Process to clear the conscience

Interview
—
February 1, 1968, Los Angeles

Interviewer: What are the basic beliefs of the Kṛṣṇa reli-

gion?

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa means God. So God, this word, does

not explain the nomenclature of God. Now this Kṛṣṇa is
Sanskrit word, and it conveys the full meaning of
God. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. All-attractive means
He is full of all opulences. In this world we are attracted
by one who is very rich, we are attracted by one who is
very famous, we are attracted by one who is very highly
educated, we are attracted by someone who is very
beautiful. Similarly, these are features of attraction.
And when all these attractions are reposed in one place
without any rivalry, He is God. That is the conception of
God. So Kṛṣṇa means all these six opulences in fullness
together. That is the full definition of God.
Interviewer: What effect to the followers does chanting
give? I heard from one that it transports them to a uto-
pian type situation. I wondered if you could elaborate
on that a little more.

Prabhupāda: Which situation?

Interviewer: Utopian-like, where there is no harm, no...,

all is good, and...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now, this our process is chanting. It

is very innocent. If you sit down and chant with us, you
have no loss, no harm, but there is great gain. You see?
By chanting, you gradually cleanse your heart and you
can realize what is God. That is the greatest gain. Hu-
man life is meant for knowing God. The animals, they
cannot know, although the bodily demands of the ani-
mal and the human being are the same. The animals,
they sleep; man also sleeps. Animal, they eat; man also
eats. The animal, they are also afraid of some enemy;
man is also afraid of some enemy. The animals,
they mate with the opposite sex, and men also do that.
But what is the special significance of man? He can un-
derstand about God, but the animal cannot. Therefore
if a man does not take to this understanding, he is no
better than animal. A man who has no God conscious-
ness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is no better than ani-
mal because he has no other business than the four
principles of bodily demands. So that is also prevalent
in animal kingdom. Therefore this is a privilege for hu-
man being, to understand about God, and as such, in
every human society there is some sort of religious prin-
ciple. This religious principle means to understand
God. Either you take it, Christianity or Judaism or Hin-
duism, every religion is trying to understand God accor-
ding to their capacity. So without this understanding,
means Kṛṣṇa consciousness, human life is as good as
animal life.

Interviewer: Do you believe that other religions have so-

me truth to them because they all are...

Prabhupāda: I have already told that religion means

searching after God, every religion. The process may be
different. The audience may be different. Just like in
Christianity there is conception of God, "God created
this world." So this is a fact. We also say. But we say in
very lucid explanation from the Vedas. We don't stop,
simply saying, "God created," but how created, how
things developed, these descriptions are there in the Ve-
dic literature. That is the difference. Otherwise there is
no difference of opinion. The Christians accept God
created this world; the Jewish religion, they also accept
God created this world; the Muslims they also accept
God created this world; we also accept God created this
world. So "God is the supreme; God is great," that is ac-
cepted by everyone. But the only difference is that we
give details so that modern mind, who are advanced in
education and scientific knowledge, they can unders-
tand, whereas others, they cannot give in detail. There-
fore they are deviating gradually because the modern,
advanced, educated persons they want to know how
God created this world, and that description is lacking.
But we can give that. That is the difference. Otherwise
the primary principle, to understand God—God is
great; we are small, tiny; we are subordinate; we are
maintained by God—this idea is everywhere.

Interviewer: Yes, well, what is your explanation of the

creation of the world?

Prabhupāda: That is a huge thing. That we have to see

to the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that God expanded Himself
first of all in Mahā-Viṣṇu, He lied down on the Causal
Ocean. And while He was in sleeping mood, from His
breathing, innumerable universes came into existence.
Then each and every universe, Mahā-Viṣṇu entered.
Then again He lied down there, and from Him the first
creature, Brahmā, generated. Then Brahmā created ot-
her planets. First there was creation of sound. From the
sound, the sky came into existence. From the sky, air ca-
me into existence. From air, fire came into existence.
From fire, water came into existence, and from water,
this land developed. In this way, there are very detailed
description in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So we have to
take it that way.

Interviewer: Were you born in this country or were you

born in...

Prabhupāda: No. I was born in India, Calcutta. My

birthplace is Calcutta.

Interviewer: When did you come to this country?

Prabhupāda: I came here in September, 1965.

