690908 - Conversation - Hamburg

Conversations by Date, 1969

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this conversation

690908R1-HAMBURG - September 08, 1969 - 64:30 Minutes

Prabhupāda: . . . vedic civilization, unless one is inquisitive for the solution of the problems, he is not on the human being standard. Because there are so many problems. The animals cannot inquire, but a man can inquire. So unless one comes to this point, to inquire how these problems can be solved, he's not developed to human consciousness. He's still in animal consciousness.

Actually, the problem is that . . . what is this human civilization, advanced civilization? They are trying to solve problems. One problem is presented, and they try to solve it. Just like at the present moment they have manufacture atomic bomb, and all the nations are anxious to keep peace, and they have started that United Nation organization to solve the problems. Although they are unable, but they are trying.

So advancement of civilization means by nature some problem is offered, and they are trying to solve it. Anything you take, it is an attempt for trying to solve the problem. Just like in your country there is subway. What is that subway? Because on the surface there is enormous traffic, to solve this problem they want to go underground. And in this way somebody thinks, "Oh, Western countries are advanced than the Eastern countries. They have made some solution." But after that, there is another problem. So problem after problem.

So what is the ultimate problem? The ultimate problem is we do not want to suffer. That's all. We want comfortable, peaceful life. This is the ultimate problem. Is it not? Just think over. That is . . . in Sanskrit language it is called ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛttiḥ. Ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛttiḥ, to solve the problems of miseries.

We don't want any kind of misery. We don't want to suffer. We want very peaceful and joyful life. That is . . . but that is not being possible within this material world. That is the problem. The living entity is, by nature, he wants joyful life . . . Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Abhyāsāt. Abhyāsāt means by natural tendency he wants joyful life. But . . . there is a song, Bengali song. A poet writes, sukhera lāgiyā ei ghara bandhila anale puriya gelā: "I constructed my home to live very peacefully and comfortably. All of a sudden, there was set fire, and everything vanquished." Just like in America you have got experience that Mr. Kennedy, he became president after long struggle. He had very nice wife, children, honor, prestige, everything. And somebody was saying, telling me yesterday, that people took him as very happy man. Within a second, all finished. He was driving, he was in procession, people were honoring him, and within a second—finished.

So everyone is trying to be very happy, comfortable, but it is being finished within a second. Is it not a fact? Huh? Is there any disagreement on this point? That is the problem. Everyone is trying to solve this problem in his own way. They are manufacturing different ways only, but the problem is not solved. The problem is there.

Here (there) in America, whenever I meet some gentleman in the street and he understands that I am coming from India, he says: "Oh, India is very poverty-stricken." You see? So . . . as if there is no problem in America. There is one problem: food scarcity. But I tell him that "You have got also many problems. You are not problem-free."

So there is . . . suppose you have got some pain here. Sometimes we think that, "If pain would have been here, then it would have been nice. Here it is very painful." So pain, here or there, it is pain. You see? So either you have got problem of food grains or problem of hippies, but the problem is there. A different feature only.

Therefore one should be very much careful to know how to solve the problem. Actually, we are trying. We are trying to advance in education, in scientific knowledge. In so many things we are trying. The material nature is offering problems after problems. That is the nature's business. You solve one problem, and she'll present another problem. First of all, one . . . somebody thought, "If there is aeroplane, then it will be very nice to travel in the space."

But now the problem is that by aeroplane, if there is enmity, another country can face my country without any fight. So another problem. (laughs) Now they have to go underground. I was reading in the World Almanac that next hundred years people will live underground. You have read that? That World Almanac?

Śivānanda: This is taking place in Montreal.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Śivānanda: This is taking place in Montreal.

Prabhupāda: Just see. They will come on the surface just to breathe little freely. Otherwise, they will have to live within underground. So another problem is coming. (chuckles) Intelligent persons should think of how this ultimate problem can be solved.

So what will be the answer? How ultimate problem can be solved? The problem is there, you agree, everyone? Or you have disagreement, there is no problem. You think there is no problem? Eh? Problem there is, you think? So how to solve it? They have tried their utmost. It is not solved. Then what is the solution? That solution is there in the Bhagavad-gītā in the Seventh Chapter. Where is Bhagavad-gītā? Is there? No Bhagavad-gītā here?

