Morning Walk , Denver , 1975-07-01

[in car]

Brahmānanda: One friend of the temple, one man, he has purchased it at a very high price, and he has lent it for your stay. These glasses are bulletproof. [break] This is a Lincoln Continental, Ford company.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Why he stopped? [break] ...without car? [Brahmānanda laughs]

[break] ...Nixon's home.

Brahmānanda: He has in Florida, Key Biscayne. He had two homes, one in Florida, one in California. But now he's staying in Florida. Recently he went to New York and testified before a committee. It's the first time that he has spoken publicly since his...

Prabhupāda: What is that committee?

Brahmānanda: They were investigating the Watergate.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Oh, he had to present himself.

Brahmānanda: Yes. It's the first time any ex–chief executive has ever testified.

Prabhupāda: So he is not out of danger.

Brahmānanda: Well, they're still investigating the whole thing.

Prabhupāda: But I heard that he made a condition that he will no more be bothered. On this condition, he agreed to resign. [break] ...India the trouble is dissention between Indira Gandhi and Jaya Prakash Narayana. So that Jaya Prakash Narayana is fasting, I have heard.

Brahmānanda: That gentleman said. The doctor said. He's seventy-nine years of age.

Prabhupāda: Seventy-nine?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Is there any danger to us from her arresting so many people?

Prabhupāda: No.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now she has clearly indicated that she is like a dictator. Otherwise, how could she arrest...

Prabhupāda: So both of them are in distressed condition. I am thinking of writing them about Bhagavad-gītā. Do you think it is advised? They can...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think Nixon would be more inclined to read it than Mrs. Gandhi. Because she already has rejected Hindu culture.

Prabhupāda: Who?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Gandhi. I mean, she always turns towards the Muslims more.

Prabhupāda: No, no, she has guru. And she is going occasionally to Anandamayi.

Brahmānanda: Yeah, that guru has spoken highly of our movement. In Germany there was an interview of him in one German magazine, and he was asked about all different types of groups. And most of the groups he criticized, but our group he gave his recommendation, the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement.

Prabhupāda: What did he say?

Brahmānanda: I don't remember exactly, but he stressed the importance of the chanting of the mahā-mantra. He said, "It is an important means for God realization, and by doing this, one can achieve love of God, and they are spreading this all over the world."

Prabhupāda: So what do you think? Shall I write? Hmm? I have made a draft of letter this night. So you come and see. Let us take a chance. We want actually good for everyone. And this is the only medicine, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. For any problem. Para-duḥkha-duḥkhī. People are suffering. If her guru has opined like that, then she may take some attention. Then it appears that guru is to some extent nice.

Brahmānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: She gave interview to our men.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I saw her twice.

Prabhupāda: Oh, you saw? How did [s]he talk with you?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: She was very respectful. And she wished our movement well.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: She said that she had difficulty to take an active part, because then she would have to take an active part in all such movements.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. That's it. That is the difficulty. She said frankly.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Because we asked her to attend the cornerstone ceremony at Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: So, shall we take a chance?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think it might be nice.

Prabhupāda: All right. Then write two registered letter, one to Jaya Prakash Narayana... [break] ...astrologer, who was telling me?

Brahmānanda: Oh, Bhāvānanda Mahārāja, he knows. The astrologer in Māyāpur?

Bhāvānanda: Oh, Mr... In Svarūp Gañj there's one big astrologer. So he saw your photograph, and he said, "This is the face of the most powerful spiritual personality on the planet."

Prabhupāda: [laughs] Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Brahmānanda: Then what else?

Bhāvānanda: Then he said that "I can tell from his face that he can make a house in which the whole world can live peacefully."

Devotees: Jaya Prabhupāda!

Prabhupāda: At least I desire so. [break] Where your preaching was going on?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We were preaching in Berkeley, California. Our other parties are spread out all over the country. One party is in Massachusetts, another party is in the South, southern United States.

Brahmānanda: Where in Massachusetts?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Amherst area. Then another party is in Michigan, another party in Illinois, another party is in Washington, in the state of Washington. There's a couple of others.

Prabhupāda: So his parties are working more. And book selling is going on?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yeah. This past month we sold nearly five thousand big books.

Prabhupāda: Ohh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And about 120,000 Back to Godheads.

