Chicago, July 8, 1975
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Prabhupada: So blind and the lame man
combined together will perform a great task. [break] ...blindly, simply
accumulating money, but they do not know how to utilize the money. They should
take direction, authorized direction from us, and then it will be very nice.
[break] ...not these concocted "isms." This "ism," that "ism," that "ism."
Because it is, andha yathandhair upaniyamanah. These all rascals are blind. They
do not know how to direct. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya [SB
7.5.31]. They are trying to adjust the world affairs blindly. They do not know.
So let us combine. Let them come forward, take direction from us. After all,
your money, my money, your intelligence, my intelligence -- everything belongs
to Krsna. Sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisthah [Bg. 15.15]. Krsna is giving
intelligence. We must agree to take His good advice. Early morning till night,
we are always thinking, "How people will be happy by Krsna consciousness?" And
they are coming here for rowing boat. You see? How blind they are! The human
life, so intelligent life, and they are utilizing for rowing boat. How blind
they are! Not a single moment to be wasted and they are simply finding out, "How
to waste time?" [break] ...is "Crime, what to do?" "Hippies, what to do?"
"Problems, what to do?" Why "What to do?" Here is a direction. Do like this."
"No, sir, that I will not do." [break] ...to take photo.Tamala Krsna:
Visakha, take photo. [break]
Prabhupada: And the steps...
Harikesa: The steps also.
Prabhupada: Just try to understand. Our lake in Mayapur we shall make like this, all sides clear and four sides, the steps, ghata, and garden.
Visakha: Four sides, the steps?
Prabhupada: These steps, you see? Here, there... There is no... Just opposite.
Tamala Krsna: Four corners.
Prabhupada: Four... Not four corners. Four sides.
Visakha: And also with that in the center? Island?
Prabhupada: No, island is not required. Make a program like that.
Tamala Krsna: Take photos.
Prabhupada: And if possible, send them ideas and direction. Bhavananda has gone. [break] ...convince them that they are doing very nice, to their best capacity, but they are doing it blindly. You are very good driver, but if you are a blind man, then how you will drive? You will create disaster. So we can open their eyes so that their good driving capacity will be properly utilized. A good driver, blind, what he will do? Ajnana-timirandhasya. Darkness, it will not help. The western method of seeing things -- blind eyes. Actually, they are blind. They are trying to see things with microscope. First of all you are blind. What you will see? Microscope, this machine or that machine, but you are blind. That they do not know. [break]
Devotee: What should I do if I'd like to preach more and become free from my family entanglements?
Prabhupada: Just teach him what to do. Tell him.
Tamala Krsna: What was his ques... What should you do...?
Devotee: I want to preach more and become free from my family entanglement.
Tamala Krsna: I think Jagadisa is having some preaching programs. So your family is no hindrance. Preaching is not hindered by family, one way or the other.
Prabhupada: Ahaituky apratihata. Why don't you understand? Preaching cannot be checked by anything -- if you want to preach. In any circumstances you can preach. Pranair arthair dhiya vaca. Preaching can be executed by four things: by your life, by your money, by your intelligence, and by your words. You have got so many assets. So you can utilize it for preaching. Dedicate your life. If you think that you are family man, you cannot dedicate twenty-four hours, then earn money and give it to Krsna consciousness movement as other family men, they are earning money. Eh? Is it not? You can earn. In America there is good facility for earning money. They want that you work and take money. So earn money as grhastha and give it to Krsna. Pranair arthair. If you cannot earn money, then use your intelligence. There are so many intellectual work: publication, going to this officer, that officer. You, intellectually you try. And vaca, by words. If you cannot do anything, go anyone, anywhere and say that "Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just offer your obeisances." Finished. So where is the scarcity? You can serve Krsna in any capacity-provided you want to serve. And if you want to engage Krsna for your service, that is blunder. Then it is blunder. You cannot engage Krsna to your service. The everyone is trying to engage Krsna for his service. They are going to the church, "O Krsna, give us our daily bread," that "You serve me. You give us our daily bread and serve me." And our proposition is, Yasodamayi, "Krsna, You are playing all day. Come on! Take food first of all." This is service. They are going to Krsna for asking daily bread. And here Yasodamayi is commanding, "Come here! If You don't eat, You will get lean and thin. Come on." This is Vaisnava philosophy.
