751005 - Conversation - Mauritius

Conversations by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Conversation

751005R1-MAURITIUS - October 05, 1975 - 27:52 Minutes

Guest (1) (Indian man): Koi bhi praja, har praja. (Any citizen, every citizen.)

Prabhupāda: English.

Brahmānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda will speak in English or Hindi?

Guest (1): . . . you know Hindi.

Prabhupāda: Which you . . .? No, just I want to end this verse. Shall I speak in Hindi or English? That I am . . .

Guest (1): Hindi.

Prabhupāda: Hindi. Kehne ka matlab ha. (What I mean to say.) You read it thoroughly and you explain it either in English or Hindi, as you think befitting to your friends. shall we go on? So we have got so many literatures in French language. We are also asking some men from Europe. That will create some impression. Yes. White elephant. (laughter) Dancing. Everyone will purchase ticket. Yes. Thik hai na. (Is it alright?) Bring some white elephant. So literature is there. But one thing is that you must be placed in sadācāra, well behaved. So you have to sacrifice, especially your long hair. And if you sacrifice your hair, we can export it and get some money. (laughter) (laughing) Because in Western countries they want these hairs to make wigs. Yes. So jaise ye log ko sikhaya hai. (like how these people have been taught.) As they have been trained up to take . . . rise early in the morning, this will give you spiritual strength. If you simply become a gramophone speaker, then it will not be effective. Gramophone or tape record speaker, that will not be. You must be a live speaker. Your living condition should be spiritually, what is called, surcharged. So that means you must be trained up how to rise early in the morning, take your bath, cleanse yourself, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. Then you will be spiritually strong. When you are spiritually strong, if you speak something on spiritual subject matters, then it will be effective. Otherwise it will be just like tape record playing. So this is required. And you should . . . you are asking something?

Guest (1): No, I was . . .

Prabhupāda: And gradually, when you are well behaving, then you shall be initiated to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. That will give you strength, spiritual power. Strictly observe the regulative principles—no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. It is very simple. Read these literature, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and observe these regulation. Then you become gradually powerful. Your speeches will be effective. People will like you.

Guest (2) (Indian man): Now the program in the village, Swāmījī, how to . . .

Prabhupāda: Village . . . just like you acquire some land. That you will get. That is not very difficult. Is it difficult?

Guest (2): No, sir.

Prabhupāda: Just we are doing so many places. So you produce your own food grains—not for making money but just for feeding yourself and the animals, cows. Keep cows, as many cows as possible; and produce; till the ground, field and make water supply arrangement. If the investment is required, we shall do that. You have no worry about investment. We shall bring money from anywhere. But the work must be done very nicely. There must be good arrangement for water supply and for plowing and keeping the cows in order. Then you get sufficient milk, sufficient food grains and produce your own cloth. The girls and ladies, they can spine (spin) thread, and from the thread you make cloth, handlooms. So your first necessities of life, eating, and make little cottage, sleeping. And if you want sex, get yourself married, live peacefully. And when you are there, you can defend yourself. So the first necessity is how to eat and how to cover. That you have to provide. That is not difficult. You can do it. And then you become peaceful, no anxiety for your maintenance. And then cultivate this spiritual knowledge the same way. Have a temple there. Have . . . go on chanting, offering prasādam. You have got your food grain. Don't be dependent on anyone else. Become self-independent. And don't be after money. Simply produce your bare necessities of life. Keep yourself fit, strong. And chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, read book. Then you'll be strong. Is there any difficulty?

Guest (1): No, Swāmījī.

Guest (2): To bring more people in our movement, Swāmījī . . .

Prabhupāda: They should be trained up, more people. Just like I went alone in Europe and America. So I have trained them. So it will depend on your training power, the more people will be attracted. If you advertise, "Come here," and if you have no power to attract them, then it will not be . . . you must be attractive to bring them. And that is spiritual attraction. You must behave yourself nicely. Then people will come. If you become purified, then naturally they will come. Just like if you prepare nice preparation with pure ghee, customers will be naturally attracted, and they will pay and purchase. And if you prepare rubbish thing, one man may be cheated, but that will not be attraction for the general. So purity is required. That will attract. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). One must be pure. Then he will be able to attract. So if they see practically that, "These people are very happy, they have no anxiety," then they will be attracted. Is it not? Hmm? What is the difficulty? But if you want brothel and night dancing and wine and meat-eating, then it is spoiled. It becomes impure.

To become pure is not at all difficult. Rather, to become impure, it is difficult. But people, with all difficulties, they are becoming impure. Otherwise, the idea which I am giving, you can start anywhere, anywhere, any part of the world. It doesn't matter. Locally you produce your own food, you get your own cloth, have sufficient milk, vegetables. Then what you want more? And chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is Vedic civilization: plain living, high thinking. And poor thinking, poor in thought, poor in behavior, and living with motorcar and this, that, that, nonsense—it is all nonsense civilization. In a first-class Rolls-Royce car, and who is sitting there? A third-class Negro. This is going on. You'll find these things in Europe and America. This is going on. A first-class car and a third-class Negro. That's all. Is it not?

