Take prasadam, see drama, read books, chant Hare Krishna
Saurabha prabhu is here from Bombay. He was called by Srila Prabhupada to discuss details of the temple construction there and the remaining work here in Vrindavana. This evening at about eight o'clock he joined Jagadisa, Pradyumna, Mahavira, and myself in a half hour's informal get-together with His Divine Grace. Prabhupada was relaxed, leaning back against the bolsters of his thick cotton-padded asana, smiling and chatting with us about the state of affairs in the world. His hand was in his bead bag and his tulasi-mala clicked together audibly as he ran them between his fingers and thumb, his mind always fixed on the holy name even as he shared his thoughts on modern civilization.
The Vrindavana school is nearing completion and he plans another in Bombay. It is our young, he told us, who are the future, and therefore we need to make a serious effort to educate them in devotional activities. Although his mood was mellow, his words were still weighty. "So you combine together, make a batch of good character, ideal character in the whole world. There is no ideal character. Everyone is drunkard and meat eater or woman hunter. What is the civilization? Hog civilization. Work hard, get some money, and spend it for intoxication, illicit sex. This is civilization. Is it not? They have no idea how to make civilized."
His mention of intoxication reminded Mahavira of some commotion he had read in the English press as to whether children in Scotland should be allowed into the pubs with their parents.
Prabhupada wasn't surprised. "They allow the children sit down. They take soda water and the father, mother drinking. I have seen it. They are learning from the father and mother from the beginning."
He was spot on. It brought back some memories for me, and I told him how every Sunday my father would go to the local pub and then for a Sunday treat would give us kids a glass of beer.
"Just see," Prabhupada acknowledged. "Father, mother take . . . Because they think it is civilization. Elder boys, the father mother tell, 'What is the wrong, illicit sex? Take woman, take car. Enjoy life.' I have seen it. They know, 'This is life.' . . . Therefore they say, 'Brainwash. This Swamiji is controlling their minds and brainwashing.' That is their charge."
He paused for a second and with a dose of satirical humor chuckled and said, "Wash, ne. The brain should be operated, surgical to take out all rubbish things . . . It is all gobar [cow dung]. Take out."
He laughed.
He was at ease but still was thinking of the preaching, not only globally but also locally. He gave some suggestions to Mahavira for prasadam distribution, since they have just had a program. "Make khicudi."
"Pushpanna rice?" Mahavira asked. "Always keep it simple, puris, and one other thing?"
Even that, Prabhupada indicated, was not necessary, as long as there was something. "No, one kind. Either puri or pushpanna or khicudi, like that." He seemed to think it would be too much endeavor for them to do more. But when Mahavira said that he had organized sabji and puri, Prabhupada tipped his head. "Yes. That is easiest, puri and sabji. Similarly, khicudi and sabji, pushpanna and chutney, like that. Temple means feeding them with prasadam."
He asked Saurabha if the Sunday feast was going on in Bombay.
Saurabha told him that right now our facility is so limited that they have to serve in two shifts because there is always a big crowd. But when the new work is completed there will be sufficient space for everything.
Prabhupada smiled at the thought. "Take prasadam, see drama, read books, chant Hare Krishna. Bas. And if you like, you can live with us. So where is the difficulty?" He paused again and then chuckled. "That American politician has predicted that 'This Hare Krishna movement, within ten years, they will capture our government.' " He loves to recall this; it is a mark of real success. Laughing, he told us, "So, DO it actually!" His emphasis sparked our mirthful enthusiasm, and he went on, his mind set on the possibility. "Then it will be very nice. It is not [impossible] . . . Simply take the people in your favor; the government is yours. That they are afraid of. The young boys, they are taking Hare Krishna movement seriously, so the government can be changed in their favor. After all, it is democracy. So you can do it. You become president. You become senator. In America it is possible. And if America accepts . . . "
He thought for a second and then asked about the new American president, Jimmy Carter. "What about this new president? Formerly, I heard about him that he is religious man."
Saurabha confirmed that Carter's mother had worked in India and is therefore quite favorable to the country and culture. The Carters have many friends in India, and there is one particular man in the movie industry in Bombay with whom they are close. Jagat Purusha, who has extensive contacts in that arena, is going to approach him.
Prabhupada liked that. "At least let them understand the philosophy."
Prabhupada suggested that Balavanta prabhu, who formerly headed up our "In God We Trust" party in America, could see him and explain the philosophy.
It turns out that Balavanta already knows him. Jagadisa prabhu said that when Balavanta was running for the post of mayor of Atlanta, one of the candidates dropped out of the race and instead supported Balavanta. That man has now been appointed lieutenant governor under Carter. "So Carter and this man are close," Jagadisa said, "and through this man Carter knows about Balavanta and the movement."
It was an interesting prospect, and Prabhupada endorsed it. "Balavanta is very intelligent boy. He can do that."