Devotee: Jaya, Srila Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. [break] ...is concerned, "How Krsna will keep good health?" And we are concerned, "Krsna will go to hell. Please supply me food so that I might keep my health good." That is the difference between materialistic and spiritualist. The foolish man does not understand that Krsna is supplying food to the elephant, to the ant, and why I shall go to the church for asking my food? It is already there. And our policy is, "Krsna, Hare Krsna, please engage me in Your service." Hare Krsna means, "O Krsna, O the energy of Krsna, please engage me in Your service." We create problem. Otherwise, no problem. Krsna has arranged everything. Isavasyam idam sarvam [Iso mantra 1]. Just see so many fruits for the birds. They are so sumptuously supplied, they are thrown. Purnam idam [Iso Invocation]. Everything is sufficient. But these rascal blind, they do not know. They are trying to adjust. What adjustment? It is already sufficient. You are misusing that. Sufficient land, sufficient intelligence. Everything is sufficient. They are misusing. In Africa, in Australia, sufficient land, and they are raising cattle to kill them. This is their intelligence. And growing coffee and tea.
Tamala Krsna: And tobacco.
Devotee: For money, for profit.
Tamala Krsna: And tobacco.
Prabhupada: Tobacco, by which... They know tobacco is bad, and they are utilizing time for growing tobacco and smoking tobacco. This is their intelligence. So blind men... Give them intelligence, these rascals. We call therefore only rascals. People are dying for want of food grains, and they are growing tobacco, which smoking, they will go to hell. This is their intelligence. Huh? What do you think?
Satsvarupa: I agree.
Prabhupada: This is the idea.
Sudama: And they even indicate, Prabhupada, on the advertisements that smoking is hazardous for the health.
Prabhupada: Yes. [break] ...for money, the money which will push them to hell. This is their intelligence. We have to give them intelligence, open their eyes. [break] ...angry first of all because murkhayo 'padeso hi prakopaya na santaye: "If you give good intelligence to the fools and rascals, they will be angry." But still, you have to do it. Just like when Nityananda Prabhu went to Jagai-Madhai to deliver them, they became angry and injured. So that is preacher. These rascals will be angry, will sometimes do harm to you, and still, you have to do it. That is preaching. Are you understanding what is preaching? Yes. You have to prepare like that. At all risk you have to preach. [break] ...world is full of rascals, and you have to educate them. So according to one's capacity let them preach, pranair arthair dhiya vaca. But everyone can preach to some extent. There is no hindrance.
Jaga-jivana: Is everything done in our movement for preaching? Everything that is done in our movement is done for preaching?
Prabhupada: Yes. To awaken their Krsna consciousness. They are in dog consciousness; we have to raise them to God consciousness. Don't you see how much they are taking care of the dog? Because they do not know, blind, whether they will be God conscious or dog conscious. So the dog conscious people should be raised to the platform of God conscious. That is preaching. Mudha nabhijanati. These rascals, they do not know the life is meant for understanding God. That they... Ask anyone. Nobody knows. They are so fool. They want to remain dog. The dog is also running; they are also running. And because they can run on by car, they are thinking they are civilized. But the business is running, that's all.
Tamala Krsna: And the purpose for the running is the same.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Tamala Krsna: Eating, sleeping, mating and defending.
Prabhupada: That's all. [break] ...condemn running by car, but utilize it for Krsna. That we want. If the purpose is same, like dog, then what is the use of running by car? [break] ...by car to preach Krsna consciousness. [break] ...not after that philosophy, that jagan mithya brahma satya, no. We say jagat is also satya because brahma satya, the jagat is also satya. It is mithya because it is improperly utilized. Let it be utilized properly, it is also truth. It is truth actually. You cannot say, "This is a false tree." This is the ignorance. How it is false? But it is being misused. That is false. You cannot misuse anything which is given by God. You should properly utilize it. Then it is truth. And as soon as you misuse it, it is untruth.