Prabhupāda: So you are surpassing..., what is his name?

Devotees: Tripurāri Mahārāja.[Prabhupāda laughs]

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, we're just following in his footsteps. [break]

Viṣṇujana: ...a bus now, so he's going to compete by making new devotees and expanding his ranks. [break]

Prabhupāda: ...competion amongst the gopīs, who can satisfy Kṛṣṇa more. In the spiritual world there is also competition. [break] ...two parties = one, Rādhārāṇī's party, and one, Candravāli's party. [car horn honks] Come on. [laughs]

Brahmānanda: They were saluting us.

Prabhupāda: Outsider?

Brahmānanda: Yes. [break]

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When we distribute these books, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we think that it is you who are distributing them, that they are your books, and we are simply assisting to offer them to people. It is actually you who are doing all the preaching.

Prabhupāda: It is Kṛṣṇa's book. We are all servants, engaged. [break] [laughing] Here your parents accusing me, and in India the caste brāhmaṇas accusing me. My standing... I do not know what is my standing. Your parents are accusing me, "This rascal, converting our sons to become mendicant without any material enjoyment." And there, "This rascal is giving sacred thread to the mlecchas and yavanas." [still laughing]

Viṣṇujana: Is that why you keep traveling, Prabhupāda, so they won't catch you?

Prabhupāda: Nārada Muni was accused by Prajāpati Dakṣa that "You are traveling in the dress of a sādhu, but you are the most sinful man. You have turned my sons in the renounced order of life to become beggar, without any advancement, without any enjoyment." So that accusation is always there, beginning from Nārada Muni down to us. Some parents came to demonstrate?

Brahmānanda: In Los Angeles, yes. I understand they've demonstrated before, someone was saying? They had placards, and they were marching.

Bhāvānanda: In Laguna Beach they also.

Prabhupāda: Therefore Dr. Judah has said...

Brahmānanda: He has dedicated his book, "To the parents and to the devotees."

Prabhupāda: He has tried to pacify the parents.

Brahmānanda: Yes. Another parent is coming to see you today.

Prabhupāda: Oh, to accuse me? [laughter]

Brahmānanda: No, her son said she is very favorable. She's the mother of Parīkṣit.

Prabhupāda: Your mother was very angry upon us. [laughter] You know that?

Brahmānanda: First one.

Prabhupāda: When she came to see me, I told, "Mrs. Bruce, can you give me some money?" [laughing] [imitating angry woman's voice:] "I have given you two sons!" [laughter] She was very angry. "Still you want money?" [laughter] And "That's all right."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You asked them to bow down to her?

Prabhupāda: No, I asked him to bow down to your mother.

Brahmānanda: Yes, at initiation.

Prabhupāda: After initiation.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Did she like...

Prabhupāda: I gave her proper respect. Mother, after all, she is. She is fortunate mother. She has produced such nice sons. And I offered her respect, yes. Any of your mother and father, they are all very fortunate. And you are doing..., giving the best service to your family. Our Nitāi's mother came. She looked very nice lady, yes. I think you are the first child.

Nitāi: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Therefore she looks young, not very old. Within forty?

Nitāi: Over forty, I think.

Prabhupāda: Over forty.

Nitāi: Within fifty.

Prabhupāda: Oh. But she looks younger. And your grandmother?

Nitāi: She is eighty.

Prabhupāda: Oh. [indistinct] [break] ...Dakṣa accused Nārada that "My sons were not out of the three kinds of debts." One debt is debtor to the saintly sages. Just like we are reading Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we are indebted to Vyāsadeva. He has given such literature, and we are taking advantage of it. As such, especially the brāhmaṇas, they have got debted, indebtedness to big sages and saintly person. They receive knowledge from them. And they are indebtor to the demigods. Therefore they have to perform yajñas. And they are indebtor to their father because the father has brought them to this world. So in this way, especially a brāhmaṇa is indebted to demigods, the past sages and the father. So the indebtedness to the sages is performed by becoming brahmacārī, and to the demigods by offering sacrifices, and to the father by begetting children, to continue the progeny. So Nārada Muni was accused that "You keep them indebted to these principles, so how they can be liberated? Simply by dressing like you, [laughs] a mendicant?" Accusing.

