Philosophy Discussion with Hayagriva – May 31, 1976, Honolulu

Everything should be very strong

760531R1-Honolulu [20:14 Minutes]

Hayagriva: Well that's the end of Kierkegaard.

Prabhupada: That's all.

Devotee: We will continue?

Hayagriva: It's up to you.

Prabhupada: Hm?

Hayagriva: Do you want to go on to Skinner, or stop?

Prabhupada: No. Stop.

Hayagriva: Stop?

Prabhupada: Tomorrow.

Hayagriva: Tomorrow? Well tomorrow we go…, we travel.

Prabhupada: Oh, that's all right. How many are there?

Hayagriva: How many are left?

Prabhupada: [laughs] Volumes?

Hayagriva: I'm trying to make it as short as possible.

Prabhupada: No, we can discuss some philosophers; but whether it is necessary to increase the volume. But if you, if you think that all these advertised philosophers should be touched, therefore I…, I have no objection.

Hayagriva: Well this, erm, B. F. Skinner, Syamasundara began him.

Prabhupada: That's all right.

Hayagriva: Some people thought he's…, think he's important. I, I personally don't. That's my personal opinion on… He's a behaviorist, and he tried to set up a, a community called… He wrote a book called Walden Two, and it became a very popular book. When communities were being set up like New Vrindaban, in 1968, this book became popular. And it was, uh… I don't think much of his philosophy, but he's a behaviorist. He believes that if you can control…, you can control people by controlling the environment in which they live.

Hari Sauri: That's the same as Marx's philosophy.

Hayagriva: Mmm-hmm. And, er...

Prabhupada: That is everyone's philosophy. Everyone wants to make a group.

Hari Sauri: That's what you were saying this morning. They want to control nature rather than control their own natures.

Hayagriva: He felt first you control the environment, then you can control man, instead of the other way. Do you want to deal with all of these?

Prabhupada: I do not know.

Hayagriva: Uh-huh. Well, in Los Angeles they gave me a big, big list of all these people. They say all these people are important. And I've deleted a number of them, and wound up with the number thirty-eight, total. And we have about… Oh, I figure we'd finish them all by the time you leave Los Angeles. If I can meet with you daily in Los Angeles, then we could finish them. Otherwise, some could be deleted.

Prabhupada: No. They can be shortly discussed.

Hayagriva: Mmm-hmm.

Prabhupada: Essential point.

Hayagriva: Essential point.

Hari Sauri: Otherwise you come to New Vrindavan.

Hayagriva: Hmm.

Prabhupada: Hm?

Hari Sauri: He's trying to get them finished before we leave Los Angeles, but there's always New Vrindavan. You can discuss there also.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Hayagriva: So the next meeting will be Wednesday evening, in Los Angeles? You arrive in Los Angeles Tuesday night, tomorrow night. If I'm not on the same plane, I'll be on the next plane.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Hayagriva: So I will see you Wednesday evening. I think that...

Prabhupada: You are also going? Which flight?

Govinda dasi: I'm planning to go standby on your flight, because I can't get reservations. And if I don't get on your flight, I'm going on the same one with Hayagriva-the one after that. But I'm hoping to go with...

Prabhupada: Yes. [break]

Govinda dasi: I wanted to show you this here.

Prabhupada: What is that?

Govinda dasi: This is the stone that we were thinking of using.

Prabhupada: What?

Govinda dasi: This is the silica and concrete mix that we were thinking of using.

Prabhupada: Oh.

Govinda dasi: It…, it should be shiny, but it's not even old. She doesn't…Ah, but it's not shiny, but the other side's not smooth. It could be colored in different ways, and this is a quick experiment.

Prabhupada: It is completely dried?

Govinda dasi: Erm, it hasn't quite completely dried. It's supposed to dry twenty-four hours, and it hasn't been quite twenty-four hours. So it gets harder as it dries.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Govinda dasi: Do…, do you like it okay?

Prabhupada: Oh, yes. It will be very heavy.

Govinda dasi: Yes, because it's concrete.

Prabhupada: Hm.

Govinda dasi: You'd prefer something lighter?

Prabhupada: No. Everything should be very strong.

Govinda dasi: Thank you.

[pause] [break]

Hari Sauri: What did he say? [end]