A Month in the Life of Srila Prabhupada - May 1969
The Months in the Life of Srila Prabhupada present 2200+ of his lectures; 905+ of his conversations; 490+ of his morning walks;
65+ of his interviews and 6,570+ of his letters. This listing covers all available material,
- and includes:
- 10,300+ links to Vanisource - our repository of all of Srila Prabhupada's words;
- 470+ short audio clips Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada sprinkled throughout the months;
- 1,080 short video clips extracted from lectures, conversations, morning walks or interviews with subtitles in up to 93 languages sprinkled throughout the months;
- 13,350+ concise statements, drawn from Srila Prabhupada's lectures, conversations and letters are highlighted within quoteboxes;
- For further study on the different subjects addressed, each statement links to the various categories in our thematic section of Vanipedia named Vaniquotes;
These statements from the Months in the Life of Srila Prabhupada offer unparalleled insights into his devotional character; his vision to re-spiritualize human society; his dedication to translate, publish & distribute his books; his expertise to tirelessly lead & manage his worldwide movement; his empowered ability to encourage, care for, train & clearly communicate the disciplines he expects from all his disciples as he engages them in their pursuit of Krsna consciousness & performance of missionary activities. Through all these situations one can also experience how Srila Prahhupada consistently represents the pure teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates.
- See also: A Day in the Life of Srila Prabhupada
- See also: the Timeline of Srila Prabhupada's Life - May 1969
May 1 to 7 - Boston
1969 - May 01
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "When the ointment of love of Godhead will be applied in our eyes, then with these eyes we shall be able to see God. God is not invisible. Simply just like a man with cataract or any other eye disease, he cannot see. That does not mean the things are not existing. He cannot see. God is there, but because my eyes are not competent to see God, therefore I deny God. God is there everywhere. So in the material condition of our life, our eyes are blunt. Not only eyes, every sense, especially eyes, because we are very proud of our eyes, and we say, 'Can you show me God?' You see. But he does not think that whether his eyes are competent to see God. That is atheism." |
| 690501 - Lecture Appearance Day of Lord Nrsimhadeva - Boston |
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "Atheist class of men, they're declaring themselves free, 'No God', when that is all nonsense—mūḍha. They have been described as mūḍha, first-class fool. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhā prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). Study Bhagavad-gītā. Everything is there. Those who are narādhama, lowest of the mankind. As the lowest of the mankind is atheist, similarly, the highest of the mankind is Kṛṣṇa conscious. So try to be the highest kind of mankind. The world is suffering for want of highest kind of mankind. And be examplary (sic)." |
| 690501 - Lecture Appearance Day of Lord Nrsimhadeva - Boston |
1969 - May 02
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "So Kṛṣṇa says, "You have to give up all this nonsense accepting and rejecting. You have to take to Me, then you'll be happy." Sarva-dharmān. Sarva-dharmān means some religious occupation is for sense gratification and some religious occupation is rejection of this material world. So we have to give up both these, the acceptance and rejection. We have to accept the Kṛṣṇa's path, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "Surrender unto Me." Then we'll be happy." |
| 690502 - Lecture at International Student Association Cambridge - Boston |
1969 - May 03
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to awake the sleeping living entities. In the Vedic literature, Upaniṣads, we find these verses, which says, uttiṣṭha jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.14). The Vedic voice, transcendental voice, says, "O humanity, O living entity, you are sleeping. Please get up." Uttiṣṭhata. Uttiṣṭhata means 'Please get up'. Just like when a man or a boy sleeps past, and the parents, who have got knowledge that he has got to do something important, 'My dear boy, please get up. It is now morning. You have to go. You have to go to your duty. You have to go to your school'." |
| 690503 - Lecture at Arlington Street Church - Boston |
1969 - May 04
1969 - May 05
