May 31 1974-Conversation with Mr Hennis of the UN’s Labor organization
Yogeśvara: They are making better organizations, but they are not giving any example to the people.
Prabhupāda: Everyone is concocting some ideas, and they are going on as different organization. That’s all. No standard idea. The standard idea is there in the Bhagavad-gītā, that cows should be given protection, go-rakṣya. Who is following this? Everyone is making plan how to kill cows in a more scientific way. This is going on. Who is taking the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā? Nobody is taking. Even in India where Bhagavad-gītā is originally, these rascals also not taking. And they have become so brainless. Therefore the whole human society is a dead society. And the dead society’s dressing, decorating, is useless waste of time. That’s all. Their education, their advancement… He has no brain. What is the use of education? That is said by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, that snake is a snake. Do you think a snake decorated with a jewel on the hood is gentleman? Similarly, a man without brain, so-called education, is just like a jewel on the head of a serpent. Kim asau na bhayaṅkara. Cāṇakya Paṇḍita asks “Whether a snake with jewel on the head is not fearful? He is as much fearful as the other snake without the jewel.” Similarly, if a human being has no brain, with his so-called education or no education, it is as good. The education has no value.He does not know what is good work, what is bad work, what is my aim of life, what is this body, what is the soul? If these things he does not know, then what is the value of his education? So the man is not satisfied?
Guru-gaurāṅga: He was in a hurry to get out.
Yogeśvara: Oh, yes. He asked me to excuse him to you. He had a meeting to go to.
Prabhupāda: I would say “If he has no brain, what is the use of going to a meeting?” (laughter) Our only… Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ [SB 2.3.19]. The men are like dogs, hogs, camels and asses. What they will do? Meeting of the dogs, hogs, camels and asses will be any beneficial to the society? We are very pessimistic, and our conclusion, that anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is dogs, hogs, camels, asses, that’s all. No brain, animal. Animal has got brain: how to eat, how to sleep, how to have sex life. So these people, they have got brain for that purposes only. That is animal life. Actually, they do not know what is the aim of life, why people should be educated, why human society should be organized. They do not know. Bahir-artha-māninaḥ.
Enamored by these big, big buildings. That’s all. “Oh, they are so advanced.” And naturally, the common man comes to the European or American city, he says, “Oh, Americans are very rich.” “Rich” means they have piled up stones and bricks, that’s all. This is their richness. What is there in the richness here? But people are common men. They think that this piling of bricks and stone is like real civilization. What do you think? Is that real civilization?
Yogeśvara: No.
Prabhupāda: Piling of bricks and stones? Heaps of stones and bricks? That is emblem of civilization? They have seen. In Rome they have seen. They also piled like that. Now they have gone. Where they have gone? Why they left? Why they were obliged to leave? That nobody is questioning. And if he has got a different body, if he is living in that house as cats and dogs and rats and ants, then what benefit he has derived? There is possibility. If you have got an attraction for the body, for your house, but you are not going to get a human body, then you’ll have to take your birth in that place, as tree, as plant, as live as rat or cat or ant. You have to live. Nature will give you advantage. But you must get the body according to your karma. That you cannot violate. Where is this science discussed? As soon as we shall speak gentleman like them, they will say, “I have got meeting.”
Yogeśvara: Yes, “I must leave.”
Prabhupāda: Ah, “I must leave.” When we come to real proposition, immediately they want to leave. This is their brain.
Yogeśvara: Every time a gentleman like that comes or a man like that comes and we get too close to the point about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they seem to become afraid.