Devotee (1): I have one in my case.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Give me my spectacle. Behind that, there is small book. Just up. Yes. Give me that.

Alfred: May I take some pictures tonight?

Prabhupāda: Just open . . . Hayagrīva, you can come here. Sit down here. Seventh Chapter, fourteenth verse.

Hayagrīva: (reading) "This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material . . ."

Prabhupāda: Fourteen? That is fourteen?

Hayagrīva: 7.14?

Prabhupāda: Seventh Chapter, fourteenth verse.

Hayagrīva: Fourteenth verse. "This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it."

Prabhupāda: This is the solution. This material nature . . . what is that? Read it again.

Hayagrīva: "This divine energy . . . this divine energy of Mine . . ."

Prabhupāda: Yes. This material nature is another energy of Kṛṣṇa, or God. So the energy is very strong. It is very difficult to surpass the problems put forward by the material energy. What is the exact language?

Hayagrīva: "This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome."

Prabhupāda: "Is difficult to overcome." There are three modes of material nature: goodness, passion and ignorance. But they are very difficult to overcome. And now, what is the solution?

Hayagrīva: "But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it."

Prabhupāda: Yes. The solution is we have to surrender unto the Supreme. Just like if you are arrested by the police, then it is very difficult to get out of their clutches. But if you are a good citizen, surrendered soul to the state, there is no problem; the police has nothing to do with you. Is it very difficult to understand? The problems are there, and the problems are under the management of this material nature.

So it is not possible to overcome the stringent laws of material nature, exactly like if you are once arrested by the police department, it is not very easy to come out. So mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te (BG 7.14). So if you want to get out of these clutches of material nature, which is putting forward problems after problem, then you have to become a surrendered soul, or Kṛṣṇa conscious. Otherwise, material nature is so strong, you think, "Now this problem is solved," but actually that is not solved. You create another problem. So is there any other method for solving the problems? Anyone can suggest?

The ultimate problem is, of course, death. Nobody wants to die. Even one is very old man, older than me, and his body is not working, he's invalid, he cannot walk even, lying on the bed—still, he wants to live. If some suffering old man, from many diseases, invalid person, if you say: "My dear father, grandfather, you are so much suffering. Let me shoot you," "Oh, no, no, no. Don't shoot me." He doesn't want to die. So death is a problem. Nobody wants to die, but death comes and captures him, just like President Kennedy, within a second (snaps finger) "Leave this position." Forced. Submit. "Yes. What can I do?" No scientific advancement of knowledge.

Of course, this is also another science, Kṛṣṇa science. But we understand scientific knowledge, this material scientists . . . material science. They are also trying. The Russians sometimes say that, "Time will come when science will solve the problem of death. Nobody will die." Let them think like that, but it is not possible. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:

janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-

duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam

(BG 13.9)

One who is actually learned, advanced in knowledge, he should know that these four things: the miseries of taking birth . . . the misery of taking birth means we have to take . . . we have to appear . . . after this body is finished, we have to take another body. How this body is constructed, developed? In the womb of the mother. The father gives the semina with the living entity within, and mother receives it and develops it, body. This is nature's law. So you have to live within the mother, compact, air-tight packed, for ten months at least.

Just imagine if you are packed in a bag and put in a air-tight compartment, locked up, would you like? You'll die within three seconds. But the arrangement is so nice, by nature's law, the intestine, that the child lives with the mother's breathing, mother's fooding. Even unconscious, his development of the body goes on. That is nature's arrangement. But you cannot do that. It is by God's grace the child lives. Otherwise, by your so-called scientific calculation, nobody can live in that condition. You just try it. Take any man, pack him, and put it in the air-tight condition. He'll die within three seconds.

So there is suffering during birth. Similarly, there is suffering during death. These are . . . and the concomitant sufferings always with this body. Similarly, there is suffering if you are diseased, and similarly there is suffering when you are old. Just like we are old, and some way or other, keeping this body by massaging, by taking some medicine, this way, that way. This body is no longer just like a young man's body. It is suffering body.

