"Why as much? Why not fully?"
Yogesvara prabhu introduced a French Naval Commander from Corsica, Mr. Marchand, along with his wife and two children, to Srila Prabhupada this afternoon. After meeting the sankirtana devotees they were inspired to read Prabhupada's books; now they chant japa and follow the regulative principles. The entire family was respectful and honored to meet personally with Srila Prabhupada.
Visvambhara dasa, the New Mayapur temple president, acted as interpreter while Prabhupada chatted with them, encouraging them to read the Bhagavad-gita. He began by comparing Mr. Marchand's position with that of Arjuna. "We generally speak that Arjuna was military commander. So before understanding Bhagavad-gita, he was commander, and after understanding, he remained a commander but he became Krishna conscious."
This prompted Mr. Marchand to ask how he should conduct his affairs now that he has come to Krishna consciousness. He explained that he is living two thousand miles away from devotees so he wondered how to participate in worldly activities and still be a devotee.
Prabhupada told him to study the seventh through to the twelfth chapters of the Gita, and in particular the ninth. He asked Visvambhara to read out the first verse and translation of chapter seven. Prabhupada then said that if there were any difficulties, Mr. Marchand could inquire from him.
"He says he admires you very much for the work you have done in spreading this message all around," Visvambhara said. "And especially the fact that you have made it so clear that anyone can understand."
"So let him come, join, and help," Prabhupada said good naturedly.
"He says as much as he can he will."
Prabhupada said, grinning, "Why as much? Why not fully?" The devotees cheered their encouragement, "Hari bol!" and the Marchands laughed.
"Bhagavad-gita is a book which can guide the whole human society," Prabhupada told him. "In all different branches of knowledge, namely in politics, in sociology, in religion, in culture, in philosophy, in economics, everything, all lines are described very vividly, and the human society can take advantage of it. The Bhagavad-gita begins in the battlefield with politics. And when Arjuna declined to fight, how Krishna chastised him that is described, kutas tva kasmalam idam vishame samupasthitam. Find out this verse."
Again Visvambhara read out the verse and translation from the French edition of the Gita.
"So what is the difficulty in understanding? Ask him. This is military. Krishna is asking that 'You are in the battlefield. Wherefrom you got this cowardice mentality?' This is the beginning of Bhagavad-gita. Bhagavad-gita teaches how to become a brave hero in the battlefield, this is the instruction." Then he asked for the purport to be read out.
At the end of it, rather than ask specific questions, Mr. Marchand took advantage of this darsana to offer praise to Srila Prabhupada. He found it very admirable that from a small verse he was able to always find something new and wonderful to say about it. He appreciated that as Prabhupada goes from verse to verse, the complexity of what he explains is always new and wonderful to read. He found it wonderful how he could expand two lines into three pages.
Prabhupada humbly thanked him and then added with a smile, "I can go more, but I have made shortcut. Krishna is unlimited, so He can be described unlimitedly; but we have no unlimited patience."
Mr. Marchand appreciated that there are many things to understand about Krishna, but that we do not always have the capacity to understand. He felt that when the soul is pure, these things will be understood automatically. However, at present, because we are very far away from that state, he felt that Prabhupada's commentaries were needed to bring us closer to Krishna.
Prabhupada nodded. "Yes, this is the first study of Krishna: ABCD. When we learn Bhagavad-gita, then we can have some glimpse of idea of Krishna; then we go further in the Srimad-Bhagavatam."
Mr. Marchand said he greatly admired the fact that Prabhupada had created disciples who were very courageous in presenting his message. Whilst smiling he said that even though at first he was opposed to them, they were always peaceful and very nice to him. In this way they brought him slowly to Krishna consciousness.
Prabhupada liked to hear that. "That is preaching method. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has recommended trinad api sunicena, this is the method by the preacher."
Mrs. Marchand also had a question. She wanted to know if it was recommended for women take sannyasa.
Prabhupada described that in the Vedic system women are protected; they stay under the care of the father, then the husband and then the grown-up children. "Nothing more. This is Vedic culture."
In response to her query about the fate of women who are alone, Prabhupada said that a woman should never be left alone; just as a child is always provided for, similarly a woman should be protected. "There is no independence for a woman. Still in India it is going on. The father is obliged to find out a suitable husband for the daughter and give her in his charge. Then his responsibility is finished. Until that he is responsible to take care of the daughter."
"But today there seem to be so few qualified husbands," Yogesvara said.
"Because you do not train the boys to be qualified. You train them to become debauch," Prabhupada replied. "What can be done? You train them from brahmacari, then they'll be responsible husbands. Both the girls and the boys should be trained up, then they'll be responsible husband and wife and live peacefully. In their young days, if you give them freedom, they'll spoil. Youthful days, if you give them full freedom, they'll be misguided and spoiled."
Mrs. Marchand asked that since families are so broken up in the Western countries and women sometimes cannot find a qualified husband, what should they do?
