760404 - Conversation - Vrndavana

Conversations by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

760404R1-VRNDAVAN - April 04, 1976 - 14.33 Minutes

Prabhupāda: All of them are South African?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: No, actually, he's from South Africa and he's from South Africa. These two devotees are going down for the first time, and Jagat-guru was preaching there once before.

Prabhupāda: So they will get visa?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They don't require visa except for Jagat-guru. He's British, he's Canadian. He's South African boy. He's South African.

Prabhupāda: Oh, they don't require visa.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Only Jagat-guru dāsa, American.

Prabhupāda: Oh. So he'll get visa?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: So all five, you are going?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Now, we have studied this South Africa. They like our movement. And they are purchasing books. That is very good sign. Is it not? They are purchasing? Who are purchasing books? Educated circle?

Devotee (1): Colleges.

Prabhupāda: College. That is . . . college, universities, that is educated. So I was surprised when, after my meeting, they purchased books, because these South African white men, they do not like very much Indians. Is it not?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It's a fact.

Prabhupāda: But still, they like this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is very good sign.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Even the Indians are attracted to our Indian culture.

Prabhupāda: They lost their culture.

Jagat-guru: Śrīla Prabhupāda, we were thinking that this is 1976, and in July there is Ratha-yātrā. So by next year, '77, we hope to be able to have Ratha-yātrā in Durban. There may be a quarter of a million, half a million Indian people. One cart and three deities on one cart.

Prabhupāda: And whether government will allow?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I think so. They already have permission.

Jagat-guru: They can give permission, will do probably. And also we want to establish also, apart from the temple, one bus program which will reach all the towns and villages there in South Africa.

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Jagat-guru: And also we will go to Rhodesia and possibly Malawi and maybe Mozambique, which are countries in our area. And also I spoke to the boys from Mauritius, and we would have some . . .

Prabhupāda: Mauritius, we have got now devotee.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: You have kept his address?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Two devotees.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: One is that gentleman, Mr. Narayan. He's an engineer with the city electrical department. And the other is a full-time devotee. I have his address, Mr. Narayan's address.

Prabhupāda: So they are still here?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: He's anxious to go back. He's going to London until August; then he's going back to Mauritius with his family.

Jagat-guru: We will invite him to come to our Durban festival. And also I've suggested that they also arrange something big, festival, because there are 600,000 Indians there, and that some of our men then go to the island and give them association.

Prabhupāda: So they'll give visa? Me?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: For you? Oh, yes. I think we have to make a chest x-ray again and take several shots for you, (laughter) no problem.

Prabhupāda: So when you are going back? Tomorrow?

Jagat-guru: Yes.

Prabhupāda: When? Early in the morning?

Devotee: Yes. We're making the arrangements tomorrow to go. We're getting tickets and some books. Then Jagat-guru will follow a few days later.

Prabhupāda: Make vigorous propaganda all over the world. From South Africa, Australia there is direct service.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Direct service.

Prabhupāda: Perth.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Perth. Yes.

Prabhupāda: From Perth to . . .

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Sydney.

Prabhupāda: No, South Africa . . .?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: How many hours? It's about nine hours.

Prabhupāda: Not much. Nearer than India. From India to Australia takes so many hours.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Five hours it was, from Bombay to Mauritius.

Hari-śauri: Takes over fourteen hours.

Prabhupāda: Five hours, again nine hours.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: And then it was about three hours to South Africa from Mauritius.

Prabhupāda: No, from Mauritius they can go directly to Australia. No?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Direct to?

Prabhupāda: Australia.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes. If the flight is broken up like that, it's a little easier—from South Africa to Mauritius to Perth, or even to Bombay. It's about the same distance from Bombay to Mauritius as to Australia from Mauritius.

Hari-śauri: Prabhupāda is thinking about going from India to South Africa to Australia to make the flight easier.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I don't think it makes the flight easier, because you're going like a triangle, this way and then this way. Let us arrange some nice program first, so that when you come again we'll have something nice to offer you.

Prabhupāda: I think in Mauritius there is good field. They adopted culture.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The problem in Mauritius has been that either they don't know how to collect, or they say it's a very poor country and they're not able to get funds to start any kind of a dynamic program.

Prabhupāda: They cannot chant even?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Chanting they do.

Prabhupāda: That is wanted. We don't want money. So give them directly.

Jagat-guru: Also, Śrīla Prabhupāda . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: South African mission, very good.

Devotee: At this present moment, Prabhupāda, we have a really unique situation, the best of all.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Devotee: A unique situation in South Africa, because there are many Europeans that are being drafted into the army, but they will not allow the Indians to be drafted. They don't want them to go into the military forces because they're afraid they're too intelligent.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Some of our brahmacārīs, they've been drafted into the army. We've lost several devotees like that, because it's very hard for them to maintain their Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the army.

Prabhupāda: Conscription.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes, conscription. But the Indians are not drafted. There's no army for them. So we're hoping that in Durban, where you first preached at the City Hall, the young people there, if we can get them sufficiently enthused, that they'll also join, and then we'll be able to have a very big movement amongst Indian community as well. We won't lose any devotees like that from the draft.

Prabhupāda: I think our students who are going to be ministers, they are excused from draft.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: No, even in South Africa the ministers . . . no excuse. It's a very strict situation. If you don't go into the army, you go to jail. Even if you're a minister, they don't care.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: There is no religious grounds for objecting. But only the Europeans are in the army, no one else. They're afraid that if the Indians had guns, they might use them against the Europeans. (laughing)

Devotee: So we're going to try and make more devotees this year, more Indian devotees especially. We've never really tried before.

Jagat-guru: Also, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you have seen on our altar, Gaura-Nitāi? We have large Gaura-Nitāi and two small, three actually, three small sets of Gaura-Nitāi Deities. The ones on the far left, just under Lord Nityānanda's feet, They are going also to South Africa. They came originally from East Africa. I mentioned it when I first came to Māyāpur. So we will be taking Them. We have a very nice siṁhāsana built for Them, finished tomorrow, and we'll be displaying Them at all our programs, preaching programs.

Prabhupāda: Do the needful.

(pause)

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Devotees: (offer obeisances) Jaya.

Prabhupāda: Jaya. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They're very enthusiastic to preach.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is life. One who is enthusiastic to preach, he is living. Others are dead. (looking at flower) Just see how beautiful. Who is the rascal scientist can manufacture that by combination of chemicals?

Hari-śauri: They can imitate the fragrance. (laughs) They can imitate, like monkeys.

Prabhupāda: If you see only to the flowers, you become invigorated.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: If you see only . . .?

Prabhupāda: Invigorated; get a refreshment.

Hari-śauri: If you just see a flower. Yes, just to walk through a nice garden, it's very pacifying.

Prabhupāda: How many different colors and set-up, craftsmanship. There is no brain, eh?

Hari-śauri: Chance.

Prabhupāda: It is not chance. In this particular tree, this flower will grow. Color will not change.

(pause)

Prabhupāda: So somebody is preparing?

Hari-śauri: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Who? (end)