SPD04-02 Śrīla Prabhupāda Arriving in Melbourne, 1974

[8:24 minutes]

[04:11] [Reporter:] ...servant of God.

[04:13] [Prabhupada:] I am always servant of God. It is for you to recognize, that's all.

[04:20] I am always servant of God, but it is for you to recognize.

[04:23] [Reporter:] Have you any idea how much money the sect makes every year?

[04:28] [Prabhupada:] Huh? We can spend all the money of the world.

[04:33] Unfortunately, you do not give us the money.

[04:37] [Reporter:] Well how do you spend it, Your Grace?

[04:40] [Prabhupada:] We are spending at least, at the present moment, eight hundred thousand dollars per month.

[04:47] [Reporter:] On what, Your Grace?

[04:49] [Prabhupada:] On this propaganda, all over the world.

[04:52] And we are selling our books not less than forty thousand dollars per month.

[05:00] [Woman Reporter:] Do you like to work?

[05:02] [Prabhupada:] Yes. What is that?

[05:03] [Madhudvisa:] She wants to know if we like to work.

[05:06] [Prabhupada:] We are working more than you: twenty-four hours in the old age. I am traveling all over the world.

[05:11] [Woman Reporter:] But don't you get a lot of your money from begging?

[05:13] [Prabhupada:] No, no. First of all you see: working, you cannot work more than us.

[05:18] Because I am an old man of seventy-nine years old, and I am traveling always, all over the world, twice, thrice in a year.

[05:28] You cannot work so much, at least.

[05:33] [Madhudvisa:] Just one more question, please.

[05:35] [Reporter:] Your Grace, your religion is a very ascetic one. Will you be living ascetically in Melbourne?

[05:41] We're told that you'll be taken away in a Rolls-Royce.

[05:53] [Prabhupada:] Our religion does not say asceticism. Our religion teaches to love God.

[05:49] You can love God in your this dress. There is no harm.

[05:52] [Reporter:] But it is a self-denying religion, isn't it?

[05:55] [Prabhupada:] No, not self-denying. We are using everything. Why self-denying?

[05:59] We simply use whatever absolutely necessary. That's all.

[06:02] [Reporter:] But how do you justify trappings like a Rolls-Royce and a very expensive house to live in?

[06:07] [Prabhupada:] No, we don't want Rolls... We can walk.

[06:10] [Reporter:] Wouldn't it be better that you were traveling in a much smaller car, less pretentious?

[06:13] [Prabhupada:] Why? If you give me a Rolls-Royce to travel, why shall I refuse it?

[06:19] It is my favor upon you I accept it.

[06:23 [Reporter:] Your Grace, would you tell us briefly how you founded the "Hare Krsna" in America?

[06:29] [Prabhupada:] Well, at least whole world is now chanting Hare Krsna. Wherever you go, they chant Hare Krsna.