Prabhupāda: Mahatma Gandhi was approached, "Mahatmaji, why don't you ask the Muslims to stop this cow killing?" "No, how can I do? This is their religion." Now see. If you are nonviolent, if by..., in the name of religion somebody says, "It is my religion," how can you allow it? If you want to introduce nonviolence, religion or no religion, must stop it. Somebody will go on killing, that "My religion is to cut throat." "Yes, you can go on, yes, because it is your religion." What kind of mahātmā? They are advertising..., the government is advertising nonviolence, and ten thousand or forty thousand cows are being killed. What is this nonviolence?We are so misled, andhā yathāndair upanīyamānā, and we are accepting these rascals and fools and rogues and demons as sādhus, mahātmās, leaders, and we are gone to hell. This is the fact.
Indian man (2): So what is the solution to it? How to know...
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Indian man (2): How for the average man to know that and not carried by it? The average man is just led to it.
Prabhupāda: Yes, the average man is... Now we are preaching this cult, but why they are not coming? You have kindly come, but maybe tomorrow you may not come. They're not eager to understand. They want to be misled. They want to be cheated. That is their progression. They don't want the truth. Because if he wants the truth, then his life will be spoiled.
Indian lady: Restriction.
Prabhupāda: Yes. He is living an untruth. The whole world is living on meat-eating, drinking, illicit sex and gambling. And we are restricting, "No, you cannot have illicit sex, you cannot have meat-eating, you cannot indulge in intoxication." So how many people will come? "Oh, Swāmījī is very conservative," they say. "Swāmījī is very conservative, primitive. We are now advanced. We must eat three plates of meat and two bottles of wine. That is advancement of civilization." What is this nonsense talking? Yes. Some of my students left, "Oh, Swāmījī is not allowing even the primary necessities of life." That is the primary necessities of life.
Rāyarāma left for this purpose.
So we cannot make any compromise. We don't make compromise. Therefore, although we are preaching all over the world, our principles are very strict. Anyone who comes seriously, "You cannot do this." Generally you can come and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, that's all right.
But if you want to become my disciple, then you have to give up all these bad habits. One who agrees, then I accept him as disciple. If I would say, "Yes, you can do. God has given you senses; you go now, enjoy your senses and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," then I would have gotten millions and trillions. I don't allow that, such kind of nonsense.
All right. Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Guests: Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. [end]
Type: Conversation
Date: Dec. 30, 1972
Location: Bombay
Comments
Dr. Schumacher: It is the four criteria I have stated then Jesus is unacceptable.
Prabhupāda: No. Jesus is not unacceptable. We accept Jesus.
Dr. Schumacher: To reform him?
Prabhupāda: Yes, no we accept but we are simply saying that Jesus said, "though shalt not kill". Why the Christians are killing? That is our protest.
Dr. Schumacher: Jesus was a meat eater and...
Prabhupāda: Whatever Jesus may be, whatever he may be, he is Jesus Christ. You are not Jesus Christ, you have to obey his order, not his action. He is great, he can do anything, he is free to do anything, but you have to obey his order you haven't got to imitate his. You cannot imitate great personality. He might have done in circumstances, in different circumstances, that is his business, but if you are a real Christian you have to obey his order.
Dr. Schumacher: Yes.
Revatīnandana: He is in a semi desert region and you are not, that is the point. Simple as that.
Prabhupāda: You cannot say that Jesus eat meat therefore we shall go on [indistinct] do you mean to say that Jesus said contradiction? He personally using eating meat and for others he says, "though shalt not kill." You mean to say, this is the philosophy of Jesus Christ?.. Contradictory. He is not contradiction it is our misunderstanding. Our duty should be, if one is really Christian strictly abide by the orders of Jesus Christ, that is our point.....
Type: Conversation
Date: Aug. 4, 1973
Location: London