Room Conversation Prabhupada: …I want to do something in India. Hamsaduta: Yes. Prabhupada: So, if you can arrange. Now I am purchasing car, I have given money to Gargamuni… Hamsaduta: Yes. Prabhupada: So one car here in Delhi side, one in Calcutta side, one in (indistinct) for my going. And he is a good driver, he will drive. Eh? I do not know but he said. (laughter) Hari-sauri: I don’t know about in India, different thing altogether. Prabhupada: Hamsaduta is also a good driver. Hamsaduta: I am good for nothing. Prabhupada: (laughs) Driver we’ll get, there is no… So I want to preach little in the village. For that purpose in the big bus like that, we shall go with our tents, and we camp in a place where there is water, and begin our preaching. And Hindi book we are getting. In this way let me try in India, in the village, not in the city. Devotee: Oh yes. Hamsaduta: For us there is no problem Prabhupada, but it may be difficult for your Divine Grace. Prabhupada: No what is difficult? (laughter) But I want to do something for India in the village. So that I… That, we are getting lands, making one center, we can go here and there, not continually. Suppose here is a center, we go sometimes this side, sometimes this side, sometimes come back again. Hamsaduta: Um hm. Hari-sauri: Find one good camping spot. Prabhupada: Yes. You go early in the morning and do something. If it is favorable… Just like in Bengal they are doing. (They get) good reception. You have heard it? Hamsaduta: Yes, I heard. Prabhupada: Very good reception. Hamsaduta: Villagers give the best reception. Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Hamsaduta: Because they’re… Prabhupada: Still. Hamsaduta: They’re still faithful to culture. Hari-sauri: Unless we get the farm, this farming scheme set up within the next… Prabhupada: We are getting so many. Hari-sauri: We’re getting the farms but we haven’t got the management so… Prabhupada: Management that is in your hands. You have to… Who will give you management? You have to manage local, local men. Bon Maharaja was failure that he could not get the local men. But I did not try to bring men from India and preach in England or America. Devotee: Hm. Prabhupada: How is it possible? The British Empire was established on management. They did not bring men from England. Few managers, that’s all. That is called management. One man can control hundreds and thousands of men, that is management. (long pause) Locally attracted. These Britishers came here and they introduced this zamindari system. Hamsaduta: The what? Prabhupada: Zamindari system. Hamsaduta: Zamindar. Prabhupada: Landlord. Hamsaduta: Yes. Prabhupada: So any third class man, if he’s given some land, naturally he will be very much pleased. They created that aristocracy. So he selected some men that you give me four annas per bigha and what ever you can collect that is your… That is the old system in India, zamindari system. So collector, collector, the local collector, he appointed somebody. They used to give one lease, that you give government four annas per bigha, and whatever you can collect, that is your business. So that created an aristocratic society and they all supported Britishers, because they’re obliged. Hamsaduta: Yes. Prabhupada: Similarly in business also, they appointed brokers, that I am bringing cloth from Manchester and if you can sell you’ll get so much commission. So without any investment… Hamsaduta: They were in business. Prabhupada: A broker club business. So the businessmen, the zamindars, and gradually they started their factories, railways, in this way they started. And they are big politicians, so it is their management. And they failed when things were mismanaged. First of all they created friendship, and later on when they were in power, they created enmity. Then it is failed. Devotee: Hm. Prabhupada: First of all friendship, and that established them. And then they began to create enmity. Hindus against Muslim, Muslim… They wanted to stay. When they forgot this idea that if they wanted to stay for the benefit of the people, nobody could drive them away. But their policy was for the benefit of the English people. Therefore they failed. Lord Curzon, he says a statement that, “If you want to stay in India, rule India for the benefit of Indian people. You can keep control over India. They are fond of kings, so one member of the royal family can become king here and they’ll earn respect and honor (from) these Indian people. But rule for their benefit. Then British Empire will stay.” Very good advice, but his advice was not taken. You have seen Lord Curzon’s statue near the, in front of the Victoria Memorial Hall? Hamsaduta: Hm. Prabhupada: He was a very good governor-general. Many gentlemen