Guest (3) (Indian man): Car is a necessity, Swāmījī, don't you think so? Car is a necessity.

Prabhupāda: Not necessary. What is the use of car? If you locate yourself to get everything, your necessity, then where is the use of car? If you require car, you have a bullock cart. That's all. Why should you hanker after petrol, Mobil oil, machine, this, that, so many things? Why?

Guest (3): Yes, but don't you think that it would be impossible for you to come in Mauritius here?

Prabhupāda: No, no. So long it is not available, we must take the best advantage. That is another thing. But gradually we shall develop a society that all these unnecessary rubbish things should be rejected. That is the idea. Or those who are interested, let them manufacture car; we take advantage. We don't bother ourself how to manufacture car. Ajāgara-vṛtti. Ajāgara-vṛtti, the idea is . . . ajāgara means the snake. So a mouse makes a hole in the field to live very peacefully. So, and he enters the hole, and a snake gets the information and he comes, enters the hole. He eats the snake . . . I mean, the snake eats the mouse and lives peacefully. So let this rascal manufacture motorcar. When we require, we take from them and ride away. (laughing) We are not going to manufacture. There will be some rascals. Let them do that, mouse. We enter as snake. (laughter) That's all. We are doing that. We are doing that. I did not manufacture this house, but somebody, some mouse, has done. (laughter) And we have entered it, that's all. That's all.

This is going on all over the world. You know George Harrison? He has earned money with so great, hard labor, and he has given us a house in London, fifty-five lakhs' worth. Another boy, Alfred Ford, he's the great-grandson of Mr. Henry Ford. He has given. He is giving still money. He is prepared with all his money. So those who are after money, material thing, we have to induce them that, "Spend for me," that's all, and let him earn. So far we are concerned, we shall live very simple life, simply in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is brāhmaṇa. Brāhmaṇa does not go to construct big, big house. He simply constructs his character, and the other kṣatriyas and vaiśyas, they offer him, "Please come here and sit down." Therefore the division is . . . one who is unable to become a brahmin, let him become kṣatriya. If he cannot become kṣatriya, let him become a vaiśya. Otherwise let him remain a śūdra. But there should be ideal class, brahmin. So we are trying to create an ideal society of brahmin. Then people will be benefited. And if everyone is śūdra, rascal, then what people will be benefited? They do not know how to live. The brahmins will give idea, "Live like this. You will be happy."

Guest (1): Swāmījī, I propose one thing: to influence people more and more in the villages.

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is the attraction, villagers.

Guest (1): Yes. We should go there and live with them for . . .

Prabhupāda: Yes. I have already suggested that you take land and be an ideal community.

Guest (1): No, if we don't get land, Swāmījī, I would suggest that if, for example, one week, four or three, Swāmījī . . . Ek hafta lagataar ek gaon me jaye aur wahan par baat-cheet. (For one week continuously we must go to a village and there we should talk to them—whatever he wants to say.)

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Very good idea, very good idea.

Guest (1): That would be mercy to make the people conscious. And then again and again have here a same thing, and then they would be influenced.

Prabhupāda: Good idea. It is very good idea.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The idea was in Hindi. It was in Hindi. We don't understand.

Prabhupāda: In the village . . . I shall speak in Hindi?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In English, so we can understand.

Prabhupāda: I am speaking in . . . so in the village, if these people go, they cannot do anything because they cannot speak in Hindi.

Guest (1): No, we should be there to organize. We will be there to organize.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you organize, then that will be nice.

Guest (1): For example, I propose that (referring to Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa) swamijī who is sitting there, please tell me and I will tell the people they are the leader, to organize a Bhagavad-gītā in English, because Swāmījī speaks English.

Prabhupāda: They can understand English?

Guest (1): Yes.

Prabhupāda: Then do it.

Guest (1): Yes, there are many people.

Prabhupāda: They can understand?

Guest (1): Yes.

Prabhupāda: Then, English edition we have got. French edition . . . you can speak in French and explain. He can speak in English.

Guest (1): Yes. We can stay in a village for about seven days or eight days, so that every night, for example, as we do it here, we can do it in a village.

Prabhupāda: And if you can organize like that, then I will come personally. I will go and encourage you.

Guest (1): I can organize it, Swāmījī. There are many people who would like to see you, to talk to you, and to . . . not especially to you, but to the swāmījīs.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So if you think so, then I can come back again. I'll come back.

Guest (1): Yes, Swāmījī. Do you want me to . . . I know there is one . . . not only one, but if you want me to organize when you come and you would be . . .

Prabhupāda: Yes. My point is: if necessary, I can also come. I can go into the village. There is no . . .

Guest (1): If you spent at least one months in these countries, Swāmījī, I could . . .

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Whenever you will say. If you say, I can stay just now one month.

Guest (1): Yes?

Prabhupāda: Yes. I can stay.

Guest (1): Yes, I may organize something there. Then I bring you there.

Prabhupāda: I am going to Johannesburg today. If you think that my presence will be beneficial, then after a week I can come back.

