750528 - Morning Walk - Honolulu

Morning Walks by Date, 1975

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 Listen to a 'Nectar Drop' created from this lecture

750528MW-HONOLULU - May 28, 1975 - 34:09 Minutes

Śrutakīrti: (introducing recording) The following morning walk takes place on Waikiki Beach, Hawaii, on May 28th, 1975. (break)

Prabhupāda: This earthly planet also looks bright like the moon?

Śrutakīrti: At night?

Prabhupāda: No, when it looks bright?

Śrutakīrti: Well, they say from space, when looking at earth, it is also bright.

Prabhupāda: Bright. But why daytime it is looking bright? Why it is not bright? The moon is bright still, but is it bright?

Paramahaṁsa: Is what . . .?

Prabhupāda: This earthly planet is also bright?

Paramahaṁsa: I'm not sure.

Gurukṛpa: Within this universe are there other planets similar to the earthly planet, where the inhabitants are getting the same . . . similar material bodies?

Prabhupāda: No, every planet there are inhabitants.

Gurukṛpa: But similar to this?

Prabhupāda: Hmm. (aside) Don't come very near.

Gurukṛpa: This is called martya-loka, and are there other . . .

Prabhupāda: Not similar. Every planet is different from the other. Just like in down planets there is no sunlight, so how they can be one? There the light arrangement is different. (break)

Devotee (1): . . . He displays His Vṛndāvana only on the earthly-like planet?

Prabhupāda: Yes, Vṛndāvana is there already.

Devotee (1): It's already there?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.

Devotee (1): Because I know when He comes to the earthly planet and He displays to the human being, and I know that there's the higher and lower planetary systems. But like when He goes to any universe, is it always to the earthly-like planet, like such as earth? It's always like that?

Prabhupāda: Just like the government has got a circled house in every big, big cities, similarly, in every planet there is a replica of Vṛndāvana.

Gurukṛpa: But what about Lord Caitanya? He is the little rarer.

Prabhupāda: No. Caitanya, all incarnation. (break) . . . difficulty is that these foolish man, they cannot understand that God is a person. Therefore they are puzzled. That is the difficulty. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). The Absolute Truth is manifested in three features: impersonal Brahman, Paramātmā . . . localized Paramātmā, and Personality of Godhead—that they cannot understand. They take that impersonal Brahman as important.

Bali-mardana: Previously people believed in the personal idea, but now they have become very envious. They have tried to get rid of it.

Prabhupāda: More demons. Because with the progress of so-called civilization, people are becoming more and more demons, so they cannot understand. Mūḍhā nābhijānāti. Mūḍhā, he cannot understand. That is the difficulty. More dull-headed, less intelligent persons are coming. Just see. Formerly there was no skyscraper building. Now they are thinking, "So long this body is there, let us enjoy." And the . . . in the body, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāra . . . (BG 2.13). The soul is within the body—there is no care. And that he is going to become a dog next life, but he is satisfied that "This life I have got this skyscraper building." That's all.

Bali-mardana: Previously the only big building was the church.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Big church or king's royal palace, like that. Ordinary men, they used to live in cottage. That is especially in India. They did not . . . What is the use? If you are not going to live there . . . it is a common sense. But they have no idea. They are thinking, "We shall live forever in this house." And Kṛṣṇa says that "I will come as death and take away all your possession." That they cannot understand. They will think that "No, my possession is all. I will die. I will go to hell. Still, it is my possession." This is. He will go to hell; still, his possession. (laughs) This is intelligence.

Gurukṛpa: They are so dependent that if there is no electricity, where will they get water on the twentieth floor?

Prabhupāda: No, no, apart from that . . . there are so many inconveniences, there is no doubt about it. But he is thinking, "Now I have done this skyscraper building, it is my possession. And even though I go to hell, it will remain my possession." He does not believe next life, but he is thinking, "My generation." But if there is no next life, what is the question of generation? Who is coming to become your generation if there is no next life? Hmm? "My son, my grandson will . . ." But who is coming to be your . . . because there is no next life, everything is finished with this body, then who is coming to be your son and who is coming to be your grandson? The common sense. But that's so dull, you cannot understand.

Gurukṛpa: You once told us the story of the rich man, and he died and became a . . .

Prabhupāda: No, no, that is also believing next life. But if they do not believe next life, then who is coming to be your son? Why you are so anxious for your son and grandson?

Bali-mardana: He is simply an accident.

Prabhupāda: So for accident you are spending so much money and energy? All contradictory. There is no even common sense. Still, they will not take the actual fact from the authoritative śāstra. (break) . . . nābhijānāti. (break)

Passerby: What kind of a sect are you?

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa conscious.

Passerby: Christian what?

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa conscious. (to devotees) Just tell him.

