760531 - Conversation - Honolulu

Conversations by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

760531R1-HONOLULU - May 31, 1976 - 07:43 Minutes

(Philosophy Discussion with Hayagrīva)

Hayagrīva: Well that's the end of Kierkegaard.

Prabhupāda: That's all. We will continue?

Hayagrīva: It's up to you.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Hayagrīva: Do you want to go on to Skinner, or stop?

Prabhupāda: No. Stop.

Hayagrīva: Stop?

Prabhupāda: Tomorrow.

Hayagrīva: Tomorrow? Well tomorrow we go . . . we travel.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that's all right. How many are there?

Hayagrīva: How many are left?

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Volumes?

Hayagrīva: I'm trying to make it as short as possible.

Prabhupāda: No, we can discuss some philosophers; whether it is necessary . . . (indistinct) . . . but if you, if you think that all these advertised philosophers should be cut, therefore I . . . I am not.

Hayagrīva: Well this, erm, B. F. Skinner, Śyāmasundara began him.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Hayagrīva: Some people thought he's . . . think he's important. I, I personally don't. That's my personal opinion on . . . he's a behaviorist, and he tried to set up a, a community called . . . he wrote a book called Walden Two, and it became a very popular book. When communities were being set up like New Vṛindaban, in 1968, this book became popular. And it was, uh . . . I don't think much of his philosophy, but he's a behaviorist. He believes that if you can control . . . you can control people by controlling the environment in which they live.

Hari Śauri: That's the same as Marx's philosophy.

Hayagrīva: Mmm-hmm. And, er . . .

Prabhupāda: That is everyone's philosophy. Everyone wants to make a group.

Hari Śauri: That's what you were saying this morning. They want to control nature rather than control their own natures.

Hayagrīva: He felt first you control the environment, then you can control man, instead of the other way. Do you want to deal with all of these?

Prabhupāda: I do not know.

Hayagrīva: Uh-huh. Well, in Los Angeles they gave me a big, big list of all these people. They say all these people are important. And I've deleted a number of them, and wound up with the number thirty-eight, total. And we have about . . . oh, I figure we'd finish them all by the time you leave Los Angeles. If I can meet with you daily in Los Angeles, then we could finish them. Otherwise, some could be deleted.

Prabhupāda: No. They can be shortly discussed.

Hayagrīva: Mmm-hmm.

Prabhupāda: Essential point.

Hayagrīva: Essential point.

Hari Śauri: Otherwise you come to New Vrindavan.

Hayagrīva: Hmm.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Hari Śauri: He's trying to get them finished before we leave Los Angeles, but there's always New Vrindavan. You can discuss there also.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hayagrīva: So the next meeting will be Wednesday evening, in Los Angeles? You arrive in Los Angeles Tuesday night, tomorrow night. If I'm not on the same plane, I'll be on the next plane.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hayagrīva: So I will see you Wednesday evening. I think that . . .

Prabhupāda: When you are going? Which flight?

Govinda dāsī: I'm planning to go standby on your flight, because I can't get reservations. And if I don't get on your flight, I'm going on the same one with Hayagrīva—the one after that. But I'm hoping to go with . . .

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break)

Govinda dāsī: I wanted to show you this here.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Govinda dāsī: This is the stone that we were thinking of using.

Prabhupāda: What?

Govinda dāsī: This is the silica and concrete mix that we were thinking of using.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Govinda dāsī: It . . . it should be shiny, but it's never been . . . (indistinct) . . . but it's not shiny, but the other side's not smooth. It could be colored in different ways, and this is a quick experiment.

Prabhupāda: It is completely dried?

Govinda dāsī: Erm, it hasn't quite completely dried. It's supposed to dry twenty-four hours, and it hasn't been quite twenty-four hours. So it gets harder as it dries.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Govinda dāsī: Do . . . do you like it okay?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. It will be very heavy.

Govinda dāsī: Yes, because it's concrete.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Govinda dāsī: You'd prefer something lighter?

Prabhupāda: No. Everything should be very strong.

Govinda dāsī: Thank you.

(pause) (break)

Hari Śauri: What did he say? (end)