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "So your business is how to become happy, because by nature you are happy. Diseased condition, that happiness being checked. So this is our diseased condition, this material, conditional life, this body. So as one intelligent person puts himself under the treatment of a physician to get out of the disease, similarly, human life is meant for putting himself to the expert physician who can cure you from your material disease. That is your business. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). That is the injunction of all Vedic literature. Just like Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa is teaching Arjuna. Arjuna is surrendering to Kṛṣṇa" |
| 690505 - Lecture Excerpt - Boston |
1969 - May 06
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "If you make your consciousness completely absorbed in Kṛṣṇa, if you understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is your relationship, how you have to act in that relationship, simply if you learn this science in this life, then it is assured by the Lord Himself, Kṛṣṇa, in the Bhagavad-gītā, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9) "After leaving this body, one does not come again back to this material world to accept one of the 8,400,000's of species of body, but he goes directly unto Me." Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). "And if one can go back there, then he does not come back again in this material world to accept this material body." And material body means three kinds of miseries, threefold miseries, always. And at least threefold miseries are exhibited in four kinds of distresses, namely birth, death, old age and disease." |
| 690506 - Lecture Wedding - Boston |
1969 - May 07
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "In every age, there is a class of men who are intellectual class. So this intellectual class of men is called brāhmaṇa. And the next class, the administrative class. Those who takes part in politics for administration of the state, government, they are called kṣatriyas. The actual meaning of kṣatriya is 'one who protects a man from being hurt by others'. That is called kṣatriya. That means, that is the business of the administrators, government. So brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, then vaiśyas. Vaiśyas means productive class, who are interested in producing things for consumption by the people. Mercantile class, industrialists, they are called vaiśyas. And the last class, fourth class, they are called śūdras. Śūdras means that they are neither intellectual, nor they're administrator, nor industrial or mercantile, but they can serve others. That's all. So it is said that kalau śūdra sambhava. In the modern age, people are being taught in the university to become śūdra." |
| 690507 - Lecture at Harvard University Divinity School Cambridge - Boston |
May 8 to 20 - Columbus
1969 - May 08
 vanipedia.org |
I understand that there is new hope now for getting a nice temple there, so I will await the results with interest. |
1969 - May 09
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "Advaita means Kṛṣṇa expands Himself. Kṛṣṇa can expand Himself, that is God. Just like I am sitting here, you are sitting here. Suppose you are wanted by your, some relative at home, but if somebody inquires that 'Mr. such-and-such is at home,' so the reply will... 'No. He's not at home'. Kṛṣṇa is not like that. Kṛṣṇa, goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (BS 5.37) . He is present everywhere. It is not that because Kṛṣṇa was speaking with Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, therefore He was not in the Goloka or Vaikuṇṭha, not only Goloka, Vaikuṇṭha, everywhere. You'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa is here also, now. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). Kṛṣṇa is everyone's heart. In your heart there is Kṛṣṇa, in my heart there is Kṛṣṇa, everyone's heart." |
| 690509 - Lecture BG 04.01-2 - Columbus |
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "So this Mahābhārata history was specially meant for these classes: woman, worker class and this dvijabandhu class, or the so-called brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas. But still if you read Mahābhārata you will find that it is difficult even for the greatest scholar of this age. Just like Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā is set up in the Mahābhārata, and originally it was meant for the less-intelligent class of men. So you can just try to understand what class of men existed in those days. Actually it is so. Bhagavad-gītā is such nice philosophical spiritual treatise, whilst taught to Arjuna in the battlefield. So in the battlefield how much time he could spare? And at the point he was going to fight, he thought, “Oh, why shall I fight?” So some instruction was given by Kṛṣṇa—so you can imagine, utmost half an hour or at most one hour He talked—and he understood the whole Bhagavad-gītā. So what class of man was Arjuna? The same Bhagavad-gītā even big scholars of this age, they cannot understand. And Arjuna understood it within half an hour" |
| 690509 - Lecture Temple Opening - Columbus |
