Monday, April 12, 2010

Thunderbird; Cataka

Chicago, July 6, 1975

Prabhupada: Why?
Jagadisa: Because it would greatly facilitate my preaching.
Prabhupada: You are already preaching.
Jagadisa: But many of the devotees are not so inclined to listen to a householder, as to a sannyasi.
Prabhupada: (laughs) Neither to the sannyasis. [break] ...this building?
Brahmananda: It's the univers... It's a theo... [break]
Prabhupada: Not for the students?
Jagadisa: That's what they originally were for.
Prabhupada: Now? [break] Eucalyptus? No.
Sudama: No, Prabhupada. [break]
Prabhupada: ...one for the bathroom. [break] Eh? Fifth class. [break] ...fourth-class. [break] class. The same?
Sudama: It's the same one.
Tamala Krsna: Srila Prabhupada, When you were... Many years ago you used to have me send you eucalyptus twigs from San Francisco.
Prabhupada: Hm, yes.
Tamala Krsna: So now that you're in America we can easily arrange for that to be done. They can be sent. They take only one day by air.
Prabhupada: So wherefrom?
Tamala Krsna: Well, San Francisco is the best area for eucalyptus.
Prabhupada: So arrange.
Jagadisa: We have them already, Maharaja.
Tamala Krsna: I'll arrange today.
Prabhupada: Arrange that three corner, four corner, square.
Tamala Krsna: Square set, yes.
Prabhupada: Square side. That is good, square and green.
Tamala Krsna: And green. And as thick as the finger?
Prabhupada: No, no, this much. Top of the little finger. [break] ...about forty miles off, there is a place known as Jneyo(?) Kali. There the Ganges is so vast. You have seen it? No. Eh?
Visnujana: Yeah, I think so. I saw it three miles wide. One place where I was sailing on the Ganges it was three miles wide by Mangir.
Prabhupada: Oh, Mungir. No, Mungir is far off. It is near Calcutta. [break] ...snowfall here?
Tamala Krsna: Snowfall?
Prabhupada: Heavy?
Devotee (1): Oh, yes, it becomes very cold here.
Dhira Krsna: [break] ...all ice. In the winter time, this becomes ice.
Prabhupada: Become ice?
Dhira Krsna: Yes.
Prabhupada: Oh? [break] ...walk?
Dhira Krsna: Yes, everyone likes to go out and walk around on it.
Tamala Krsna: Ice skating. [break]
Prabhupada: ...was seeing in that paper, the meeting, a photograph of Jaya Prakash Narayana and Mrs. Gandhi. Both of the meetings were overcrowded. So who is right and who is wrong? People were hearings in throngs both of them. So? Who is wrong, who is right? [break]
Brahmananda: ...newspaper report here was that the crowds who came to cheer Indira Gandhi that they were paid, paid crowds. They would pay them one rupee each.
Prabhupada: Accha? (laughter) Yes. That is for car or...?
Tamala Krsna: Car, yes. [break]
Prabhupada: ...any bird called thunderbird?
Bahulasva: Thunderbird? A big bird, big eagle, in the United States.
Prabhupada: No, big eagle, thunderbird. You have seen in this car?
Brahmananda: Automobile is called.
Prabhupada: But actually is there any bird called thunderbird?
Jagadisa: It's a legendary bird from Indian legend. American Indian.
Prabhupada: Indian legend?
Brahmananda: Of the American Indians, the red Indians. Sometimes their chiefs are called Chief Thunderbird. It's a popular name for their chiefs.
Prabhupada: Oh. Oh. We have got an idea of thunderbird. The bird flies in the, near the cloud in expectation of water, and they are not afraid of thunder. That is called cataka. That example is given by Rupa Gosvami. The cataka does not take water from ground. They will take water when it falls from the cloud. So in the beginning of every cloud there is thunder. So this bird, because they expecting water from the cloud, the cloud is giving him thunder, but still he does not, will not take water from ground.
Dhira Krsna: In what connection do the Gosvamis use that example to illustrate?
Prabhupada: Example means a devotee will take mercy from Krsna, not from the material world. Even there is thunder, Krsna does not give mercy but puts him into difficulty, still, he will not take any mercy from the material world. This is the ex... [break]
Dhira Krsna: You are showing your mercy upon us. How do we prevent ourselves from becoming guru-druha, or ungrateful for the benediction you are giving us?
Prabhupada: So, you want to be guru-druha? Eh?
Dhira Krsna: No.
Prabhupada: That's nice. [break] ...come when there will be lightning, thunder but there will be no rain. (end)

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Morning Walk -- July 6, 1975, Chicago

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