came, they wrote very conscientiously and the last one, that rascal Chelmsford (chuckles), he created havoc. Hari-sauri: Hm. Prabhupada: I saw in London… Near London there is a village, Chelmsford, and he is Lord Chelmsford. We thought Chelmsford, the big state. (laughter) We were under the impression, Thames River is four times bigger than Ganges and (laughter) it is a canal. When I saw it, it is nothing but a canal. But they advertise this river, very big river. And underneath the water, men are going, and upper and wonderful. Big Ben, that Big Ben advertisement. Hamsaduta: Yeah. Prabhupada: Parliament. All photograph (laughter) actually. Downing Street, 10 Downing Street, Prime Minister’s office and so on. And actually it’s all (chuckles) no importance. Parliament, big, big advertisement. People are still going, they are paying fees to see. Hari-sauri: Hm. Prabhupada: Now that is their income. Hari-sauri: Yeah, tourism is their big source of income, now. Prabhupada: It is always cloudy; people are going to see the West Minister Abbey and Parliament. Hamsaduta: The whole tourist industry runs on propaganda. Prabhupada: Yes. Hamsaduta: When you get there, there is nothing to see. Prabhupada: In Parliament they have got old records bound up, almirah. You have seen? What it will do now? Speech of such and such person, speech of… (long pause) What they… Why this water is? Hari-sauri: Well they are watering the garden. Prabhupada: Hm. Hari-sauri: Were you thinking of any particular time, when you wanted to do this village program? Prabhupada: Hm. I have no where experience. Hari-sauri: Hamsaduta Maharaja has traveled around… Hamsaduta: You can do it from here even. You can start track from Vrndavana. Prabhupada: I think some car has come? Aksayananda: Maybe that’s Bhima, I’ll check. Prabhupada: Hm. Hari-sauri: Maybe you could do it from Bengal, from Mayapur. Prabhupada: Hm. Hari-sauri: Do the villages there. Prabhupada: Yes. Hari-sauri: Because… Hamsaduta: Here the weather is already getting cold. Hari-sauri: Yeah. Hamsaduta: And in Hyderabad the peoples don’t speak Hindi, that’s where I’m coming from. Hari-sauri: Bengal seems like the best place, because right now at least the weather is really nice. And Gargamuni’s men have a lot of experience there, Satadhanya and Jayapataka. They know all the villages. Could do some good programs. Prabhupada: This blood pressure is troubling. [break] They are chanting, “Say Krsna.” (laughter) They’re taking, “Mind control.” Hamsaduta: Yeah, mind control. Prabhupada: Ordinarily they cannot charge anything, mind control brainwashing, subtle thing. Just like I, “I am sick.” “How you are feeling?” “I am feeling some pain.” (indistinct) Who is going to see? (laughter) Who can say? It is like that. Hamsaduta: Yeah. Prabhupada: If you say that, I am feeling some pain in this brain or in there, who is going to see? Hamsaduta: Yeah, who can prove it? Prabhupada: Yes, you have to believe me, that’s all. Hamsaduta: I noticed in several of the articles though, they mentioned that this District Attorney is now going to expand his investigation to see where the money goes. This is what they’re really interested in. And when they see… What will happen is, when they see that some of the devotees collecting three, four hundred dollars on the street, then they will print this in the newspaper and in this way… Prabhupada: But they collect money by selling book. Hamsaduta: I know but people don’t understand this. They simply see that, “Oh, these are astronomical sums of money being collected. So what is being done with this money by people who are just chanting Hare Krsna? What do they do with it?” Then, “Oh, they have bought this big building in New York, they are doing spending money like this, like that.” Ultimately this is what it always come to, money. They want to see what is happening with the money. Prabhupada: And similarly here also, “Where they are getting money?” Hamsaduta: Yeah, because wherever there is money transaction, the government wants to take some. They feel, “Well, we should have some of this money for ourselves, also.” Prabhupada: Yes. Hamsaduta: So this may be a problem in this case. The thing about brain washing is not at all important. The important thing is if they look into our financial… Prabhupada: That is our BBT trust… Hamsaduta: Activities. Prabhupada: That by the sales of, sales proceeds, we 50% printing expansion, temples. Hamsaduta: Hm. Hari-sauri: Yeah. Prabhupada: That is religion. That is clearly written there. Hamsaduta: Yeah. Prabhupada: So how they can check it? We are selling books. Hamsaduta: I don’t think that in, in the end they will not be able to do anything but for some time they can give us some trouble, harass us. Prabhupada: So