1969 - May 10
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "Etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavān (CC 20.16), Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches that 'O Kṛṣṇa, You are so kind that You have come to Me in the sound vibration, word, 'Kṛṣṇa'. I can very easily chant, and You remain with Me. But I am so misfortunate that I have no attraction even for this'. You say people, 'You chant Kṛṣṇa; you get everything'. They will not believe it. If you say, 'You press your nose. You pay me fifty dollars. I'll give you some nice mantra and this, that. You make your head like this, (laughter) leg like this,' 'Oh,' he'll say, 'here is something'. So, (chuckles) 'And this Swamiji says, 'Simply chant Kṛṣṇa'. Oh, what is this?' Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, etādṛśī tava kṛpā bhagavān mamāpi durdaiva (CC 20.16): 'But I am so unfortunate that You have become so easily available in this age, but I am so unfortunate, I cannot accept it'. So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness so easily being distributed, but they are so unfortunate, they cannot accept. Just see. And you give them bluff, you cheat them—they will, 'Ah, yes, welcome. Yes'." |
| 690510 - Conversation - Columbus |
1969 - May 11
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is not sentimental. People think that this is a sentimental movement. No. We have got very good background. If one wants to understand this saṅkīrtana movement through philosophy and learning and logic, oh, there is ample opportunity. It is not sentimental. It is based on science and based on authority of Vedas. But it is simplified. That is the... That is the beauty of this movement. Either you are great scholars or philosopher, or either you are a child just like this child, everyone can take part, without any difficulty." |
| 690511 - Lecture to Indian Association - Columbus |
 vanipedia.org |
That time has come. Let us cooperate and distribute this nice thing, Hare Krsna movement. People will be happy. |
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "This Kṛṣṇa sound and Kṛṣṇa, non-different. Therefore if we vibrate sound Kṛṣṇa, then I am immediately in contact with Kṛṣṇa, and if Kṛṣṇa is whole spirit, then immediately I become spiritualized. Just like if you touch electricity, immediately you're electrified. And the more you become electrified, more you become Kṛṣṇized. Kṛṣṇized. So when you are fully Kṛṣṇized, then you are in the Kṛṣṇa platform. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9), then fully Kṛṣṇized, no more comes back to this material existence. He remains with Kṛṣṇa." |
| 690511 - Conversation - Columbus |
 vanipedia.org |
Next book is coming, Nectar of Devotion. It is the authorized translation of Rupa Gosvami's book, Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. |
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| Allen Ginsberg: If LSD is a material attachment, which it is, I think, then is not the sound, śabda, also a material attachment? Prabhupāda: No, śabda is spiritual. Originally, just like in Bible there is 'Let there be creation', this sound, this spiritual sound. Creation. Creation was not there. The sound produced the creation. Therefore, sound is originally spiritual, and through the sound... Sound—from sound, sky develops; from sky, air develop; from air, fire develop; fire, water develop; from water, land develop. Allen Ginsberg: Sound is the first element of creation? Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Allen Ginsberg: What was the first sound, traditionally? Prabhupāda: Vedic states oṁ. Yes. So at least we can understand, from your Bible, that God said, 'Let there be creation'. So this is sound, and there is creation. God and His sound is nondifferent, absolute. I say 'Mr. Ginsberg'," this sound and I, a little difference. But God is nondifferent from His energy. |
| 690511 - Conversation - Columbus |
1969 - May 12
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "Every one of us are rascals, born ignorant. But we have got the capacity to take the message of God from authorized information. That we have got. So Bhāgavata says, parābhavas tāvad abodha-jātaḥ (SB 5.5.5): 'All living entities who are born ignorant, whatever they are doing for advancement of society, culture, education, civilization, all such activities are defeat only if he does not inquire what he is'. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Ātma-tattvam. So long one does not inquire, 'What I am? What is God? What is this material nature? What are these activities? What are our relationships?'—if these inquiries are not there, then all our activities are simply defeat. Parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvan na jijñāsata ātma-tattvam. Yāvan na prītir mayī vāsudeve: 'So long one does not develop his dormant love of God', na mucyate deha-yogena tāvat (SB 5.5.6), 'so long he will not be able to get out of this repeated birth and death and transmigration of the soul'." |