Tamala Krsna: So material consciousness is false.
Prabhupada: Yes. Everything can be utilized for Krsna. That is our preaching. That is truth. There is a nice car. Why shall I condemn it? Utilize it for Krsna. Then it is truth. And the Mayavadi philosophers, they will say, "It is untruth. Give it up." No. When you have produced something by your good intelligence, it is truth, but when you use it for other purpose than Krsna, then it is false. [break] ...Deity nicely decorated, if I say, "It is all false," is that very good sense? They have created such a nice thing. No, the purpose for which you have created or utilized, that is false. So we want to change the consciousness. We don't condemn the thing. [break] ...with a knife you are cutting vegetables and utilizing, but if you use it for cutting your throat, that is bad. That is bad. So they are using the knife for cutting their own throat. This is bad. [ The sastra says, nidraham adyam plavam sukalpam. This body... We are just crossing the ocean of nescience. So this body is a good boat. maya ete 'rtam guruh karna-dharam. And the wind is favorable, Krsna's instruction. And the captain is guru. He is guiding you. With all these facilities, if you cannot cross the nescience, then you are cutting your throat. [break] ...boat is there, the captain is there, the favorable wind is there. But we are not utilizing it. That means I am killing myself. [break] ...nity. is there. [break] ...policy. The policy is suicidal. That is the defect. So preaching means to remove this defect and utilize the policy for going ahead. [break]
Devotee: Is it because of our impurity that we can't convince them to stop cutting their throat?
Prabhupada: Hm?
Tamala Krsna: His question is whether is it due to our impurity that we cannot convince people to stop cutting their throats.
Prabhupada: No, it is due to their impurity, they do not take. What you are saying, that is pure. But the difficulty is if you instruct a rascal, he becomes angry. The example is given that if you give milk and banana to the serpent, he increases his poison. Payah-panam bhujanganam kevalam visa-vardhanam. Therefore we have to select sometimes that our preaching is in the proper place. Because a snake-like person, they will not hear. But if you are a good charmer, you can charm the snake also. (laughter) That depends on your quality. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu did. He made these snakes, the tigers, the elephants, all dancing Hare Krsna. That is possible by Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Tripurari: Just like you have charmed all of us, Srila Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: Well, I am not going to imitate Caitanya Mahaprabhu. (laughs) I have come to New York, not to the jungle. (laughter)
Sudama: New York is worse than jungle.
Tamala Krsna: It is called an asphalt jungle.
Prabhupada: After all, they are human being. Therefore we have collected some nice souls. [break] If you can go to the jungle, that is no hindrance, but let us take the opportunity of the civilized nations, preach them. Yad yad acarati sresthah [Bg. 3.21]. They are leading the whole civilization. If they are convinced, it will be great benefit to the human race. [break] Also my Guru Maharaja said that "You go to the western country." If he had said that "You go to the jungle," I would have gone. [break] ...preacher, either the jungle or the city is the same. Narayana-parah na kutascana bibhayati. One who is devotee of the Lord, he does not make any discrimination that "This is jungle and this is city." Svargapavarga-narakesv api tulyartha-darsinah [SB 6.17.28]. For them, everywhere, Krsna's property. So where Krsna asks him to go and serve, he will go. That's all. [break]
Jaga-jivana: All classes of men should preach Krsna consciousness?
Prabhupada: Yes. First of all he must know what to preach. If he does not know what to preach, what he will preach? You have got a preaching capacity, provided you learn the art of preaching. But everyone can preach. That's a fact.
Devotee: What is to become of those devotees that leave ISKCON and take to breaking the regulative principles, and stop chanting sixteen rounds?
Prabhupada: Explain.
Devotee: There are even brahmanas in our temple who have left the temple and they are acting just like karmis.
Prabhupada: So they were wrongly initiated. We want recommendation from the authority, whether one should be initiated, but they gave wrong information. That is the defect of the informer. [break]
Tamala Krsna: ...Hari-nama initiation can be a little more liberal.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Tamala Krsna: But brahmana initiation should be strict.
