Sister Mary: Could you listen to other peoples' music?
Prabhupāda: Huh? No. If he's chanting the glories of God, we are very eager to hear him. That is our process. Or somebody's chanting, somebody's hearing. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇu [SB 7.5.23]. Chanting and hearing about God, that is music.
Sister Mary: Well, a Beethoven symphony, for example, could you listen to that?
Prabhupāda: Which one?
Revatīnandana: Beethoven's symphony. That means classical Western music. They make some music.
Prabhupāda: But if it is glorification of God, we can hear. There is no objection.
Revatīnandana: But there may be no reference to God in it.
Prabhupāda: No, then we don't hear. We reject.
Sister Mary: Inspired by God, given by God.
Prabhupāda: Given by God is everything. That is another thing. Just like everything is government property, but do you like to go to the prison house?
We say, "Oh, everything belongs to government." We are not so liberal that "Because everything belongs to government, therefore I shall go to the prison house."
Type: Conversation
Date: Aug. 13, 1972
Location: London
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