| 690512 - Lecture with Allen Ginsberg at Ohio State University - Columbus |
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "Either you take material energy or spiritual energy or marginal energy, all energy of God's, Kṛṣṇa's—but they are acting differently. So, so far I am marginal energy, if I am under the control of the material energy, that is my misfortune. But if I am controlled by the spiritual energy, that is my fortune. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ (BG 9.13) They take shelter of the spiritual energy, they are mahātmā. And what is their symptom: bhajanty ananya manaso, simply engaged in devotional service. That, that is it." |
| 690512 - Conversation - Columbus |
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "Our recommendation is simply, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. So far the Sanskrit word is, that is not a problem, everyone is chanting. So what is the difficulty? Bring any religious principle. You cannot find so easy. We don't recommend the ritualistic. That is... That is not very important thing. We are giving, say, simply chant. Ritualistic performance a little more helping. That's all. It is helping. It is not required. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that all the strength and all the beauty, all the wisdom, everything is there in the Name. Simply by chanting we get all, everything. But just to help it. It does not... If somebody does not want our ritualistic, that is not an important thing. We don't say. We simply recommend that 'You please chant'. That's all." |
| 690512 - Conversation - Columbus |
1969 - May 13
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "Just like in the Bhāgavata it is said that evaṁ prasanna-manaso (SB 1.2.20), "fully joyful," bhagavad-bhakti-yoga, "by practice of bhakti-yoga." Evaṁ prasanna-manaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogataḥ, mukta-saṅgasya: "and freed from all material contamination." He can understand God. Do you think God is so cheap thing, anyone will understand? Because they do not understand, they present something nonsense: "God is like this. God is like that. God is like that." And when God Himself comes, that "Here I am: Kṛṣṇa," they don't accept it. They'll create their own God." |
| 690513 - Conversation with Allen Ginsberg - Columbus |
1969 - May 14
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "So this merciful benediction was given by Lord Krsna, er, by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He is incarnation of Krsna. Krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam (SB 11.5.32). He is Krsna. Categorically, He's Krsna, or chanting Krsna. But by complexion He's akrsna. Tvisakrsnam. So He gave us this greatest benediction, that you simply chant Hare Krsna mantra and you get all knowledge. The greatest impediment of acquiring knowledge is congestion of our heart with dirty things. And Lord Caitanya says that if you chant without any offense very nicely, then your heart becomes cleansed of all dirty things. Ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam (CC Antya 20.12). And then you are liberated. Brahma-bhutah prasannatma na socati (BG 18.54)." |
| 690514 - Lecture Initiation and Wedding - Columbus |
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "In the spiritual world Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer, and all others, they are enjoyed. Predominator and the predominating. The Lord is the predominating, so there is no disagreement. There they know, "The Lord is predominator. We have to serve." When this service attitude is impaired, "Why not... Why serve Kṛṣṇa? Why not ourself?" that is māyā. Then he falls down in the material energy." |
| 690514 - Conversation with Allen Ginsberg - Columbus |
1969 - May 15
1969 - May 16
1969 - May 19
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "Suppose you are twenty years old. Today is 19th May, and there was 4 p.m. Now, this time, 4 p.m., 19th May, 1969, gone. You can never get it back even if you are prepared to pay millions of dollars. Just try to understand. Similarly, even a moment of your life is wasted for nothing, simply in the matter of sense gratification-eating, sleeping, mating and defending—then you do not know the value of your life. You cannot get back even a moment of your life by paying millions of dollars. Just try to understand how much valuable is your life. So, our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to let people know how much valuable life is his, and utilize it in that way." |
| 690519 - Lecture - Columbus |
1969 - May 20