Prabhupada: Very strict. Very strict means he must be observed that he is actually chanting sixteen rounds, following the regulative principles. That's all.
Tamala Krsna: Those are the important...?
Prabhupada: These are the criterions, that he is actually, seriously doing this. Then he can be initiated. Otherwise useless. He will fall down. [break]
Tamala Krsna: ...stated that one who does not, an unsuccessful person in yoga practice takes his next birth, sucinam srimatam gehe [Bg. 6.41].
Prabhupada: That is another thing, but you are fallen. Who take birth in high family or in opulent, that is the fallen condition. That is not successful con... But they are taking, "This is success. I have got so much money. I have got so much prestige. This is success."
Tamala Krsna: That's a fallen condition.
Prabhupada: That is fallen condition.
Devotee: They think that is the success of life.
Prabhupada: They think. They are foolish. They can think like that. Generally, that is... Not that devotees are not opulent. No, that is not. But this materialistic opulence means fallen condition.
Tamala Krsna: The demigods are in a very opulent position also.
Prabhupada: Yes. But they are devotees.
Tamala Krsna: But they are devotees, not fallen.
Prabhupada: They can fall. Everyone can fall. [break]
Tripurari: ...says that a sannyasi should not take, be anxious for disciples but should only take those who are qualified. But sometimes, when there's no one qualified, he takes a risk.
Prabhupada: Yes. One who does not like to take the risk, they do not take the risk of preaching. But one who takes the risk, he is recognized by Krsna immediately, "Oh, he is taking risk." But he must know where to take risk and where to act foolishly. Just like Nityananda Prabhu took the risk of being injured. But He was certain that "I can deliver him." That is...
Tamala Krsna: You took a great risk also, Prabhupada, by coming to us.
Prabhupada: (laughs) Yes. I have already written that. I was thinking that "What shall I do here? I have come here. As soon as I shall impose these four principles they will say, 'Go home.' " But I took that risk. I never said anything palatable. Against their activities, "You don't do this, don't do this." [break]
Tamala Krsna: ...compromised at all, Srila Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: No, what is the use of compromise if there is no good result?
Tamala Krsna: Someone who compromises, he actually wants followers.
Prabhupada: That is not good. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu decried, na dhanam na janam, "I don't want these followers." What is the use of follower if he does not follow? [break] ...idam. Everything is sufficient, complete. Why they are embarrassed with incompleteness? Everyone is trying to adjust incompleteness, but the Vedic information, "Everything is complete." That means lacking knowledge. The car is complete. One who does not know to drive, he will find it incomplete, "Where to push on, this way, that way." He does not know how to drive the car. (end)
Prabhupada: And the steps...
Harikesa: The steps also.
Prabhupada: Just try to understand. Our lake in Mayapur we shall make like this, all sides clear and four sides, the steps, ghata, and garden.
Visakha: Four sides, the steps?
Prabhupada: These steps, you see? Here, there... There is no... Just opposite.
Tamala Krsna: Four corners.
Prabhupada: Four... Not four corners. Four sides.
Visakha: And also with that in the center? Island?
Prabhupada: No, island is not required. Make a program like that.
Tamala Krsna: Take photos.
Prabhupada: And if possible, send them ideas and direction. Bhavananda has gone. [break] ...convince them that they are doing very nice, to their best capacity, but they are doing it blindly. You are very good driver, but if you are a blind man, then how you will drive? You will create disaster. So we can open their eyes so that their good driving capacity will be properly utilized. A good driver, blind, what he will do? Ajnana-timirandhasya. Darkness, it will not help. The western method of seeing things -- blind eyes. Actually, they are blind. They are trying to see things with microscope. First of all you are blind. What you will see? Microscope, this machine or that machine, but you are blind. That they do not know. [break]
Devotee: What should I do if I'd like to preach more and become free from my family entanglements?
Prabhupada: Just teach him what to do. Tell him.
Tamala Krsna: What was his ques... What should you do...?
Devotee: I want to preach more and become free from my family entanglement.