Bali-mardana: Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Passerby: Oh.

Prabhupāda: God conscious.

Passerby: Oh. What country are you from?

Prabhupāda: India.

Passerby: India. Well, I'll tell you, it's sort of interesting. I hope you don't feel any affront. And what are you doing now, sort of a meditation?

Prabhupāda: Yes. We are chanting. Chanting the holy name of God.

Passerby: Uh-huh.

Devotee: Our whole purpose is to serve God and to revive our love for God.

Passerby: Sure. That's right. I understand that, and, you know, I'm very broad-minded. I always have said . . . you know, one time in our Methodist church we had a professor that was giving all religions of the world. And this is rather putting it simply and fast, but it was interesting, because of all the different religions, even though they all didn't believe in the divine being, Christ being the son of God, in some cases—there's Buddha and so forth—but they all were preaching about going to the same place, so to speak. And it's peculiar. They all had more or less the Ten Commandments. In other words, they all believed in doing the same thing. So that was interesting . . .

Prabhupāda: But I don't think Christians believe.

Passerby: So I know you people are good, just as good as I am. Bless you all, and I wish I and all of us were better.

Prabhupāda: Do you think Christians believe in the Ten Commandments?

Passerby: We think we do, I guess, but we don't practice it, you know.

Prabhupāda: Christ says, "Thou shall not kill." So why they are killing?

Passerby: Yes, you're right. But, you know, up the road someplace maybe there's an answer.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Passerby: Maybe up the road there's an answer someplace, but we're too slow in arriving there.

Prabhupāda: There is no answer. The Lord says, "Thou shall not kill." Why you are killing? Who is a Christian? If you don't obey the order of Christ, how you become a Christian? You cannot say that you are Christian if you disobey the order of Christ.

Passerby: Yes, I know. You're right. You can't kill . . .

Prabhupāda: If you don't carry out the order of the government, then you are not a good citizen.

Passerby: Now, you look like you're either English or . . .

Prabhupāda: We are neither English nor American. We are servant of God.

Passerby: I know. You're brotherhood of man. But just my own curiosity . . . of course, you have converts of all . . .

Prabhupāda: No convert. Actually we are. Just like you have got this different dress from me. That does not mean you are convert to the dress. You are a gentleman; I am a gentleman. That's all.

Passerby: I don't know whether I'm a gentleman or not. I'm just a man, and pretty lowly as far as my own opinion's concerned.

Prabhupāda: So different dress does not mean converts. We are in different dress—American body or Indian body or this body, black body or . . . this is body. But we are within the body.

Passerby: What is the symbol of the staff here? There's a symbol of that, is there?

Prabhupāda: That is a big thing to be understood. (laughter)

Passerby: Can't be answered in one sentence, huh?

Prabhupāda: That is the symbol . . . that requires good explanation. If you come to our temple, then we shall inform you.

Devotees: Jaya. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya.

Passerby: (laughs) Good talking to you folks. You know . . .

Prabhupāda: Wherefrom you are coming?

Passerby: Indianapolis, Indiana. You ever hear of that? Yes. Five-hundred-mile race.

Prabhupāda: It is in America?

Gurukṛpa: It's the all-American city.

Passerby: You know where the Great Lakes are in the United States? Just right down south from there, about a hundred, 150 miles south of Indianapolis.

Prabhupāda: We have no temple there?

Śrutakīrti: No.

Gurukṛpa: We've been there many times for saṅkīrtana.

Passerby: Well, you folks are good people. God bless you. And, you know, sometimes it takes a little nerve to come up and stop you. But I was just curious. An awful lot of people might be, and they do a little staring, but they never get enough guts up to stop and talk to you. And I thought I'd do that. It's nice talking to you.

Prabhupāda: Thank you.

Gurukṛpa: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Can you say that?

Passerby: Can I say what?

Gurukṛpa: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Passerby: Hariyay Kṛṣṇa? Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's nice. Very good. (man departs)

Devotee: Should we tell all Christians like that, Śrīla Prabhupāda? That they're killing?

Prabhupāda: (laughs) They are killing actually. They are maintaining slaughterhouse. What kind of Christian they are, I do not know.

Gurukṛpa: He admitted it, that they say it, but they really don't follow it.

Prabhupāda: If you don't follow the Christian principles, then how you are a Christian? Just to make a show-bottle. Hare Kṛṣṇa. They don't believe in next life, don't believe in the Ten Commandments. Christ said, "Thou shall not kill," and they killed first of all Christ. This is the followers. The instruction is, "Thou shall not kill," but they said, "First of all let us kill you. Then we shall follow your instruction." This is the . . .

Gurukṛpa: "That's all right, though. We have been saved. We have been saved by Christ. We have accepted the baptism, so we are saved."