As soon as you are over fifty years, by nature, so the old age begins. And when you are over seventy years, you are completely old, and you have to suffer the consequences of old age. You may try to keep that old body some . . . but there is suffering. A young man cannot understand, but one who is old, he can understand, there is suffering: suffering of old age, suffering of birth, suffering of death and suffering of diseases. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). If you are proud of your advancement of knowledge, that we have solved all the questions, all the problems, in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says: "Don't think like that. That is your foolishness. These problems are there. What you can do?" That is learning, "Yes. Problems are not solved. The problems are there." That is knowledge. If you have got some problem, and . . . just like the rabbits.

The rabbits, when they face one hunter and it understands that, "Now my life is in danger," he closes his eyes. He thinks that, "The problem is solved." (laughs) And peacefully he is killed. (laughs) You see? Similarly, their problems are there but we are closing our eyes, "Oh, there is no problem. We are very happy." That's it. (laughter) So this is called māyā. The problem is not solved, but they are thinking that problem is solved by closing the eyes. That's all.

Now, here is the solution of problem, as Kṛṣṇa says in the fourteenth verse, Seventh Chapter, of Bhagavad-gītā: "It is very difficult to surmount the problems offered by the laws of material nature, but one who surrenders unto Me, he overcomes." Therefore we are teaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness to solve the problems of life. It is not sentiment or fanaticism or any sectarian religion. It is a fact that if you want to solve the problems of life, you have to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. There is no other alternative.

Kṛṣṇa-nāma karo bhāi āra saba mithyā. You understand Bengali? (chuckles) It says that, "Just chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Everything is false, all other means of making some . . . false." Why? Palāibe patha naya ya mache kichu. "You cannot escape. Just death is waiting behind you." So before death overcomes you, you make a solution of the problem. That is intelligence, that "The greatest danger is awaiting me—death." That is sure. "As sure as death."

Everyone knows. Now, how we shall meet death? Like cats and dogs? Then what is the use of this human form of life? The cats and dogs, they have got body. They have also will meet death. And I have got body; I will also meet death. So am I meant for meeting death like cats and dogs? Then what kind of human form . . . human being I am? No. The śāstra says that labdhvā su-durlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte (SB 11.9.29). After many, many evolution of different kinds of body . . . you understand the evolutionary theory. It is not exactly like Darwin's theory, but this evolutionary process is there. That is admitted in Vedic literature—from lower grade of animal life to the higher grade of animal life. So this human form of life is to be understood. We have got this human form of life after many, many lower grades of life. Labdhvā su-durlabham. And it's very rare.

You count, those who are biologists, you count how many kinds of living entities are there. There are 8,400,000's of species of life. Out of that, the human being are very small quantity. Out of 8,400,000, the human species of life are 400,000; compared with other animals, a very small quantity.

Out of that, there are uncivilized men, many. They are almost animals. Then there is civilized form of human being, just like we are. Out of them, they do not know . . . many, they do not know what is spiritual life. Manuṣyāṇām. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu (BG 7.3). Out of many thousands of human being, one is interested to make a solution of the problems. Not everyone. Everyone, they do not know even that what is the problem. Neither they do care for it. They think, "All right, let there be problem. We have got this life. Let us enjoy senses." So they are almost animal. But those who are inquisitive how to solve the problem, they are actually accepted as human being. Others, they are not even human being; they are almost animals.

So we have got this opportunity. This body should be utilized properly, how to solve the problem. If we simply give ourself in the waves of the cycle of birth and death, of different types of body, that is not very good intelligence. Not intelligence at all. So this human form of life should be utilized how to make solution of the problems. That is Vedic civilization. They stressed more on the solution of the problems . . .

(break) . . . create problems. The materialistic way of life means to increase and create problems. That is not perfect human civilization. The perfect human civilization is that you have to sit very calmly quietly and philosophically think, "How to solve the problem? Where I shall get the knowledge?" This is human possible.

The whole Vedic instruction is like that: "Now you utilize this form of life to make a solution of this problem. Don't die . . . before death comes, you make a solution. Don't die like cats and dogs." No. And one who tries . . . the Veda says, etad viditvā yaḥ prayāti sa brāhmaṇaḥ: "One who dies after attempting to make a solution of the problems, he is brahmin." And one who dies like cats and dog, he is called kṛpaṇa. Kṛpaṇa means a very less intelligent man.

