should be asked. That is the proper enquiry of the human being. And we cannot solve the question of birth, death, old age and disease, and you are theorizing something utopian. What is the use of such advancement of knowledge? I live for fifty years and sixty years, and the Darwin's theory they are calculating gap of millions of years. There is a gap of millions of years, and we will live for fifty years. How we are taking calculation of millions of years? Speculation simply. And misleading people. An honest man should not mislead others. He should understand that his knowledge is limited. How can I say something theorizing? That is not very good business. And misleading people. I have no perfect knowledge. I am theorizing. What is the use? I have no actually accurate knowledge, and I am theorizing. I am misleading people. Big bluff. That is going on. An honest man should not take part in big bluffs. First of all you must have accurate knowledge, and I am theorizing. I am misleading people. Big bluffs. First of all you must have accurate knowledge. Then you bring knowledge to others. That is our proposition. First of all make your life perfect, then you try to give knowledge. If you have no knowledge, vague knowledge, not definite knowledge, then why should you try to give knowledge to others?

Carol: Can you have perfect knowledge?

Prabhupäda: What?

Carol: Can you have perfect knowledge,...

Prabhupäda: Yes.

Carol: I mean ultimately you might say that I might be able to have some, but it's still a bit doubtful. In the near future how could you ever...

Prabhupäda: Perfect knowledge you can immediately, provided you take knowledge from the perfect. If you receive knowledge from a bogus person, then how you can have perfect knowledge? Knowledge has to be received from a person. Why shall I go to a school, college, teachers, guru? To receive knowledge. So if your teacher, guru or parent, those who are your superior, if they are perfect, then you get perfect knowledge. But if your teacher is a bogus, then you get bogus knowledge.

Carol: And this is immediate, is it?

Amogha: She says is this immediate, the reception of perfect knowledge?

Prabhupäda: Yes. Just like we are giving knowledge from Bhagavad-gétä. This is perfect knowledge. You take it; you become perfect.

Carol: And your actions are perfect actions?

Prabhupäda: What is that?

Amogha: And your actions are perfect actions?

Prabhupäda: Oh, yes. Just like in the Bhagavad-gétä you'll find—you have read Bhagavad-gétä? No.

Carol: Mmm.

Prabhupäda: It is said, man-manä bhava mad-bhakto. Think of God. So we are doing this. Hare Kåñëa Hare Kåñëa Kåñëa Kåñëa—we are thinking of Kåñëa. THe direction is there, and we are doing that. Therefore my action is perfect. If the physician says that you take this medicine in such and such dose, you don't do this, and do this. If I follow, then I'm cured, perfect.

Carol: Does a man then stop judging his actions?

Prabhupäda: No, if I know that the knowledge which I am receiving from the person is perfect, then there is no question of judging. You simply follow.

Carol: So it's a matter of complete faith.

Prabhupäda: Just like a child. Child assumes that my father is perfect. So, actually a father should be perfect at least for the child. So whatever the father, mother, gives him knowledge, that is perfect. Father says, "My dear child, this is called 'table.' " The child does not know what is table, but he understand from his father. He says, "This is table." So when the child says it is table, it is fact. This is perfect. He may be imperfect, his child, but because he is repeating the perfect knowledge of his father, whatever he is speaking is perfect. Because he has received the knowledge. Actually the child inquires from the father, "Father, what is this?" Father smiles at child, "This is called bell. If you push your hand in this." Then you get the perfect knowledge. He tries it. Oh, it is coming. The knowledge is there. He may be imperfect, but the instruction he has received, that is perfect. Similarly, if you get instruction from the perfect, then your knowledge is perfect, and if you receive knowledge—just like anthropology—from an imperfect person, Darwin, then whole thing is imperfect. So why should we waste our time in imperfect knowledge?

Carol: Because there are few people around us who think they are perfect.

Prabhupäda: That is another thing, that people want to be cheated, so I shall be perfect cheater. (laughter) That is another thing. And take my doctorate title, being a perfect cheater.

Carol: If you look for those who are perfect, you don't find any.

Amogha: She says there are so few perfect people, if you look for a perfect person, you don't find any.

Prabhupäda: Therefore we are giving-here is Kåñëa. Here is the perfect person. You take. But you don't follow Him. Just like I began with. Jesus Christ is perfect, but you don't follow him.

Carol: Mmm.

