760817IV.HYD
760817IV.HYD
Press Interview at
Muthilal Rao's House
-
August 17, 1976, Hyderabad
Muthilal Rao's House
-
August 17, 1976, Hyderabad
760817IV-HYDERABAD [46:17 Minutes]
The friendly talking will not help us
|
[aside:] You have to go. No children; otherwise it will be disturbed.
When Arjuna accepted Krsna as the spiritual master, sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam [Bg 2.7]. First of all, he was talking like friends. When he saw, "The friendly talking will not help us," so Arjuna accepted Krsna as his spiritual master. Then as spiritual master He said, asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase [Bg 2.11]: "My dear Arjuna, you are lamenting on the subject matter which is not the subject matter of lamentation, and you are talking like a very learned man." Gatasun agatasums ca nanusocanti panditah. This body, either alive or dead, it is not a serious subject matter of study, neither a learned man laments over it. This is the subject matter of Bhagavad-gita, or spiritual knowledge. Those who are not human being... According to Vedic sastra, anyone who has no self-realization, he's animal. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13].
If one is identifying with this body, "I am this body, which is made of three elements, kapha, pitta, vayu..." Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke. Tri-dhatuke, this combination of three elements. Sa eva go-kharah: he's animal. So practically now in this age especially, everyone is identifying with this body. That is the basic principle of nationalism, communism, or this "ism" or that "ism": the bodily conception of life. And according to Vedic version, anyone who is identifying with this body, he is animal. So under the circumstances...
[aside:] Hare Krsna
...we are trying to revive the spiritual education of the human society. That is Krsna consciousness movement: what is spirit soul, what is its identification, what is God, what is our relationship with Him, how to work on that plan. Then we become happy. Otherwise, you may make various plan on material basis, it will never be successful, and there is no question of happiness, because the basic principle is lost.
Those who are not searching after self-realization, they have got many subject matter for hearing and dealing with. That means material subject matter. We have in the newspaper different subject matters for different public interest. But those who are searching after spiritual realization, athato brahma-jijnasa. As it is stated in the Vedanta-sutra, also in Srimad-Bhagavatam also, jivasya tattva-jijnasa [SB 1.2.10]. Human life means tattva-jijnasa, inquiry about the Absolute Truth. But that is now stopped. People are not interested self-realization, tattva-jijnasa.
So this is an attempt to revive their spiritual consciousness, and it is authorized on the basis of Bhagavad-gita as it is, without misinterpretation, and people are taking to it. So it is India's culture, and if we distribute this knowledge systematically, there are departments, cultural departments. So the things are there. If we cooperate, government and the public, then we can give to the whole world something which is very substantial. And there is no difficulty. The things are there, Bhagavad-gita as it is, and this is our movement. Now if you have got any question, you can ask.
Interviewer (1): …forced you to start this movement from the West and not from India itself?
Interviewer (1): But who has to preach?
Prabhupada: You have to preach, because you are born in India.
Interviewer (2): But you yourself didn't preach it here. First you went to USA.
Prabhupada: Yes, it is preaching. But the thing is that it is not in India, not outside India. But it is the duty of every Indian to do it. I tried to preach it, begin it from India, but nobody joined. Still they are not joining. What can I do?
Interviewer (3): I am a layman. I do not know the importance...
Prabhupada: You are not a layman, you are a representative of paper.
Interviewer (2): He doesn't mean that he's a layman, but suppose he is a layman...
Prabhupada: Layman, he must go to a person who is experienced.
Interviewer (2): But I am so preoccupied with my...
Prabhupada: You are taking so many education...
Interviewer (2): ...that I don't have to time to contemplate or study such things. Don't you think it's the responsibility of people like you to...
Prabhupada: That means you are not properly trained up. The thing is, the first business of human being is to inquire about the spiritual subject matter. Athato brahma-jijnasa. This is the Vedanta philosophy. Now we have got this human form of body, it is your duty to inquire about the spiritual subject matter. But if your guardians, if your parents, if your government does not teach you, then it is our misfortune.
Interviewer (3): Do you want this to become a part of the educational system here?
Prabhupada: This is the first education. Otherwise it is animal. Animal does not require absolute education. Animal is not able to understand what is self, what is God. But a man can. Therefore the man's first business is to understand this self-realization.
Interviewer (3): Do you think it will come to India via the West now?
Prabhupada: I don't follow.
Interviewer (2): Will it come to India via the West?
Prabhupada: India is already there. You are neglecting. Why don't you admit that you are neglecting?
Interviewer (3): Will that neglect go, disappear, through the West?
