Morning Walk at Niavaran Park
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
August 8, 1976, Tehran

(begins with Hari-sauri explaining to someone how to use the tape recorder for recording the morning walk) (conversation begins in car without Prabhupada.)

Jnanagamya: He was translating early this morning.

Devotee (1): What time did he wake up?

Jnanagamya: I don’t know, he was up when I got up.

Devotee (2): He doesn’t sleep at night anymore. He told Atreya Rsi he only sleeps two hours.

Devotee (1): He takes rest during the middle of the day?

Jnanagamya: How is Maharaja? Has he been sick here? Hari- kesava,(?) has he been sick?

Devotee (3): Always sick.

Devotee (4): What is this park?

Jnanagamya: It’s called Niavaran Park. There’s a palace here called Niavaran Palace. The Shah has several palaces. This is the one where he usually meets visiting diplomats, heads of state. And this is the park that adjoins that palace. The palace is over beyond that wall.

Nava-yauvana: Jaya, this is where he’s getting off. (conversation continues outside car)

Atreya Rsi: This is His Majesty’s palace. This building is the servants’ quarters, which has the best granite. [break]

Prabhupada: …that this body which we are taking so much care, will leave automatically when the time is finished. And I’ll have to accept another body. Useless. The body, which I am taking so much care, will leave me. I’ll not have to say, “Body, you leave me,” but the body will leave me. When my period… Just like the house rented under lease, and as soon as the lease is over you have to vacate that house, or forcibly the house owner will oblige you to vacate. So what is the use of becoming so much attached to the body? What is the answer?

Nava-yauvana: There is no use.

Prabhupada: Every one of us, we are attached to the body, and on account of being attached to the body the material activities are going on. These motorcars are running, karmis are going here and there, what is the purpose? To maintain the road? Divasa sarira-saje. Miche nida-base gelo re rati divasa sarira-saje. The body is given rest at night to revive, and daytime the activities for the matter of maintaining the body. But despite my all endeavor to maintain this body, it will not stay. It will give up my company and I’ll have to accept another. Tatha dehantara-praptih. So Bali Maharaja says “What is the use of such endeavor?” Therefore big, big saintly persons, they do not care for the body. Lie down anywhere. But they are very serious about spiritual advancement. And people in general, they are interested in maintaining the body. It is not that we should be neglectful to the body. That example is also there. Just like we require fruits and flowers. So if we neglect the tree, there will be no fruits and flower. If we cut the tree, it will dry up and there will be no fruits and flowers. The fruits and flowers, this human body, the fruits and flowers mean self-realization. Bali Maharaja analyzes the family. He says family means rogues and thieves. Whatever you want, they’ll take away. The pickpocket takes from your pocket and he becomes a criminal, and when the wife takes thousand dollars from your pocket, you do not consider her to be criminal. You laugh, “Oh, you have taken the money?” “Yes, I’ve taken.” The business is a pickpocket. But in one case we say “criminal,” and one case we say “friend.” The business is the same. Svajanakhya-dasyu. Actually thieves and rogues, but we have named them “relatives.”

Jnanagamya: They are just like us, they are related to us. We are also thieves and rogues, and they are related to us.

Prabhupada: This is family relation. Rktha-haraih svajanakhya-dasyubhih. Rktha-haraih(?). Their only business is that you earn money with hard labor, and they’ll take away. Their business is to take away. And they have got legal right. Daya, daya-bhaga. The son has got the right, legal right, to take whatever the father has accumulated. Nobody will say “No, you cannot take.” No, he has the right, and so far wife is concerned, her business is to extend your condition, material condition. When one is alone, brahmacari, he has no condition, he lives freely. But as soon as he’s married, so many obligations. Ato grha-ksetra-sutapta-vittaih, must have a nice house, must have good land, good source of income. And then if you have got house and good source of income, then you call friends to oblige them. Then get children, give them education, put them in nice condition of life, get them married, again grandchildren, and so on, so on. That means these material conditions which have embarrassed me, that business is very nicely done by the wife for increasing my embarrassment. Nowadays nobody takes responsibility of family. That is another thing. But marriage means to take so many responsibilities. That is another condition of material life. Then home, people are sacrificing so much for home, for country, for nation. That also will be finished with the end of this body. When the body’s ended, you are no more Iranian or American or Indian. You do not know what you are. Even if you have got attachment for the country, you can become a tree in that country. If you become animal, you are slaughtered in that country. Dehantara-praptih, even though you have got attachment, on account of changing the body your situation is changing. So in this way Bali Maharaja analyzes the whole thing, that “What is the use of all this?” Is he right or wrong, his analysis?

Atreya Rsi: Very intelligent, perfect.