Prabhupāda: No, as soon as we raise this question, killing, he became sorry. He has no answer. Therefore he wants to be out, evade. “Why Christians are killing?”Anyone I raise this question, immediately he becomes stopped, mum, dumb. That’s all. Christian community, there are so many. Practically the majority of the human society, they are Christian. They are the persons who are indulging in killing. And where is Christian? Judging from the Ten Commandments, there is not a single Christian, not a single, and still, they are going, the Pope, the cardinal, the priest, the church. All simply show-bottles, that’s all. There is no life. And therefore it is dwindling. Practically… Just like our Los Angeles was Christian Church. Nobody was coming. Therefore it was sold. And now there is no place to accommodate devotees. Life is lost in Christian religion. Nobody is interested, no more. And within a few years, it will be lost. It is lost in… I have seen in England. Nobody is going to church. All churches are being closed. How long you will cheat? What is that?
Yogeśvara: Juice.
Prabhupāda: I have got it. You can distribute it.
Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda, they have the philosophy that, generally when we ask them, that “God created the world for us to enjoy.” That is what the Christian generally says, that “The world is made for us to enjoy.”
Prabhupāda: But enjoy does not mean that you enjoy sinfully.Did God give that document, that “You enjoy as you like, sinfully.” Enjoy.There is prescription. You enjoy to the prescription. God says, tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam [Īśo mantra 1]. You simply enjoy what is allotted to you. Don’t encroach upon other’s property. This is God’s injunction. You enjoy. As human being, you enjoy life. You have got food grains, fruits, flowers, milk. Enjoy life. Offer to Kṛṣṇa. Enjoy life. Why should you kill animal? That is God’s… Tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā. He says patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam [Bg. 9.26]. Why do you go to kill animals? That is not enjoyment. That means you suffer, therefore you are suffering. You are creating suffering. So this man is at least informed that they have no brain.
Yogeśvara: Maybe he will tell them at his meeting.
Prabhupāda: (laughter) But he could not defend that he has got brain, yes. So however these men may declare very, very big, we know that “You have no brain. You are as good as animal.” Therefore Bhāgavata says, śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ: [SB 2.3.19] “These classes of men are no better than the dogs, hogs, camels and asses.” Bhāgavata school will not approve of these rascals as human being. They are so strict. If one is not on the platform of God consciousness, he is not human being. He is animal. That’s a fact. But we should not hate the animals because our mission is to bring them to the human consciousness. You cannot expect that your audience should be all highly brain. No. Preaching is required because they have no brain. Therefore your duty is to tolerate all difficulties and bring them to the sense of brain. Not that “These people are animals; we shall not mix with them.” Then you have no missionary activities. Then you sit down in a place and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then don’t open centers. That is also dangerous. If we imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura, “Let us all chant and do nothing,” then the māyā, the women, they are very expert. They could not conquer over Haridāsa Ṭhākura, but she’ll conquer upon you. And become victim. Therefore we have to be active. We cannot imitate Haridāsa. Anyone who has imitated the Haridāsa Ṭhākura, he has fallen down. He has fallen. He must fall down because imitating the highest personality, for which he is not fit. Therefore he’s going to fall down. When by preaching, by chanting, we will be expert, then it is possible.
Some Conclusions–What I like about this conversation is how Prabhupada just pounces upon practically the entire so called human so called society. And who can argue with him and his valid points? They are all, unfortunately, true. And today some 47 years later, it has only gotten worse. And that also nobody can deny.
He makes the point of piling up bricks and stones and foolish people consider this “advancement” and then he asks the question what happen to all those Romans who did the same thing and then asks “why were they obliged to leave?” Meaning they did not want to die, like ourselves as well, but were forced out of those human bodies to suffer their fate elsewhere.
This point is where some or many of his guests all say, “I have to go to a meeting” or something like that. Prabhupada is not against big buildings-if they are connected to some Krsna Conscious activity. Then it has some value. But a large number of zeros are still zero-unless you add a one (Krsna) to the front of those zeros.
This point is where some or many of his guests all say, “I have to go to a meeting” or something like that. Prabhupada is not against big buildings-if they are connected to some Krsna Conscious activity. Then it has some value. But a large number of zeros are still zero-unless you add a one (Krsna) to the front of those zeros.
