761120 - Conversation - Vrndavana

Conversations by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

761120R1-VRNDAVAN - November 20, 1976 - 18:22 Minutes

Prabhupāda: . . . (Sanskrit) Who is coming back again, the body this time, that's all.

(pause)

Akṣayānanda: Kṛṣṇa will also increase?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Akṣayānanda: The ability to remember Kṛṣṇa, that will also increase?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, if the brain is clear—it is not filled up with rubbish cow dung—then Kṛṣṇa consciousness easy. Yes. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means there is no more material consciousness. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11). That is required. And material existence we have got so many ambitions, thoughts, obligations—so many things. Bṛthā.

eta saba chāḍi' āra varṇāśrama-dharma

niskiñcana hañā laya kṛṣṇaika-śaraṇa

(CC Madhya 22.93)

Sarva-dharmān: everything give up. That is India's Vedic civilization. They are not concerned with the material advancement. Simple life. That's all. And our present leaders, they are thinking that, "Brainwashed." They are not deeply thinking, "Why our great sages and ācāryas recommended this life, not the skyscraper life? Why? They were not less intelligent." They are not thinking in that way. They are thinking that, "Because we neglected the skyscraper thoughts, we are so backward." At least this rascal Nehru was thinking like that, "So finish this." The Russia is . . . what is called? Opiate?

Akṣayānanda: Opiate of the people.

Prabhupāda: Brainwashed. These things are accepted like that, "It has no value, simply some prejudice and superstition, and they are thinking like that, and they are spoiling their material side of life." This is their idea. "What is this? No meat-eating?" (knock on the door as devotee enters with prasādam) That little dāl, dāliya, bās.

Pālikā: Nothing else?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Pālikā: Nothing else?

Prabhupāda: No. If I take anything else it becomes overburdened. Better take little less, just to satisfy that I am not starving. (laughter) Better to starve. That is better. But we are habituated, so better give some consolance, "No, no, you are not starving." Otherwise, starving is better. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau.

(pause)

Prabhupāda: So they were glad that I am coming?

Akṣayānanda: Oh, yes. He was happy. And she was also happy.

Prabhupāda: Who?

Akṣayānanda: Gosāi Mā.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. No, she was very kind upon me.

Akṣayānanda: Yes, they were very happy.

Hari-śauri: How long is it since you've been to the Rādhā-Dāmodara?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Hari-śauri: When did you last go?

Prabhupāda: Last? Maybe 1972.

Hari-śauri: About four years. What about that Keśī-ghāṭa?

Akṣayānanda: I didn't have time to find out.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Hari-śauri: Whereabouts, exactly, is that place at Keśī-ghāṭa?

Prabhupāda: Oh. (chuckles) We can go some day.

Akṣayānanda: I think I met somebody from there.

Prabhupāda: Oh, his daughter came there.

Akṣayānanda: Yes, yes.

Prabhupāda: Daughter or granddaughter.

Akṣayānanda: Something like that, yes. He was talking about.

Prabhupāda: When I first came in Vṛndāvana I stayed in the Keśī-ghāṭa. That is very palatial building. My room was as big as this. Yes, as big. Plus one side room, plus one entrance room. I was paying fifteen rupees. And I could see whole Vṛndāvana, Yamunā, from the top my house. It was very nice, very palatial.

Hari-śauri: That's in the big building on the . . . right on the side of the ghāṭa?

Prabhupāda: Which gate?

Hari-śauri: That's in the big building right on the side of Keśī-ghāṭa?

Prabhupāda: No.

Hari-śauri: No?

Prabhupāda: No. There is a big building, Bharat Maharaja, yes, Bharatpur, just by the side of that house. It is in the corner. The door is in the corner. The road is going this way in the corner. It is stone. Face is stone. Good building, but . . . (break) . . . in thought of Kṛṣṇa, outside cleaning by oil and soap. Soap. Bāhyābhyantara-śuciḥ. This is quite comfortable, not very chilly, within this room.

Hari-śauri: Yes, this retains the heat nicely.

Prabhupāda: People are so misled. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). We have to change this body. There is no preparation. "As sure as death." Death will take place, and you have to accept another body. Who understands this philosophy? Nobody. They are so dull-headed. This body finished, everything finished. Bās. All big, big leaders, scholars, they say. One gentleman, his name is . . . he was Rabindranath Tagore's brother, artist. So in a meeting he was saying: "We are so fool. Thinking of next life, next life, we are spoiling this life." He said like that, long ago when we were children, young men, about eighteen years, twenty years. So I remember distinctly, he is saying in the meeting that, "Simply thinking of next life, we are spoiling this life." He said. That was his explanation. So at that time we were young boys, "Yes, why we should think of, so much of next life?" Of course, I was not very much convinced, but naturally . . . I think his name Aurobindo Tagore, like that. Rabindranath Tagore. He is good artist. Artist means latest fashion: like this, like that, like that. He was considered to be latest artist. And his view is that. I talked with Professor Kotovsky. He said: "Swāmījī, after finishing this body everything is finished." Communist. This is the cent per cent idea. The so-called scientists, they are thinking by chemical evolution the body has come in existence. These things are discussed in Bhagavad-gītā. By accident, if it is a combination of chemicals, that means the bodily existence was not before. It has come in by accident, combination. "So why, Arjuna, you are lamenting for the body which was not in existence, and it will not exist after? So why you are so much anxious for the middle portion?" Good reasoning. The body was not in existence. That is the general . . . and as soon as you finish, there is no more existence. So via media, between the manifestation and nonmanifestation, in the middle there is some manifesta . . . why you are so much absorbed in that part? Therefore the Europeans, Americans, they bring in the charges "brainwash." "A brainwash movement. It has no actual value. Simply an artificial way of pushing the idea in the brain. And they have to give up. These children are spoiled. They have given up meat-eating and illicit sex. Their life is spoiled," and so on, so on.

So their theory is not without background. There is a background philosophy. And for Western countries, this is a completely new idea. Therefore they are charging "Brainwash." They are not to be blamed, because they are, I mean to say, raised in that ideas. Hmm? Is it not? Yes. "So this is simply brainwash movement. It has no factual standing." Even our country, what to speak of Western countries. Where the spiritual civilization has a strong background, they are also not believing. Nobody believes Kṛṣṇa is God, even big, big leaders, what to speak of ordinary men. Especially the so-called educated men. "Bring money anyhow and enjoy life." Nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). And for money they are doing everything: black money, white money, yellow money, this money. (laughs) "Bring money and enjoy. Bās. This is life. Why this nonsense Kṛṣṇa consciousness? No this, no this, no this. Ninety-nine percent 'no' and one percent 'yes.' What is the value of this movement?" Is it not? Our life is ninety-nine per cent "no." No air even. (laughs) (laughter) So what to speak of other thing. It is very difficult. Therefore in the beginning I was hopeless, that "Who will hear this movement? Simply 'no.' " And especially in this country, in Europe. So dull brain.

Hmm. (break) (end)