But perhaps he did not know, there is another version in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,

Anyone who has fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he is no more debtor to anyone. And Kṛṣṇa says that "You surrender to Me, and I shall keep you protected from all kinds of..." Because if you don't pay your..., repay your debts, then you become sinful. But Kṛṣṇa says, "I shall protect for all kinds of sin." So if anyone has surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, he is no more debtor to anyone. He is immune from all obligation. His only obligation is to Kṛṣṇa. [break] ...has eaten up this?

Brahmānanda: This tree? [break]

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sometimes when we're reading Bhāgavatam about the prajāpatis... They are such exalted persons.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. They are no ordinary person.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yet sometimes they behave in such a way that is, you know...

Prabhupāda: That is... After all, they are living entity, conditioned. They are also conditioned. They are not liberated.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're not pure devotees.

Prabhupāda: No. They want enjoyment, material.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Still, they're entrusted with very big posts.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Satsvarūpa: But Lord Brahmā, he's a prajāpati?

Prabhupāda: He is the chief prajāpati.

Satsvarūpa: Isn't he a pure devotee?

Prabhupāda: No.

Satsvarūpa: And yet he composed the Brahma-saṁhitā.

Prabhupāda: Yes, he is devotee; not to the topmost extent.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sometimes we hear that Lord Brahmā incarnated as Ṭhākura Haridāsa.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Satsvarūpa: Sometimes devotees say, "Then how come he's the head of our sampradāya if he's not a pure devotee?"

Prabhupāda: It doesn't require. He is a devotee. That's all right. There are grades of devotee, but on the whole, a devotee is very exalted person. Just like gopīs. Nobody can be compared with the gopīs. There are so many grades of devotees, but they are ultimate. And amongst the gopīs, Rādhārāṇī. So there is no comparison, no more... Even Kṛṣṇa is defeated there. Kṛṣṇa became Caitanya Mahāprabhu to understand the devotion of Rādhārāṇī. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu. [break] [about something by the path] ...queen. Elizabeth? No.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Some plaque may be there?

Prabhupāda: Queen or king?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is there a plaque there?

Brahmānanda: It's a symbol for something.

Harikeśa: They usually make Justice to be like that. [break]

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...Durgā.

Satsvarūpa: Allegorical.

Prabhupāda: Allegorical?

Satsvarūpa: It's not a historical person. One lady represents learning, another... They represent different things.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All women. [break]

Prabhupāda: ...imperson.

Brahmānanda: Cupid is there, and it is marked "love."

Prabhupāda: Oh. [break] [to Harikeśa, who has been coughing throughout:] ...not taking any medicine?

Harikeśa: No.

Prabhupāda: This continuing is not good.

Harikeśa: I stopped eating anything but fruit, and that's what I did. [break]

Prabhupāda: ...examined your chest?

Harikeśa: No.

Prabhupāda: Oh, you should examine your chest. Some congestion in the lungs. [break]

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, around our Society now there are many devotees who are following different kinds of diets. They read some book, and they get some idea. They follow...

Prabhupāda: This is not good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And one of the things I see about the unique feature of all the diets that they have in common is that the devotees more or less stop taking the prasādam which is offered to the Deity.

Prabhupāda: This is not good. [break]

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It seems to me that one of the important aspects of bhakti-yoga is to depend upon Kṛṣṇa for one's maintenance.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So whatever is offered to the Deity, one should accept.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. The prasādam is not suitable?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, it is standard prasādam = cāpāṭis, rice, ḍāl, sabjī, fruits.

Prabhupāda: So, why they do not like?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, they are reading these books...

Prabhupāda: And becoming influenced.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: This is nonsense. This should be stopped.

Sudāmā: A lot of devotees, they take these fasting for twenty days, thirty days, fasting.

Prabhupāda: That means they are manufacturing their own way of life. That's not good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One of our best devotees, Śrīla Prabhupāda, he recently left our association. And one of the... I know the biggest reason is that he was fasting completely from almost all foods for thirty days.

Prabhupāda: But fasting is good. If one can fast, that is good. That is tapasya.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. But see, they read these books in addition.

Prabhupāda: Fasting is not bad. If one can fast, that is very good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Total fast, you mean?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Yadubara: I remember in Los Angeles...