we have got already experience what is to be done, suggest. Hamsaduta: Well, we have to make a presentation of our movement properly, just like Tamala suggested in the letter. Prominent persons, they have to speak on our behalf. And of course, the books must be in order. Prabhupada: Another thing, that all the Indians in Europe and America, they should sign that this Krsna Consciousness Movement is genuine religious. Hari-sauri: Yeah. Prabhupada: Similarly here also, all the Krsna conscious persons especially here in Vrndavana, all the goswamis, they should be approached that this is the genuine Indian culture. Hamsaduta: Yeah. Hari-sauri: Perhaps we could even get statement from some of the favorable Indian ministers in the government? Just like this Home Minister and Tarun Kanti Ghosh in Calcutta. Prabhupada: Yes. Hari-sauri: That would be very weighty. Prabhupada: Yes. So do like that, that this is genuine, Krsna consciousness movement is genuine, cultural and religious movement. This should be taken from all prominent persons and sent there. And the copies of the standing order for all the universities. Hamsaduta: Yeah. Hari-sauri: The order forms. Prabhupada: Original orders, that should be copied and sent. This arrangement, ask them all over India and beside that we have recently got a testimony of one University authorities, just like one Goswami from Calcutta University and many others they have got. These copies should be sent immediately. We can approach even the chief justice of Allahabad high court, he came here, the minister here, the governor of Punjab, he came to see me, the governor… Hari-sauri: Andhra Pradesh government also. Prabhupada: Eh? Andhra Pradesh, chief minister. Hari-sauri: Immediately (indistinct). Prabhupada: Minister, Vrndavana. Collect all these and send it that this is a genuine movement because it is great cultural movement. Therefore, Swami Bhaktivedanta wanted to give it to Europe who are in the darkness. So anyway, now they are feeling the action of the medicine. Hamsaduta: (laughs) Yeah. Prabhupada: (chuckles) So many big, big sign boards, “Krsna is coming.” “Here is Krsna.” (sounds of pages being turned) “Here is Krsna.” Hari-sauri: Yeah, every heading has a “Krsna” written. Prabhupada: “Here is Krsna.” That I… That is our trap. Hamsaduta: Yes, the subject matter… Prabhupada: That will, that will help us in selling Krsna Books. Hamsaduta: Yeah. Prabhupada: “What is this nonsense Krsna, let us see.” It is not in our disfavor, it is in favor. (chuckles) But still we have to defend. So as I suggested you collect. Hamsaduta: Yes. Prabhupada: And from Vrndavana you can have signature from anyone. Hamsaduta: Krsna. Prabhupada: Hm. All the Gosvamis. Hari-sauri: That Atul Krsna? Prabhupada: Atul Krsna, yes. Anyone will sign for Krsna. Hare Krsna movement is genuine India cultural religious movement. They have got doubt: “Whether it is bona fide religion?” Yes it is. Hari-sauri: Well, you see the process of chanting, it is not common practice and they think it is a kind of inducement. Prabhupada: It is kind of brainwash process. Hamsaduta: It is. Prabhupada: Brainwash? No, it is heart wash. (laughter) We can send this, “It is not brainwash,” that “it is heartwash.” Of course brain and heart practically same. Hamsaduta: Mm. (pause) Prabhupada: Our temple, where many people come. Our Mayapura temple, Hyderabad temple, it is not only in Europe or America, in India in our temples, south India. Hamsaduta: Yeah. Prabhupada: It is genuine religious cult. You have to send all these people. Now note down and do all these things and send it. I can suggest. (noise in background) Hamsaduta: It is disturbing. Prabhupada: There is some commotion all over there. [break] …our child is lost altogether… Hamsaduta: Yes. Prabhupada: But there (indistinct) who go (indistinct) they’re not lost. Hamsaduta: No, no. Prabhupada: They come back again. But here (chuckles) Hare Krsna Movement, one who comes, he’ll be lost. (laughs) Hamsaduta: Brainwashed. Prabhupada: There is no hope of their coming. And Gargamuni’s father tried so much to get him back. Then he became hopeless. Hamsaduta: Yeah. Prabhupada: He was pet child of his father and mother and practically they closed their factory and everything. They become, they divorced and (indistinct). Hamsaduta: Collapse. Prabhupada: Collapse. I sent Gargamuni, go and… Hamsaduta: I remember he went home for sometime. Prabhupada: Yes. Hamsaduta: To try get into that business. Prabhupada: Yes. Hamsaduta: He was detected though because he wouldn’t eat meat. (chuckles) Prabhupada: No. He tried his best, his father. Then his father (accepted), “This child is lost.” Hamsaduta: This term brainwash, it comes from the Korean war and the Vietnamese war. They