Prabhupāda: Yes. So what is the use of their church and preaching?

Gurukṛpa: "Well, we want to tell the others so they can also be saved."

Prabhupāda: No, the Christian churches, all the priests, they eat meat. They're supporting everything—homosex, everything, man to man marriage.

Bali-mardana: Now they are making women the priests.

Prabhupāda: Women priest. Women priest, there was none before?

Bali-mardana: No.

Gurukṛpa: Still not very much.

Bali-mardana: The Protestants.

Gurukṛpa: That is a nice paṇḍāl. Get one of those.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We shall go farther or return? (break)

Gurukṛpa: He was from a small city. He knew us, and he'd seen us before. People, they can't help but notice us. (break)

Devotee (2): . . . follow Kṛṣṇa consciousness very strictly and very seriously like, say, for the rest of our lives, is there a chance that we'll be able to see Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in this life?

Prabhupāda: Certainly. You read Bhagavad-gītā?

Devotee (2): Yes.

Prabhupāda: So there is stated, "If you simply try to understand Kṛṣṇa, then you go back to home." Janma karma ca me divyam (BG 4.9). That is stated. If you simply understand how Kṛṣṇa takes birth, how He goes away, why does He come, what is His mission, these things if you can understand, then you are a fit candidate to go back to home. So that is explained everything in the Bhagavad-gītā. You try to understand. Then you are guaranteed. Where is the difficulty? And if you think, "Kṛṣṇa is an ordinary man like us," then finish. They do not understand Kṛṣṇa. (japa) If you simply accept this word faithfully, vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19), "Everything is Kṛṣṇa," then knowledge is perfect.

Devotee (3): Even if we don't understand Kṛṣṇa completely . . . Hare Kṛṣṇa . . . even if we don't understand Kṛṣṇa completely, if we just . . .

Prabhupāda: This is complete understanding, that "Everything is Kṛṣṇa." That's all. That is a fact. Everything is the energy of Kṛṣṇa. Just like in this material world everyone knows everything is the sunshine. Due to the sunshine, everything is coming. That's a fact. Science . . .

Woman passerby: I've seen your pictures many times in the books.

Prabhupāda: Where?

Woman passerby: I've seen your pictures many times in the books.

Bali-mardana: In your books.

Prabhupāda: Oh, you have got my books?

Woman passerby: That's amazing. For the first time I can see you really.

Gurukṛpa: You have got our books?

Woman passerby: Yes, I have got some at home, and I read some of them too.

Devotee (3): What do you say about the weather or the sun or what . . . you just were talking before she interrupted.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Weather is changing. Weather is changing. Śītoṣṇa, it is called śītoṣṇa. Sometimes it is cold; sometimes it is hot.

Woman passerby: Can I ask you where you come from?

Prabhupāda: I have come from India.

Woman passerby: Oh, you came from India? Yeah? Oh. Which part? Ceylon?

Prabhupāda: No. I come from Bengal.

Woman passerby: Oh, Bengal, uh-huh.

Prabhupāda: You have been in India?

Woman passerby: No. I often wanted to go, but I really never had a chance.

Prabhupāda: You can come. We have got very good place. You can stay there. We have got very good, nice building in Bombay, in . . .

Woman passerby: Could be very interesting, you know? I wouldn't mind going. But right now I cannot . . .

Prabhupāda: Try to understand the philosophy. Your life will be successful. Yes.

Woman passerby: Um-hmm. I've heard a lot about it. I've read in the books, too. Some of those books I have.

Prabhupāda: Thank you.

Woman passerby: (laughs)

Passerby (2): I'm just fascinated.

Woman passerby: Yes, it's just amazing.

Passerby (2): My business is catamaran. I own one catamaran business, yes.

Bali-mardana: Boats.

Prabhupāda: Boats.

Passerby (2): Yeah. Take tourists. That's my business.

Woman passerby: You know, we are pretty well the first people to see you really, you know. We've all seen you in the books.

Prabhupāda: Thank you.

Woman passerby: Bye-bye.

Śrutakīrti: You have more admirers here than in Juhu Beach.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes, they are also admirer, provided . . . Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Gurukṛpa: (to passersby) Konichiwa.

Prabhupāda: This is Japanese?

Gurukṛpa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Keep some books in the all tourist shop. It will be sold. (break) She has got my books. Might have purchased.

Gurukṛpa: On the street. We are always here, every day. (break)

Prabhupāda: . . . as young man, say, twenty-two, twenty-three. In Jagannātha Purī I used to take bath in the sea. At that time I had energy to take bath.

Gurukṛpa: Jagannātha Purī is nice sea.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gurukṛpa: Called mahā-tīrtha.