So we should not die like cats and dog. We should die like brahmin. Even in one life this solution is not made, then you get next life opportunity. Just like all these boys who have come to us, it is to be understood that they tried in their last life also for making a solution of this problem, but it was not finished; there is another opportunity. These things are stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So now, this life, you should be determined. Those who are coming to the touch of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and initiated to execute, they should be very determined that, "In this life we shall make a solution. No more . . . no more coming again." That should be our determination.

So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is for this purpose—to make a solution to all the problems of life and go back to home, back to Godhead, where we get eternal, blissful life of knowledge. This is the sum and substance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. What do you think, our Australian friend? What is your name?

Alfred: Alfred.

Prabhupāda: Alfred?

Alfred: Alfred.

Prabhupāda: Humphrey?

Devotee: No, no, no.

Alfred: Alfred. Yes.

Prabhupāda: Alfred.

Devotee: He's from Austria.

Prabhupāda: So, very good. So you try to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and just start a center in your country.

Alfred: No, there is no center.

Prabhupāda: No chance?

Alfred: Well, we can start one.

Lady devotee: We can start one. We can start a center.

Alfred: Yes, maybe, maybe.

Prabhupāda: Why not? There are also human being. Why not? Let . . . people are suffering. Let them have this knowledge and be happy. Our proposal is sarve sukhino bhavantu. That is Vedic civilization: "You all be happy." The Vedic civilization is not "Oh, here is very nice boy. Oh, you have got money. Let me exploit you and bluff you and take your money." That is not Vedic civilization. Vedic civilization is to think, "Oh, let everyone be happy." Sarve sukhino bhavantu: "Everyone be happy."

So we are preaching this Kṛṣṇa consciousness cult. It is not a cult; it is an actual, the fact for solving all problems. People should know. And if he is intelligent, he'll accept it. If he's intelligent. Because kṛṣṇa yei bhaje sei baḍa catura. Without being very intelligent, nobody can become Kṛṣṇa conscious. It is not possible. Less intelligent persons cannot do it. It is meant for the first-class intelligent man.

(pause) (aside) Ārati? Later on.

English boy (2): Is it possible for one to make it in this life? This one . . .? Is it possible that one falls down?

Prabhupāda: It is possible in one second, provided you are serious. It is not difficult. Kṛṣṇa-bhakti . . . Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). "After many, many births, one . . . when one is intelligent, wise, fully grown, wise, he surrenders unto Me," Kṛṣṇa says. So if I am intelligent, then I will see that, "If that is the goal of life, that after many, many births one has to surrender to Kṛṣṇa, why not myself surrender immediately?" This is intelligence. If this is a fact, that one has to come to this point after cultivating knowledge for many, many births, then why not accept it immediately? Why shall I wait for many, many births if this is a fact?

So that requires little intelligence. It does not require many, many births. It requires little intelligence. Take to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously, your problems are solved. Now, if you don't believe in it, then come to argument, come to philosophy, come to reason. Go on arguing. There are volumes of books. You can be convinced. You can learn it. The every answer is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. You can try to understand it with your reason, with your argument. It is open.

Just like Arjuna. Arjuna was taught Bhagavad-gītā, how much time? Utmost, within half an hour. Because he was very intelligent. This Bhagavad-gītā, the people of the world are reading. Very, very learned scholar, wise men, they are reading. They are trying to understand, giving different interpretation. And there are thousands of edition, commentary. But Arjuna was intelligent; he understood it within half an hour.

So it requires of the relative intelligence. Everything . . . this world is relative. Law of relativity. That is scientific. Professor Einstein's theory? Law of relativity? So it is relatively. One can become immediately Kṛṣṇa conscious within a second, and one cannot become Kṛṣṇa consciousness after many, many births. So it is relative. If you have got sufficient intelligence, you can accept it immediately. If there is less intelligence, then it will take time. You cannot say that, "It will be possible after so many years." That cannot be said. It is relative. Everything is relative. For a human being, from here to here, one step; and for a small microbe, it is ten miles from here to here. Ten miles for him.