Prabhupada: How will that? If you don't like it, how it will go?
Interviewer (3): No, that is because it is not part of the educational system.
Prabhupada: Because you have made it. It is the first educational system.
Interviewer (3): No, but the system that we have here...
Prabhupada: That you have introduced. That is your unfortunate case.
Interviewer (4): No, that is because of historical reasons. We were ruined by a foreign country...
Prabhupada: If the real subject matter of study you neglect, that is your negligence, your misfortune.
Interviewer (3): Now how to rectify this...
Prabhupada: You can take it now. You are simply arguing. Why don't you take it? That means you don't want to take it. There is the thing. But if you want, you can take it. But if you don't want, then how we can help you?
Interviewer (5): On your return from West do you feel..., do you think your movement in India has gained ground or created consciousness...
Prabhupada: I am not interested in any particular country. This is meant for the whole human society. As you think "India" or "America," we do not think like that. We take the opportunity. Wherever it is possible to introduce more and more, we take that opportunity.
Interviewer (5): What is the response in India, you met?
Prabhupada: Indian response we have seen when we held meeting in Calcutta, Bombay, Madras: thousands and thousands of people come here to hear about Bhagavad-gita. Inherently they are inclined, but there is no systematic education. That is the defect. Now the Janmastami day is coming, I think every Indian will observe Krsna Janmastami, without any fail. But they are not being educated systematically about Krsna. They know Krsna, they are inclined to Krsna, the education of Krsna is there, but nobody is interested to give them properly, systematically. That is the difficulty.
Interviewer (4): How is the response in the West?
Prabhupada: Of course it is a foreign thing for them, but still they are coming and taking it very seriously.
Interviewer (5): Do you think they are taking to it because it is novel?
Prabhupada: Huh? No, many novel things go from here. But they are sticking to it. They are now seriously taking to it. They understand that this is a great science, and we are publishing books. We have already published eighty-four books like that.
Interviewer (5): How many?
Prabhupada: Eighty-four, of four hundred pages. And you'll be surprised that throughout the whole world we are selling books about sixty thousand dollars a day. That means six lakhs of rupees. That is the basic income for our expenditure, 102 centers all over the world.
Interviewer (3): A central minister in the Parliament recently said that he will conduct a probe to see if there was anything fishy in this...
Prabhupada: Therefore I am bringing before you. Before probing, you try to understand what is our income. We are selling these books six lakhs rupees daily, and we are spending it fifty percent for reprinting the books and fifty percent for expanding temples all over the world. This is our activities. Now you probe it or understand it.
Interviewer (3): This is the only source of revenue for the society?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Interviewer (4): Fifty percent books and for temples fifty percent?
Prabhupada: Fifty percent for expanding temples and fifty percent for reprinting books.
Interviewer (4): Do you have any other source, like donations or something like, that for your movement?
Prabhupada: Very small. Mostly we have got a few cases of donation of land and house. Not very large sum of money. Never.
Interviewer (4): But I thought Henry Ford has given some... I thought the Ford family has given some huge donation.
Prabhupada: Ford, he has given us two, three houses, not donation. But we have purchased two, three houses by the money of Mr. Ford, Alfred Ford. He's my disciple.
Interviewer (4): Some members of the Parliament say the movement is indulging in some anti-Indian activities. What could be irritating...?
Interviewer (5): What if somebody is using this as a cover?
Prabhupada: Huh? But if you have no eyes to see inside, you see the cover only. What can I do? [laughter] If you are so blind, what can I do? [laughter]
Interviewer (5): What has been your contribution recently towards solving world problems...
Interviewer (5): Recite an instance of how this movement has helped in solving any specific issue, I mean special problem.
Prabhupada: We think the real problem is they do not know what they are.
Our modern education, they do not believe that there is spirit soul within the body and the spirit soul transmigrates from one body to another. Where is that education? Is there any education that there is spirit soul within the body, and that spirit soul is transmigrating from one body to another? Is there any education, scientific education, all over the world? That is the statement in the Bhagavad-gita.
Interviewer (4): You mean to say that this should become part, an integral part of the educational system?
Prabhupada: That is the most important part. If you do not know what you are, then you are talking like a nonsense. If you have lost your identity, then what is your education?
Interviewer (4): No, but we should realize the politicians...
Prabhupada: It is not a question of politician or economics. It is general education, that you must know your identity, what you are. Then knowledge...
Interviewer (4): I am living under the system, and that system is served by politicians...
Prabhupada: But if the system is wrong, then you are living wrongly. You are misled.