Prabhupāda: After that, I don't remember I ever took bath in the sea.

Gurukṛpa: The water is very warm here.

Bali-mardana: You were taking bath in Yamunā.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that I was regularly, when I was in Vṛndāvana. In childhood I was going with my father to take bathing in the Ganges, Calcutta. That I was going regularly.

Devotee (2): It requires a lot of strength to bathe in the sea. You're being tossed very much.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (japa) (break) . . . so many seeds are there? And as many seeds, as many trees are there. And each fruit, thousands of fruits there, and millions of seeds are there, and millions of trees are there. Where is that scientist, put into that small packet millions of trees like that? Millions of big trees are within this packet. Where is that scientist? Put in a packet, you take, and millions of trees you grow. And without any expenditure, they are present there. If you like, you can take. What the scientists will answer? "Yes, in future we shall do." In future you will do, that's all right. But why don't you give credit who has done already? You are taking credit by post-dated check, and one is actually paying cash, he has no credit. You are giving a false check, post-dated, and you want to take credit. And one who is paying cash immediately, he has no credit. Just see how foolish they are.

Devotee (2): They cannot even appreciate something like that.

Prabhupāda: No, no. They say, "Don't talk of God." That is their philosophy.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

(in car)

Prabhupāda: Post-dated check, they want all credit, and one who is paying cash, he has no credit.

Gurukṛpa: "Well, we can't see Him, so we can't believe it. We can't see who has done it."

Prabhupāda: No, you cannot see that the tree, wherefrom this tree has come. From the seed, you cannot see it? You are so blind? Why don't you see? Wherefrom this big tree has come? And such millions of big trees are on the floor. You cannot see it?

Gurukṛpa: Can't see it.

Prabhupāda: Then you are blind.

Paramahaṁsa: It comes from that little seed.

Prabhupāda: Yes, everyone knows that.

Paramahaṁsa: But the seed came from another tree.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. But who has made this arrangement, packed up, millions of trees?

Paramahaṁsa: Nature. That's just part of nature.

Prabhupāda: Then nature is your father.

Paramahaṁsa: No.

Prabhupāda: You are less than the nature, that you have to accept. Nature has already done. So either you say "nature" or "God," doesn't matter. But you are not bigger. You cannot take the credit.

Paramahaṁsa: No, we are sons of nature, so nature is greater than us.

Prabhupāda: "Sons of nature," that's all right. But why do you take credit? Why do you want to take credit more than nature?

Paramahaṁsa: But we'd just like to understand how to use nature, how to work with nature.

Gurukṛpa: No, it says, if you follow the Bible, it says that there was a . . . God created . . .

Prabhupāda: They don't follow anything. They don't follow their own . . . (laughs) Whims, that's all. If you follow Bible, what do the Bible says? Bible says about God. They don't believe in God.

Gurukṛpa: They're rubbish people.

Prabhupāda: Rubbish. That is right conclusion. All rascals and rubbish. That is the right conclusion.

Paramahaṁsa: Just like that man this morning said, "Well, we believe in the Ten Commandments, but we don't follow them. We believe in God, but we don't follow."

Prabhupāda: What kind of belief if you don't follow?

Gurukṛpa: "Well, we believe, but we find it too difficult."

Prabhupāda: Then go to hell.

Gurukṛpa: "Well, we've accepted Jesus, and he's going to save us. That's why we've accepted him. If you accept him in your heart, then he'll save you, even though you might be weak at the time of temptation."

Prabhupāda: Then who is going to hell? If everyone is saved like that, then who is going to hell?

Paramahaṁsa: "Well, not everyone will accept Jesus in their heart. So those people have to go to hell."

Prabhupāda: That's nice. Has Jesus Christ said like that, that "Those who believe in me, they will be saved"?

Paramahaṁsa: Yes, he says like that.

Prabhupāda: So believing means "I don't accept your commandments." Is that belief? Has Jesus Christ, that "You don't believe in my commandments, but you believe in me"?

Śrutakīrti: Christ never spoke the commandments. That was Moses.

Prabhupāda: Then don't take Bible. Throw it away. Then don't bring Bible as authority.

Gurukṛpa: They have no argument on any . . .

Prabhupāda: (japa) (break) . . . fallen from their original culture. Still, we have seen, as soon as there is Kṛṣṇa conscious festival, thousands and thousands of men. That we have experienced.

Gurukṛpa: But in India it seems that no matter what you tell them, they don't change their ways. They have their . . .

Prabhupāda: No, they believe in Kṛṣṇa, "He is God." Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti (BG 7.19). That they believe in.

Śrutakīrti: But that's what the Christians say. "We believe in Christ," but they don't follow.

Prabhupāda: They follow. In India they still. Majority follow. The non-followers are minority. (end)