761103 - Conversation A - Vrndavana

Conversations by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this Conversation

761103R1-VRNDAVAN - November 03, 1976 - 16:54 Minutes

Prabhupāda: . . . brainwash.

Hari-śauri: But how can they take it that what we're doing is a bad thing? If we're training people how to avoid intoxication, how to avoid illicit sex, abortion, contraception . . .

Prabhupāda: They say: "Why you should avoid? This is life. Why you are brainwashing?" One boy was there in the beginning . . . what was his name? Ranchor, his name, I gave him. So his father argued, "Why you are avoiding illicit sex? This is life! Why you are afraid? I'll give you car. I'll give you girls. You enjoy. What is this philosophy, nonsense philosophy?" His father was arguing. I think everyone's father argues like that. Lord Ronaldsay, he said: "Why you are prohibiting this thing? This is our life. It is impossible."

Hari-śauri: The thing is in society still, even now, there are people who abstain from it. There are vegetarians or . . .

Prabhupāda: There may be very few, one or two. That is insignificant. One million, two person, he is. At least especially in your country.

Hari-śauri: The thing is that they don't claim that they are brainwashed. So we're a society where we're doing all these things, combinedly.

Prabhupāda: "It is folly to be wise where ignorance is bliss." If the majority are fools and rascal, if you say something sane, then they'll ask . . . the man, the sane man, he is insane. He's crazy.

Hari-śauri: Hmm. Then how to fight them?

Prabhupāda: That is the position. The only means is that in spite of all opposition you have to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That will cleanse. Otherwise there is no other way. Argument and logic, they have no brain to understand. It requires this transcendental method, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is wanted. You have to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and let them . . . give the chance to hear. Then they will be able to catch it, what we are saying. Not directly. It is not possible.

Hari-śauri: Then how are we going to fare in this court case? 'Cause in these court cases it's a question of presenting one side against the . . .

Prabhupāda: No, philosophy is there. Court case means there is philosophy, there is logic. So for that we have got so many books. We can . . . but general mass of people, chanting. When there is court case we are prepared to defend. We have got . . . you are not fools. We can talk that what is the aim of life. They cannot say anything. The transmigration of the soul, the aim of life which we are discussing in our book, that's fact. How he can deny the transmigration of the soul from one body to another? And if that is accepted, the whole problem is solved. He does not know what kind of life he is going to get. Therefore they do not accept this philosophy. If once accepted, then next question: "What kind of life you are going to get, either to become a tree or a dog or a human being?" What arrangement you have done that you will get next life human being? Then the pious and impious activities comes one after another. The basic principle they are denying, "After this body is finished, everything is finished." Bhāsmi bhūtasya dehasya punar agama . . . "The body will be burned into ashes, and where is life? Who is coming? Who is going?" They do not see the soul. Their medical science cannot find out where is soul. How do they say the . . . the soul means intelligence, they say. Otherwise, do they say the animal has no soul? Why do they say? What is the . . . what is . . . "Man has soul," they say: "The animal has no soul."

Jagadīśa: That's what the Christians say. The Christians say.

Prabhupāda: So what is the symptom?

Hari-śauri: Well, they . . . 'cause he, man, has reason and logic.

Prabhupāda: That means reason and logic is soul. That is their idea. That is not soul. Intelligence, when I say: "You have got intelligence," it does not mean you are intelligence. "You have got intelligence," we say like that. We never say: "You are intelligence." So intelligence is not soul. The rascals, they do not know. Mistake. Nobody says: "You are intelligence." They say, "You are intelligent."

Hari-śauri: Intelligence is something you possess.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (someone enters) Hare Kṛṣṇa. So? (break)

Hari-śauri: (looking in dictionary) "Brainwashing: clearing the mind of established ideas by persistent suggestion and indoctrination."

Prabhupāda: That is . . . (chuckles) We are doing that. They, they are under the impression, "Work hard, earn money and enjoy life." We say, "No. Don't work hard for sense gratification but work hard for self-realization." Indoctrine.

Hari-śauri: Yep well, any form of education is indoctrination.

Prabhupāda: Indoctrinization. Yes. Any kind of education is.

Hari-śauri: Whatever you teach someone, you teach according to whatever you see as the correct value.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The child goes to the school. His brain is packed up, "I shall play all day." He likes that, to play, but it is indoctrinization that "No, you should read. You must become graduate."

Hari-śauri: Yes. And whatever country he's born in, he has to learn the culture of that country; he's indoctrinated.

Prabhupāda: Apart from that, education is required. The child wants to play, but we have to educate him that "No, play is not all. You have to be educated."

Hari-śauri: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: Similarly, this animal life—eating, sleeping, mating—this is already there. No. We say: "Not only this, you have to realize God." This kind of brainwash is required. If we do not understand God, then what is the difference between you and dog? He knows how to eat, how to sleep. He doesn't require any high education . . . (indistinct) . . . how to eat. Everyone knows how to eat, how to use sex. Nobody requires any university education.

Hari-śauri: Simply ignorance.

Prabhupāda: When the animal enjoy sex, they know which part of the body has to be used.

Hari-śauri: They don't have to be taught.

Prabhupāda: It is not, there is no need of education. He knows it. And these rascals, they are presenting Freud's philosophy, sex. Just see how they are wasting time.

Hari-śauri: They have so many books now on so-called sex education, so many of them.

Prabhupāda: Simply wasting time. There is a story about this. One man was canvassing, hawking. Hawker?

Hari-śauri: Yes, hawker.

Prabhupāda: So he was, "Here is a book of cow protection," cow protection. He has written one book to take care of the cows. So when old man called him, "What you are selling?" Now, "I am selling this book." "What is that book?" "Maintaining the cow." So, "Why you are selling? First of all you give this book to your mother, because you are no better than cow, so she will learn how to give you protection." That means he wanted to impress upon him that, "Cow protection doesn't require any education. You have written a book? So you are such a rascal, cow intelligence. Better give this book to your mother. She will maintain you. Don't sell it. Everyone knows how to give cow protection." So similarly, this sex literature, there is no need of sex literature.

Hari-śauri: No.

Prabhupāda: Sex literature is there in Sanskrit also. That is how to restrict sex. For what purpose one should indulge in sex, that is called Kāma-śāstra. I have seen this Freud philosophy became so prominent that sometimes in the year . . . 1940s maybe, so one young woman was travelling, and another young man was travelling. So they began to discuss about sex very openly. And both of them unknown. Still, they engaged themselves in discussing the sex literature, without any shame.

Hari-śauri: Pseudo-intellectuals.

Prabhupāda: Huh.

Hari-śauri: Pseudo-intellectuals. Shameless.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Young boy, young girl, they began to discuss on sex openly as scientific.

Hari-śauri: What is this scientific? (laughs)

Prabhupāda: Scientific means after discussing for some time you propose that, "Let us enjoy sex." That's all. It is common thing in your country—unknown girl, unknown boy, and talk for some time, "Let us go to some restaurant," and then talk more intimately, and then sex.

Hari-śauri: That's the whole social system.

Prabhupāda: "Would you like to sex?" And who is the young man, young . . . who'll deny it? I know this. During ball dance they embrace one another, another's wife, another's husband, and in ball dance . . . or there are side rooms. Naturally they'll feel sex, and they go to the side room and discuss. Is it not?

Devotee: Yes.

Hari-śauri: The only reason they go to a dance is to pick up some woman for sex life. That's all.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: Most of my friends used to go out specifically to find some woman to have sex.

Prabhupāda: This dancing club means this.

(long pause) (end)