Tamala Krsna: I think Jagadisa is having some preaching programs. So your family is no hindrance. Preaching is not hindered by family, one way or the other.
Prabhupada: Ahaituky apratihata. Why don't you understand? Preaching cannot be checked by anything -- if you want to preach. In any circumstances you can preach. Pranair arthair dhiya vaca. Preaching can be executed by four things: by your life, by your money, by your intelligence, and by your words. You have got so many assets. So you can utilize it for preaching. Dedicate your life. If you think that you are family man, you cannot dedicate twenty-four hours, then earn money and give it to Krsna consciousness movement as other family men, they are earning money. Eh? Is it not? You can earn. In America there is good facility for earning money. They want that you work and take money. So earn money as grhastha and give it to Krsna. Pranair arthair. If you cannot earn money, then use your intelligence. There are so many intellectual work: publication, going to this officer, that officer. You, intellectually you try. And vaca, by words. If you cannot do anything, go anyone, anywhere and say that "Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just offer your obeisances." Finished. So where is the scarcity? You can serve Krsna in any capacity-provided you want to serve. And if you want to engage Krsna for your service, that is blunder. Then it is blunder. You cannot engage Krsna to your service. The everyone is trying to engage Krsna for his service. They are going to the church, "O Krsna, give us our daily bread," that "You serve me. You give us our daily bread and serve me." And our proposition is, Yasodamayi, "Krsna, You are playing all day. Come on! Take food first of all." This is service. They are going to Krsna for asking daily bread. And here Yasodamayi is commanding, "Come here! If You don't eat, You will get lean and thin. Come on." This is Vaisnava philosophy.
Devotee: Jaya, Srila Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. [break] ...is concerned, "How Krsna will keep good health?" And we are concerned, "Krsna will go to hell. Please supply me food so that I might keep my health good." That is the difference between materialistic and spiritualist. The foolish man does not understand that Krsna is supplying food to the elephant, to the ant, and why I shall go to the church for asking my food? It is already there. And our policy is, "Krsna, Hare Krsna, please engage me in Your service." Hare Krsna means, "O Krsna, O the energy of Krsna, please engage me in Your service." We create problem. Otherwise, no problem. Krsna has arranged everything. Isavasyam idam sarvam [Iso mantra 1]. Just see so many fruits for the birds. They are so sumptuously supplied, they are thrown. Purnam idam [Iso Invocation]. Everything is sufficient. But these rascal blind, they do not know. They are trying to adjust. What adjustment? It is already sufficient. You are misusing that. Sufficient land, sufficient intelligence. Everything is sufficient. They are misusing. In Africa, in Australia, sufficient land, and they are raising cattle to kill them. This is their intelligence. And growing coffee and tea.
Tamala Krsna: And tobacco.
Devotee: For money, for profit.
Tamala Krsna: And tobacco.
Prabhupada: Tobacco, by which... They know tobacco is bad, and they are utilizing time for growing tobacco and smoking tobacco. This is their intelligence. So blind men... Give them intelligence, these rascals. We call therefore only rascals. People are dying for want of food grains, and they are growing tobacco, which smoking, they will go to hell. This is their intelligence. Huh? What do you think?
Satsvarupa: I agree.
Prabhupada: This is the idea.
Sudama: And they even indicate, Prabhupada, on the advertisements that smoking is hazardous for the health.
Prabhupada: Yes. [break] ...for money, the money which will push them to hell. This is their intelligence. We have to give them intelligence, open their eyes. [break] ...angry first of all because murkhayo 'padeso hi prakopaya na santaye: "If you give good intelligence to the fools and rascals, they will be angry." But still, you have to do it. Just like when Nityananda Prabhu went to Jagai-Madhai to deliver them, they became angry and injured. So that is preacher. These rascals will be angry, will sometimes do harm to you, and still, you have to do it. That is preaching. Are you understanding what is preaching? Yes. You have to prepare like that. At all risk you have to preach. [break] ...world is full of rascals, and you have to educate them. So according to one's capacity let them preach, pranair arthair dhiya vaca. But everyone can preach to some extent. There is no hindrance.
