751013CR.DUR

Pusta Krsna: But still they come?

Prabhupada: Yes, out of curiosity only, not to accept your philosophy: "What this Swamiji is speaking?"

Pusta Krsna: Yes, you asked them, "So why don't you surrender? What is your objection?"

Prabhupada: Objection is that they will not be allowed to drink tea. That is objection. No cigarette, no even tea. They think it is impossible. All, they are Indian house. Eh?

Pusta Krsna: Yes.

Prabhupada: They live?

Pusta Krsna: Some live upstairs here. But all of these people who are living in this area have to move out.

Prabhupada: And business?

Pusta Krsna: Businesses, for now they can stay. They try to push them out, though, all the time. [break]

Prabhupada: Sahajananda has written very frankly that "All the svamis and yogis, they are deriding Krsna. You are the only person pushing on Krsna consciousness all over the world, single-handedly."

Pusta Krsna: Yes, that's a fact.

Prabhupada: He has very much appreciated this effort. Everyone will do that. I am the single man speaking of God. Nobody speaks. All big, big leaders, politicians, philoso..., who is speaking of God? We are stressing only God consciousness. As soon as you speak of God, "Oh, it is old-fashioned to bring in God. These are primitive. Now we speak of science. There is no God. That is very nice." As soon as you speak of God, "Oh, you are useless. You have no advanced knowledge."

Pusta Krsna: They are challenging, then, the authority.

Prabhupada: Huh?

Pusta Krsna: They are challenging the authority.

Prabhupada: There is no authority. And Vivekananda says, "You manufacture your own God, whomever you like. Even you can worship stool as God." They say like that.

Pusta Krsna: But now the Indian government-if this is true-they are giving visas to the devotees, and that means they are favorable towards the movement more and more.

Prabhupada: Yes. It may be due to my interview with Indira Gandhi. I appealed to her that "No Indians are joining, and these European, American, they are helping me. And if they are asked to go away, then how shall I maintain the establishment? Indians are not coming." So they might have studied that "They are not politician, and this movement... Everyone will appreciate God consciousness. They are doing something," this consideration. Otherwise it is surprising. They have given three years.

Pusta Krsna: Yes. It is very surprising.

Prabhupada: It is very, very surprising. [break]

Harikesa: I think there may be something other than... There may be some more information to come about that.

Prabhupada: What is that other?

Harikesa: I don't know, but...

Prabhupada: Huh?

Harikesa: Navayogendra is not the official source.

Prabhupada: Navayogendra, yes. Why Navayogendra has said?

Harikesa: I think he wants to remind you of...

Prabhupada: Yes. Because it is coming from Navayogendra it is not to be relied so much. [laughs]

Pusta Krsna: There should be mail there. There should be some more information, for sure. But then sometimes I think it's simply Krsna's grace.

Prabhupada: Yes, by Krsna's grace...

Pusta Krsna: Here in South Africa is very, very conservative government, and we've been allowed to do practically everything. Simply Krsna's mercy. Yogamaya allows our saṅkirtana activities to go on.

Prabhupada: Anyone who will read our books, he will come to senses. These are all Indian quarters? [break] ...haven't got any good temple till now. [break] ...Africans, they do not live either with Indians or Europeans. They live separately.

Pusta Krsna: Live separately. But usually every Indian or European has one or two Africans living behind the house as servants, so there are many living in the cities. We have one African girl in Johannesburg. She works at the temple. We've called her Parijata.

Prabhupada: Hmm?

Pusta Krsna: We have one African girl, because when we first came there were only a few of us, and we didn't want to take up time to clean up the temple for our preaching work. So she has to get up very early in the morning.

Prabhupada: She was paid for that.

Pusta Krsna: Yes. It facilitated our preaching work. At first, I was against the idea, but I found it was good.

Prabhupada: No, it was not good to give..., keep young unmarried girl.

Pusta Krsna: No, she is married with children. She is older. Her husband was murdered.

Prabhupada: Accha?

Pusta Krsna: Yes, in Johannesburg. We didn't pick any young African girl. Older lady, and very respectful, honest. She's about fifty years old.

Prabhupada: Then is all right.

Pusta Krsna: Her husband was walking home one day, and African killed him.

Prabhupada: Why?

Pusta Krsna: Just for money. [break] ...just to test her. When she washed the clothes she would return it to me. [break] ...couldn't go right back... [break] [end]