So after ten years we have gotten so many devotees and so many houses, so I can't imagine how big this Movement will be after ten thousand years.

This morning it rained, so Prabhupada said he would "take his walk in the car." Accompanied by Kitanananda Swami and Ramesvara Maharaja, Srila Prabhupada sat comfortably in the back. He occasionally passed comments about the passing scenery, chanted japa, and responded to our questions and remarks. The car plied along Wilshire Boulevard and around the opulence of Beverly Hills, and taxes and government became the focus of conversation. Ramesvara Maharaja said, "You have written in the Fourth Canto that because the government is so expert in taxing, the people are becoming so expert in cheating the government to avoid the taxes. So the government is simply training the people how to cheat." "Yes," Prabhupada nodded in agreement. "And then you wrote that one day the taxes will become so great that the people will revolt, refuse to pay, and then the government will be finished. There will be chaos. You're giving all these warnings, Srila Prabhupada. You've also warned them about taking the oil from the earth." "Yes. I think of these things," Prabhupada smiled. "There is analogy, just like when you fly in the sky, you take sufficient petrol in the wings, sufficient, so many thousands of gallons. And if there is no petrol, then you'll fall down. So I theorize these things, that these planets are floating in the air on account of petrol. If you finish the petrol stock, then we drop. Analogy. Indirectly, my desire is that 'Why you are wasting your time in this way? Your life is short here. Then utilize it for self-realization.' What is the use of this civilization, civilization that for artificial necessities of life you waste your whole duration of life and next life you become a cat or dog? Suppose you are successful in this life manufacturing these big, big skyscrapers; next life, if you become a cockroach in the same house, toilet room... There is possibility. You have to change your body, and there is no guarantee that you'll have to change in this type of body. Any body. The cockroach is also a body. Therefore they don't believe in the next life." "You said they have developed so many different weapons, so they must use them. They will not waste their time making nuclear bombs and so on without using them," Ramesvara said. "That means it is ordained by God," Prabhupada replied. "That 'You have manufactured this, and use it for your destruction.' That is nature's way." As the car glided past Twentieth Century Fox film studios, Ramesvara allowed himself to indulge in a little speculative extrapolation, just to get Prabhupada's reaction. "When they have this war it will reduce everything, just finish off all the industries and factories. So everything will be reduced to a primitive stage." "No," Prabhupada told him. "They will again repair." He cited recent history as evidence. "Just like Germany was finished. The American planes bombed in such a way that Germany was finished, very heavily bombed. One lady in Hamburg, she was showing me one wall, big wall, building dismantled, and it has become black on account of bombing. She was showing me how far injustice they have been done." "So then after the war, nothing will change. System of government, the industries, everything will just be rebuilt." "They'll try at least," Prabhupada said. "Just like after the Second World War, Germany or England finished. They could not recoup; they are now poverty-stricken. Germany is little recouped, but England is finished. Therefore I say India got independence not due to Gandhi, it is due to Hitler. That is my opinion." We put aside our western-oriented view of history as Prabhupada gave his analysis of the true cause of India's emancipation. "I have got reason. The Hitler fighting with England made them smashed, so their political power became nil almost, and on this opportunity, Hitler helped Subash Chandra Bose, one of the leaders of India, to organize Indian National Army. This Indian National Army, when they attacked, at least made a show of attack from Imphala, especially on Calcutta dropped bombs, and the whole Calcutta became vacant. Perhaps myself and a few others remained. I sent my sons... Of course, daughter was married, but they were sent to Navadvipa, Sridhara Maharaja's asrama. My wife refused to go out of Calcutta. She said, 'I'll be bombed maybe, but I'll not go out.'" Srila Prabhupada laughed. "So I had to remain in Calcutta. So I've seen bombing and Calcutta all vacant. And one day I was eating in the evening, night-immediately bombing. Kachauri... I was hungry, but the eating finished." Of course, I have heard Srila Prabhupada's analysis before. Only a couple of days ago he was telling an Indian visitor his views, and how he felt it was his old school