would, if they would capture a prisoner especially if he was an officer, high ranking officer, they had some methods of what they say brainwash to turn his mind so that he would accept the enemy view point. And as this happened to a person it was considered to be very, very… Hari-sauri: Great victory for the enemy. Hamsaduta: Great victory for the enemy. Just like because a high ranking officer in the army was captured by the enemy, then they would brainwash him. They had this, some process… Prabhupada: In Pakistani they kill all brain, in Bangladesh. Anyone who worked in high profession like businessman, they caught shut down. It was worse to kill. Hamsaduta: Yeah. Prabhupada: Because everywhere the big men they guide the nation. Hamsaduta: Yes. People are very much afraid of this idea of being brainwashed. Hari-sauri: They think that their minds can be changed without them knowing about it, so it scares them. Prabhupada: For me it is better to remain in Vrndavana or die. (laughter) Hm. Because they may be very envious, “Here is the man who is behind all this.” (laughter) Hamsaduta: Yes. In Germany, this one man he wrote that this movement is very dangerous, because these boys and girls who have come to this movement, they completely, they make themselves completely subservient to the dictation of one man. Prabhupada: What is that? Hamsaduta: What ever the man will say, they will do. Prabhupada: Charmistic? What is called? Charmistic Guru? He has said Dr. … Hari-sauri: Charismatic. Prabhupada: Charismatic. (laughs) Yes, what is that charismatic? Hamsaduta: Charisma means a person who has a very strong attraction, he attracts. Prabhupada: He has said, actually our whole movement is going on on this. Everyone is carrying the charismatic, (laughs) all. Hari-sauri: Yeah, they know there’s something different about our movement, I mean from any other. Everybody who sees the devotees for the first time, they immediately know these people are completely different from anyone else. Prabhupada: Yasya deve para bhaktir, yatha deve tatha gurau [SU 6.23], this is the Vedic principle of our movement. Yasya deve para bhaktir, yatha deve tatha gurau. Hamsaduta: Have faith. Prabhupada: To respect and love the spiritual master as God. Therefore it is brainwash. Hamsaduta: This is the strength of our movement, faith in the guru and sastra. Prabhupada: And everyone is writing, let them write that. So they see that, “Why this one man is so respectfully accepted, it is brainwash.” Hari-sauri: Hm. Prabhupada: They may sometimes give me trouble. Hamsaduta: Yes, generally it happens like that. If someone becomes very prominent, then they want to remove him. This is the tendency in the world. Hari-sauri: Yeah, because the demons, they think anyone who will allow themselves to become the servant of someone else, then they think he has got very weak character. Then they accuse the person who is in charge of manipulating that person. Prabhupada: Just like there are so many men now, they are against this Sai Baba. Hamsaduta: Yes. Prabhupada: Sai Baba is actually doing that brainwash. But they don’t think of… [break] Hamsaduta: Yes, because people cannot discriminate. They have no power to discriminate. They group us with all these other bogus people. Prabhupada: But that happened when Caitanya Mahaprabhu was being praised by the Nawab. They were asking about Caitanya Mahaprabhu, “What is the position of this man that so many people are following him?” So, Sanatana Goswami, who was very bright, took it as a warning and asked Caitanya Mahaprabhu that you leave this place as soon as possible. Hamsaduta: Hm. Prabhupada: So Caitanya Mahaprabhu was not afraid, but He, as usual, He left that place. But Sanatana Goswami, at that time minister… Hamsaduta: He could understand. Prabhupada: He took advice, the Nawab was so serious about Him. A Mohammedan may do something. So he said, “It is not good to stay here. You should go away.” They decided that we shall go now with Him but in the meantime let Him go. Because there were parts of India, Mohammedan influence, especially Bengal was Mohammedan kingdom. So this was warning. Then he told the Nawab that, “He is a beggar. Why do you think of him as serious man? He is beggar. Some people follow him, not many.” So he said. “Don’t try to mislead me. I know. He’s not beggar, He’s God. Otherwise how so many people are following Him?” The Nawab he said that. Hamsaduta: Huh. Prabhupada: “He’s not ordinary man. Don’t say that He’s beggar,’ he said. (laughs) Nobody follows a beggar like that, that is it. After all he was king, he had some brain. (laughs) So he wanted to brainwash, “Don’t think of Him very seriously. A beggar. Some people, sentimental.” “No, don’t say like that. A beggar