Car Conversation Prabhupada: “Money means happiness.” This is the civilization. And after getting money, drink wine and topless, bottomless, and go to hell.” That’s all. This is their position, mudha, raksasa, thinking that “I am living this fifty years or hundred years so luxuriantly. That is the fulfillment of life.” Because he does not know the life is eternal, one spot he is taking very important. The meaning of life, what is the aim of life—“Don’t bother. Enjoy.” And what is that enjoyment? Yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham [SB 7.9.45]. Is that enjoyment? [break] …used in the Bhagavad-gita, mudha, it is very appropriate. No knowledge. Not only here, throughout the whole universe, even in the upper planetary system, they are also engaged in the same foolishness. Greater fool and a smaller fool. [break] …sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye. That part is Canada? Ambarisa: Over here where the lights are, that is Canada. Prabhupada: Oh. Ambarisa: There is a city over there called Windsor. Prabhupada: This is a…? This is a…? Brahmananda: This is Detroit there. We are now on an island, and Canada is there. Prabhupada: Real Detroit there. Brahmananda: Yes. Prabhupada: Everything belongs to God, Krsna. And we are sons of Krsna. [break] I came this side last time when I came. You were there? Jagadisa: In Detroit? Yes. Prabhupada: This river side, did I not come? Jagadisa: We came to this park last time, yes. Prabhupada: Yes. I remember. The river is navigable. Big, big ship can go. Ambarisa: Yes. [break] Prabhupada: …St. Lawrence? Jagadisa: No. Detroit River. Prabhupada: And St. Lawrence is different river. Jagadisa: St. Lawrence is near Montreal. Prabhupada: Yes. [break] …given so much property. Use it properly. Be Krsna conscious. Be happy. “No, we don’t happiness. At the same time, we aspire after happiness.” [break] …bird? Jagadisa: Seagulls. Prabhupada: Bird? It is a bird? Jagadisa: Yes. Prabhupada: Yes. (hums “sri krsna-caitanya doya koro more”) [break] Canada is good or America is good? Which one is good? Brahmananda: What’s the economic position in Canada? Prabhupada: No, economic or not… Brahmananda: I think many Canadian young men, they come to America for jobs? No? Jagadisa: Many Americans go to Canada. Prabhupada: Why? Jagadisa: It’s more peaceful. Prabhupada: Our Jayapataka, he is American. He went to Canada. Baradraj is Canadian. Brahmananda: Baradraj, yes. Prabhupada: And he has come to America. So there was no war between Canadian and American? In the history? Jagadisa: Before the countries actually took their present names and boundaries there were some wars between the French and English. The French and the English settled in this area of North America. Sometimes they fought. Brahmananda: What percentage of the popu… Prabhupada: Formerly Canada was also American? Jagadisa: No. Brahmananda: What percentage is French in Canada? Jagadisa: About 15 to 20%. In the province of Quebec it is 100% French. Satsvarupa: There’s a fawn, Prabhupada. Prabhupada: Eh? Satsvarupa: A baby deer. Prabhupada: Oh. Ambarisa: I never expected to see that here. Jagadisa: There were two back there. Prabhupada: There is peacock also? No. Jagadisa: No. Ambarisa: Possibly in the zoo. [break] Prabhupada: …people, just like China or India. The American invite them, “Come here. Grow your food.” Immediately world solution. But they won’t… “No, we shall keep it jungle. Still, we shall not allow you to come here.” [break] …come here to hunt. No? Jagadisa: No. Ambarisa: I think they are protected. [break] Prabhupada: …those who were killing tigers and not that, by making arrangement from behind, no. Brahmananda: Ah, they would come face to face. Prabhupada: Yes, face to face. Yes. Where there is tiger, a ksatriya, would meet him with a sword. That’s all. “Come on. You attack and be killed.” Even twenty years before, the king of Jaipur, every year he should go in the forest and kill one tiger personally. And the dead tiger will be brought in procession. He’d be given… Just like a prince or king dies—his body is taken in procession—tiger would be brought that way. Both of them, ksatriyas… So the tiger should be given the honor of a prince. [break] …means enemy is going out of fear of life and showing his backside, then he will not be killed. [break] …into Canada? Brahmananda: No, that’s Detroit. Prabhupada: Oh, that is Detroit. Brahmananda: This part is Canada, there. Prabhupada: In Canada they grow large quantity of wheat? Jagadisa: Yes, Srila Prabhupada. Brahmananda: America is now selling wheat to Russia again. Prabhupada: Oh. And what exchange they are getting? Brahmananda: I don’t know how they pay for it. They pay for it in dollars. Prabhupada: Now they are no more enemies? Brahmananda: They are trying very hard