Interviewer: Did you come with the purpose of sprea-

ding Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Prabhupāda: Yes. I am an ordained minister for prea-

ching these missionary activities. So I came here in Sep-
tember, 1965. Then, for one year, I was traveling in
many parts of your country. In the beginning I was in
Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, and then I went to Philadelp-
hia. Then I came to New York. And in this way I was tra-
veling, not very much. And in 1966, in July 1st, I started
my class in New York at 26 Second Avenue. That is my
first starting. Then the younger generation began to co-
me to me, and they started the San Francisco branch,
Montreal branch. In this way the institution is going.
And we have sent our students to Europe also. They ha-
ve already started one branch in London, one in Ham-
burg. And we have sent our students in Honolulu. They
have started a branch there. So our program is to start
several..., as many branches as possible to spread
this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And it is very
easy. We simply invite persons to come and chant with
us. It doesn't matter what he is, what is his language,
what is his religion. We don't take into account all these
things. And this Hare Kṛṣṇa is so easy to utter, that any
man can utter. That we have experienced. Any part of
the world, we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and they can very ea-
sily imitate and chant. Even child, they also. So by chan-
ting, he gradually becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious. His heart
becomes cleansed and he can understand what is scien-
ce of Kṛṣṇa, what is science of God. Then he automati-
cally offers himself for initiation. Then we initiate him
and guide him in different ways. But our students are
strictly forbidden to have illicit sex life or meat-eating
or intoxication or gambling. These four things are
strictly forbidden for our students. And they take it se-
riously. We get our... In your country boys and girls,
they live as friend. I don't allow that. If there is such
friendship, I immediately ask them, if they become my
student, I immediately ask them to be married. And
this experiment has proved very successful. I got these
young boys and girls married, and they are very happily
living, and husband and wife, they are preaching. All
my students in London—there are six boys and girls—
they were married by me, and they are doing very ni-
cely. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is very nice
in everywhere, especially in this country. That is my opi-
nion. And people will be benefited, especially the youn-
ger section who were feeling frustration in every res-
pect, and they are now happy. It is practical. Just ask
any one of my students how they are happy. You have
seen in our temple how happily they are living and dan-
cing from their face. Face is the index of mind. You will
understand from their face how happy they are feeling.
They are not smoking. They are not taking marijuana or
are taking... No. This nonsense we don't allow. Simple
food and chanting. That makes them happy. Simple
thing.

Interviewer: I notice that most of your followers, at

least in this temple, are young, like in the college age or
in the teenage. Is it because Kṛṣṇa doesn't attract the ol-
der generation, I mean, yourself excluded?
Prabhupāda: No. Kṛṣṇa attracts everyone. Just like
magnetic stone attracts iron. But the iron is covered
with too much muddy things—the magnetic force does
not work. This younger generation, they are not too
much dirty; therefore they are very easily attracted. You
see? It is like a magnetic force. The same example, that
magnetic force attracts iron. That is natural. But if the
iron is too much rusty and covered with muddy things,
then it does not act. So older generation means they are
convinced in some way. They cannot accept any new
thing. You see? They are in the last stage of life. Whate-
ver they have understood, they cannot forget. But youn-
ger generation, they have got capacity to take new
things. Just like nobody goes... No old man goes to
school because they are unable to receive education.
But younger generation, they go. So there is a age to re-
ceive. So this age is recipient. Therefore naturally—it is
nice thing—they are receiving.

Interviewer: You spoke of initiation. What is that initia-

tion?

Prabhupāda: Initiation means formally acceptance of

the line of activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Before
that, before initiation, we invite everyone to come and
sit down with us, chant, dance, take prasādam, hear
philosophy. And if he understands, "Oh, this is very ni-
ce," then he offers himself to be initiated. Then we ac-
cept. Then we impose this restriction that "If you want
to be initiated..." We get hundreds of letters by everyo-
ne who has attended our classes. Daily we are getting
some married couples or boys and girls, but most of
them are younger. My students are within thirties. The
oldest student I have got at the present moment, he is
twenty-eight years. No, Kirtanananda is about thirty
years old. That's all. So, of course, I do not get any older
people. That is nice, hopeful, because younger section,
if they take it very seriously, then I have hopes that they
will preach in future, even in my absence. And old peo-
ple, if a man becomes too much accustomed to a certain
limited habits, in old age it is very difficult to give it up
unless one is extraordinarily intelligent.

