Room Conversation
with City Counselor
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
July 10, 1975, Chicago

Sri Govinda: …city council representative from our area.

Prabhupada: Oh.

Sri Govinda: (indistinct) to come today.

Prabhupada: Very good. Very good.

City Counselor: Thank you. No, I have the pleasure of having the temple located in the area which I represent on the city council, and I’ve found the temple to be a welcome addition to the city. I have no questions. There are formalities which have to be met in order for the temple to be repaired. And I’m sure that as soon as these formalities are met then the work can proceed, but er…

Prabhupada: What are the formalities?

Sri Govinda: There’s been some delay in the approval on the building due to different building violations and we have to receive approval from the zoning board of appeals, then the city council. And it’s a matter of time. But also there has been some opposition in the city council, and…

Prabhupada: So what can I do? What is the difficulty? What do you want from us?

City Counselor: Really nothing. The only problem is that there are certain rules and regulations that all the citizens of Evanston must comply with. And that’s all that has been asked to be done. Originally, as I expressed, there were some… This property, the temple, is located in an area which is zoned for business. And there were some originally who wished to maintain that…

Prabhupada: But there are so many churches…

City Counselor: Yes, there are many churches, yes. And I think…

Prabhupada: So what is the fault if there is a temple?

City Counselor: Well, I think the… Originally, again I say, some of the no…, not I, but some had some objections to any church, any temple…

Prabhupada: But already there are churches. I have seen so many churches surrounding our temple.

City Counselor: But I think that that is no longer a problem with the zoning. I think they accept the temple because they have seen that the…

Prabhupada: The churches are not problem? Only the temple is problem?

City Counselor: No, I don’t think that’s the situation.

Prabhupada: Then, what is the situation?

City Counselor: Well, I cannot read the minds of those who objected. Again I was not an objector.

Prabhupada: But you are the head. You should judge. If the churches are not objectionable, why the temple should be objectionable?

City Counselor: May I explain? I am one of eighteen who make the decision. And…

Prabhupada: No, no, decision, you may speak on our behalf, but if there are so many churches what is the fault of one temple?

City Counselor: Again I have spoken in favor of the temple. I think that there were a number that…

Prabhupada: So you plead like that, that there are so many churches, why our temple is the only objectionable? What is this?

City Counselor: Well, I have no objection. I can’t say for the others.

Prabhupada: You have not. Why they have objection? If they can allow so many churches, so what is the temple has done? We are praying God. We have got Deity worship. What is the wrong there?

City Counselor: Nothing, nothing is wrong.

Prabhupada: Then? What is your answer?

Jagadisa: They say that we are weird. (laughter)

Prabhupada: Weird?

Jagadisa: Weird.

Prabhupada: What is that?

Jagadisa: Strange.

Prabhupada: Strange.

Sri Govinda: Yes, in dress.

Prabhupada: So is there any law that if the dress is strange we cannot worship?

Jagadisa: They want… They have a…

Prabhupada: But they may want whimsically, but is there any law?

Jagadisa: No.

Prabhupada: Then what is this nonsense?

City Counselor: It shouldn’t be.

Prabhupada: Then what can I do? If they go out of law, then what can I do?

Jagadisa: They want to make their own law.

Prabhupada: That is another thing.

City Counselor: Again, I think the problem now will be complying with the building laws in order to get the temple in safe condition. That’s the only problem now. I don’t think that there is opposition to the temple per se.

Prabhupada: Then it is… It comes to the conclusion of suppression, that “Give the dog a bad name and hang it.” “You are not properly dressed; therefore you should stop it.” It is like that.

Sri Govinda: We have spoken very sincerely to the other aldermen and Mr. Winfield practically is the only one who has responded.

Prabhupada: So public vote. Elect Nixon and then drag him down. This is public opinion. Sometimes make him president, sometimes drag him down. So what is the value of these votes?

City Counselor: Well, I can certainly pledge that wherever I find and can identify prejudices…

Prabhupada: If they become unreasonable, whimsical, then who can defend? There is no such law that one should have a particular dress in their church or temple. There is no such law. But they are insisting about the dress. What is this?

City Counselor: Again, I will pledge that whenever I can expose such prejudices on the parts of my fellow aldermen, I will do it.

Prabhupada: No, that is very kind of you, but if they are persistent on majority vote, then you are nowhere. So the majority, if they want whimsically to do something, you cannot check.

City Counselor: No, but I can talk.

Prabhupada: You can talk. We are also talking, but they don’t care. This is the difficulty.

Jagadisa: They are making it difficult, Srila Prabhupada, but it seems that they will not be able to check us.

Prabhupada: Then we shall have to go to court if they do something whimsically. You speak to your best, that’s all. That is our request.

City Counselor: That I will do.

Prabhupada: That is going on everywhere, whimsically. Everything is being done whimsically. Again it is being reformed whimsically, again being the same. Punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30], chewing the chewed, that’s all, no standard. That is the fault of the modern civilization. You make your own standard, I make my own standard, he makes his own standard. And therefore there is fight between the leaders. But according to our Vedic conception there is one standard. We are persisting that “You take this Vedic standard; then you will be perfect.” And if you go on manufacturing your own standard, you will never be perfect. Because you make your own standard, I make my own standard, he makes his own standard and there is fight. We are putting therefore the one standard, Bhagavad-gita As It Is. That is our propaganda, Krsna consciousness. If you take the standard given by Krsna, you will be happy. That is our propaganda. (end)