Jaga-jivana: Is everything done in our movement for preaching? Everything that is done in our movement is done for preaching?
Prabhupada: Yes. To awaken their Krsna consciousness. They are in dog consciousness; we have to raise them to God consciousness. Don't you see how much they are taking care of the dog? Because they do not know, blind, whether they will be God conscious or dog conscious. So the dog conscious people should be raised to the platform of God conscious. That is preaching. Mudha nabhijanati. These rascals, they do not know the life is meant for understanding God. That they... Ask anyone. Nobody knows. They are so fool. They want to remain dog. The dog is also running; they are also running. And because they can run on by car, they are thinking they are civilized. But the business is running, that's all.
Tamala Krsna: And the purpose for the running is the same.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Tamala Krsna: Eating, sleeping, mating and defending.
Prabhupada: That's all. [break] ...condemn running by car, but utilize it for Krsna. That we want. If the purpose is same, like dog, then what is the use of running by car? [break] ...by car to preach Krsna consciousness. [break] ...not after that philosophy, that jagan mithya brahma satya, no. We say jagat is also satya because brahma satya, the jagat is also satya. It is mithya because it is improperly utilized. Let it be utilized properly, it is also truth. It is truth actually. You cannot say, "This is a false tree." This is the ignorance. How it is false? But it is being misused. That is false. You cannot misuse anything which is given by God. You should properly utilize it. Then it is truth. And as soon as you misuse it, it is untruth.
Tamala Krsna: So material consciousness is false.
Prabhupada: Yes. Everything can be utilized for Krsna. That is our preaching. That is truth. There is a nice car. Why shall I condemn it? Utilize it for Krsna. Then it is truth. And the Mayavadi philosophers, they will say, "It is untruth. Give it up." No. When you have produced something by your good intelligence, it is truth, but when you use it for other purpose than Krsna, then it is false. [break] ...Deity nicely decorated, if I say, "It is all false," is that very good sense? They have created such a nice thing. No, the purpose for which you have created or utilized, that is false. So we want to change the consciousness. We don't condemn the thing. [break] ...with a knife you are cutting vegetables and utilizing, but if you use it for cutting your throat, that is bad. That is bad. So they are using the knife for cutting their own throat. This is bad. [ The sastra says, nidraham adyam plavam sukalpam. This body... We are just crossing the ocean of nescience. So this body is a good boat. maya ete 'rtam guruh karna-dharam. And the wind is favorable, Krsna's instruction. And the captain is guru. He is guiding you. With all these facilities, if you cannot cross the nescience, then you are cutting your throat. [break] ...boat is there, the captain is there, the favorable wind is there. But we are not utilizing it. That means I am killing myself. [break] ...nity. is there. [break] ...policy. The policy is suicidal. That is the defect. So preaching means to remove this defect and utilize the policy for going ahead. [break]
Devotee: Is it because of our impurity that we can't convince them to stop cutting their throat?
Prabhupada: Hm?
Tamala Krsna: His question is whether is it due to our impurity that we cannot convince people to stop cutting their throats.
Prabhupada: No, it is due to their impurity, they do not take. What you are saying, that is pure. But the difficulty is if you instruct a rascal, he becomes angry. The example is given that if you give milk and banana to the serpent, he increases his poison. Payah-panam bhujanganam kevalam visa-vardhanam. Therefore we have to select sometimes that our preaching is in the proper place. Because a snake-like person, they will not hear. But if you are a good charmer, you can charm the snake also. (laughter) That depends on your quality. Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu did. He made these snakes, the tigers, the elephants, all dancing Hare Krsna. That is possible by Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Tripurari: Just like you have charmed all of us, Srila Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: Well, I am not going to imitate Caitanya Mahaprabhu. (laughs) I have come to New York, not to the jungle. (laughter)
Sudama: New York is worse than jungle.
Tamala Krsna: It is called an asphalt jungle.