Prabhupada asked me to bring some of the spring water from Bhubaneswar; as he sipped it he inquired a little about what Carter's mother had been doing in India. Jagadisa said that she was part of the Peace Corps.
Prabhupada had not heard of it. Pradyumna explained that it was a kind of social development organization set up by the American government. I was surprised to hear him say that Tejiyas prabhu was once a participant. Pradyumna revealed more. "He was sent to India. In Telengana he was helping with agriculture. He would go to some village, underdeveloped. He would teach them how to plant nicely, fertilize, different things. He knows all about agriculture."
I turned to Srila Prabhupada. "Why don't we send him to Hyderabad?"
Prabhupada already had it mind. "Yes. Let him go to Hyderabad."
"And he speaks the language too," I added.
Prabhupada was happy with this idea and repeated his consent.
Pradyumna elaborated a bit on the Peace Corps. "It was Kennedy's idea, the Peace Corps. Kennedy started. They started it because many young men did not want to go in the army, but army was forcible. So they said, 'If you go in the Peace Corps, then you don't have to go in the war corps; you don't have to go in army.' So many people took that: 'Oh, we'll go in the Peace Corps. We'll go as an alternative.' "
Prabhupada thought it a good idea, but Saurabha said that it had lost its popularity and was mostly shut down in India due to suspicions that it was a front for the CIA.
Prabhupada smiled. He was neither surprised nor critical. From one angle, he told us that it was the natural course. "That is politics. He was a politician. That you cannot blame. Politics require all these things. A politician cannot be a saintly person. That is not possible. For politics he has to do so many things. That is necessary. Just like Arjuna wanted to be a nonviolent. Immediately it was condemned by Krishna, 'What is this nonsense? You are a military man-nonviolent . . . ' And similarly, politicians, they require all this. Businessman must deal in black market. It is inevitable. Otherwise he cannot improve. Because the world is bad, you, if you become honest, then you cannot become prosperous."
That was the worldly situation. But as far as spiritual dealings go, he explained that these are quite different. "Brahmana's dealing must be very straight and honest. They are not meant for politics or business. They are for transcendental knowledge." And beyond that, he said, the position of a devotee is also different. "Krishna conscious person should be all inclusive. He must be a politician, he must be a brahmana, he must be a kshatriya, he must be a sudra?everything. All inclusive. Because he is transcendental. In otherwise he is neither a brahmana, neither a sudra, neither a . . . Naham vipro na ca nara patir na yatir va [Padyavali 63]. Neither of these. In other side he is everything. That is Krishna conscious. As Krishna is sometimes cowherd boy, politician, sometimes dancing with, artist?He is everything, not one sided."
Prabhupada inquired a little from Mahavira what books were being sold at the program and then returned to the subject of the new American president. "So Carter is good."
Saurabha provided further encouraging news. "Yes, I got a letter from Dharmadhyaksha two months ago. He was invited to the White House. He had an exhibition at Vancouver, that Habitat. So it was a world conference of solution to life, living. So he was invited. He met some of the officials there. He was invited to Washington, but he had to wait for Carter to become the president because then it would be fifty percent more favorable because they had a relationship. Then he said there's a great chance they will help us in India. So he is going to go there and speak with them in Washington, D.C."
Saurabha said that Dharmadhyaksha prabhu was going to talk with them about our proposed development of Mayapur; he explained to Prabhupada that Dharmadhyaksha is one of our Back To Godhead writers and did the Vedic Habitat exhibit along with Gurudasa Swami at the UN conference in early June.
Prabhupada remembered reading the pamphlet Dharmadhyaksha had sent him during his stay in Hawaii in May. "His article, one is there?"
"Yes," I said. " 'simple Living High Thinking.' You saw that."
Prabhupada nodded. It was a well-written document that he had enjoyed and felt had explained his ideas clearly and succinctly. "So he met him?" Prabhupada asked.
Saurabha clarified. "Not Carter. He met the government officials who were representing the United States government at that exhibition, and they were very favorable. They were one of the most favorable, he said, the United States."
Prabhupada was happy with the news that someone from government was taking his ideas seriously. "Yes, our 'plain living, high thinking' is very nice idea."
It seems that Carter himself is a farmer and made millions from growing peanuts.
Prabhupada grinned and returned to his opening idea. "Capture America, government. Then all world will follow. As they are known as communists, we should be known as 'Hare Krishnas.' We are already known as such, 'Hare Krishna.' Keep that name. People at least chant Hare Krishna. It is already well advertised all over the world. So keep this name, 'Hare Krishnas.' 'Vote for Hare Krishnas.' Anywhere you live, you chant Hare Krishna."
It was getting late; with a yawn he brought the informal gathering to a close so that he could prepare for his night's engagement of Srimad Bhagavatam translation and commentary.
Reference: Transcendental Diary Volume 5 by Hari Sauri Dasa
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