Prabhupäda: You don't like to follow him. You follow Darwin. Whose fault it is? The perfect person's fault, or your fault? You don't like to hear from the perfect person. You want to hear from a humbug bogus person. That is the defect. (long silence)

Carol: Thank you. Thank you.

Prabhupäda: Hare Kåñëa.

Gaëeça: All glories to Çréla Prabhupäda.

Prabhupäda: Give him some prasäda.

Amogha: He's bringing something for you.

Carol: We have your record, the Rädhä-KåñëaTemple album. It's beautiful. We sing the chants every night now. They're rather lovely.

Amogha: She says she has the Rädhä-KåñëaTemple album, and every night they sing the chants. At home. They have the record from London.

Prabhupäda: Oh.

Carol: They're pretty hard to get hold of. I wish there were more around.

Prabhupäda: Yes, that will benefit. That will benefit.

Amogha: They are available by mail from America.

Carol: I think a lot of people don't know it exists, that's the problem.

Prabhupäda: That record which was done by George Harrison?

Carol: Yes. It's very rare to find music like that here.

Prabhupäda: George Harrison has contributed many. He gave me first of all nineteen thousand dollars for printing Kåñëa book. Now he has purchased one house in London, and we are using that. It is two hundred thousand pounds. Yes, he is a good boy, good soul.

Carol: You don't have a group in Perth, do you?

Prabhupäda: He is also chanting Hare Kåñëa. Yes. He chants all day Hare Kåñëa. He has made some record, "Kåñëa."

Amogha: "My dear Lord, I really want to see You." Something like that.

Prabhupäda: Like that, yes. "Kåñëa" he has said.

Çrutakérti: Yes. His latest album, "Kåñëa Where Are You?"

Amogha: Oh, I haven't seen it.

Prabhupäda: And in the record album he has given this picture. So you are intelligent girl, you study about this Kåñëa consciousness. That will benefit you. The anthropology you may get some degree, adoration. What is the benefit? Jaya. (Carol leaves) They enquire why I have come to the West. If I enquire that two thousand year ago you have been taught that "Thou shall not kill," and your business is only to kill. I have come to enquire from you, "What is your answer?" How you have become civilized, that you cannot accept one instruction of Jesus Christ. And you are declaring yourself as Christian and civilized. This is my question. Answer it. In two thousand years, first of all you began killing Christ. Never mind, still, two thousand years past, you could not stop killing? You could not accept the first instruction. What kind of civilized man?

Jayadharma: Sometimes they say, Prabhupäda, that Jesus meant just...

Prabhupäda: Meant?

Jayadharma: ...just human beings.

Prabhupäda: All right. That means you are killer of human beings. THat means, in the beginning, you are all killers of human beings. And therefore you killed Jesus Christ. That is not very good qualification. Killer of human being... He said "Thou shall not kill." Where he says that "Thou shall not kill human beings"? That is your interpretation.

Çrutakérti: That's obvious he meant only human beings, because he himself was killing animals.

Prabhupäda: Christ was killing animals?

Çrutakérti: Well, he instructed his own disciples to distribute the fish. So he was also involved in killing of animals.

Prabhupäda: Yes, but he said that the fuits and vegetable should be your flesh. What is that?

Çrutakérti: Well, that was before Christ. He never said that.

Paramahaàsa: He also said that.

Çrutakérti: Where does he say that?

Paramahaàsa: He said that in the (inaudible). Yes. The Bible says that and Christ also spoke that, that the grasses of the fields and the fruits of the trees shall be your meat.

Prabhupäda: Then there is contradiction?

Paramahaàsa: Yes. The Christians always say that Christ was eating fish and drinking wine, so what problem have we got? Drinking a little alcohol, eating a little meat?

Prabhupäda: Then how did he say that "Thou shall not kill"?

Çrutakérti: That was actually the Ten Commandments. That was given by God.

Gaëeça: Given to Moses.

Çrutakérti: That was given to Moses by God. The Ten Commandments.

Prabhupäda: That is not Christ has said?

Çrutakérti: Well, Christ enforced it.

Paramahaàsa: It was accepted by him as one of the rules.

Çrutakérti: Christ's greatest commandment was to love God above all things. So if one is to love God, one must follow His instructions.

Prabhupäda: Who is following the instructions?

Çrutakérti: We are.

Prabhupäda: But supposing Christ distributed fish, but did he say that we shall maintain regular slaughterhouse for killing animals?