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "Actually, when the child remains within the womb of his mother, packed up in airtight bag, at the age of seven months within the womb, when he develops his consciousness, he feels very uncomfortable, and the fortunate baby prays to God, "Please relieve me from this awkward position, and this life I shall fully engage myself in developing my God consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness." But as soon as the child comes out of the womb of his mother, under the spell of these three modes of material nature he forgets, and he cries, and the parents take care, and the whole thing is forgotten." |
| 690520 - Bhajan and Purport to Jiv Jago - Columbus |
May 21 to 31 - New Vrinbadan
1969 - May 21
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "The Vedic literature informs that labdhvā sudurlabham idam (SB 11.9.29). Idam means 'this'. 'This' means this body, this opportunity, human form of life, developed consciousness, full facility. The animals, they have no facility. They are living in the jungles. But we can utilize these jungles, these forests, for so many comfortable situation. So we have got developed consciousness, intelligence. We can utilize.So it is called arthadam. Artha. There are two meanings of artha. Artha-śāstra. Artha-śāstra means economics, how to increase wealth. That is called artha. So arthadam. This human form of life can bestow upon you artha. Artha means something substantial." |
| 690521 - Lecture Initiation - New Vrindaban, USA |
1969 - May 22
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15). One forgets and also one remembers. Remembrance and forgetfulness. So why one remembers Kṛṣṇa consciousness and why one forgets Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Actually, my constitutional position is, as Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, that jīvera svarūpa haya nitya-kṛṣṇa-dāsa (CC Madhya 20.108-109). Actually, the constitutional position of the living entities are that he is eternally servant of God. That is his position. He's meant for that purpose, but he forgets. So that forgetfulness is also janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), the Supreme. Why? Because he wanted to forget." |
| 690522 - Lecture SB 01.05.01-4 - New Vrindaban, USA |
1969 - May 23
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "When I was in New York, one old lady, she used to come to my class. Not in Second Avenue; when I first started in 72nd Street. So she had a son. So I asked, "Why don't you get your son married?" "Oh well, if he can maintain a wife, I have no objection." Just to maintain a wife is a great job in this age. Dākṣyaṁ kuṭumba-bharaṇam (SB 12.2.6). And still we are very much proud that we are advancing. Even a bird maintains a wife, even a beast maintains wife. And human being hesitates to maintain a wife? You see? And they are advanced in civilization? Hmm? It is a very horrible age. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that don't waste your time in any way. Simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva... (CC Adi 17.21). So people are not at all interested in spiritual life. No inquiry." |
| 690523 - Lecture SB 01.05.01-8 - New Vrindaban, USA |
1969 - May 24
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "So for a devotee, there is no need of controlling senses. It automatically becomes controlled. Just like we have taken the vow we are not going to eat anything except kṛṣṇa-prasāda. Oh, the sense is already controlled. There is no question of asking a devotee, 'You don't drink, don't this, don't this, don't this'. So many don'ts. Simply by accepting kṛṣṇa-prasādam, all don'ts there, already there. And it becomes very easier. Others, if one is requested that 'You don't smoke', it will be very difficult job for him. For a devotee, he can give up at any moment. He has no problem. Therefore the same example, that these senses are very strong undoubtedly, as strong as the snake. But if you break the poison teeth, the poison teeth, then it is no more fierceful. Similarly, if you engage your senses in Kṛṣṇa, no more controlling. It is already controlled." |
| 690524 - Lecture SB 01.05.08-9 - New Vrindaban, USA |
1969 - May 25
| Nectar Drops from Srila Prabhupada |
| "So brāhmaṇa qualification is truthfulness, cleanliness, satyaṁ śaucam. Sama, equilibrium of the mind, without any disturbance, without any anxiety. Satyaṁ śaucam śamo dama. Dama means controlling the senses. Śamo dama titikṣa. Titikṣa means tolerance. So many things in the material world will happen. We have to practice to tolerate. Tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. Kṛṣṇa says, "You have to learn tolerance. The sukha-duḥkha, happiness, distress, they will come like seasonal changes." Just like there is sometimes rain, there is sometimes snowfall, sometimes scorching heat. How you can fight? It is not possible. Try to tolerate. That's all." |
| 690525 - Lecture Initiation Brahmana - New Vrindaban, USA |
1969 - May 26
1969 - May 27
1969 - May 28
1969 - May 29
1969 - May 31
