Mauritius, october 3, 1975 — morning walk

 

HIGHLIGHTS: Illusory progress…simple agrarian life—oppressive factory life

 

Prabhupäda: Simply a little high standard of living, and they think this is advancement. And the Western civilization is influencing all other parts of the world in that way—“Improve the standard of living.” There is no improvement, but it is mäyä; they are thinking, “This is improvement.”

Puñöa Kåñëa: Progress.

Prabhupäda: Progress, yes. The progress is that they have got motorcar, and they have progressed how to die quickly. This is the progress. At any moment he can die. As soon as he on the car, 70 miles speed, that means taking the risk of dying at any moment. This is the progress. Formerly people were going in bullock cart or horse carriage from one village to another. “That was primitive. Now we can go hundred miles away from home for earning money and taking risk to die at any moment. That is progress.” Is it not?

Brahmänanda: Oh, yes.

Prabhupäda: Formerly they were satisfied by tilling the ground, getting food grains. Now they have started factories. At the cost of thousands of men’s labor, some director is getting money and enjoying life. That is progress. And these rascals, laborers, they are thinking that “These men are getting the profit, cream of this business. We are working. Why not take ourself?” That is Communism.

 

Puñöa Kåñëa: There is one small coal mining town we did saìkértana at, an Indian community. And they were thinking that “The coal mine is doing everything for us. They’re giving us schools, they’re giving us medicine, they’re giving us… Without the coal mine where would we be?”

Prabhupäda: Yes.

Brahmänanda: Here they think it’s sugarcane. The sugarcane is everything.

Prabhupäda: Giving everything.

Puñöa Kåñëa: Why can’t people understand to depend on Kåñëa?

Prabhupäda: There is mäyä.

 

MAURITIUS, OCTOBER 5, 1975

— ROOM CONVERSATION

 

 

HIGHLIGHTS: Become “self-independent”…the power of purity… mouse-and-snake story…people will be attracted by our “training power”

 

Prabhupäda: And gradually, when you are well behaving, then you shall be initiated to chant Hare Kåñëa mantra. That will give you strength, spiritual power.

Strictly observe the regulative principles—no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. It is very simple. Read these literatures, chant Hare Kåñëa mantra, and observe these regulations. Then you will become gradually powerful. Your speeches will be effective. People will like you.

Guest (2) (Indian man): Now the program in the village, Swamijé, how to…

 

Prabhupäda: Village… Just like you acquire some land. That you will get. It is not very… Is it difficult?

 

Guest (2): No, sir.

 

Prabhupäda: Just we are doing so many places. So you produce your own food grains, not for making money but just for feeding yourself and the animals, cows. Keep cows, as many cows as possible, and produce, till the ground, field, and make water supply arrangement. If the investment is required, we shall do that. You have no worry about investment. We shall bring money from anywhere. But the work must be done very nicely.

 

There must be good arrangement for water supply and for plowing and keeping the cows in order. Then you get sufficient milk, sufficient food grains and produce your own cloth. The girls and ladies, they can spine (spin) thread, and from the thread you make cloth, handlooms. So your first necessities of life, eating, and make little cottage, sleeping… And if you want sex, get yourself married, live peacefully. And when you are there you can defend yourself. So the first necessity is how to eat and how to cover. That you have to provide. That is not difficult. You can do it.

 

And then you become peaceful, no anxiety for your maintenance. And then cultivate this spiritual knowledge the same way. Have a temple there. Have… Go on chanting, offering prasädam. You have got your food grains. Don’t be dependent on anyone else. Become self-independent. And don’t be after money. Simply produce your bare necessities of life. Keep yourself fit, strong. And chant Hare Kåñëa, read book. Then you’ll grow strong. Is there any difficulty?

 

Guest (1): No, Swamijé.

