Garden Conversation Prabhupada: Why should we bother about this and that? Caranaravindam: Prabhupada, you wrote in the Caitanya-caritamrta that the Caitanya maha-mantra, sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu nityananda, there is no offense to that. And so therefore in the Kali-yuga it is actually more beneficial… Prabhupada: Offense is that what is spoken by the acaryas, if you do not follow, that is offense. Guror avajna. That is offense. To chant Gaura-Nitai is no offense. But if our previous gurus have chanted sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu nityananda sri-advaita—why should we go beyond that? That is guror avajna. Even there is no aparadha, because guru, Kaviraja Gosvami, has sung like that and my guru has sung, we should follow that. We should not make any deviation. That is guror avajna sruti-sastra-nindanam. Namno balad yasya hi papa-buddhih. So it comes to be one of the items of the dasa-vidha-aparadha. Guror avajna. Caranaravindam: Should we consider that it’s more beneficial for people to hear bhaja sri-krsna-caitanya… Prabhupada: Why? There is already… Why should you go here and there? There is already sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu nityananda. Why you are so anxious to go out of it? Caranaravindam: No, I’m saying is it more beneficial for people to hear that mantra than the Hare Krsna mantra. Is it more beneficial for people to hear the Panca-tattva mantra than the Hare Krsna maha-mantra? Prabhupada: Oh yes. You are going to Hare Krsna through Nitai- Gaura. Nitaiyer karuna habe braje radha-krsna pabe. The principle is don’t try to manufacture. Because you are not experienced. So what nonsense you will manufacture, that will be offensive. Better go on, the simple thing. Aksayananda: I know one devotee that chants Panca-tattva mantra… Prabhupada: Let them chant whatever. We shall chant like this, Panca-tattva—sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda. I’ve explained that. Five features of Lord Caitanya. Aksayananda: He chants that mantra on his beads. Prabhupada: Who? Aksayananda: That boy Richard in Radha-kunda. Prabhupada: Rascal. That is his bad association. Therefore I say don’t follow these so-called Radha-kunda babajis. Nara-kunda babaji. And they smoke bidi. I have seen. Richard is still there? Aksayananda: Yes. He’s in very bad health. Prabhupada: But he has got money. Spending money there? Aksayananda: I haven’t been there for a long time, but I just heard about. Prabhupada: No, he has got money. How he is spending? Harikesa: He has hundreds of thousands of dollars. Prabhupada: Where it is? Harikesa: Probably in New York. Prabhupada: So he does not bring that? Harikesa: Yes, he has money all the time. Aksayananda: Dhananjaya prabhu, he went to see him and he said he was dying. He’s supposed to pass off. And he said that he had written a will and on the will he had left most of his money to ISKCON. Prabhupada: Accha? Caranaravindam: He loves you very much. Actually, he’s very attracted to you Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada: Oh. Why does he not come to us? He likes Radha- kunda. Caranaravindam: He loves Radha-kunda. Prabhupada: Determination. No, if he’s in difficulty he may come. We can take care of him. Vipramukhya: Srila Prabhupada, I go tomorrow to Delhi and I’ll leave to go to Istanbul. Prabhupada: Very good. Go with the blessings of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Prthivite ache yata nagaradi-grama. Very good. Krsna will save you. Chant Hare Krsna and depend on Krsna. Then everything’s all right. Don’t be afraid that you are going to foreign country. There is no foreign country. Caranaravindam: Krsna’s everywhere. Prabhupada: Isavasyam idam—everything’s Krsna’s. Marobi rakhobi jo iccha tohara. Surrender means that. “Krsna, I have surrendered to You. Now if You like You can protect me. If you like You can kill me. Whatever you like, do.” That’s all. Marobi rakhobi jo iccha tohara nitya-dasa prati tuwa adhikara. “I am your eternal servant. You have got full right. Either you kill me or protect me, that is your business. But I surrender.” Bas. This is surrender. Marobi rakhobi jo iccha tohara. This is surrender. If you put me into inconvenience, then I’m not going to surrender. That is conditional. (laughs) Bhaktivinoda Thakura says whatever you like you can do. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s teaching. Aslisya va pada-ratam pinastu mam marma-hatam karotu va adarsanan, yatha tatha va vidadhatu. Whatever you like you do. Yatha tatha va. Yatha tatha, whatever you like. It is up to you. I don’t object. Yatha tatha va vidadhatu lampato. Aksayananda: If one is not a very strong devotee, should one have that same attitude of going… Prabhupada: That is wanted. Drdha-vrata. That is perfection. Bhajante mam drdha-vratah. Hari-sauri: No, he’s saying if you’re not very fixed up then should you still go out and preach. If you’re not very fixed up… Prabhupada: No, nobody is fixed. Nobody is perfect. But by rendering service he becomes perfect. The more you render service you become perfect. Not that in one day you become perfect. Hari-sauri: Because I remember you also said that preaching is not for neophytes. You also said… Prabhupada: Neophyte