So everything is relative. This world is relative world. There is no such formula that, "One can be Kṛṣṇa conscious after so many years." No. There is no such formula. One cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious even millions after . . . birth, and one can become within second Kṛṣṇa conscious. But on the average, within this life we can become perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness if we take it seriously.

Especially you are all young boys. We expect at least you'll live for fifty years more. Oh, that is sufficient time. Sufficient. More than sufficient. More than sufficient. If for fifty years one chants simply Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, he is sure to become perfect. There is no doubt about it. Simply if he chants this mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, oh, there is no doubt about it.

Guest (3): I had a question. Whose choice is it? In other words, you said it takes an intelligent person to become Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but it's obvious that (there) are not so many intelligent people. Whose choice is it? In other words, if a person isn't intelligent, is it because he wants to enjoy that makes him ignorant?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (3): Or is it because he just has to wait until he is . . .

Prabhupāda: It is his choice. Just like if somebody offers you one million dollars, "Take it," you do not know what is the value of one million dollar, you will refuse it. So little intelligence. So the choice is yours. In all the case, the choice is yours. If you know the value, instantly you accept it. If you do not know the value, then it will take time. But after all, the choice is depending on you to accept it or not accept it. It is your choice. Kṛṣṇa also says in the Bhagavad-gītā. After instructing him, He inquires, "Whether your illusion is now over? What you decide to do now?" He said: "Yes, my illusion is over. I will act what You say." That's all. The choice is mine.

Alfred: I know so many people, young people, that when they see us chanting on the street, I can see their eyes that they really want to chant also, but something is stopping them. They really . . .

Prabhupāda: That is māyā. Māyā is there. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, "The māyā is very strong." But if you capture Kṛṣṇa very . . . more strongly, then māyā cannot do anything. If something is opposing your chanting, then you'll have to chant more loudly: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. So you defeat māyā. The medicine is the same. At least, I do so. When I am in some danger, I chant Hare Kṛṣṇa loudly: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ (laughter) Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. That's all. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura . . . there is song: jāy sakal bipod gaya bhaktivinod bole jakhon o-nām gāi (from Gītāvalī). He says: "As soon as I chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa, I become immediately free from all dangers."

So the means is there. We have to utilize it. That requires intelligence. So my request to you all boys, that you try to understand and . . . you understand or not understand, it is a standard method. Try to induce people to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. They will be happy. They will get the . . . real thing will be delivered to them. That is a fact. So such a simple method and such sublime gain, so why one should lose this opportunity? There is no loss, but the gain is very great. So why should we all lose this opportunity?

Let us make an experiment, chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. And those who are making, those who are chanting, they are being convinced, they are being advanced. They are realizing. Otherwise . . . they are not wasting time. Here is a boy, he is postgraduate. He is teacher. So he's not a fool. So why he's sticking, unless he's feeling that, "Yes, I am advancing"?

So anyone who will take to it, he will understand, yes, he is advancing. It may take little more time or quickly; that doesn't matter. But he will feel it. Pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyam (BG 9.2). Just like you are suffering, you are hungry. If actually nutritious foodstuff is given to you, when you eat, you understand, "Yes, I am getting strength. My hunger is being satisfied." This is also like that.

If you take to chanting, you will feel, "Yes, I am getting strength. My misgivings are being moved." In this way you go on, go on, go on, the perfect stage will come. It may take little more time or it may come quickly. That depends on my relative endeavor. But it will come. Be sure. And with this faith and conviction and understanding, you make progress. Everything will be all right.

But don't be misled that, "There is no problem of life; we are very happy, eating, sleeping, mating." This is animal life. There is so many great problems. Very great problems. This birth, death, old age, disease and repeated . . . bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Once manifested, again non-manifested; again manifested, again non-manifested. This body is manifested; now it will be finished. Again we will have to take shelter of a mother's womb by such a process, maybe human being or other than human being. Then another body manifested. Then again finished, then again manifested. So it is . . . this is very troublesome business. (laughs) So why should we accept this troublesome business? Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19).