Interviewer (4): That means the movement should make an impact on the politicians, the people who make the decisions.
Prabhupada: No. Politician, of course, it is, in the Bhagavad-gita it is stated, imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg 4.2]. This system, this science, was understood by the rajarsi, kings who were as good as rsis, rajarsis. So where is that politician, politician as good as a rsi? That is the difficulty. It is meant for rajarsi. Raja and rsi. Just like Janaka Maharaja, Pariksit Maharaja, Yudhisthira Maharaja, Prahlada Maharaja, they were kings, but they were at the same time so great and saintly, they were called rajarsi, and this is a subject matter for the rajarsis. Imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam, manur iksvakave 'bravit [Bg 4.1], uh...
Prabhupada: Ah, vivasvan manave praha manur iksvakave..., evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg 4.2]. So where is rajarsi? That is the difficulty. Where is that brahmana, where is that ksatriya, where is that system? Now anyone can capture the political power by hook and crook. That is another thing. But it is meant for the rajarsi, imam rajarsayo viduh. Where is their training? The politicians, where he is trained up as rsi? There is no such service.
Interviewer (4): Has there been any official opposition to your movement in any country?
Prabhupada: No, no.
Interviewer (3): Your movement is spreading worldwide. Do you think that it will be welcome in the Communist countries?
Prabhupada: Yes, I have been in Moscow. I saw many learned professors. We are selling our books there.
Interviewer (3): You are selling your books in Moscow?
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Everyone, every intelligent man, will accept. We are selling books in East Germany, which is Communist. They are taking our books.
Interviewer (4): Are there any centers of the Society in the Communist world?
Interviewer (4): Maybe such a thing is not allowed.
Prabhupada: No, we have gone there, but there are difficulties to start. People are interested. Everywhere people are interested.
Interviewer (4): What is the response in the Islamic countries?
Prabhupada: Yes, we have got many students. In Iran we have got center, and there are many Muslims, they are our student.
Interviewer (5): What is the response in Iran?
Prabhupada: Iran? The response, they are hearing, but some of them, they are already converted student. Our head of the institution in Iran is Atreya Rsi. His name was Attar Mia.
Interviewer (5): You have some project here. Can you kindly explain what is that?
Interviewer (5): You have university. Vedic university at Kuruksetra. You have any such project in this city?
Prabhupada: Yes, we are trying to establish an institution in Kuruksetra to teach Bhagavad-gita in practical life, and inviting students all over the world. That is our program. We have asked for some land from the government. So if the government gives us the land, we can try it also.
Interviewer (5): What about city, Hyderabad?
Prabhupada: The same program.
Interviewer (4): Here also you have some land or something, I was told.
Prabhupada: Here?
Interviewer (5): In Hyderabad.
Interviewer (4): You have some project?
Prabhupada: Yes, we are trying to... [to devotee:] Land. What is that land? You can give the description.
Mahamsa: It is Medchal, near Medchal village. It has not yet been confirmed; it is under procedure. But we are trying to develop a big project over there, depending on the formal procedures which will be...
Interviewer (4): What project is it likely to be?
Prabhupada: Our project is Krsna consciousness. Come here, live peacefully, keep your body fit, and work for yourself. You produce your own food, you produce your own cloth, don't be very much anxious for artificial necessities, and save time, and be advanced in spiritual life.
Interviewer (3): Some sort of a religious epithet.
Prabhupada: It is not exactly religious. You have taken by it because we misunderstand the meaning of religion. Religion generally understood a kind of cult and faith. But in the Vedic literature, religion means the characteristic. Just like sugar is sweet, that is its religion. If sugar becomes pungent, that is not sugar's characteristic. Similarly, a human being must be God conscious. So that God consciousness is religion. Because in the human form of life one can understand what is God, and if he does not become, he remains an animal. Animal cannot understand. So therefore his business is how to athato brahma-jijnasa. This is not our manufactured word; this is the Vedanta words. Atha, now we have got this human form body, based on that transmigration of the soul after millions and millions of years, bahunam janmanam ante [Bg 7.19], you have got this human form of life, now it is your business to inquire about the Absolute Truth. This is the business of human life. And ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithuna [Hitopadesa 25], how to eat, how to sleep, how to enjoy sex life and how to defend, that is animal business. If you remain busy with these four principles of bodily necessities of life, ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithuna, then you remain on the animal platform. Beyond that, when you inquire about God, that is human life. Athato brahma-jijnasa. So we are trying to raise him from this animal life to human life. This is our business.
Interviewer (3): So you help people inquire God.