Prabhupāda: That is great austerity.

Yadubara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, you said that we should not fast more than one day.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, I wanted to point out to you that the results...

Prabhupāda: No, artificial... Just like Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, he was fasting, but he was not weak. That fasting. And he who will fast artificially and become weak, "I cannot work," that is not required. That is called markaṭa-vairāgya. If you fast and at the same time you do not become weak, then that is recommended. And after fasting you cannot do a flat, fall flat, then what is the use of fasting? Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī was fasting, but he was taking thrice bathing and offering obeisances hundred times. His regular activities was not stopped. And he was taking every alternate day a little quantity of butter. That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So we cannot imitate his position.

Prabhupāda: That is not possible. We have to work.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. One of the important things about taking prasādam is that all the devotees sit together. It is actually a very spiritual activity. Just like in Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the feasts...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. That is recommended. That we are following. But now it is not following?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, I have to say frankly, I have seen now that in many... I don't want to get into mentioning any names, but some devotees are preaching this.

Prabhupāda: Preaching? Who is that nonsense, preaching?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, Revatīnandana Mahārāja.

Prabhupāda: He is a rascal.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He is preaching like this.

Prabhupāda: He is a rascal. He is becoming rascal, day by day. Stop him doing these things.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And he's influencing other people. The whole temple in Laguṇa Beach, they were doing this.

Prabhupāda: Then, what can I do? You are all GBCs.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now that we know, we'll take action.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Revatīnandana is becoming less and less spiritually. He had good potency, but he is losing that.

Devotee (1): You said that if we fast and we can't do our work and we become weak, then this is not so good.

Prabhupāda: This is not good. "Not so" not. Absolutely bad.

Devotee (1): So our devotional service comes first?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (1): So if there is..., let us say there is grain and rice being offered to the Deities, and one finds that if he eats this, his service is impaired. Like so many times I've seen practically, myself, if I overeat grains in the summertime, I drive around doing my service and I'm falling asleep.

Prabhupāda: Then which foodstuff suits you?

Brahmānanda: What suits you, then? What foodstuffs?

Devotee (1): Fruits are more..., they keep me more active.

Prabhupāda: So you take fruit. Fruit is also offered to the Deity. There are varieties of prasādam. So whichever suits, you can take. Anything artificial is bad.

Yadubara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, in Los Angeles they are charging money for the prasādam, and we find that it's cheaper to buy our own prasādam and offer it ourself.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Yadubara: They are charging money in Los Angeles for the prasādam each meal, so we find it is cheaper to...

Prabhupāda: Prepare your own?

Yadubara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So you do that.

Harikeśa: Yes. They will not let a householder take unless they pay money first.

Yadubara: Seventy-five cents for noon prasādam and fifty cents for breakfast.

Prabhupāda: So if you can prepare cheaper, you can do that.

Yadubara: All right. [laughter] [break]

Brahmānanda: It's a type of cannon. [break]

Yadubara: You mentioned before that it is better that we not do so much cooking. If everyone is separately cooking, then that is such a time-consuming thing for everyone.

Prabhupāda: But you said that "If we cook, it is cheaper." Then? If it is cheaper, convenient, then you cook. I said that "You save time. Don't cook."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The cheapest thing is to cook one thing for..., cook for everyone. That is the cheapest and quickest.

Bhāvānanda: During Māyāpur festival, Śrīla Prabhupāda, nicest thing was when we all sat down together and took prasādam.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhāvānanda: Five hundred devotees, it was nice. Spiritual activity. And everyone took what was given.

Prabhupāda: So what is the difficulty? I do not find. [break]

Bhāvānanda: ...the tongue, I think, Śrīla Prabhupāda. [break]

Prabhupāda: Cāpāṭi, rice is innocent food. What is the difficulty?

Bhāvānanda: It's nice.

Prabhupāda: Over and above, there is fruit.

Harikeśa: A lot of devotees are quoting you that... They say that there is no need to eat grains, that you said grains were for the animals.

Prabhupāda: I am...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But Prabhupāda is eating grains. [laughter]

Harikeśa: I tell them that.

Prabhupāda: Rascal, they say, "Prabhupāda says." And you believe that. [break]

Bhāvānanda: ...I think the people are spoiled. If they go to India, they see that here they're turning down rice; there the people are dying for lack of rice.

