730809 - Conversation A - Paris

Conversations by Date, 1973

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

730809R1-PARIS - August 09, 1973 - 11:38 Minutes

(Conversation with German and Hansadūta)

Haṁsadūta: Īśopaniṣad.

Guest (German man): (German)

Haṁsadūta: (German) Beyond . . . Easy Journey to Other Planets.

Guest: (German)

Haṁsadūta: (German) Topmost yoga.

Guest: That is the . . . yeah, the source of the Absolute. That is the best. But I read it twenty times, always with . . . in every day I find new things.

Prabhupāda: That is . . .

Guest: When I read other book, I read it one times, even not one time. But these books, I must read twenty times, and more even. It is, sometimes, it is as if I never read this book, it is so astonishing yes it is . . .

Prabhupāda: Get new light.

Guest: I would say another thing what I was . . . when I met the knowledge of Omkarananda, yes, I went back quite a long, five kilometers (German), a farm, I retired in a farm. And then I made this meditation. And then I read the book . . . (indistinct) . . . and I read fifty pages in five minutes without reading that. And then when that was finished, I was in other worlds. I could speak about high . . . other fields, which never I had seen, but when, when I came back I would know what it was what I saw. In other words, it was not dream. Absolutely awake. Other worlds, and then other sciences, higher, and higher and higher. I don't know what it was, but it is no of signification, I believe.

Haṁsadūta: It was not significant, he says. He doesn't think, even though he experienced it, he doesn't think it's significant.

Guest: (German) I would ask if in the Christian conscience, if it gives anything which is resembles to this, which is of some worth. Because in your books sometimes you speak of Jesus Christ. He also said, "What have we to do? We have to love God with all our heart and to serve Him." If it gives any movement in your knowledge in Western Europe or in the world in the Christian side, one can read what is what.

Haṁsadūta: He wants to know if Christian . . . Christian teaching also brings you to the same consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Prabhupāda: Yes. One has to become . . .

Guest: (German)

Prabhupāda: . . . purified.

Guest: (German)

Haṁsadūta: No, no, no. He says that in the Bible it says one should not make an image of God.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Haṁsadūta: In the Christian teachings . . . (German to guest)

Guest: Neither a picture of Him nor a likeness, likeness

Prabhupāda: So why they have got image of Christ?

Haṁsadūta: (German conversation)

Prabhupāda: Why, why they keep Lord Jesus Christ's picture?

Haṁsadūta: (German conversation)

Prabhupāda: No, what is the philosophy, I am asking. What is the philosophy of keeping . . .?

Guest: (German conversation)

Haṁsadūta: He says he doesn't know.

Guest: (laughs)

Prabhupāda: Then why do you object of Kṛṣṇa's form?

Haṁsadūta: (German conversation)

Haṁsadūta: Oh, the Deities. He cannot understand the Deities, that we are worshiping the Deity.

Prabhupāda: Deity, that is image of Kṛṣṇa.

Haṁsadūta: That is (German conversation).

Prabhupāda: It is the same principle. Why they should object having Kṛṣṇa's form?

Haṁsadūta: He says, it looks to him, it appears to him like a doll.

Prabhupāda: Doll?

Haṁsadūta: Doll, the Deities.

Guest: (German)

Haṁsadūta: He says the Deities always have such big eyes. The Deities, have . . . they are always looking with such big eyes, and he cannot understand.

Prabhupāda: Big eyes? Big eyes is very fearful to him?

Haṁsadūta: (German conversation)

Prabhupāda: These are different mentalities. It is not very scientific.

Haṁsadūta: Shall I explain to him about Deity worship?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Haṁsadūta: (German conversation for some time) His question is, "Who has . . .?"

Guest: (German)

Haṁsadūta: Yes. Who has designated you as the spiritual master? Because everyone is saying that, "I am the spiritual master." So how . . . how . . . how will one know who is the spiritual master?

Guest: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Maharsi . . .

Prabhupāda: (to Śrutakīrti) Don't make this coming and going always. There is no other way for going down?

Śrutakīrti: No, we just had to find something. We . . . there was something in your bathroom we needed. This thing here. So we . . . we won't be using this at all.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Haṁsadūta: You want to know how can you tell . . . (German)

Guest: (German)

Prabhupāda: The spiritual master is the representative of God.

Haṁsadūta: (translates)

Prabhupāda: So if he speaks what God speaks, then he's spiritual master; otherwise, he's a bogus.

Haṁsadūta: (German conversation) What God has spoken in the scripture . . .

Guest: (German) I understand now.

Prabhupāda: So Mahesh Yogi does not speak of God. Therefore he's bogus.

Guest: Yes, I understand.

Haṁsadūta: (German conversation) He wants to know if you . . . if you think that you will be able to complete all the volumes of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam which you have projected.

Prabhupāda: Why not?

Guest: Ja? Good. Thank you. (German)

Haṁsadūta: He says, if you have anything you can instruct him, he'll . . . otherwise . . .

Prabhupāda: I will instruct you to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.

Haṁsadūta: (translates)

Guest: (German)

Haṁsadūta: How often? He wants . . .?

Prabhupāda: Twenty-four hours.

Haṁsadūta: (German conversation)

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare . . . then everything will be revealed to you.

Haṁsadūta: (translates)

Guest: Ja. Good.

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much.

Guest: Thank you.

Prabhupāda: (sings) Hare Rāma . . . Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)