I am not conservative, I am very liberal

                           

„Kṛṣṇa-Kāntī: Prabhupāda, I've heard that every one of us who are in the movement now has had some association with Lord Caitanya . . . (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Kṛṣṇa-Kāntī: Is it so?

Prabhupāda: Yes. He's associating with Lord Caitanya just now.

Kṛṣṇa-Kāntī: Yes, now. But in some other life, this is what is . . .

Prabhupāda: Well, other life may not, but he is associating at the present. That's a fact.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: When you first came, Śrīla Prabhupāda, a lot of people probably presented you arguments such as, "If you call the movement 'God consciousness' you'll be more successful. If you not wear tilaka and do not shave your head and do not wear robes and do not go on saṅkīrtana, you will be more successful."

And people still tell us things like this, that "You tell us the philosophy. We like the philosophy. But why do you go on saṅkīrtana?" So what were some of the arguments you presented to these type of people?

Prabhupāda: This is the same argument, ardha-kukkuṭī-nyāya (CC Adi 5.176). You cut the mouth of the chicken because it eats, it is expensive, and keep the back side because it lays down egg. You see? Intelligent man said: "I am getting every day one egg. So that side, the back side, is very good. But this side is expensive, eats. Cut it."

So he does not know, he is such a foolish, that if I cut the head, then the egg-giving business will also stop. Similarly, if you accept this philosophy, then you must accept this also.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes, that is difference . . .

Prabhupāda: If you don't accept this kīrtana, then it will prove that you don't accept the philosophy.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes. That's the difference between Your Divine Grace and all these other bhogīs. They make it according to the taste of the people. They change. That's why this movement is so solid: no compromise.

Prabhupāda: No. Why compromise? My Guru Mahārāja never made any compromise.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Compromise means you have some material attachment.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Compromise means you don't want real business, but you want some money by cheating and by bluffing. That's all. That is compromise. If I aim . . . just like this Mahesh Yogi is doing: "Yes, God has given you senses, why should you not enjoy? You simply enjoy. You simply give me thirty-five dollars, I'll give you a special mantra." (laughter)

And here, Allen Ginsberg told me, "Swāmījī, you are very conservative." I said that, "I am the most lenient. I'm not conservative. You are conservative. You cannot give up your bad habits. I am very liberal, and accepting everyone. But you are . . . because you are conservative, you cannot give up your bad habits; therefore you deny to come to my camp. I am very liberal."

Ātreya Ṛṣi: A Vaiṣṇava is conservative with Kṛṣṇa and liberal with everybody else.

Prabhupāda: That is not conservative. Conservative means unnecessarily catching something. That is conservative. If you try to protect your life, will anyone say: "You are very conservative. I wanted to kill you, and you want to keep your life"? Is that conservatism? Do you think?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: No.

Prabhupāda: And if the murderer thinks that, "You are very conservative. I wanted to kill you and you did not allow," that is not conservative. That is self-preservation, that is not conservative.

Conservative means unnecessarily you catch some rules and regulation without any meaning or without any utility. That is conservative. That is . . . in Sanskrit it is called niyamāgraha. (cut) (end)"

(Room Conversation -- June 29, 1972, San Diego)