Interviewer (4): So in relation to your movement, where does Marxism stand?
Prabhupada: It is not my movement; it is the Vedic culture. Don't think... If you say "my movement," I have manufactured something. Not. This is the Vedic culture.
Interviewer (4): No, from the standpoint of this culture...
Prabhupada: Standpoint is that I am trying to revive the Vedic culture, that's all. That is my business. I am not manufacturing anything.
Interviewer (4): No, but how do you explain the advance that Marxism has made in the world?
Prabhupada: Huh? What is that?
Prabhupada: Well, there are so many "isms." If I go to criticize and study, it will take most of our time. Better positively present what you want. If you like, you can take it, that's all. There are so many "isms." When we become animal, then we manufacture so many "isms."
Interviewer (4): So is it correct from what what you have said that any culture...
Prabhupada: It is correct because Krsna says. Krsna is infallible. We are not manufacturing anything, so it is correct because Krsna says. Mattah parataram nanyat [Bg 7.7]. He is the supreme authority. But we have no faith in Krsna, therefore we manufacture something other than Krsna. That is our misfortune.
Interviewer (4): You mean to say that any system that doesn't subscribe to this movement has no future at all?
Prabhupada: No.
Interviewer (4): But that is [indistinct]. That is implication of what you...
Prabhupada: Yes, that we say practically. What is the use of "ism," manufactured by imperfect senses? We have got defects. Our..., we commit mistake. Who is the person who does not commit mistake? None. We accept this body, which I am not. This is called Bhrama. Pramada, vipralipsa, without any perfect knowledge you want to teach. That is cheating. Vipralipsa. And karanapatava, our senses are imperfect. So how you can give perfect knowledge with all this imperfection? Unless you become perfect, you cannot give perfect knowledge. So any knowledge given by any imperfect person, we reject immediately, useless waste of time. And actually that is the fact. If you are blind, you cannot see. You say, "Here is the elephant, a big stambha, pillar," by seeing his leg, by touching his leg. But elephant is just like a pillar? That is our speculation. Andha-kupa. What is called? Kupa-manduka-nyaya. A frog in the well is trying to study Atlantic Ocean.
Interviewer: Kupastha manduka.
Prabhupada: Kupastha means...
Interviewer: [Transl. That means we have defects.]
Prabhupada: Samasa. So we are imperfect, just like they are going to study the planets. What they will study from here? This kind of knowledge has no value, speculation.
Interviewer (4): That is something inborn, isn't it? That scientists...
Prabhupada: Yes, that is your inquisiti... You have got born inquisitiveness, jijnasu. That is especially manifested in human form of life. So for jijnasu it is recommended, tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21]. You have to go to the proper person. So that we are not doing. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta. Tad vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet [Mundaka Upanisad 1.2.12]. These are the Vedic injunctions. Jijnasu is our natural instinct, but we go to who has no knowledge. That is the difficulty. We are misled. But the knowledge is there already: the Vedic knowledge is there. There are so many Vedas, Upanisads, Vedanta-sutra and Bhagavad-gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas. But there is no systematic study of this literature. We are neglecting.
Prabhupada: Krsna is the origin of everything. If you have studied Bhagavad-gita, Krsna says, aham adir hi devanam [Bg 10.2]. Aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate [Bg 10.8]. Mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti dhananjaya [Bg 7.7]. So Krsna is the Supreme. If you accept it that this is supreme name of God, Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare Rama:
This is the Vedic injunction. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He said, param vijayate sri-krsna-saṅkirtanam. In the Bhagavata it is said, kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-saṅgah param vrajet [SB 12.3.51]. These things are there. It is not a manufactured program. It is based on sastra. Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-saṅgah param vrajet. Kaler dosa-nidhe rajann asti hy eko mahan gunah. These things are there. You have to accept some authority. If you don't accept authority, you speculate. That is your business, but we don't do it. We accept the authority.
Interviewer (4): The same claim is made by Durga also.
Prabhupada: What is that?
Interviewer (4): [indistinct]-sakti cult, they also give you the same...
Prabhupada: Yes, Durga, we say,
[break] ...but they go to the supreme person who can give spiritual knowledge. Durga is not neglected.