is never followed by so many men.” Hamsaduta: The same thing happened to Jesus. Because so many people would follow him the government became very… Prabhupada: Yes. That what do you call it? Crucified? Hamsaduta: Yeah. Prabhupada: He was becoming very popular. So… Hamsaduta: And at least according to Bible, it appeared that the Jewish priests, they went to the governor or the chief man at that time, and they demanded that he has to do something about this man. Prabhupada: They have proposed it. That Houston politician, “It is spreading like epidemic.” Hm? Come. “It is spreading like epidemic. Something must be done.” Otherwise one day they’ll capture our government.” That’s a fact. If so many young men join this movement, they will vote. Because your country is democratic. (conchshell blows) Do this what I suggested. Hamsaduta: Yeah. You see them… Prabhupada: (indistinct) [break] “What is this pressure?” “Sir is Krsna consciousness. (laughter) And very bad.” Some day somebody says, “No it is good.” (laughter) But Krsna pressure. Hamsaduta: That pressure is being felt. Prabhupada: (Bengali) Otherwise who cares for whom? There are so many things. Here also, they are feeling the pressure, the so-called swamis, yogis, Gosvamis, religious groups, Mayavadis… Hari-sauri: Communists. Prabhupada: Eh? Hari-sauri: Communists, too. Prabhupada: Communists. That is our success. Everyone is now feeling the pressure. (Bengali) and they are talking (Bengali). In such a short time, so much money, so much expansion, so many devotees, what is this? That is Krsna. Hamsaduta: Like Vamanadeva expanded His foot and He covered the… Prabhupada: (laughs) Yes. Hamsaduta: First people thought, “Oh these are crazy fellows,” and now suddenly they are everywhere. Prabhupada: (Bengali) Almost all of them, doctor, who have spoken. You have read that? Hamsaduta: Yes, I have read. All respectable. Prabhupada: Indian and American, all learned scholars, they have spoken. Where is that statement? And Doctor Saligram, he has spoken very nice. Where is that? Doctor Saligram, Indian Professor, anthropology or something like that. So now better to see the movement from behind, who is that man behind it? (laughter) Hamsaduta: Now they’re looking for you. Prabhupada: That British government said, “Gandhi in jail is more dangerous than he is free.” (laughter) Hari-sauri: These are the statements. Prabhupada: Hm. Dr. Saligram? Hari-sauri: Yeah, Dr. Saligram Sukla. Prabhupada: Hm. Hari-sauri: Education: he graduated from the University of Cambridge and a B.A. in classical languages l962. Graduated from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York in Tibetan linguists and he has a Ph.D. in linguistics. Prabhupada: Cambridge? Hari-sauri: He has several, he has several books out. He was born in India in a traditional brahmana family, he learned Sanskrit at the age of 10, and his knowledge of the Hindu scriptures written in Sanskrit is very profound. He has committed to memory the entire Bhagavad-Gita scripture and one fourth of the Rg Veda. He himself is a worshiper of Krsna. His teachings is a way of life and he is extremely competent to judge whether the Hare Krsna movement is authentic and bona fide. Devotee (2): He came to see you in Washington. Prabhupada: Hm. Hari-sauri: So this is his statement. There are 18 chapters in Bhagavad-gita, 18 thousand verses in the Srimad Bhagavatam and several hundred verses in the Upanisads. These are the literary works which form the foundation of Indian culture and religion. They are all in Sanskrit. His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of the Hare Krsna movement has transcribed these texts, has translated them, and has explained their essence in English. From Sanskrit into English. One is an ancient classical language and the other a foreign language, a difficult task indeed. I have state… [break] Prabhupada: Brahman means unlimited happiness. Ananta brahma-saukyam ananta suddhyed sattvam yasmad suddhyed satya. You purify your existence and you are hankering after happiness, you get the unlimited, greatest happiness, yasmad brahma-saukyam anantam. Hm. Hari-sauri: So Dr. Allen Gerson says, “I am here today as a citizen who dislikes injustice, as a person who’s own people, because of their religious beliefs, are being persecuted repeatedly, and as a scientist who knows how ignorance can turn the normal rationality of people into blind hatred.” (aside:) He’s Jewish. “As a citizen I can see a great injustice perpetrated here. Several people, all of legal age, have chosen a lifestyle which, because it differs in form from our lifestyle, has been viewed by their families as unacceptable. These families with honest but misguided intentions have had their children removed from the