Prabhupāda’s Personal Example

Although Srila Prabhupada spoke strongly against the scientists, his personal example in treating the guest scientists was of an exemplary host. During the course of my study at Irvine I took many scientists to meet with Srila Prabhupada and he was very nice with them, even if he criticized their atheistic views. On one particular occasion, in a meeting with Prof. Gregory Benford (a renowned astrophysicist from the University at Irvine) he gave to Prof. Benford his personal plate of Mahaprasadam saying, "This is for you!" Prof. Benford was visibly stunned. Perhaps, he did not expect such affectionate treatment from the renowned leader of an international spiritual movement. On other occasions also Srila Prabhupada said that in all our dealings with scholars we must first feed them nice prasadam and after they are satisfied in this way they will be friendly with us and will listen to what we have to say.

In a lecture on Bhagavad-gita Srila Prabhupada summarized our preaching strategy.

"… our preaching process is this: dante nidhaya trnakam padayor nipatya. According to Vedic civilization, if one approaches before you with a straw in his mouth, that means he is fully surrendered. That is the sign. Therefore, Prabodhananda Sarasvati, he is speaking that "With a straw in my mouth,"dante nidhaya trnaka. Dante, "teeth,"padayor nipatya, "I am just falling down at your lotus feet, and I have come before you with this straw very humbly." Dante nidhaya trnakam padayor nipatya kaku-satam krtva ca: "And I am flattering you hundred times." Then naturally any rogue, any rascal will be pleased: "All right, you can speak something." If you become so humble and meek, there is no man in the world who will say, "No, no, I am not going to hear you." Of course, there are many rascals. They will say so, that "I have no time." So anyway, generally people will hear. So when he says, "All right, what do you want to say?" Dante nidhaya trnakam padayor nipatya kaku-satam krtva ca aham brav…, he sadhava, again flattering: "O the great sadhu, you are…," although you know he is a great rascal. (laughter) Still, I will have to speak to him. This is the process of preaching. Is that all right? You tell him, "Oh, you are a great sadhu." Then he will be: "Oh, yes, yes. (laughter) You are right. You are right. What do you want from me? Tell me." Then you can say, he sadhavaḥ sakalam eva vihaya dūrad: "What every rascaldom you have learned, please forget. (laughter) Please forget." "Then what I have to do?" Caitanya-candra-carane kurutanuragam. "You become adhered to the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya. That is my… That's all."" [Bhagavad-gita lectures 13.4 Miami, February 27,1975]

Srila Prabhupada's criticisms were meant to get an urgent message across, but they were administered with finesse. When he used strong words with unfamiliar people, he would ease the tension by laughing, joking or smiling. The effect was that the audience would give a cool-headed, patient hearing to his arguments. His age made a lot of difference. Being an elderly person, his remarks calling scientists 'rascal' were affected as indulgent reproach rather than malicious criticism. On some occasions he expressed his attitude towards science, quite differently from his criticism of its atheism.

"No, no. We don't condemn the scientists. We say that "Take credit as much as you can. But why do you defy the existence of God?" That is our protest." [Morning Walk Conversation, Washington D.C., July 5, 1976]