 

Guest (2): To bring more people in our movement…

 

Prabhupäda: They should be trained up, more people. Just like I went alone in Europe and America. So I have trained them. So it will depend on your training power, the more people will be attracted. If you advertise, “Come here,” and if you have no power to attract them, then it will not be… You must be attractive to bring them.

 

And that is spiritual attraction. You must behave yourself nicely. Then people will come. If you become purified, then naturally they will come. Just like if you prepare nice preparation with pure ghee, customers will be naturally attracted and they will pay and purchase. And if you prepare rubbish thing, one man may be cheated, but that will not be attraction for the general. Purity is required. That will attract.

 

Paraà brahma paraà dhäma pavitraà paramaà bhavän. [Bg. 10.12]:

“You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate abode, the purest, the Absolute Truth.”] One must be pure. Then he will be able to attract. So if they see practically that “These people are very happy; they have no anxiety,” then they will be attracted. Is it not? What is the difficulty? But if you want brothel and night dancing and wine and meat-eating, then it is spoiled. It becomes impure. To become pure is not at all difficult. Rather, to become impure, it is difficult. But people, with all difficulties, they are becoming impure.

Otherwise the idea which I am giving, you can start anywhere, anywhere, any part of the world. It doesn’t matter. Locally you produce your own food. You get your own cloth. Have sufficient milk, vegetables. Then what you want more? And chant Hare Kåñëa. This is Vedic civilization: plain living, high thinking. And poor thinking, poor in thought, poor in behavior, and living with motorcar and this, that, nonsense. It is all nonsense civilization…

Guest (Indian man): Car is a necessity, Swamijé, don’t you think so? Car is a necessity.

 

Prabhupäda: Not necessary. What is the use of car? If you locate yourself to get everything, your necessity, then where is the use of car? If you require car, you have a bullock cart. That’s all. Why should you hanker after petrol, mobile (Mobil?) oil, machine, this, that, so many things. Why?

 

Guest: Yes, but don’t you think that it would be impossible for you to come mostly?

 

Prabhupäda: No, no. So long it is not available, we must take the best advantage. That is another thing. But gradually we shall develop a society that all these unnecessary rubbish things should be rejected. That is the idea. Or those who are interested, let them manufacture car; we take advantage. We don’t bother ourself how to manufacture car.

 

Ajägara-våtti. Ajägara-våtti, the idea is… Ajägara means the snake. So a mouse makes a hole in the field to live very peacefully. So, and he enters the hole, and a snake gets the information and he comes, enters the hole. He eats the snake… The snake eats the mouse and lives peacefully. So let this rascal manufacture motorcar. When we require, we take from them and ride away. We are not going to manufacture. There will be some rascals. Let them do that, mouse. We enter as snake. (laughter) That’s all. We are doing that. We are doing that. I did not manufacture this house, but somebody, some mouse, has done. (laughter) And we have entered it, that’s all. That’s all. This is going on all over the world. You know George Harrison? He has earned money with so great hard labor, and he has given us a house in London, fifty-five lakhs’ worth. Another boy, Alfred Ford, he’s the great grandson of Mr. Henry Ford. He has given. He is giving still money. He is prepared with all his money. So those who are after money, material things, we have to induce them that “Spend for me,” that’s all, and let him earn. So far we are concerned, we shall live very simple life, simply in Kåñëa consciousness. That is brähmaëa.

 

Brähmaëa does not go to construct big, big house. He simply constructs his character, and the other kñatriyas and vaiçyas, they offer him, “Please come here and sit down.” Therefore the division is… One who is unable to become a brähmaëa, let him become kñatriya. If he cannot become kñatriya, let him become a vaiçya. Otherwise let him remain a çüdra. But there should be ideal class. So we are trying to create an ideal society of brähmaëas. Then people will be benefitted. And if everyone is çüdra, rascal, then what people will be benefitted? They do not know how to live. The brähmaëas will give idea, “Live like this. You will be happy.”

 

 

JOHANNESBURG,