Interviewer: What is the purpose of the robes and ha-

ving your head shaved?

Prabhupāda: That is not very difficult to understand.

Just like you dress in a certain way, I dress in certain
way. So we have got this dressing system in
our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, and this is taken
from Vedic literature. A brahmacārī should dress like
that. And that is very economical. Our dress is saffron
dress. It does not become dirty very quickly, and we...
[break] This dress is not very important thing, but
when one is initiated, he accepts the regulations which I
give them. So it is not that if you do not come in that
dress in our temple you will not understand our philo-
sophy. That is not... We don't mean that. But it is conve-
nient. But anyone who does not want to change this
dress, that does not matter. We don't insist. These brah-
macārīs, they voluntarily change. Otherwise there are
many students, just like we have got two, three stu-
dents, they are working. They come just like ordinary
American gentlemen. So there is no objection in that
way. Dress is not very important thing.

Interviewer: Do you have a name that you call... are

they called students? Like, would he be called a student
or a...?

Devotee: Brahmacārī.

Prabhupāda: Brahmacārī. We have got four divisions.

Those who are not married, they are called brahmacā-
rīs. And those who are married, they are ca-
lled gṛhasthas. And those who are retired, they are ca-
lled vānaprasthas. And those who are renounced, they
have no connection with anything worldly, they are ca-
lled sannyāsa. Just like I am a sannyāsī. Sannyāsī mean
I have got my family, I have got my wife, children,
grandchildren in India, but I have no connection with
them. I live alone.

Interviewer: Could I ask for a spelling on those?

Prabhupāda: Sannyā... Yes, brahmacārī: b-r-a-h-m-a-c-

h-a-r-y, this is brahmacārī. Then gṛhastha: g-r-i-h-a-s-
t-h-a, gṛhastha. H-a-s-t-h-a, gṛhastha. G-r-i-h-a-s-t-h-a.
Is that clear? Gṛhastha. Then vānaprastha: v-a-n-a-p-r-
a-s-t-h-a, vānaprastha. Then sannyāsī: s-n-n-y-a-s-
i, sannyāsī. Four divisions. These four divisions, and
there are other four orders of social system. That is ac-
cording to work, division according to work and quality.
Just like the brāhmaṇas, b-r-a-h-m-a-i-n-
s, brāhmaṇas. Brāhmaṇas means the most intelligent
class of the society. The kṣatriyas, k-s-h-a-t-r-y-a-
s, kṣatriyas. Kṣatriyas means persons who are interes-
ted in politics, in the management of the country, politi-
cal affairs. They are called kṣatriyas. Similarly, there is
the vaiśyas, v-a-i-s-y-a-s. Vaiśyas means the mercantile,
productive class. Those who are engaged in producing
grains or trade, milk, and in industry. Of course, in-
dustry, artisans, they are called, artists, śūdras. Any-
way, any person engaged in producing for the needs of
the society, they are called vaiśyas. And the worker class
is called śūdra. So according to Vedic system, these are
eight divisions. Unless the human society is divided in-
to these eight divisions in terms of material and spiri-
tual progress of life, that is not accepted as human so-
ciety.

Interviewer: Have they encountered any problems in, li-

ke out on the Hollywood Boulevard? Police action or te-
lling them to move or...?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Only that depends on the whims of

the police. Sometimes they say, "You are blocking our
roads." Sometimes, "Oh, you are doing nice." So that
depends on their temperament.

Interviewer: How about from the crowd?

Prabhupāda: Crowd, of course, whenever there is

crowd, it is natural—police do not like it. So we don't
create crowd. But generally, people, out of inquisitive-
ness they gather together and see how they are chan-
ting. They are sympathetic. They contribute. They pur-
chase our books and literature. The people, public is
sympathetic. The police are also sympathetic. They
don't object when we go at night, but during busy
hours, they object. So one of our students was arrested
by the police. So he was taken to the court, and I gave
them $315 for what is called? Bail. But he was not con-
victed. He was immediately liberated, and now our mo-
ney was returned. So it is not a problem.

Interviewer: Were there any followers before you came

to this country?