Hare Krsna Temple and have attempted to reprogram them to the behavior and attitudes of society at large. The reprogramming obviously did not work and their children returned to the movement, thus angering and frustrating their parents. Not being able to understand the wishes of their children, or their behavior, or their motivation for returning, and needing to blame someone they effected through devious means to have 2 members of the Hare Krsna…” Prabhupada: He has used very nice strong words. Hari-sauri: Hm. “They effected through devious means to have 2 members of the New York Hare Krsna centers to be arrested. Therein lies the infection(?) of the injustice. To compound it, a judge and a grand jury agreed with their charges of unlawful imprisonment and brainwashing, a charge which is unheard of to my knowledge in civil legal proceedings, and ordered the devotees to be jailed. As a citizen I am appalled by the over-reaction, the lack of understanding, and the hate that finds wrongdoing, not only by the people that make the charges but by the court as well.” Hamsaduta: He says the same thing. Prabhupada: Hm? Hamsaduta: That this charge is unheard of in the legal history, brainwashing, and what was it? Brainwashing what? Hari-sauri: Brainwashing. Hamsaduta: That there was never such a charge in the history of law, someone who’s been brainwashed. Hari-sauri: (continues reading) “As a person who’s own people have been persecuted for their own beliefs I can sympathize with any…” Prabhupada: You can charge anyone, brainwashing. Hamsaduta: Yeah. Hari-sauri: That means anybody who is doing anything is being brainwashed. (indistinct) brainwashing. (continues reading) “The fault of this religion differs from our…” Prabhupada: Mind control. Hamsaduta: Yes. Prabhupada: These are charges? (laughter) I’m controlling your mind charges. No you are controlling mine. These are the charges. (chuckles) He’s controlling his mind. (laughter) Hari-sauri: (continues reading) “The fault of this religion differs from our western thought. Throughout history the group tried to find God through beliefs other than those which were held by the majority, and if those beliefs were very different from the majority’s, such beliefs were almost always…” Prabhupada: (indistinct)…their arguments so strong. Devotee: (indistinct) …debaters. Prabhupada: Eh? Hamsaduta: Yeah, and their theories were that because… Because they are, they have accepted your Divine Grace as the absolute authority, that they will do anything that you say and therefore these people are very dangerous. They don’t care for anything. They’re not interested in the normal standards and goals… Prabhupada: Charmistic, charmistic, what is that? Hamsaduta: Charismatic. Hari-sauri: Charismatic. Hamsaduta: Charismatic. There is, they usually use this word to describe a person who attracts people, but no one can understand why. Prabhupada: Therefore they cannot explain, brainwash, mind control, charismatic, like that they use. Hari-sauri: Yeah, he says that here, because of their own ignorance then they find fault. He goes on: “From this misunderstanding came fear then hatred and from hatred grew injustices and often atrocities. An injustice is now being perpetrated through ignorance. Are atrocities far off? This may sound like an overstatement, but for those who say, ‘It can’t happen here,’ it already has, such as to the American Indians and to our people (of) Japanese descendant. The time to stop such action is at the beginning, now. The way to stop it is to replace ignorance with knowledge, and hatred with understanding. Sometimes people stand off at a distance and look at another person’s belief and laugh at them or fear them. But as they get closer, they may come to understand how similar the observer’s beliefs may be to their own beliefs. As a scientist, a psychologist, I have tried to learn about and understand the Hare Krsna people. For nearly a year I have spent hours each week, talking with, reading about, and testing members of the movement. I have been to their temples in this country and in Europe. I have eaten in their homes and I have been to their children’s schools. What I have found is a group of people trying to find God and live as closely to the way that He would like them to live. There is no place in their lives for immorality, for cruelty to other people or animals, for artificial stimulants or harmful chemicals such as alcohol, drugs, or tobacco. At first glance their approach to God may seem alien to us with their different dress, the incense, and the many statues and their unique ceremonies, but a closer look reveals similarities to our religious practices that are just the same. In Catholicism we find the holy water, chanting on the