means that kanistha-adhikari. One worships the Deity very nicely but he does not like to do good to others. Neither he knows who is Vaisnava. He’s neophyte. He is, in the arcana, he’s fixed up, he’s doing very nicely. Arcayam eva haraye. Yah sraddha…, pujam yah sraddhayehate na tad-bhaktesu. One does not understand who is bhakta. Na tad-bhaktesu canyesu. And how to do good to others. But he’s doing the Deity worship very nicely. Sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah. He’s prakrta. But he can advance when his, by the grace of Krsna, he understands “Here is a Vaisnava. Here is an innocent man. He should be given some enlightenment.” That is preacher. When he’ll feel for others. Just like Prahlada Maharaja. Soce tato vimukha-cetasa. “I am thinking of these rascals who are averse to you.” Tato vimukha-cetasa. And that is Vaisnava. Advanced devotee. For me I have no anxiety. Naivodvije para duratyaya-vai… There may be so many dangers. I don’t care for them. Naiva udvije. “I am not disturbed by all these things.” Udvije. Para duratyaya. Even it is very insurmountable, dangerous position, I don’t care. How? Tvad-virya-gayana-mahamrta-magna-cittah.” Because when I think of You, chant of Your glories, I don’t care for that.” Then you appear to be morose? “Yes.” Why? Soce tato vimukha-cetasa. “I am thinking of these rascals who are averse to You. How to do… They are engaged in false activities, maya-sukhaya, for temporary happiness of the senses. So I am thinking like them. Therefore I am morose. For me I have no anxiety.” And actually, what Prahlada Maharaja… He was thrown to the fire, he was thrown from the hill and underneath the… He didn’t care. “Whatever you’ll do I’ll chant Hare Krsna. So how he’ll be unhappy for himself? He has already passed all these examinations. His father! Not other. His own father. He’s helpless. He’s under father’s care, and the father is giving so much trouble. All right, if he likes, go on. Everyone expects affection from the father. He’s five years old boy. Where he will go? No, no, no, no. “I’ll take shelter of Krsna and you can go on with your business. I don’t care for your punishment.” Aksayananda: Such stage of Bhakti is very rare, Prabhupada. To be on such a high platform is very rare. To be fearless. Prabhupada: Yes. Bhakti itself is rare. Bhakti is not cheap. Don’t think it is cheap commodity. There is a verse, I now forget. Krsna can give you liberation, but He hesitates to give bhakti. Harikesa: Muktim dadati karhicit sma na bhakti-yogam. Prabhupada: Yes. Mukti, He is prepared, “All right, take mukti.” But when there is bhakti, He has to consider twice. Bhakti means he becomes in the grip of bhakta. Vedesu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau [Bs. 5.33]. Caranaravindam: Are we doing bhakti, Srila Prabhupada? Prabhupada: That is viddhi-bhakti. And this is raga-bhakti, spontaneous. Through viddhi-bhakti you have to come to the stage of raga-bhakti. Without viddhi-bhakti, you’ll not… Because you are conditioned. Those who are liberated, they immediately get raga-bhakti. Not by imitation. That is another thing. Nitya-siddha. (Japa:) Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama… So I have got all encouragement. Go and preach. Don’t be afraid. Simply present, yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Whatever you have learned from Krsna, from your guru, just vomit it, that’s all. There is no need of becoming very expert. Simply whatever you learned. That’s all. Harikesa: Lots of kirtana and prasadam? Prabhupada: That’s it. That is our main… Anyone will like. Chant mantra, Hare Krsna, and give them prasadam, and everyone will take. Harikesa: I think puris and halava, there isn’t a person in the world who doesn’t like it. Prabhupada: Yes. Anything you’ll nicely prepare, tastefully, people will like. (Japa:) Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna. You have learned cooking? I’m asking… Huh? What you have learned? What preparation you can make? Devotee : Many different kinds of preparations. Prabhupada: Tell me something. Harikesa: Tell Prabhupada some. Caranaravindam: Ah… Most of the kitchen preparations (indistinct) one gets in India. Iddlies (indistinct) …things like that. Prabhupada: Oh, he knows so many things. You have learned something? You? Devotee: Very little. I can cook halava and puris. Simple things. I can cook sweet rice. Sweet rice I can cook. Prabhupada: Sweet rice. That is very sweet for you. (laughs) The Europeans and Americans, they like sweet rice. Is it not? Harikesa: Oh yes. Devotee: I think they like halava the best, Prabhupada. Prabhupada: Accha? If halava is made nicely, actually it is best. So prepare all these things. Offer to Krsna and devotees, and at last you take. Don’t take first. Give all, as much as you like, then you take. Susukham kartum avyayam. It is such a nice movement. It is simply pleasing. To execute, it is simply pleasing. And avyayam. Whatever you do is permanent. Whatever little service you have given. It will never be lost. Avyayam. Therefore Narada Muni says, bhajann apakvo ’tha patet tato yadi. Even if he’s not fully matured and falls down, kva vabhadram abhud amusya kim. Where is loss? Whatever he has done, that is permanent. Because that will grow. If