730226 - Conversation A - Jakarta

Conversations by Date, 1973

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

• This page has been split into 2 conversations - see 730226 - Conversation B - Jakarta for the second part.

730226R1-JAKARTA - February 26, 1973 - 13:54 Minutes

Prabhupāda:

andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānās

te 'pīśa-tantryām uru-dāmni baddhāḥ

na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ

durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ

(SB 7.5.31)

matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā

mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām

adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ

punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām

(SB 7.5.30)

Naiṣāṁ matis tāvad urukramāṅghriṁ

spṛśaty anarthāpagamo . . .

(SB 7.5.32)

(hums softly) Hmm. What is your philosophy of life?

Guest (1): Philosophy of life. How do you mean by that?

Prabhupāda: Philosophy means why you are working, why you are living, what is the purpose.

Guest (1): We are working for forefathers; I have been working also. We just follow the same tradition.

Prabhupāda: Still, there must some why. Why forefathers they work and they die? So do you think that is the only philosophy, to work and die? That is being done by the animals also. They work and die.

Guest (1): Then one should be true.

Prabhupāda: That is another thing. First thing is, why you are working? What is the purpose of working? If the purpose of working is to work hard and then die, finished, then where is the difference between the animals and the men? They are also working, day and night. Cats, dogs, hogs. Then after some time they die, without knowing the purpose of life.

Then where is the difference between the cats, dogs, hogs and general human beings? This question does not arise in the modern civilization. Everyone is thinking, "Yes, it is the same." But they're lying on the street, we're lying on a very nice apartment, bedstead. This is our profit.

Śrutakīrti: Śrīla Prabhupāda, it will take about a half hour to get the puffed rice.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Then you give me little fruit or . . .

Śrutakīrti: Fruits?

Prabhupāda: You have got that sliced? Bread sliced? No.

Śrutakīrti: Slices of bread, I have them here.

Prabhupāda: That last one.

Devotee: The one we made last, the good one.

Guest (1): Puffed rice kya hai? (What is puffed rice?)

Prabhupāda: Kurmura jisko bolna. Kabhi suna nahi kya? Kurmura. (The one which is called kurmura. You haven't heard about it? Kurmura.) In Bombay it is made. Somebody told me that he make at his home. They do it at home.

Guest (1): Kurmura, nahi. Kurmura. (Kurmura, no. Kurmura.) It is like rice.

Prabhupāda: Puffed rice, yes. In Bengal we call muri. It is very popular, staple food for ordinary . . . or I say everyone. In Bengal village, it is very popular because they're rice eaters. From rice they make this puffed rice. So they're taking it in the morning, puffed rice mixed with molasses and cheese. It makes very good combination.

Similarly . . . puffed rice must be there, and fruits, like mango, banana, little molasses and cheese, mixed together. It is very nice palatable dish. This jackfruit . . . puffed rice is the vehicle for eating all this. Or if these things are not available, then mix with ghee, little, and salt, pepper and, what is called? Cucumber.

Guest (1): Cucumber . . .

Prabhupāda: Khīrā, khīrā. You know khīrā?

Guest (1): No, I have been only once to India. Then also ten years ago.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Guest (1): Puffed rice, what is it called?

Prabhupāda: In Bombay it is called kurmura.

Guest (1): Kurmura.

Prabhupāda: You are in a different world.

Guest (1): Yes. Is it Bengali food though? In Bombay also?

Prabhupāda: Yes. This puffed rice is used all provinces.

Guest (1): All provinces.

Prabhupāda: All provinces, especially in Bombay and Bengal. I think everywhere—in Madras, U.P. In U.P. it is called bhujiya, chaval chana bhujiya.

Guest (1): Channa we have.

Prabhupāda: No. Channa . . . that is called chaval. Puffed rice means chaval. From grains we have got varieties of foods. Grains, fruits, vegetables, milk, sugar, we can make at least four hundred, five hundred varieties.

Guest (1): From rice.

Prabhupāda: No. From grains.

Guest (1): From grains.

Prabhupāda: In the Marwari community is . . . that, what is called, channa, channa. Channa and ghee, they can make varieties of preparations. Channa powder, chickpea flour, besan, besan. You know besan? Yes. From besan they make so many varieties. And besan, ghee and sugar.

Guest (1): Puffed rice, how to cook it?

Prabhupāda: Puffed rice itself is cooked food.

Guest (1): It's cooked food.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Rice, puffed, fused. Not fused; puffed.

Guest (1): Boiled.

Prabhupāda: No, it is not boiled.

Guest (1): So we get it . . .

Prabhupāda: It's a rough quality rice. It is not made from fine quality rice.

Guest (1): Unpolished.

Prabhupāda: Unpolished, rough quality rice. It is washed nicely, then mixed with little salt, then it is fried, then it is . . . they know the temper, fried, then they get it out. In Bengal they make. My mother used to do it. Then on sand bath, hot sand, you put this prepared hot rice and puff, puff, puff, puff, puff, puff, it becomes puffed. And then you take it out. And then mesh it, to get out of the sand. Then you cook it.

It is cooked in sand bath, hot sand. All this bhujiya, bhujiya, grains, in India there is professional maker. You . . . they have got hot sand always ready. You take some grains, and then you put in the hot sand and put, put, put, put, put, put, then they mesh it, return it packed—two paisa, three paisa.

Even in Punjab, I think. I think you have seen also, they take the dough for professional bread maker. The householder, they make the dough and took to a shopkeeper, and they make the bread. You haven't got to take the trouble of making bread. What is called that? Big, big bread?

Devotee: Big bread.

Guest (1): Cāpāṭi?

Prabhupāda: No. Cāpāṭi is different. Punjabis.

Guest (1): Papad.

Prabhupāda: No, not papad. You have got papad?

Guest (1): Yes. Very good

Prabhupāda: Take papad. Not now; at lunchtime.

Guest (1): Lunchtime.

Devotee: Papad.

Prabhupāda: Aat bajke dus abhi. (Now it is 8:10 a.m.) So you can come at night?

Devotee: (offers obeisances) (end)