rosary, statues of saints and incense. And in Judaism we find the blowing of the shofar.” Prabhupada: And they say, the cow’s urine, they are forcing to eat. (laughter) (Bengali) …that they are forcing the devotees to drink cow’s urine. (laughter) These are the charges: brainwash, mind control, forcing cow’s urine to drink. (laughter) How clever they are to find out some fictitious faults. Hamsaduta: You see, you see they have, they put these 2 boys in a mental institution. Yes. When they can’t… This is what happens in these countries. When they can’t find any legal point, they can put the person into a mental institution to be examined. The premise is that if we find that a person is drinking cow’s urine, we may think he must be crazy, because we have never heard of such a thing. So in this way they can… Devotee (2): Commit them. Hamsaduta: Yeah, they commit them… Devotee (2): Forcibly they just put them into a mental institution where they’re observed. Hari-sauri: Where they… That observation, so-called observation means that they give them all kinds of drugs which make them very dopey and then they influence them to try to become normal again, what they think is normal. Sometimes they give them electric shocks which … Prabhupada: In the lunatic asylum. Hari-sauri: Yeah, which leaves them in a very shocked condition and then they, what they call reprogram them. That means they brainwash them back into another way, to another style of life, like that. Guest: (Bengali) Prabhupada: (Bengali) Hari-sauri: So it goes on, (continues reading) “In Judaism we find the blowing of the shofar, or ram’s horn, and in the orthodox synagogue there is separation of men and women. Differences of dress are expressed amongst orthodox Jews and amongst various Christian orders. Our own Pilgrim ancestors differed in dress form the popish gentry of their time. I have studied and tested the Hare Krsna people and have not found them to be weird or insane, only different form the mainstream. Like any other evangelical or proselytizing religion, their converts could only become converts if they choose to believe. For example, no one can drag a person to a Baptist Church and brainwash him into taking God into his heart, he has to want to accept willingly. No one is ever held against their will by the Hare Krsna movement. I have never seen it, nor have my colleagues ever seen it. In examining the various members of this religion, I have not found one who appears to be brainwashed or dopey like. In fact their mental health and normality astounds me. If you cannot accept Krsna, God, they will sympathize with you and hope that you will eventually find Him and will wish you well as you go on your way. There have been devotees who have left the movement and have said negative things about it, but the sour grapes syndrome is not unusual for dropouts anyway. I wonder how many West Point dropouts vilify the Army, or how many Seminary drop outs leave and disdain their religion? After a rational person spends time with the Hare Krsna people and learns to understand them, he could never believe them to be guilty of the charges which have been made here in New York recently.” Prabhupada: That’s all right, positive. Hari-sauri: And then this is Dr. Stillson Judah. Prabhupada: Hm. Hari-sauri: He’s a graduate from University of Washington, majoring in oriental studies, graduate from University of California with a Ph.D in Sanskrit and Indian Languages, and he received an honorary degree from Chapman College, Southern California. And he has various posts as professor of history of religion. etc…. Prabhupada: He has written about us, the big book. Hari-sauri: Yeah. Prabhupada: Big book. Bring that, bring that book. After 5 years scrutinizingly studying, statistics, graphics, and he has put my picture in it. Hamsaduta: Looks like your book. Devotee: (indistinct) Prabhupada: (Bengali) Hari-sauri: Dr. Stillson Judah says, “The Hare Krsna movement and more formally the International Society for Krsna Consciousness, ISKCON, is a western representation of an important Hindu sect, Vaisnavism.” Prabhupada: He says, “Important Hindu sect.” How they can say whether it is a genuine? Important, not only genuine but important, Vaisnavism. Hari-sauri: Hm. (continues reading) “…whose worship of Lord Krsna, Visnu, in one of His many forms is one of the most important religions of India. The American devotees of ISKCON worship Krsna as the Supreme Being, the highest personality of Godhead, whose worship according to the archaeological and epigraphic evidence, is pre-Christian in origin, as found in India’s early sacred texts, the Rg Veda, Atharva Veda, etc. The detailed history of Krsna’s incarnation is found in the religious text of the Bhagavata Purana, and