Conversation in Vrindavan, July 1977

Horrors of the meat industry

0:00Prabhupāda: Just see. For cutting the throat of cow, he's going thousands of miles. This is the civilization. He's an expert butcher, and he has got service in Australia, and he'll go. This is livelihood, personal duty.

Karmic consequences for butchers

0:34What a nonsense business, and he's going to... Mā jīva vā māra. A butcher is advised, "Don't die; don't live. If you live, it is a horrible business, and if you die, you'll go to hell. So don't die; don't live."

Using shells for deity worship

1:03Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He has a question to ask. He says, "Is it permitted to use shells for making jewelry, crowns, etc., for Deities? Or is it to be considered as the bone of an animal?"

1:18Prabhupāda: No, you can do it.

1:22Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 'Cause they're very beautiful.

1:26Prabhupāda: The bone of animal is the conchshell, and that is used in Deity room. It is... Conchshell is nothing but bone of an animal.

1:44Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right. He says that he has a plan. "We want to inlay the thrones for the new temple with beautiful shells if it is permitted."

1:56Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Importance of book distribution

1:59Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's says he's trying to increase the book distribution by arranging a big door-to-door program.

2:07Prabhupāda: That is my earnest desire. Fulfill it.

Encouraging competition in service

2:41Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's all he has to say. That was all the mail that came.

2:41Prabhupāda: You can send him some old newsletter with a note that "How your other Godbrothers are doing. Compete with them in this line."

2:58Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay.

2:59Prabhupāda: Hmm. Simply fighting, what gift?

Serving the spiritual father

3:31Fighting between brother and brother, that is going on perpetually, but do something for the father. By right I'll take[?].

3:59Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah.

Addressing criticism from other groups

4:04Satsvarūpa's... Rāmeśvara sent an article, that one of Siddha's papers, they published an article which was against the devotees.

4:16Prabhupāda: Who?

4:17Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Siddha-svarūpa's.

4:17Prabhupāda: Oh.

4:17Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It was against the devotees' book distribution tactics. So...

4:28Prabhupāda: So you can send them = "This is not good." Let him know.

4:29Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So Satsvarūpa wrote a letter to the editor of the newspaper—it's a newspaper which is put out by Siddha's people—saying that "This is not at all proper.

4:43You should not..." He gave so many śāstric references why it is not good.

4:54Prabhupāda: It will be corrected.

4:57Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What, Prabhupāda?

4:58Prabhupāda: It will be corrected.

5:00Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, I mean the main... It's not so serious. The main point is, as you said, they're chanting and all these other activities.

5:09Prabhupāda: Yes. So we shall go now?

5:09Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. It's getting late.

5:09Prabhupāda: Where is Jao Prasad?

5:09Devotee: I don't know [break] [end]