Çrutakérti: He was against that. He threw the men out of the temple, because they were selling lambs in the temple to be offered at the altar. So he kicked them out, saying this temple is not a place for selling animals for slaughter.

Paramahaàsa: But in one place they say Christ encouraged fishermen. Because he came and the fishermen were fishing on one side of the boat, and Christ came along and said, "You are fishing on the wrong side of the boat." He said, "Put your nets on the other side, and you will get more fish." An they did that and they got huge amounts of fish. And so they were encouraged in their fish-eating in this way.

Gaëeça: Jesus also said to the fisherman, "Give up you fishing and I will make you fishers of men." He said this to his disciples.

Prabhupäda: Then on the whole it comes that his instructions are sometimes contradictory.

Paramahaàsa: Not only that but they say that... Usually when it comes right down to it, the Bible has gone through so many interpretations and so many changes in the last two thousand years that...

Prabhupäda: Yes. It is very difficult.

Paramahaàsa: People..., I've talked to professors who know the original Hebrew and the original tongues that the Bible was written in. They say that is has changed so much that you can hardly...

Prabhupäda: Yes, they are changing. Just like he said, "Thou shall not kill." They are now changing, "Thow shall not commit murder." They are doing that.

Paramahaàsa: Yes. They have a modern Bible, using all modern terminology.

Prabhupäda: So, when you change, then the authority is lost. Just like in our society, sometimes they do something nonsense and they say, "Prabhupäda said." (laughter) They are doing that. We know that. It is deteriorated like that. Therefore Kåñëa said, sa käleneha mahatä yogo nañöaù kaunteya: "And in due course of time, this yoga was lost. Therefore I am repeating the same thing, old philosophy to you." So it requires like that.

Paramahaàsa: One thing about the Christian religion is that through the last two thousand years, Christ's original teachings may have been good teachings, may have been potent preaching, but because there were no potent preachers to carry on the preaching, therefore the whole thing has been lost. But if there are potent preachers to continue reestablishing and establishing the principles,...

Prabhupäda: So how you'll find, if everything is now changed? Where you will get the right information?

Paramahaàsa: That's the problem. That's why there are so many hundreds of branches of Christianity, literally hundreds. So many divisions of Christianity. Some people accept this, some people accept this.

Prabhupäda: Therefore we should advocate that Bhagavad-gétä is not like that. It is coming in the same form as it was taught to Arjuna. If you challenge that "How you know that it has not been changed?" the äcäryas are there. The äcäryas are there, and they are accepting. Therefore it is correct. We have to follow the äcäryas. So when we see the äcäryas have accepted, then we accept. All the äcäryas, Rämänujäcärya, Madhväcärya, before that other äcäryas also, they accept. They never say that "This was not in the original scripture. It has been changed." You don't find any such statement of the äcäryas. The best thing, therefore, if you want a religious system, Bhagavad-gétä is coming without any contradiction, change, for the last five thousand years. You accept it. Other scriptures are (unclear), and there are so many doubts, so many interpretations. So, if you want real religious system, this is the scripture spoken directly by God, and accepted by all the äcäryas, so take it. If you are really after God, so you take enlightenment from this perfect scripture. If you want truth, it doesn't matter wherefrom it is coming. I must accept the truth.

Paramahaàsa: The Christians openly admit that the Bible has been changed, but they also have a lot of doubt about our scripture.

Prabhupäda: No, even they doubt, the Christian religion is now dead. That we see practically. So many churches are not working. Nobody comes there. Nobody comes.

Paramahaàsa: As they have seen that their scripture has been changed, they also have a very strong doubt about our scripture. They say "Well, yours in even older than ours," so somewhere along the line they say it must have been changed.

Prabhupäda: You say, but those who are the followers of the authorities, they do not say. You are outsider. You say it may be. It may not be, but you have no authority. You are simply taking a hypothesis, "it may be." But those who actually are following, they do not say. What about this? Whose version is more important? Your or theirs? You are outsider. You are simply suggesting because you had a bad experience. But one who has no such experience, why should he follow your advice?

Paramahaàsa: Actually if anyone looks at Bhagavad-gétä As It Is, presented by yourself, then they can logically see that it is perfect.

Prabhupäda: Yes, we have got our argument, logic, everything. Why should we blindly follow?