Prabhupāda: No. In this country, of this Kṛṣṇa cons-

ciousness movement, there was none. It is the first ti-
me. I have introduced. But in India it is very, very old,
since the advent of Kṛṣṇa, and at least since last five
thousand years. So Kṛṣṇa is very popular in India. In
every home, Kṛṣṇa is worshiped, and there are many
millions of temples of Kṛṣṇa in India and followers also.
Followers means almost all Hindus are followers
of Kṛṣṇa. They read this Bhagavad-gītā. So I have re-
cently published Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. It is published
by Macmillan Company, and this book is very nicely
being received. It is being reviewed by several papers. I
have got many others books. They are being gradually
introduced. Perhaps you have seen in our counter. We
have got books, magazines, calendar, and other literatu-
res. So it is a very scientific movement. It is not a senti-
ment, bogus hoax. Anyone who wants to understand
this movement philosophically, scientifically, they will
be very much satisfied with this. The idea is that any re-
ligious movement without philosophical basis, it is
simply sentiment or fanaticism. And philosophy wit-
hout idea of God is simply mental speculation. Therefo-
re religious principles combined with philosophy, that
is perfect. So the younger section become attracted to
this movement because we are giving some religious
principle based on philosophy.

Interviewer: About how many followers would you say

there are in the United States?

Prabhupāda: Initiated members, there are about one

hundred or little more, but sympathizers, admirers, the-
re are many. Those who come, those who contribute, ta-
ke sympathy, they help, and in that way there are many
followers. But actually initiated members, there are
about a little more than one hundred.

Interviewer: What is the significance of... Right after

the chanting, everyone bows, and that I don't unders-
tand, what they're doing.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is offering respect. The whole,

our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is to ask people to
surrender to God. They have rebelled against God. So-
mebody says, "There is no God." Somebody says that "I
am God." These nonsense things are to be eradicated
from human society. So they should be trained to sub-
mit. So the submission is symbolized by bowing down:
"Yes, you are great; I am humble." This should be
taught. Otherwise, whimsically somebody is thinking
that "I am God." They do not know what is God. It is
most foolish proposal if somebody claims that he is
God. He is dog. We very much hate this proposal, when
a man claims that he is God. It is most blasphemous.

Interviewer: Have you... Did you... Well, you've only

been over here about four years. But have there been
dropouts, out of the movement, of the hundred that we-
re initiated?

Prabhupāda: They are doing nicely. They are making

progress. They are understanding the philosophy. They
are working for it. Now I am the only man who came
from India, and still, I am one. I have no... There are
many Indians, but I have no Indian follower here. Of
course, in India we have got. That's a different thing.
But these, all these American boys, they are cooperating
with me. That means they are taking this movement
very seriously. We have got two great papers, magazi-
nes, already, Back to Godhead. One is published from
New York, and the other is published from Montreal.
[break] In French language. Montreal it is published in
French language, and they are well received. Recently I
have received one letter from my disciple, Janardana.
He is Janus Dambergs, M.A., he is the editor of that pa-
per. He is a very good scholar in French language. His
wife is also good scholar, Muna. She is also very good
scholar in French language. So they are publishing, and
the magazine is well received by the French-speaking
people there. And we have contemplation to publish the
same magazine in German language also from Ger-
many.

Interviewer: I was talking to one the other day, and he

said his name was Tamul.

Prabhupāda: Tamāla, yes. Tamāla Kṛṣṇa.

Interviewer: Tamāla? And he was from Manhattan.

Now, I assume when you join, do you assume a name?
Do you change your name?

Prabhupāda: Yes, when one is initiated, I give him a na-

me which means remembrance of Kṛṣṇa.

Interviewer: Is it necessary to know of the Indian lan-

guage when you join? Because I noticed that when
your...

Prabhupāda: This is not Indian name. This is Sanskrit

name.

Interviewer: It's what?

Prabhupāda: Sanskrit. Sanskrit is a language which is

mother of all languages. Sanskrit, S-a-n-s-k-r-i-t, Sansk-
rit language. So this is the original language of this...,
not only of this planet. In other planets also, this lan-
guage is spoken. So the names are in Sanskrit. They do
not belong to any community or any section. It is uni-
versal. We have no information. Just like this
word, Kṛṣṇa. It is universally known: "all-attractive."
The exact English translation is "all-attractive." So the-
re cannot be any proper nomenclature for God than this
"all-attractive." Unless God is all-attractive, how He can
be God? This is the perfect nomenclature. Similarly,
anything Sanskritically named, that is all perfect. Yes.

Interviewer: I think that's all the questions I had. I can't

think of any more. Let me think. (end)