friend Subash Chandra Bose who actually forced the British out of India. Yet I am always eager to hear again because each time he talks about it, he reveals a little more detail. I asked how frequently they were bombing Calcutta. "Almost daily, but it was meant for bombing the European quarters. So when the Britishers saw that 'Now this Subash Bose has organized I.N.A. Outside India, all the Indians, they contributed money, especially from Singapore, Hong Kong, this side?all the Indians, they contributed sufficiently. And he got men from the fighting Indian soldiers. The Britishers, they were fighting with Indian soldiers, with Germany and Japan and others. So the contract with Hitler and Subash Bose was this, that 'All the Indian soldiers which you arrest in the war, please give me them. Then I shall organize.' So the soldiers, when they understood they're being arrested?'We shall go to Indian side'?they voluntarily surrendered. So Hitler, all others, Hitler and Japan, Tojo, arrested them and gave them to Subash Chandra Bose, and he was organizing in Singapore." "He had a large army?" I asked. "Large or small, whatever; there was. But England had no soldiers. Whatever they did, fight, with the Indian soldiers, Gurkha and Sikh. Indian money, Indian soldiers, everything Indian?they were fighting. So when the Britishers saw that 'The nationalism has come amongst the soldiers. It is not possible to maintain the Empire,' they voluntarily gave independence. 'Better give us good relations, and our business... Make some agreement. But before departing, make them weak and divide Pakistan and India.'" "That the British arranged," Ramesvara said. "Yes. Because they are doing these things in Ireland, Germany. That is their business: divide and rule. Before leaving India, immediately they partitioned. Burma was Indian. Ceylon was Indian. So they had already divided. Now England is finished. Their aristocrat?type statues are now rolling on the ground. Who takes care? Their Lennon? John Lennon and George Harrison, they are purchasing big, big palaces." Being born in England I had to agree. "All the aristocracy, they just go out to work like anyone else." "The lords are roaming on the street. I have seen many lords," Prabhupada said. "They're ordinary... Even they haven't got car. The Queen also, just like ordinary, common man?Royal family." Ramesvara ventured that one day America would be poor like that also. "Yes. Luxury leads to poverty," Prabhupada observed. "When the American becomes too much luxurious, they will not be able to defend their country. Then it will be finished." "That is the fear even now, that America has lost their fighting spirit against the Communists," Ramesvara said. "Oh, yes, yes. Vietnam. It is proof. When the Vietnam is attacked, American soldiers, they began to fly, flee away, became afraid. Naturally. They were not soldiers. They have no fighting spirit. By force they have been made soldiers." He paused for a moment and then gave his solution. "Let them take to Krishna consciousness. America will be saved." Being one of the leading organizers of book distributon in America, Ramesvara Maharaja naturally thinks a lot about the future impact of our movement on society. He likes to solicit Prabhupada's comments and direction on our activities, so he brought up the comment made previously about the duration of the movement in this Kali-yuga. "You said a few days ago, that this Movement will go on unimpeded for ten thousand years, so..." Prabhupada interrupted to add an important provisio. "Yes, provided we keep it uncontaminated. You should take this opportunity." "So after ten years we have gotten so many devotees and so many houses, so I can't imagine how big this Movement will be after ten thousand years." "Yes," Prabhupada said. "You'll get the government." Trying to take in the full import of Prabhupada's short statement Ramesvara asked, "The whole world will be delivered?" "Yad yad acarati sre-ahah. America will be the best; people will follow. They are already following?skyscraper building, that's all. Any nation in the world, they are all aspiring to have skyscraper buildings. Full of skyscraper buildings. Now they are thinking this is opulence, skyscraper building. When you are giving it up, no more skyscraper building, the others are imitating." As the car drew up to the temple Ramesvara made one final point. "All the instructions for the future-like you said that one day even we will have the government?how to run the government, everything is explained in your books." "Yes. I think like that," Prabhupada chuckled. "Is there mention, 'The slaughterhouse must stopped'?" "You've given all the major policies for the future government, Krishna consciousness government," Ramesvara assured him. Srila Prabhupada tipped his head slightly to the side. "Let us hope," he said modestly.