This body is changing. Just remember your childhood: oh, how much troublesome life we have undergone in our . . . at least I can remember. Everyone can remember. So stop this problem. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). And what is the difficulty? You do your own work and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. We don't say that you stop your business, stop your occupation. You remain. Just like he is teacher. All right, he is teacher. He is jeweler. Remain jeweler. He's something, he's something. That doesn't matter. But be Kṛṣṇa conscious. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Think of Kṛṣṇa. Take kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Everything is there. And be happy. That is our propaganda. You learn yourself, and preach this cult. People will be happy. Simple method.

Prabhupāda: Viśvanātha Prabhu, you understand English?

Woman: Yes.

Prabhupāda: You stay with your son?

Woman: No. I am visting him for a few weeks.

Prabhupāda: So why don't you stay here and join your son for preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Because your son is so good, you must be good. Because a son cannot be good unless the mother is good, because son inherits the mother's quality. That is nature. This Hayagrīva's mother wrote me first one letter of congratulations, and she came also to see me in New Vrindaban, his father and mother. Especially his mother is very happy.

So, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will produce good father and mother, and therefore they will have good children, and there will be no problem in the world. If everyone is Kṛṣṇa conscious . . . not everyone; even ten percent people become Kṛṣṇa conscious, there will be no problem. Problem is created due to bad children. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: varṇa-saṅkara (BG 1.42). So if there are good children, there is no problem. Even in this material world, everything will become happy.

The basic principle of Vedic civilization is to create good children. All the rules and regulation, everything is there just to create good children. In the first chapter of Bhagavad-gītā these things are described very nicely by Arjuna. There are many purificatory processes to create a good child. A human being is not meant for creating offspring like cats and dogs. They must produce very good child. That is Vedic civilization. Good child means Kṛṣṇa conscious child. That's all. Yes.

So we are trying to turn these children of the Western world, good children. And people should cooperate with us, this movement. They are taking care of the children, especially young boys and girls they are coming, and we are taking care of them very nicely. Sometimes we are getting them married also, to make their life very peaceful and intelligent and spiritually advanced, and make a solution of life. So people should come forward to cooperate with this movement.

(pause) How many children you have got?

Woman: Two boys.

Prabhupāda: Two?

Woman: And other one.

Prabhupāda: Other. He is eldest?

Woman: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Where is that boy?

Woman: Ah. The other one is in Canada.

Prabhupāda: Canada? In Vancouver? No.

Devotee: No. In Calgary.

Prabhupāda: So is there any other process in making solution. Hayagrīva? You are biased.

Hayagrīva: Yes. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: You suggest that, "Here is another solution. Why we should take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" No. There is no other. You have got any suggestion, any other method? No. Then why don't you take to it and preach? What is the difficulty? You don't like to take it?

Maṇḍalībhadra your friend he doesn't like? Ask him. If it is good you must take it. That is intelligence. Should not reject anything good especially Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Woman: (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the instruction of Rūpa Gosvāmī.

kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā-matiḥ

krīyatāṁ yadi kuto 'pi labhyate

tatra laulyam ekalaṁ mūlyam

na janma-koṭi sukṛtair labhyate

(CC Madhya 8.70 quoting Padyāvalī 14)

Very nice verse. He instructs that, "If you can purchase Kṛṣṇa consciousness from any market, any store, please immediately buy it." Then next question is, "Then what is the price? What shall I have to pay for it?" And Rūpa Gosvāmī says: "Oh, the price is simply eagerness." Tatra laulyam. "Yes, I must have Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is the price, that's all.

But that Laulyam, that eagerness, is not achieved even after many, many births. That is the price. Therefore it requires a little intelligence. "Oh, such a valuable thing? I can purchase only by eagerness? Why not become eager immediately?" That is intelligence.

You are German or Australian or American?

Guest: I am English.

Prabhupāda: Oh?

Devotee: (indistinct) . . . from England. He is chanting on the record too.

Prabhupāda: Oh, you are living in our temple, no? What is your name?

Guest: Jimmy

Prabhupāda: So you are initiated, no? You are initiated, no?

Guest: . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Not yet. Some boy got initiated. Three boys.

Guest: Three yes.

Prabhupāda: So when you have come? Here? (break)

Guest: When did I come? This evening.

Prabhupāda: This evening. Oh? Very nice. So we are going to London . . . (break) (end)