Mr. Rao: With your permission, I must thank... With the permission of Swamiji, my friends, I welcome you to my humble house. Today, though you are all very, very busy, but you have made it a point to come and listen to Swamiji speak to you theory, lessons, and his belief and faith in it. It depends how we take it. Because I have faith in him, I have faith in his teachings, that is why I, being a politician, I being a member of Parliament and the legislative assembly, deputy minister and the ambassador, I have requested and begged of him to come to my humble house to spread his knowledge, which he is giving to the other parts of the world. Last time he visited in a very similar manner, we have got a small gathering here. So at that time I hope you will pardon me, I couldn't think of you all, thinking that, you know, the journalist friends are my good friends, and they are very knowledgeable friends, and that is why they can put so many questions. And by putting so many questions will get the answers. By that we are enlightened.
It is in the Fourteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita. It is as far as sukrta is concerned. So that is why he has given me something that indirectly gupta-dana. So I said always I should follow. Unfortunately, I could not meet him. Recently, when I was..., till recently when I was an ambassador I was to go to Nairobi. I was in Somalia, but unfortunately things couldn't materialize. But now if at all I get an opportunity of going abroad, I shall be visiting all the institutions, their organizations, their temples, because I am a member of this Krsna consciousness movement, Life Member. I have canvassed, some have become. Canvassed means I've just put a word. Some have become, I requested, some of my friends who have not become, to become members of Krsna conscious, permanent members, Life Members, like Mrs. Yamuna is here. Yamuna's husband, Raman Rao is here. And I would like you also to become, others friends also to become.
Mr. Rao: Others will follow. So I must thank you for coming. I request you, if you have little time, you could sit there and listen to Swamiji-other people also are coming-and have little prasadam and go, see, after having come to my humble house, see my puja room also, how humbly I keep that puja room, so that we learn, we must learn to keep up our religion. When we become educated, when we become ministers, ambassadors, we forget our... When we become big people, very big people, our eyes jump up and go to the head here. When we become rich people and money people-who is speaking to you? Not a rich man. A man who comes from a humble family, the man who was born in a tiled-roofed house.
So I have never changed. My..., among my friends, you have seen a friends sitting here, and also the village which I come from, he has seen where I staying and where I am staying now. But I am not changed. But at the same time I have not forgotten my religion. I have not changed my faith. Many people say [Transl. What sir, you don't eat or drink?] You must know that I drink. So what? Am I a drunkard? Am I a trouble-maker? No. Sometimes in the society it becomes a necessity. I am not a sadhu, I am not a sannyasi, I have not renounced the world. Many of you have drunk with me. Some of you at least. So what? Am I a sinner, if I remember my religion, if I pray my God, if I pray my Lord? No. I do not dupe anybody, do not cheat anybody, do not harm anybody, do not hurt anybody. That's what I have been following. That is why I think my God has been very, very kind to me. That is why, because of Lord Krsna, all of you have been very kind to me throughout... Can you imagine a poor man born in a poor family winning four elections without money? People spend lakhs. Lord knows in 1952 how much money have I spent. Two thousand rupees, '58. Fifty-seven maybe twelve thousand rupees. Sixty-two maybe about forty to forty-five thousand. Of course, '67 was expensive for me. I had to sell away my humble house.
So this is all faith. Faith in God, faith in country, that is patriotism. Without patriotism we talk and yap a lot: "What do you think of this? What do you think of this?" My country is my country, no other country. This is my country. That is desa-bhakti. All people say that, you know, "My religion is my religion, that is my bhakti. But my country comes first." That is known as patriotism. In Urdu it is said, [Urdu]: "We will die for the nation one day." If you remember, my friends, I was one of those in 1962 offered to join as a soldier against Chinese aggression. Not only offered; I have submitted my resignation to Jawaharlal Nehru, which was not accepted because of certain problems at that time. Because of my age, because of my age, and also the Bilateral Talks, Colombo Proposals came. Never mind. That should be the spirit among us, and particularly youngsters. Particularly youngsters. They must not forget their religion, they must not forget their country. So anyway, leaders come and go, we all come and go. I am not a leader; please don't put me as a leader. I am one of the humblest workers in this country. I am coming from the humblest section of the society also. The leaders come. [dara raha na sikandar yam yaha…] If you want to translate you translate, [dara raha na sikandar yam jaisa badsah is takte jamipe lakhonaaye cale gaye.] [Urdu couplet] But the country remains. We come and go. The course come and go. But we remain.
So anyway, I hope you... I bored you, no doubt. I hope you'll understand me, and with the permission of Swamiji I took the liberty of addressing you one time, thanking you. At any time, no only this time, Swamiji has come next time, maybe one of my colleagues, an ambassador of some country might come, and we will have a grand party here. And also a drinking party. Nothing wrong about it. [laughter] No, I am making it very, very clear to my friends, because they differentiate. They say "Why, why can't..." [break] [end]
|