Hare Krsna-below we have entered many different conversations and quotes all relating to one topic-How only a madman thinks he or she is independent in this world to do as they please.
July 5 1976 Wash DC conversationsVṛṣākapi: I was thinking that they are talking of independence, but they cannot even become independent of old age and disease. Their body, they try to control things, but their own body is out of control.
Prabhupāda: So many things.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: One may say that if there’s no independence, then where is the question of initiative in the material world, taking initiative?Prabhupāda: Initiative? What is that question? Initiative I understand, but do you think that by taking initiative of independence you become independent, like this, by dancing and fireworks, you become independent? This is initiative, dancing like dogs, (sings) “We are independent, we are independent.” (laughter) Does it have any meaning? Dance like a dog, that’s all.
Hari-śauri: It’s a big show, that’s all.
Yadubara: They will say that they can do so many things.
Prabhupāda: What they can do? They cannot do anything. At any moment, you can be kicked out, “Get out.”
Yadubara: But they have choice within māyā. Isn’t that a fact?Prabhupāda: Choice?
Yadubara: Choice what to do in the material world, many different fields. They will say that they can do this or that.
Prabhupāda: Many fields, that is also conditioned. That is conditioned, that is not independence.
Hari-śauri: One has choice to become a dog or a cat, or…
Prabhupāda: Everything is conditioned. Therefore it is called conditioned life. There is no question of independence. That is foolishness. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, that they are not independent, completely under the control of laws of material nature, and still they are thinking independent.
Rūpānuga: It is like a prisoner in the prison house thinking he has some freedom.
Prabhupāda: That freedom is danda jane raja jana nadi secu bhau.(?) Drowning the man in the water and, “Now you have independence, so breathe.” (laughter) So he breathes in, “Ah! Ah!” “All right, you are now a little relieved, all right, again. Again become drown.” “Oh! Save me, save me, save me, save me.” “All right,” take out, “now breathe, independently.“ This is independence. Danda jane raj jana nadi secu bhai.(?) The rascal does not know “I am breathing independent, but at any moment I can be drowned again.” Very correct example, danda jane raja jana nadi secu bhai.(?) No independence. Independence is only there when you fully surrender to Kṛṣṇa. You surrender your all independence to Kṛṣṇa. Then there is. “Kṛṣṇa, I have foolishly acted as independent, so many lives. Now I surrender all my independence at Your lotus feet. If You like, You can kill me; if You like, You can…,” that is independence. Otherwise, there is no independence. All foolishness. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. By false egotism, he’s thinking that “I am independent.”