Prabhupada: After all, they are human being. Therefore we have collected some nice souls. [break] If you can go to the jungle, that is no hindrance, but let us take the opportunity of the civilized nations, preach them. Yad yad acarati sresthah [Bg. 3.21]. They are leading the whole civilization. If they are convinced, it will be great benefit to the human race. [break] Also my Guru Maharaja said that "You go to the western country." If he had said that "You go to the jungle," I would have gone. [break] ...preacher, either the jungle or the city is the same. Narayana-parah na kutascana bibhayati. One who is devotee of the Lord, he does not make any discrimination that "This is jungle and this is city." Svargapavarga-narakesv api tulyartha-darsinah [SB 6.17.28]. For them, everywhere, Krsna's property. So where Krsna asks him to go and serve, he will go. That's all. [break]
Jaga-jivana: All classes of men should preach Krsna consciousness?
Prabhupada: Yes. First of all he must know what to preach. If he does not know what to preach, what he will preach? You have got a preaching capacity, provided you learn the art of preaching. But everyone can preach. That's a fact.
Devotee: What is to become of those devotees that leave ISKCON and take to breaking the regulative principles, and stop chanting sixteen rounds?
Prabhupada: Explain.
Devotee: There are even brahmanas in our temple who have left the temple and they are acting just like karmis.
Prabhupada: So they were wrongly initiated. We want recommendation from the authority, whether one should be initiated, but they gave wrong information. That is the defect of the informer. [break]
Tamala Krsna: ...Hari-nama initiation can be a little more liberal.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Tamala Krsna: But brahmana initiation should be strict.
Prabhupada: Very strict. Very strict means he must be observed that he is actually chanting sixteen rounds, following the regulative principles. That's all.
Tamala Krsna: Those are the important...?
Prabhupada: These are the criterions, that he is actually, seriously doing this. Then he can be initiated. Otherwise useless. He will fall down. [break]
Tamala Krsna: ...stated that one who does not, an unsuccessful person in yoga practice takes his next birth, sucinam srimatam gehe [Bg. 6.41].
Prabhupada: That is another thing, but you are fallen. Who take birth in high family or in opulent, that is the fallen condition. That is not successful con... But they are taking, "This is success. I have got so much money. I have got so much prestige. This is success."
Tamala Krsna: That's a fallen condition.
Prabhupada: That is fallen condition.
Devotee: They think that is the success of life.
Prabhupada: They think. They are foolish. They can think like that. Generally, that is... Not that devotees are not opulent. No, that is not. But this materialistic opulence means fallen condition.
Tamala Krsna: The demigods are in a very opulent position also.
Prabhupada: Yes. But they are devotees.
Tamala Krsna: But they are devotees, not fallen.
Prabhupada: They can fall. Everyone can fall. [break]
Tripurari: ...says that a sannyasi should not take, be anxious for disciples but should only take those who are qualified. But sometimes, when there's no one qualified, he takes a risk.
Prabhupada: Yes. One who does not like to take the risk, they do not take the risk of preaching. But one who takes the risk, he is recognized by Krsna immediately, "Oh, he is taking risk." But he must know where to take risk and where to act foolishly. Just like Nityananda Prabhu took the risk of being injured. But He was certain that "I can deliver him." That is...
Tamala Krsna: You took a great risk also, Prabhupada, by coming to us.
Prabhupada: (laughs) Yes. I have already written that. I was thinking that "What shall I do here? I have come here. As soon as I shall impose these four principles they will say, 'Go home.' " But I took that risk. I never said anything palatable. Against their activities, "You don't do this, don't do this." [break]
Tamala Krsna: ...compromised at all, Srila Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: No, what is the use of compromise if there is no good result?
Tamala Krsna: Someone who compromises, he actually wants followers.
Prabhupada: That is not good. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu decried, na dhanam na janam, "I don't want these followers." What is the use of follower if he does not follow? [break] ...idam. Everything is sufficient, complete. Why they are embarrassed with incompleteness? Everyone is trying to adjust incompleteness, but the Vedic information, "Everything is complete." That means lacking knowledge. The car is complete. One who does not know to drive, he will find it incomplete, "Where to push on, this way, that way." He does not know how to drive the car. (end)
>>> Ref. VedaBase =>
Morning Walk -- July 8, 1975, Chicago
© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
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