to be friends. Prabhupada: Who is trying more? America? Brahmananda: I think so. Ambarisa: Yes. They just had a big conference in Finland. They all signed… All the heads of state of the Western countries signed a document saying that they would respect each others’ boundaries. Prabhupada: Russian boundary, American boundary meets there. What is that? The corner? Jagadisa: Alaska? Prabhupada: Alaska. That boundary? No. Brahmananda: No. This is in regards to Europe, isn’t it? Jagadisa: Eastern Europe. America finally agreed to recognize that… Prabhupada: East Berlin. Jagadisa: Eastern Europe is under Russian dominance and should stay that way. Prabhupada: So the Eastern countries, they agree? Brahmananda: Well, they don’t have much opportunity to disagree. Jagadisa: Actually, the Russians were the host of the conference. Brahmananda: And they received the benefit. Prabhupada: That means they are commanding. Brahmananda: Recently one famous author came to America. He was a freedom fighter, freedom author. Satsvarupa: Prabhupada knows about him. Jagadisa: Solzhenitsyn. Brahmananda: Solzhenitsyn. Did you see him when you went to Moscow? Syamasundara was saying. Prabhupada: No. There was proposal. Brahmananda: He talks so much, Syamasundara. He told a whole story, that you went outside Moscow to some colony, artist colony. He was living there. Prabhupada: I think Syamasundara went to see him. Brahmananda: Oh. Anyway, he came to America, but President Ford refused to see him. Prabhupada: Accha? Brahmananda: Because he was afraid. He was advised by Kissinger that “If you see him, then the Russian leaders, they will become angry upon you.” So he refused to see him. So this received a great deal of criticism in America, that “We are for freedom and here he is coming, freedom fighter, and you refused to see him simply to pacify the Russian leaders.” [break] Prabhupada: …was a fault? Satsvarupa: His fault is that he spoke out against the whole Russian… Brahmananda: He speaks very strongly, condemns the Russian system. Prabhupada: Yes. Russian, it is terrorism. Brahmananda: Yes. And he says that America should not become, try to become friendly, but should try to defeat them. Prabhupada: So Russian government did not take any step against him? Brahmananda: They exiled him. He was too famous to… If they persecuted him, he was too famous. It would have brought a lot of criticism against them, so they exiled. Prabhupada: Asked him to go out. Brahmananda: Yes. Satsvarupa: He is officially a nonperson in Russia. Brahmananda: He has no longer any existence. Jagadisa: The Americans are playing right into their hands because now the Americans won’t meet the man. Prabhupada: Eh? Jagadisa: The Americans should have taken advantage and given the man a great welcome, but they refused to see him. [break] Prabhupada: …God conscious or he is another edition? Brahmananda: He has some leanings toward some mysticism. Satsvarupa: Yes. His philosophy is… Dr. Wolf sent you a clipping on it when you were in Bombay. He wants that people should just live on the land and raise crops and live in a simple way like that and, yeah, worship God. Brahmananda: There is even some talk that he was wanting to join a monastery and live a life of austerity and contemplation. Jagadisa: He also favors a monarchy, a religious monarchy. Prabhupada: That is my philosophy. Brahmananda: Mahendra in Philadelphia was trying to arrange a meeting with Your Divine Grace and him. There wasn’t time. [break] Prabhupada: He is American? Jagadisa: I don’t know. [break] Brahmananda: Switzerland is his home. [break] …in this agreement that they signed in Finland was that Russia has pledged to make it easier for granting visas for families, members who are outside of Russia so that they can come to Russia and visit their family members. Prabhupada: Oh. Brahmananda: So this will be good for our, what is her name? That devotee? Jagadisa: Malati? Himavati? Brahmananda: No. That girl devotee. Prabhupada: Mandakini. Brahmananda: Mandakini. [break] Prabhupada: …cious animals also. Brahmananda: Here? Ambarisa: The black people from Detroit. (laughter) Brahmananda: They come here? Ambarisa: Yes. It’s a very dangerous park. Prabhupada: No, black? Brahmananda: The negroes from Detroit, they are the fierce animals that come here at night. Prabhupada: They come? Brahmananda: Yes. Prabhupada: At night? Why? Jagadisa: Drink. Brahmananda: Drinking and sex. Prabhupada: So why the Americans gave them freedom? Ambarisa: They thought they were being humanitarian. Prabhupada: And now they are afraid of them. Ambarisa: Yes. Prabhupada: This is a redundant house. (?) Brahmananda: I think it stopped raining now. Prabhupada: No, it is past seven. (end)
with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
August 3, 1975, Detroit