Guest (1): Yes, Swāmījī. Therefore I . . .

Prabhupāda: This is a very good program. Very good.

Guest (1): I shall tell them. There are many youngsters.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. So if you think my presence will be very beneficial, then after one week I shall come back. Our life is dedicated for this purpose. Whenever the . . . Ānukulyena kṛṣṇanuśilanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Wherever there is opportunity, take advantage of it. That is our mission. Little light—fan it to make it fire. That is our mission. I welcome all these suggestion from you. Now you be serious and do it. If you like, I shall come back after a week.

Guest (1): Yes. I have contacted two president of village. For example, Iskadye There is a village known as Iskadye. Now there is Marshali.

Prabhupāda: And we have no distinction that, "He is Hindu. He is Muslim. He is Christian." No. Everybody is welcome to take this culture, education. We have no such sectarian view. No.

Devotee: Excuse me. Your idea is a program similar to what we've done or been doing previously?

Guest (1): No, Swāmījī. Previously you have been only going one day in a village. Only one day means two hours or like this. People are influenced . . .

Prabhupāda: Once or continual. Yes. That is required.

Guest (1): Yes. A continual program.

Prabhupāda: "Knock, knock, knock, and the door will open." That philosophy.

Guest (1): 'cause we have been . . . they have been a little in the villages with books and doing saṅkīrtana in the street. That is very good. But it . . .

Prabhupāda: Yes. Do saṅkīrtana. The villagers will join.

Guest (1): But at the same time, if we collect all the people together and put it in place and talk with them every day, continually for seven days or eight days . . .

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. It is possible. These are all practical proposals. There is nothing impossibility.

Guest (1): Yes. Don't you think so, Swāmījī? I have proposed . . .

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Paṇḍāls?

Guest (1): Yes. We may build paṇḍāls also. That will be . . . because . . .

Prabhupāda: Paṇḍāl or no paṇḍāl, we can sit on open place. There is no harm.

Cyavana: We can build a paṇḍāl in one day and put up.

Prabhupāda: In villages we can sit down underneath a tree. That is paṇḍāl. Why should you unnecessarily spend money? Just cleanse the ground and sit down. That's all. Makes everything simplified.

Guest (1): If it's raining here, Swāmījī. Rain, rainy days.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā. Rainy day.

Guest (1): For that we need paṇḍāls.

Prabhupāda: So think. Kṛṣṇa is giving you intelligence. Think over, and Kṛṣṇa will give you intelligence.

Guest (1): I don't know whether it is practical, Swāmījī . . . that is another suggestion. It should be like you are here for about seven days. Don't you think it would be good if you come here and you call people, youngsters, for example, those who are interested in the Vedic culture, would come here, in any place, for about seven days or eight days to stay with you and to learn what you want to say?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Like a camp.

Guest (1): Like a camp, yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They are welcome.

Guest (1): You would prepare . . . at least every individual get one young man who will come.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Yes. Very good suggestion. Immediately accepted. Oh, yes. I speak only selected young men, and they will speak. Yes. That is wanted.

Guest (1): And it will be easier for us to go to their village.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (1): They would guide us.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is very good suggestion.

Guest (1): When do you think that you could do it?

Prabhupāda: Yes. I can immediately begin. Yes.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I can give you our address in Johannesburg, and you can write letter trying to organize it for Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: How long it takes to go from here?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It's just a few hours. Johannesburg letter would only take two, three days.

Guest (1): Yes, that should be . . .

Prabhupāda: So you keep the address and be in correspondence.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Best if everything is set up beforehand, so when Prabhupāda comes it is already organized.

Guest (1): Yes. We can put it in newspaper, those who . . .

Prabhupāda: But one thing you must be assured, that if you can introduce this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, everyone will be happy. Be rest assured. That's a fact.

Guest (1): Because if you go to the villages . . .

Prabhupāda: Everyone will be happy. Men and animal, everyone will be happy. Even the trees and plants, they will be happy.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: We could have big saṅkīrtana parties in the villages here, too.

Devotee: How is it that the trees and plants will be happy?

Prabhupāda: Because they will hear Hare Kṛṣṇa. Not only trees and plants—the insects and everyone, they will have the opportunity of hearing Hare Kṛṣṇa. That will benefit.

Guest (1): If we have got this act, Swāmījī, here itself we can organize it. For example, we are getting holidays in November, school holidays, twenty-first November. So we can put it in the newspaper that, "Those who are interested, young people from fifteen or twenty to thirty or forty," these people can send their letter application . . . they send their letters, and they would come. So we can answer them through newspaper, also radio, through TV, so that they would come . . .

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you do organize, then I shall stay. It is very good program. Let us give it some shape with your good cooperation. So Kṛṣṇa is giving you intelligence. He is giving so nice program. You do it practically.

Guest (1): And we can conquer out there.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes. Paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam (CC Antya 20.12). Śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana is so powerful that it will conquer. It will be victorious. So I am very glad to meet you. And do this program. And if you like, I shall come back after a week and do. Utilize me in this way. I shall be very glad. That's all right.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (end)