Following are excerpts from a conversation that took place between Srila Prabhupada
and his disciples during a morning walk on July 5, 1976, at Washington, D.C.
and his disciples during a morning walk on July 5, 1976, at Washington, D.C.
Sadaputa: Some scientists find it hard to understand the description of different planets wherein there are oceans of milk, because we know that there's oceans of water here, and that water has to be there to create rain …
Prabhupada: So why the rascal carry this idea there? Has he seen everything?
Sadaputa: No, but h e cannot understand how an ocean …
Prabhupada: So how he can understand? He's a fool. He goes to the moon planet, but what does he understand about water there? There are so many millions and trillions of planets. How he can understand what is there?
Devotee: Where did the astronauts go?
Prabhupada: He will go to hell (laughter). To pick up some sand, as if sand is not here.
Sadaputa: Srila Prabhupada, is maya especially empowering the scientists to come up with nonsense?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Sadaputa: It is all coming from Krsna, though, isn't it?
Prabhupada: Yes. Because you want ro be fool, Krsna makes you a better fool.
Sadaputa: He's also th e greatest cheat.
Prabhupada: And if you want ro become rogue, He'll give you all fac ility ro become rogue. Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham [Bg. 4.111. He's so kind.
Sadaputa: Srila Prabhupada, we' re doing a ll these studies about science from a Krsna con sc ious point of view, and yet the gopis didn't care anything for this; they just simply wanted to love Krsna .
Prabhupada: They did n ot care for anything except Krsna. Therefore they are all perfect.
Sadaputa: Do we accept the way bacteria's reproduce, by fission , splitting in half? I know Kapiladeva instructs th er e are four different methods-the egg, the lump of flesh , etc. The scientists are saying that bacteria split in half and produce two daughter cells.
Prabhupada: Bacteria is produced from fermentation . Sveda- ja . Just like n asty bedding, from your perspiration, if you don 't clean, then bugs will come. Sveda-ja. In India, the Europeans they eat meat, and automatically bugs and germs come within their coat and shirt due to bad perspiration.
Hari-sauri: When you say that they' re born from perspiration like cockroaches, does that mean that the eggs are laid by t he female and then the atmosphere of perspiration enables the eggs to be hatched? Like that?
Prabhupada: No, from the perspiration automatically it comes.
Sadaputa : Prabhupada, we say that eve rything is situated on desire, and as a person surrenders to Krsna, ye yatha mam prapadyante [Bg. 4.11], He re wards accordingly. But people don 't underst and. Just like if there's a mother and father, and the child is not do ing well, they try to mold that child 's desire properly, the way that they see as proper.
Prabhupada: Yes, He's coming, Krsna, personally, "Rascal, give up all these ideas. Surrender to Me." But who is accepting it? He's coming for this purpose; He's leaving His instruction , Bhagavad-gita; He's sending His devotee; but who is caring to accept that? He's ve ry much a nxious to do good to you. If you don 't accept, wh at can be done?
Pusta Krsna: Has there ever been debates on the authenticity of modern science, or is this the first time modern science has been challenged in the world?
Prabhupada: India, Vedic civilization never cared for anything which is searched out by imperfect human beings. They never cared for it. Because he knows the man who is searching after, he's imperfect. Whatever he'll do, that is imperfect. Therefore neglect it . That is Vedic civilization. Sruti-pramana: wh ether it is evident from the srutis, from the Vedas. Otherwise, they reject it.
Vipina: Prabhupada, if spiritual life and Krsna are stronger than maya, then how is it that religion was ever overcome to the extent it is now? In Kali-yuga it's so much neglected, whereas in past ages we learn that it wasn't neglected. How is it that maya got such a stronghold?
Prabhupada: There is a time, just like young man and old man. Old man is dwindling, young man is growing. It is a question of time. Kali-yuga is bad time. Therefore maya has got chance to flourish.
Hari-sauri: If those people in India who a re aware of the actual science, though , if they had come out and spoken against material scientists …
Prabhupada: I am speaking.
Vrsakapi : You're the only one though, Prabhupada. Sadaputa: Srila Prabhupada, one problem we face with students and scientists, when we present Krsna conscious philosophy, they say …
Prabhupada: No, no. We don't condemn the scientists. We say that "Take credit as much as you can. But why do you defy t he existence of God?" That is our protest.
Sadaputa: They want to be God.
Prabhupada: That is their foolishness. Have we not published that "You have created 747. All right, take credit. But you cannot make a mosquito with pilot. Can you ?" "No." "So why … , how can you defy the supreme creator?" We are taking it, there is supreme creator.
Svarupa Damodara: That basic point they find it hard to understand.
Prabhupada: No. Because they are blind. It is common sense, that you have created the 747. So somebody must have created this, a small insect . This is common sense. You cannot see Him: that is your bad fortune. But somebody has done it.
Svarupa Damodara: Yes, that 's our logic.
Devotee: Prabhupada, one the one hand you say the scientists are rascals, and on the other you say not to condemn them.
Prabhupada: No, the rascal means when they say there is no God. Then they are rascals. Here is a scientist he does not say that there is no God. Anyone who says there is no God , he's a rasc al. He may be scientist, philosopher, or anyone.