Prabhupāda: Where?

Bhāvānanda: In India. And here they're saying, "Oh, I don't want this and don't want that. I don't want this grain, that grain." But in India people are dying for want of food. Here they're so spoiled. [break]

Prabhupāda: ...Kṛṣṇa's position. If He does not supply grains, then He is accused. And He supplies grains, then He is accused. [laughter]

Bhāvānanda: Everyone is accused. [break]

Satsvarūpa: ...those scientists came to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, and even said milk was no good.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Yadubara: That is what they say in these books on health, these health books. They say that cow milk is no good.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā?

Harikeśa: But meat is all right.

Yadubara: No, some of them. Most of them don't say that. It's very contaminating to read those and to follow.

Prabhupāda: Therefore follow taking prasādam. Let whatever may happen.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's the best thing. Let us die eating prasādam.

Prabhupāda: Yes. [laughter] That is devotee.

Sudāmā: Because in the beginning, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you encouraged us, all of us, to take much prasādam, to our full satisfaction.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I say still.

Sudāmā: You said that that is one of our greatest weapons against māyā, is kṛṣṇa-prasāda. [break]

Yadubara: I'm a good example that these diets are not very good. [laughter] I can testify.

Brahmānanda: Me too.

Prabhupāda: The diets are not good or you are not good? Eh?

Yadubara: Oh. [break] ...for one year to alter the diet in so many ways, and it never worked. It was useless. [break]

Devotee (2): I think that's for maintaining the right depth to the lake. I think they have a pump house down here, and they maintain the depth of the lake by these things.

Prabhupāda: Water is supplied or...?

Devotee (2): Yes.

Devotee (1): Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (1): In Denver here we have many businesses going on for you. And we are out engaging karmīs in helping us retrieve lakṣmī. We are going to them for lakṣmī in so many ways. How is it that this engages them, or does it engage them in Kṛṣṇa's service? Do they make any benefit?

Prabhupāda: What they are doing by doing business? They are gṛhasthas doing business?

Brahmānanda: They are outsiders, karmīs. They manufacture jewelry and some shirts, for which they get a salary.

Devotee (1): Yes, but the devotees are maintaining the business. And I myself go out and talk to rascals all day long, demons, mlecchas. Am I engaging them in Kṛṣṇa's service by taking lakṣmī?

Prabhupāda: What you are doing with the money?

Devotee (1): Pardon?

Prabhupāda: What you are doing with the money?

Devotee (1): I'm giving it to the temple president so that we can buy a farm for you.

Prabhupāda: No, if you are engaging the money for Kṛṣṇa, then it is all right.

Brahmānanda: He's asking about is there any benefit to the karmīs that he deals with because he engages in business activity with them? Do the karmīs get benefit?

Prabhupāda: Yes. To some extent they are helping Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Yadubara: They also have this program in Pittsburgh, the same thing. They come to the temple and manufacture jewelry.

Prabhupāda: Svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya [Bg. 18.46]. It is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā. You can see there. Everyone can work, but the result of the work should go to Kṛṣṇa. [break]

Devotee (1): ...lakṣmī from them so we can engage them more in Kṛṣṇa's service.

Prabhupāda: Provided you engage them for Kṛṣṇa's service. Otherwise the lakṣmī will kill you. Just like Sītā, Sītā is Lakṣmī. When Sītā was taken by Rāvaṇa, the result was the whole family was killed because they did not use Sītā for Rāma's service. [break] ...householders can be engaged, not anyone else.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So my question is = Supposing half of those men that are in our movement are householders. Would it not be more beneficial that everyone engages in preaching work? Or is that impractical?

Prabhupāda: Preaching is for the sannyāsīs, for the brahmacārī. And householder, because they are brāhmaṇas, they can be engaged in Deity worship and also earning money.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Business.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So it's not more practical to earn money by preaching?

Prabhupāda: If preaching, by preaching we can get money, why should we go to the karmīs?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Because you wrote me in a letter that so far as you are concerned, you think that your books are enough to maintain the Society.

Prabhupāda: I think so. But if they think that by doing some other business they will get more money, then what can I say? This is very good business. Yes. We are preaching, at the same time getting money.