the seed is permanently sown, then it will naturally grow. It may take some time, but it will grow. So he’s not loser. If he’s little careful, then it will grow. Mali hana sei bija kare aropana, sravana-kirtana-jale karaye… Then the creeper goes, grows, and at last takes shelter of Krsna. These are described in the Caitanya-caritamrta. Vipramukhya: When we prepare a feast we should give and give and give, and when no one wants any more then… Prabhupada: Up until he comes to this point. Not only this point, but up to this point. Eat as much as you like. We are not miser. You eat. As much you want I shall supply. But don’t waste. Eat. Don’t waste. Hari-sauri: This morning you were saying that fasting is very good. (laughter) Harikesa: I was just thinking about that. Prabhupada: No. Not prasadam. I never said. No, those who want to eat… Fasting… One who has not developed Krsna consciousness, for him fasting. And one who takes pleasure, “Oh, it is Krsna’s pleasure, or Krsna’s food. I’ll take.” This is the idea. So we are not devotees, therefore we should first fast. And those who are devotees, they’ll take as much as they like. I was telling fasting because I am not a devotee. (laughs) For me fasting is good. If I eat more—atyaharah. Atyaharah prayasas ca, sadbhir bhaktir pranasyati. Hari-sauri: If you can appreciate krsna-prasadam without filling up to the neck… Prabhupada: Yes. It is for the devotee. A devotee can eat. As Caitanya Mahaprabhu was eating. Govinda, his servant complained, “Sir, so many things are lying here and everyone asks, ‘Whether Caitanya Mahaprabhu has taken my preparation.’ ‘Oh yes, He has taken.’ So I have to speak so many lies. You don’t take. What can I do?” He said, “All right, bring it. Bring it.” So He began to eat for one hundred men’s foodstuff stocked. He finished. Then He asked, “Any more?” So, now only the bags are there. Everything finished. (laughs) So He ate. Everything, one after another, one after another, one after another. “All right. Bring, bring, bring.” So He can eat. We cannot. This water is going there? It is going only one side and not other side? (indistinct) Aksayananda: Srila Prabhupada, is it a sign of advancement in devotional service… Prabhupada: Branch? Aksayananda: Advancement. If somebody wants to preach. Is that the sign of advancement? Prabhupada: Oh yes. Aksayananda: That’s the first sign. Prabhupada: When one is very anxious to preach, that is advancement. Aksayananda: And if one is not very anxious to preach, he is not very advanced. Prabhupada: Then he should stick to Deity worship very nicely. Following the rules and regulations, cleansing. Sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana-srngara-tan-mandira-marjanadau **. This nitya, you take very seriously. Aksayananda: And then when he becomes advanced…. Prabhupada: Automatically he will be anxious to preach. Automatically. Aksayananda: Ultimately. Prabhupada: Not ultimately. Automatically. Just like in a small time, our, that Krsna dasa? He knows English, he knows French, he knows… What does it mean? He has heard it. Now he’ll want to speak. That is the natural sequence. If anyone has listened from the authority about Krsna, he wants to speak again. That is preaching. Not that “I have listened about Krsna, that’s all right.” No. When he wants to speak to others, that is advancement. That is wanted. Sravanam kirtanam. That is the test that he has advanced. Nama, rupa, guna, lila (indistinct). Devotee: Does he have to speak immediately, or he can speak after some time. Prabhupada: No, no, not immediately. Immediately how you can speak. Unless he knows, what he’ll speak? It is better not to speak than speaking all nonsense. He must learn first of all what is the philosophy, what is the science. Then he can speak. [break] Vipramukhya:. These Turks are yavanas? Demons and yavanas? Prabhupada: Materially there are so many divisions, but spiritual they are all servant of Krsna. Nobody is yavana, nobody is brahmana. Everyone is servant of Krsna. Panditah sama-darsinah [Bg. 5.18] We are going there not to make the yavanas a brahmana. That is not our mission. Our business is… We know that he is servant of Krsna. Forgetting Krsna, he’s thinking himself as Turkish, as Muhammadan, as Jewish, as Christian. This is his disease. So let me cure his disease. Why he should be called yavana? That is artificial. He’s Krsna dasa. Jivera svarupa haya nitya-krsna-dasa [Cc. Madhya 20.108-109]. Just like when a physician treats a patient, does he think that here is a Christian, here is a Muhammadan, here is a Hindu? He takes as patient. Never mind what he is. And he gives treatment. He never thinks that here is a Christian patient, here is a Muhammadan patient. He is patient. Give me this, bring him medicine. That is physician’s business. Why should we consider, “Here is a Christian patient. He should be treated differently than the Muhammadan.” Does he think like that? Does he think? Does any physician honestly think that “Here is a Christian patient, special care should be taken for him?” No. If he is physician, he should give the equal treatment to everyone. Aksayananda: If he doesn’t have any money he may… (end)
with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
September 6, 1976, Vrndavana