760503 - Conversation - Fiji

Conversations by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Conversation

760503R1-FIJI - May 03, 1976 - 14.16 Minutes

Prabhupāda: . . . they used to discover, whole method is finished.

Hari-śauri: Oh, yeah. During the war.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Hari-śauri: Yes. So sinful means punishment . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Our point is that we are going to live in the future. So if, becoming modern, we forget our future, then what is the use of becoming modernized? Better remain primitive. The business is that in future also we shall exist. If we do not know how we shall exist—either I shall exist as a cat, as a dog or a tree or a demigod or as associate of Kṛṣṇa . . . if I do not know . . . on account of being modernized, if I remain in darkness about my future, so it is better to remain primitive. What is the use of becoming modernized and forget myself and my future? Becoming modernized, if I become dog in future, so where is the use of modernized? Real business is that I shall take care of my future, especially in the human form of body. Cats and dogs, they do not know about future. If I know there is future, I have a future . . . this is also said by Kṛṣṇa: tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13): "In future." Not this body, another body. So is it not my first business, to prepare what is my future body? That is my first business? Or to drink RC (Royal Crown cola) my first business? (laughter) Just see, by drinking RC if I, next life I become a dog, then what is the use of modernized life? And if we, by remaining in primitive state, we can produce Vyāsadeva, oh, it is better. But the fools have no sense. Suppose if I go to some place for some business, and going there, to select my hotel, which hotel I shall enter, I remain busy to find out the hotel and I forget the business for which I have gone there, then am I not madman?

The human life is meant for deciding his future. If we do not care for the future, and if I want to become modernized from primitive life, is that very good inclination? Real business forgotten, but I am busy with modernized life. That example I give sometimes, śajte śajte dol phurolo, mane (The Holi fair was over while she kept dressing means,) that one has to go to see a fair on account of Dol yatra (Festival of colors.) So women, they generally dress themself very nicely. So the woman said to his friend that, "Let me dress." So dressing, dressing, dressing. In the meantime, the fair finished. So the modern civilization is like that . . . śajte śajte dol phurolo. (The Holi fair was over while she kept dressing.) I have to go to see the fair, but I became so much attentive in dressing that in the meantime news came, "The fair is finished." That is our civilization. A human life is meant for preparing for the next life. That is sensible. But I am so much busy in manufacturing things for modernized life—RC, TC, PC and so on, so on.

In future, at the time of death, I begin to bark and I think, "Oh . . ." And nature will say: "Alright, come on." "No, no, I'm not going to . . ." No, why not? You have become modernized, barking like dog. So you bark. Who will check that? Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā . . . (BG 7.14). Māyā will take consideration, "What you have made yourself, a dog or god?" That she will take account. If you have made yourself a dog, "Just come on, become a dog." If you have made yourself as god, then "Come on, you'll be demigod." That is for everything. Otherwise why there are varieties? There is dog life and there is demigod life, Indra life. It is not one-sided. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), it is not one-sided. You have to change your body. And there are varieties of life, so it is up to you what kind of body you have got. You can change your body up to the point of becoming associate of Kṛṣṇa. Mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma . . . (BG 15.6). These informations are there. So if you have to prepare for the next life, why not go back to home, back to Godhead? Yad gatvā na nivartante. This is intelligent? Or to become modernized and become a dog next life. Which is intelligent? The śāstra says: "No, this is intelligent." What? Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattvam (SB 5.5.1). This life should be utilized for tapasya, to purify your existence. That is the śāstra. Śāstra does not say you become modernized. What is this modernized? Simply waste of time.

Gurukṛpā: Polished.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Gurukṛpā: Polished dogs.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Actual modernized means how far you have advanced in spiritual consciousness. That is wanted. It does not taste exactly ḍāl, I think, due to this new water in it. So is there any engagement?

Gurukṛpā: Today?

Prabhupāda: Somebody was to come?

Gurukṛpā: Was to come, but . . .

Prabhupāda: He is not coming. Who is not modernized? They will go to the dancing party for their salvation. (laughter) Dog dance.

Gurukṛpā: Today is Sunday. Everyone is busy with their family—family, society.

Prabhupāda: You know this Ravi Shankar?

Gurukṛpā: Umm-hmm.

Prabhupāda: His elder brother, Uday Shankar, he became very famous man as a dancer, all over the world. Uday Shankar. And by imitating his brother, the Ravi Shankar also tried to become first-class sitarist. So family . . . (break) . . . was a little famous for artistic. So that Uday Shankar was dancing in the Indian way, and there are many sculpture of dancing like that. That was his art. So he became famous.

Gurukṛpā: He's not living? He's dead?

Prabhupāda: No, he's dead means now he's old man. He's about my age or little older than me. Now his skin has become slackened and body is not so strong to dance. It requires exercise. Therefore he's retired, I think maybe dead. But I don't hear his name. He was more or less known in Europe as Shankar. But he was so popular that one my doctor friend . . . he was educated in London, a medical officer of Allahabad. So he told me that, "I saw that in Paris, Uday Shankar's dancing was advertised, and hundreds and thousands of people from England going to Paris, crossing the Channel to see him dance." He showed me. He's so popular. And now nobody asks for him. (laughs)

Gurukṛpā: Another bubble.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Gurukṛpā: Another bubble popped. I remember when Ravi Shankar and George Harrison came to see you in Vṛndāvana.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gurukṛpā: The first thing you asked them was, "You are very famous, but what will you be next life? What is your guarantee for the next life?"

Prabhupāda: Yes. I told him.

Gurukṛpā: And I don't think any other guru would have asked that.

Prabhupāda: Where is guru? Goru, you say goru. When it is pronounced guru, I say, you say, don't say guru, but you say goru.

Gurukṛpā: Goru.

Prabhupāda: Goru, no. Do you know goru? Goru means cow.

Gurukṛpā: Cow. (laughs)

Prabhupāda: (laughing) Otherwise they're going to find out, then don't say goru. Guru.

Gurukṛpā: Guru.

Prabhupāda: Goru means cow. Śrī-goru-caraṇa-padma. Śrī-goru. (laughs) So they're all gorus, nobody guru.

Gurukṛpā: Yes.

Prabhupāda: All rascals. Now that Ravi Shankar has become George guru. Somebody . . . you were telling me? That this boy has been taught to take the dust of the feet of Ravi Shankar in the stage, and people did not like it. So he has become unpopular accepting a goru. (end)