He said that twice a day the boys can come to the beach and sport and swim. In this way they will grow healthy, get a good education, and become men of good character.
Prabhupada talked a lot on his walk, especially focusing on the topic of the gurukula. He told Giriraja, the temple president, that a large gurukula should be constructed on our land here in Bombay. He said that twice a day the boys can come to the beach and sport and swim. In this way they will grow healthy, get a good education, and become men of good character. They will learn to control their senses, and this will save them from becoming "nonsense."
Prabhupada said there are many wealthy persons in Bombay who would want to put their children in such a school, because they are not concerned whether their children become expert technologists or not. When you have wealth, you can hire others to do such work.
He told of a man he knew in Allahabad who was a Ph.D., yet he could not get a job. The man was manufacturing soap bars at home and going by cycle every day to sell them in the market. Although he had a Ph.D., he was living like a coolie.
Prabhupada emphasized that therefore one should not make much endeavor for economic advancement, because whatever one is due, either success or failure, is already decided. Getting a Ph.D. will not change that. One should simply try to become Krishna conscious. He mentioned that Mr. Modi, the founder of Modinagar, where we recently had our program, was not an educated man, but he had fifty thousand people working for him.
Giriraja told a similar story about Henry Ford. He had been criticized by a newspaper that he was an ignorant man. He brought a case against the paper, and in court the defense lawyer began asking him questions on science and history. At one point Henry Ford turned to the judge and said, "In my office I have a panel of buttons, and I can press any button and someone will come running to answer any of these questions. So am I ignorant?"
In the course of the walk, Prabhupada also told us a couple of amusing stories. "When I was a child my father gave me one red gun; I was not more than eight years. Then, after getting one, I said, 'I must have another one.'
"Then father said, 'Why another one? You have got already one.'
"So I said, 'No, I have got two hands. I must have two guns.' "Then my father, 'No, you are not... I am not going...' Then I made so much agitation, he was obliged to give me two guns."
We all laughed at his description as he went on to tell us that he was the "very pet child of my father and very pet son-in-law also." Then he added that he was the pet disciple of his guru also.
The other story he told illustrated how intelligence is superior to strength. "There was a lion in the forest, and he was disturbing all the animals. So there was a peace conference: 'sir, you don't disturb every one of us. We shall come automatically.'
"So one day it was the turn of a rabbit. So he was a little late, so the lion said, 'Why you are late? My time is over.'
"'Yes sir, another lion on the way, he wanted to eat me. So I said, 'No, you cannot eat me. I will be eaten by such and such Mr. Lion.'
"So he became very angry. 'Who is that?'
"'Yes, come on. I will show you.' So he got him near a well, and he said that 'Here is the lion.'
"So immediately, 'Graww!'
Everyone laughed as Prabhupada imitated the lion growling.
"And there was sound, 'Graww!' Then he saw the reflection and immediately jumped over. Buddhir yasya balam tasya nirbuddhes tu kuto balam pasya simha madonmatah sasah kena nipatata: A sasa, rabbit, killed a big lion by intelligence."
This story is from the Hitopadesha. Srila Prabhupada mentioned that Aesop's Fables, popular in the West, were actually derived from the Hitopadesha.
On the way back into the temple grounds, Prabhupada noticed a new minibus. It is for Acyutananda Swami to tour South India in. When he heard that they are planning to have Radha and Krishna installed in the bus, he suggested Gaura-Nitai would be better. But on being informed that the people in South India like Radha-Krishna and are not so familiar with Gaura-Nitai, he conceded.
As we walked on past the building site, Saurabha said that work on the temple structure is going on smoothly and quickly. Only three stories remain to be built on the twin towers that will be the Guest House.
Reference: Transcendental Diary Volume 1 by Hari Sauri Dasa
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