Prabhupada: So when Krsna advises, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. It is the right advice, but we cannot take it. Krsna is the right friend, suhrdam sarva-bhutanam, but we don’t accept His friendship. We want to go on in our own way. [break]

Jnanagamya: There is so much envy in my heart, and when I’m chanting I’m understanding the envy causes me so much distress. Yet I can’t give it up. I cannot leave off these envious feelings.

Prabhupada: That is material world, envious. That is a disease, to become envious. The spiritual world means no enviousness. That is spiritual world. And material world, there is only envious. I’m envious of you, you are envious of me. It is a society of enviousness. Dharmah projjhita-kaitavo ’tra paramo nirmatsaranam, Paramo nirmatsara [SB 1.1.2] One who is not at all envious, for him, Bhagavata-dharma. [break] …dharma is for the envious person.

Nava-yauvana: Dharma is for the envious?

Prabhupada: Yes, so-called dharmas. Just like we have created so many dharma, Hindu dharma, Muslim dharma, Christian dharma. They are so-called. They are not dharmas. Dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam [SB 6.3.19]. Dharma means what is given to you by the Supreme Lord, that is dharma. Otherwise, if you manufacture some ritualistic ceremonies, some formulas, some dogmas, that is cheating. That is not religion. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmah. That is first-class religion. What is that? Yato bhaktir adhoksaje. Wherefrom you learn how to love God. If you learn, “I believe this,” “I believe that,” “This is our ritualistic ceremony,” these are all cheating. As people are cheating one another in different ways, this is another cheating. That’s all. They will say, “We believe in this way,” “We believe in that way.” So what is that, you believe in that way? What is the fact? If you believe something wrong, is that to be taken as religion? We say tatha dehantara-praptih. Other religious sect, they say this is Hindu belief. It is not question of Hindu belief. It is the fact. Does it mean that a Muhammadan or Christian child does not become a boy? When Krsna says dehino ’smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara: [Bg. 2.13] just like the child is becoming boy, boy is becoming young. This is science. And why do you say it is Hindu belief? Does it mean that a Muslim or Christian child does not become a boy? What do you mean by Hindu belief? But they say it like that, Hindu belief. Is that correct if somebody says it is Hindu belief? No, it is fact, it is science. Tatha dehantara-praptih. Similarly, you have to change this body, another body. The example is given. Why do you think that because it is said in the Bhagavad-gita it is Hindu belief? They say like that: “This is Hindu belief.” What do you think? Is that Hindu belief?

Dayananda: No, it’s just like you said, Srila Prabhupada. It’s given by the Supreme Lord.

Prabhupada: Apart from Supreme Lord, it is a law of nature.

Atreya Rsi: It is logical, it is factual.

Prabhupada: Yes, it is the law of nature, prakrteh kriyamanani. The law, nature’s law is acting like that. How you can avoid the laws of nature? If some young man says, “No, no, I’ll not become old man,” will the law of nature excuse him? Because you does not like? You have to become old man.

prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate [Bg. 3.27]

The law of nature is working so strongly, but this rascal is proud of his own belief. This is foolishness, mudha.

Atreya Rsi: Rascaldom, enviousness.

Prabhupada: Yes. No, no. Rascaldom includes everything. If you say “rascal,” then he includes everything. The so-called scientists say “Oh, after this…” The Communists, when I was talking with Professor Kotovsky, he said, “Swamiji, after death everything’s finished.” Such a big professor. Just see. Why everything finished? We see this life, stage by stage, one stage is coming after another, another stage is coming, another. Why do you say finished?

Pradyumna: So we analyze the material body is temporary, it’s no good anyways, then if, even if someone says, “Well, it may be temporary, but in this life we can get something out of it,” then we analyze that other people are taking that. The wife is taking that, the children are taking that.

Prabhupada: No, we should first of all fix up what is our business. People have taken this, that to maintain the body, to maintain the family, to earn money and protect it, these have become their business. They do not know anything else. The whole world is going on on this platform. Nationwise, communitywise, and everything. Other countries have developed, now the Shah is trying to develop equally. But what is the aim of development? The same—motorcar and accident. That they do not know. “No. They have got motorcar. I must have motorcar.” But what is the aim? Same aim. Meet accident and die. They do not know what is the aim of life. Na te viduh. They do not know it. Durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah. They are thinking that by adjusting this material way of life they’ll be happy, that’s all. This is ignorance. The whole civilization is wrong because they do not know what is the aim of life. That is the fault. If they know the aim of life, then it is all right. You live comfortably. There is no… Who asks you that you live discomfortably? You live comfortably. But you must know the aim of life. That they do not know. Ask anybody what is the aim, why you are working so hard, why you are maintaining family, why you are maintaining body, what is the aim of your life? That they do not know. [break] …control. These things are growing on account of water. If there is no water how they will grow? So it is not in the hands of the scientists. It is in the hands of God. (end)