Gaëeça: The results can be seen practically that those who are following the Bhagavad-gétä written by you, Çréla Prabhupäda, are giving up these nonsense activities.

Prabhupäda: Letters are posted?

Paramahaàsa: No, not yet.

Prabhupäda: How they can deliver if you don't post?

Paramahaàsa: Well the next time someone goes in. This evening someone can post.

Prabhupäda: There is no letter box?

Gaëeça: There's not one close. I can post them tonight.

Prabhupäda: No, night is useless. Nobody is coming to clear.

Gaëeça: Yes, there's one collection at eight o'clock in the night time.

Prabhupäda: Oh, then why not post there? It is six.

Gaëeça: Çréla Prabhupäda, if the knowledge was handed down by the saintly kings, evaà paramparä-präptam [Bg. 4.2], how is it that the knowledge was lost?

Prabhupäda: When it was not handed down. Simply understood by speculation. Or if it is not handed down as it is. They might have made some changes. Or they did not hand it down. Suppose I handed it down to you, but if you do not do that, then it is lost. Now the Kåñëa consciousness movement is going on in my presence. Now after my deparature, if you do not do this, then it is lost. If you go on as you are doing now, then it will go on. But if you stop... (end)

Morning Walk -- May 10, 1975, Perth

Room Conversation

with Carol Cameron

posted in Our Srila Prabhupada - 0 replies

The Real Final Order.

2007-07-25T01:22:19Z

Until one imfamous person came up with a book based on mental speculation called "The Final Order" all the devotees of Prabhupada knew his final order. It was, "Co-operate among yourselves to push on this movement. You will show your love for me in this way." Many devotees find fault with the GBC or gurus but do not set a better example themselves of how to do things, how to serve. Instead they let the fault finding mentality take over and go away frustrated. This is not good. Better to tolerate and try to push things on. Krishna has His own way of straightening things out. He doesn't always take care of deviant devotees immediately, He gives them time to advance before they are driven out by their own offenses. In this way more service has been done over the decades than otherwise would have.
Srila Prabhupada did not make a letter entitled "The Final Order". He ordered that ritviks help him initiate, that is not a finality. If he had wanted it to be a final order he would have said so somewhere. He left the GBC in charge that is his final order, to figure out who is qualified to initiate. There must be some sanctioning authority.
The writer of the book entitled "The Final Order" accepts that Prabhupada can dictate who will be qualified to become a guru in their own right. Unfortunately they don't think any of Prabhupada's disciples will EVER become qualified to, not one, not ever, not for the next ten thousand years. This is total speculation.
I would much rather glorify Prabhupada than bring this up here but such things need to be mentioned from time to time. In the words of Srila Prabhupada, " Religion without philosophy is mental speculation at best, fanaticism at worst". Let's get back to what Prabhupada wanted, co-operating among ourselves before we are all dead and gone. He set up ISKCON so that the GBC would be able to approve who would be able to become gurus in the future because that is not done in the presence of the spiritual master and his own godbrothers were supposed to have a similar board or body but never did it. He mentioned his godbrothers by name who did not follow.
If we disobey Prabhupada's order to follow the GBC when they decide who can or cannot be gurus we are not following Srila Prabhupada. We are speculating that we know better than Prabhupada. We are telling Prabhupada he cannot dictate to his own disciples who can or cannot become a guru. No one is qualified because we say so, or we don't recognise the qualifications of our godbrothers, or we think Prabhupada ended the disciplic succession with himself. There is no statement supporting any of this. It is all childish foolish nonsense.

posted in Our Srila Prabhupada - 18 replies

Srila Prabhupada in India

2007-07-21T06:27:26Z

I may not be able to relay this story so well. I heard it once from another devotee. There was a boy who used to sweep Swami's room back when he was staying in India, before he came to America. When the boy entered his room, he saw that Swami was weeping and chanting, with his eyes cast down. At once the boy noticed there was a scorpion on the floor, walking toward his holiness. The boy was alarmed, and moving toward the creature, he told Swami, "There is a scorpion right by your leg!" Swami then looked up and gazed into the boys eyes and said, "Do not disturb him. He is devotee."

posted in Our Srila Prabhupada - 0 replies

Srila Prabhupada's little children

2007-07-17T16:47:35Z

My favorite story thusfar is how Srila Prabhupada used to distribute cookies to the youths at his gatherings, walking around and handing them out personally!

posted in Our Srila Prabhupada - 0 replies