Devotee (2): We have found in our experience that some kinds of men do better in doing business. They feel more satisfied in collecting money in that way for Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. But that money should be used for Kṛṣṇa.

Devotee (2): Yes. Different kinds of men have to be engaged in different ways. Otherwise they become dissatisfied.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says svakarmaṇā. Anyone, he likes to do something, that is his karma. But by that karma, he can serve Kṛṣṇa. Svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya saṁsiddhiṁ labhate naraḥ. Saṁsiddhi means perfection. [break]

Devotee (1): ...in our preaching work we will be able to maintain our temples, and with our business activities, we will be able to expand and buy all these farms, do so many things.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If it is favorable, do it, business. Therefore we have made program = fifty percent must come to Kṛṣṇa, at least. Jaya. Hare Kṛṣṇa. [break]

[in car]

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...because that many people are involved.

Prabhupāda: Dieting, the best thing is to take prasādam.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Definitely. It's clear cut. My only feeling about...

Prabhupāda: And if our... Pushed on our men... The thing is they supply more spices, and especially that mustard. This is not good. This is prohibited.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It should be mild, prasādam.

Prabhupāda: Practically no spices. Simply little cumin. And this turmeric. Turmeric you get from India, whole turmeric. This powdered turmeric is very, very bad.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Unhealthy.

Harikeśa: They put sawdust in it.

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's very unhealthy.

Prabhupāda: It is very cheating. Any powdered spice is not good.

Harikeśa: Asafoetida also.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Harikeśa: Asafoetida?

Prabhupāda: Everything. As soon as it is powder, they will mix with all rubbish things. And it is very easy to cheat you. You are susceptible for being cheated. So they take advantage and cheat you. So best thing is to import spices from India whole and either get it powdered or during time of cooking you make them paste. That is first class.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Crushing.

Prabhupāda: You just put the spices water, soaked in water for some time, and then in mortar and pestle you...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Smash it.

Prabhupāda: That is very nice. And immediately you fresh prepare and put into the vegetable. It will be tasteful, and it will be beneficial. All spices are beneficial.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And much cheaper.

Prabhupāda: Cheaper..., of course, there is no question to you what is cheaper. For you everything is "damn cheap."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Damn cheap bābu."

Harikeśa: The Rādhā-Dāmodara party has very good prasādam program. This halavā they make every morning---everyone is fully satisfied.

Prabhupāda: They are sane men.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We give... Every morning we have...

Prabhupāda: So why do they not follow your principle?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ah, it's very... And the devotees love it. Every day, Prabhupāda, we...

Prabhupāda: No, every temple, give them example. Invite them in your prasādam.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. That's what I'm going to do today.

Harikeśa: I noticed the devotees would wait for prasādam with great...

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is nice. It requires good leader, that's all. [break] ...Kṛṣṇa we must prepare very first-class foodstuff, and where is the complaint if it is first class?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's all a concoction. Certain devotees have concocted. They have taken advice from other masters, food masters, what to eat, what not to eat, all concoction. It's clearly written in Bhagavad-gītā, those foods which are sāttvika---juicy, fatty. Everything is mentioned there.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Guide them. [break] ...here the main business is slaughterhouse.

Brahmānanda: In this state.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Cow Country, it's called.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is called "Cow Country." They call it that. On the highway you see that, "Cow Country."

Prabhupāda: Chicago is also this...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, very bad. That is very bad.

Brahmānanda: There's one area of the town that there's a bad odor.

Prabhupāda: Here also they say. Just like in Bombay, the Bandra.

Harikeśa: Ah, terrible.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What's Viṣṇujana doing? [break] ...his Deity, I've never seen it. He gets up early in the morning, wakes Him up, cooks for Him, then we offer ārati, then bathing and dressing the Deity, sings for Him all day. He's so devoted to Rādhā-Dāmodara.

Prabhupāda: Svarūpa-siddhi, arcana-siddhi. By simply worshiping Deity one can become perfect. Arcana-siddhi.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's a great advantage of our bus. Now we just traveled for two days in a row from San Francisco, but we did not miss one ārati. We had six āratis, full prasādam. We took bath on the bus in our shower room. We had regular classes, kīrtana all day. It was undisturbed.

Prabhupāda: So why not one week with them? [laughter] I am prepared. [end]