the philosophical basis of the Hare Krsna Movement is found in India’s most sacred book the Bhagavad-gita. These sacred texts and others have been translated and commented upon by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and are being studied today in many major universities across the United States. The particular form of Vaisnavism of the Hare Krsna movement dates from Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, one of India’s saints born in 1486 A.D. in Nadia, India. His immediate followers organized this philosophy in a number of Sanskrit texts, and His religious practices such as chanting and dancing are most authentically represented in America by the Hare Krsna devotees according to this tradition. Lord Caitanya, worshiped as the last incarnation of Krsna, initiated a disciplic succession. In the mid-19th century, Bhaktivinoda Thakura appeared in this spiritual lineage. Soon afterwards, his son Bhaktisiddhanta, Sarasvati became the spiritual master of India’s Gaudiya Vaisnavas, and his most prominent student was Srila Prabhupada. It was at Bhaktisiddhanta’s command that Srila Prabhupada later came to America to bring the teachings and practices of Caitanya to the West. My study of these American devotees, which I have pursued since 1968, was published in my book, Hare Krishna and the Counter-culture, published by John Wiley and Sons in 1974, New York. The sociological data revealed through a detailed questionnaire and many hours of taped interviews, indicates that many of the devotees had been influenced by the hippie culture of the 1960’s. However, after they joined the Hare Krsna movement, their lives became completely changed from a life of drugs, illicit sex, and violence to one of dedication to a spiritual discipline and morality and to helping others in their search for happiness. In this period of rapid social and cultural change…” Prabhupada: This is the fact, in many cases. So many drunkards, so many violence… This is… (name witheld)? Hamsaduta: (name witheld). Prabhupada: Big drunkard. Hamsaduta: Yeah. Prabhupada: (name witheld). Hm. Hari-sauri: (continues reading) “In this period of rapid social and cultural change, this Hare Krsna movement is giving many of our youths new meaning to their lives without which many would have remained alienated, disenchanted, irresponsible citizens.” This is a letter that was written by one devotee, Sravanananda Das, by his mother. Sravanananda is here in India. Should I read this? Prabhupada: Can read it, yes. Hari-sauri: My son Daniel, Sravananda Das, entered the Hare Krsna Movement almost 5 years ago. The only request that he made of me and my husband was that we read about the Hare Krsna philosophy and try to understand his new way of life. My husband and I have read everything we could find about the movement and the philosophy. We have visited the Hare Krsna Centers in Philadelphia and New York frequently, always speaking to the devotees and having our questions answered. Evidently these youths feel a revulsion towards the sense gratification of forbidden permissive values of our society. When I see how happy the devotees are…” Prabhupada: Hamsaduta, Hamsaduta? Hari-sauri: Hamsaduta? Prabhupada: The Ceylon is educated and if they are receiving, why not open a branch? Hari-sauri: (continues reading) “He recently returned home after almost 3 years in India. My husband and I could see the awareness and maturity in him gained from his experiences in working with the Indian people. He learned first-hand about a different culture and it certainly has enriched his life. In our minds we can compare our son’s life to the life of a Catholic monk or a religious Jew of the Hasidic sect. Do I think that my son is brainwashed? I can best answer this by answering the question, is our whole society not being brainwashed daily by the advertisement media? Liquor, smoking, pornographic movies and literature and which is worse? And what about the children who are being educated by the violence and killing on T.V.? I prefer that my son is devoting his life to the love of God and the service of humanity, a rare endeavor in this age. Since I know that my son has voluntarily chosen the Hare Krsna Movement to exercise these rights and that he can leave it whenever he wishes I cannot see how the term ‘brainwashing’ can be applicable to this movement. I sincerely believe from my contacts with many devotees that they are happy and have found fulfillment by loving and serving Lord Krsna, God. This may not be my wish for my life but my son has chosen it for his, and I whole heartedly respect it.” Guest: (indistinct) Prabhupada: Yes. (Bengali conversation) (end)
with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
October 31, 1976, Vrndavana