The last point in particular hit home with me about preaching to those people with no brains, which includes just about everyone who has not dedicated his or her life to Krsna conscious activity. Recently I hired a local handyman who is a nice guy and loves to talk about God and his own realizations. But the last talk we had he said he did not believe God could be present in His name. And no matter what I said, he still would not believe it possible . Why he thinks like this I still don’t know because he just says-I dont believe that !,
And I was ready to give up on him until I read the above where Prabhupada says we must preach to these people-especially those who believe in God and this fellow does because he says God helped him get rid of drugs and a bad lifestyle some 20 years ago.
And if we don’t try to help these people, and we simply sit in one place and chant Hare Krsna then we will fall down because we are not Haridas Thakur. Prabhupada says….”“Let us all chant and do nothing,” then the māyā, the women, they are very expert.”….
On the large scale, iskcon is very messed up and not likely to change anytime soon, but on the local and personal level, we individually need to preach to whomever we meet. That is the order of Mahaprabhu. So Krsna has arranged this fellow to come to our ashram and he loves to discuss religious activity but is in almost total ignorance of what this constitutes. So I must continue to help him some way or other….
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das
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SP says… if we don’t preach then in a couple years there will be no more… Hari Hari bol…
There are many reasons why this preaching mood will stop
letter karandhar oc8 1974
I wanted you all my experienced disciples should manage the whole institution very cleverly without any personal ambition like ordinary materialistic men. The Gaudiya Math institution has become smashed, at least stopped its program of preaching work on account of personal ambitions.
sept 30 1975 letter gurukripa
My Dear Gurukrpa Swami:
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter addressed to Rupanuga das dated September 16, 1975 and have noted the contents. Why is there this politics? This is not good. If politics come, then the preaching will be stopped. That is the difficulty. As soon as politics come, everything is spoiled. In the Gaudiya Math the politics is still going on. My GuruMaharaja left in 1936, and now it is 1976, so after 40 years the litigation is still going on. Do not come to this.
june 7 1976 letter to Nitai
Please accept my blessings. I have received information that some of our devotees are mixing with the babajis in Vrindaban. This has produced so many problems amongst our men and women who visit Vrindaban. Here in Los Angeles, we have found that there is a group of about 40 devotees who privately meet to discuss the intimate pastimes artificially thinking that they can enter into the understanding of the gopis prematurely. This will create havoc in our society, and the result will be that if this is allowed to go on, our preaching work will be greatly hampered. This premature desire to understand the lila of Krishna is due to mundane sex-life desire as we have seen amongst many of the babajis and sahajiyas in Vrindaban.
Adi 12.8 purport….
Despite the spiritual master’s order to form a governing body and execute the missionary activities of the GauḍīyaMaṭha, the two unauthorized factions began litigation that is still going on after forty years with no decision.
Therefore, we do not belong to any faction. But because the two parties, busy dividing the material assets of the GauḍīyaMaṭha institution, stopped the preaching work, we took up the mission of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura to preach the cult of CaitanyaMahāprabhu all over the world, under the protection of all the predecessor ācāryas, and we find that our humble attempt has been successful.
jan19 1974 Hawaii
Those who are in the preaching work, they are very much recognized by Kṛṣṇa. He says, “Nobody is dearer than him, one who is preaching, engaged in the preaching.” You see in the Bhagavad-gītā.So those who have stopped preaching work and easy-going imitation, that is not very good. Because how far he’s advanced? Because he goes to the forest and he’ll think of woman and money, what is the use? By his action, it will be proved. The same way, taking rest, sleeping, and doing everything whimsically. SoKṛṣṇa knows everything. How can you cheat Kṛṣṇa, by so-called forest-going? Because your enemy, your senses have gone with you. So how you can get out by going to the forest? Because your real enemies are your senses. So the enemies, you cannot escape. They’ll force you again to these material activities. So what is the use of going to the forest? It is simply show, make show. It has no value. Chant HareKṛṣṇa. (end)