"That, here is the Society, you train them. You have children, you train them in that way. Whatever is done is done. Now you can make very good society, Krishna conscious society. Not that one mistake has been done, you should continue. Rectify it." Explaining that modern leaders, not knowing the aim of life, are living blindly like animals, he said, "I think that in Bible there is a story, prodigal son? So we are prodigal son. We are sons of God, now we have become prodigal sons. What is the meaning of prodigal? 'Without any responsibility,' is it not? 'Do whatever you like.'"
I looked it up it in the dictionary. "It says 'Prodigal: recklessly wasteful.'"
Prabhupada fastened onto the description with gusto. "That's it. We are all recklessly wasteful sons of God. We are sons of God, there is no doubt, but at the present moment, recklessly wasteful. We are wasting our valuable life even, we are so reckless. So the Krishna consciousness movement is to check their recklessness and bring them into senses of responsibility, going back home, back to Godhead. But people are so reckless, as soon as you say something of God, immediately they laugh, 'Oh, what is nonsense, God?' This is the supreme recklessness. India was very serious about God, still India is serious. Now, the present leaders they are thinking that Indians are spoiled, simply thinking of God; they're not thinking like the Americans and Europeans for economic development. So this is the position, and it is very difficult. But still we can do something about this to the humanity, by preaching this Krishna consciousness movement. And those who are fortunate, they'll come, take up seriously."
Citing the discovery of petroleum and the subsequent manufacture of millions of cars to burn it up as an example of recklessness, he said, "And when it is finished, then they'll cry?and it will be finished. This is going on. Recklessness."
Overindulgence in sex was another recklessness. It was like a boy who inherits his father's property and then squanders it, he said. "Use it. The sooner it is finished, that's all. There is some strength in the body, and as soon as he gets a little taste of sex life, 'Oh, spend it, spend it,' whole energy spent. The brain becomes vacant. This is recklessness. Beginning from twelfth year, by the thirtieth year, everything finished. Then he's impotent."
He said in his childhood, or eighty or one hundred years ago, there were no cars, now there are hundreds and millions. "Hundreds years ago they could do without motorcar, and now they cannot live without a car. In this way, unnecessarily, they're increasing bodily, or material, necessities of life. This is recklessness."
Once again the materialistic scientists took the brunt of his criticism. Declaring them to be rascals for misleading society by promising that they will overcome the laws of nature, he condemned them very strongly. "Stupidity. Do the scientists not say like that? 'We are trying to overcome.' Rascal! You'll never be able to do that. But this rascaldom is going on. And they're applauding, 'Oh, very good, very good, very good. Oh, you are going to the moon planet.'
"But after all endeavor, the grapes are sour?'It is not useful.' That's all. You know the story? The jackal? He tried for the grapes, jumping, jumping, jumping. When it was failure, he said, 'Oh, it is useless. It is sour, no use.'" He shook with mirth. "So they are doing like that. The jackals are jumping, that's all. And we can see how these rascals are jumping uselessly. So we are warning people not to follow these silly jackals. Be prudent and be Krishna conscious. That will make your life successful."
Yogesvara introduced another guest, a young African from the Ivory Coast, Bhakta Ulain. He explained he was trying to start Krishna consciousness in his home country.
Prabhupada advised him to first stay here for some time before attempting to go out and preach. "Because every one of us, we have followed the silly jackals; now we have to follow Krishna. Janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara. That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu's advice: First of all, let your personal life be successful, then try to do good to others. When you are trained up to follow Krishna, then our life is successful. Then you can do something. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. We have to follow Krishna alone, not all these rascals, silly jackals. Krishna can give you all guidance. In all respective necessities of life there is everything complete, we haven't got to follow the silly jackals. So here is a nice place, you stay here and forget the silly jackals and take to Krishna alone or His devotees. Then you can start very nicely a center anywhere. That is the duty of everyone. We should open hundreds and thousands of centers all over the world. But one who is going to open, he must be first of all trained up."
Ulain said he was himself convinced about Krishna consciousness, but he wondered why we only have two temples in Africa.
Prabhupada explained that it was because of the language difficulty. Still, he felt that by distribution of prasadam and chanting, the language barrier could be overcome. Yet even this simple program required qualification. "Who is chanting, he must be a sincere devotee, then his chanting will be effective. A gramophone machine will not do. He must be realized, then his chanting will be effective. Satam prasangan mama virya-samvido bhavanti hrit-karna-rasayanah kathah. He must behave just like a pure Vaishnava. Then if he chants, his chanting will be effective. Just like electricity. If I am surcharged with electricity, I touch, you also become electric. And if he touches, he'll become. But if one is not in touch with electricity, then it will not act. So one must be electrified, then if he touches somebody, he'll be electrified. If there is no electricity, simply by touching, he'll not do."
Yet despite his admonitions to wait until he was fully trained, when Ulain said that the president of the Ivory Coast was very favorable to our Movement, has the Bhagavad-gita and wants us to open a center there, Prabhupada told him, "Immediately do it. I am simply explaining the process. But do it immediately, Krishna will give you power. If you are sincere, you'll be electrified. There is no doubt."
Reference: Transcendental Diary Volume 3 by Hari Sauri Dasa
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