View source for Can someone outside, who does not follow these practices (give up certain habits such as one should not smoke and things), can he achieve perfection?

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[[Category:Questions asked to Srila Prabhupada]]
[[Category:Questions asked to SP... 1975]]
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<div id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="section" sec_index="5" parent="compilation" text="Conversations and Morning Walks"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
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<div id="1975_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="8" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1975 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1975 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
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<div id="RoomConversationwithProfessorsFebruary191975Caracas_0" class="quote" parent="1975_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="8" link="Room Conversation with Professors -- February 19, 1975, Caracas" link_text="Room Conversation with Professors -- February 19, 1975, Caracas">
<div class="heading">Maybe, but that is exceptional.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation with Professors -- February 19, 1975, Caracas|Room Conversation with Professors -- February 19, 1975, Caracas]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Professor (Hṛdayānanda): You have given the example that one has to give up certain habits such as one should not smoke and things, but is it true that that is not the ultimate goal of transcendence?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, that is a process.</p>
<p>Professor (Hṛdayānanda): Can someone outside, who does not follow these practices, can he achieve perfection?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Maybe, but that is exceptional.</p>
<p>Professor (Hṛdayānanda): He said that Buddha achieved perfection outside of joining any particular religion, and that after reading so many things and hearing all different philosophies that it was actually the practice.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: He changed himself religion.</p>
<p>Professor (Hṛdayānanda): He says that... It's some story that when Buddha was about to leave his body, he said that... Anyway, the conclusion of the story is that he also considered himself imperfect.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the greatness of Buddha. Because his followers were imperfect, he could not say more than what they could understand. Therefore he said that "I am imperfect." His mission was to stop animal killing. But people are very much accustomed to animal killing, so he did not say higher things that they could not understand. For them, if they could stop animal killing, that was perfection. For primary student, if he understands the mathematics, two plus two equal to four, that is his perfection. That does not mean there is no higher mathematics. Give them prasāda. Wait, wait. Bring it. Wait, wait little minute. (break) ...otherwise one cannot understand spiritual matter.</p>
<p>Professor (Hṛdayānanda): He says, "That's another one of my problems."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: It is not problem; it is practice. If you come here daily, within a week you will learn.</p>
<p>Professor: Every night?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. We can give you hundreds of preparations, vegetarian.</p>
<p>Professor (Hṛdayānanda): They asked if we're eating anything, so I said we eat before and after all of them.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: We shall eat also. (break) So I request you to come every Sunday and take feast with us. (break)</p>
<p>Professor (Hṛdayānanda): He wants to know, for example, if I eat meat today, if I lose my chance for enlightenment.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, you do not lose. You hear from the enlightened. Then you will be enlightened, and you will automatically give up meat-eating. Therefore our business is to hear from the enlightened. That is the first business. Other things not immediately needed. Even if you cannot give up meat-eating, still, you hear from the enlightened.</p>
<p>Professor (Hṛdayānanda): He asked me how much time I've been in the movement.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: How much time?</p>
<p>Hṛdayānanda: He asked me how much time...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.</p>
<p>Hṛdayānanda: He wanted to know if we make the yogurt ourselves. He said we must be specialists. He said we should put it in bottles and make "Hare Kṛṣṇa yogurt."</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That is also good. (laughter) Because they will chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and that will have effect. Hare Kṛṣṇa is transcendental vibration, so anyone who will vibrate the sound, he will get the benefit.</p>
<p>Hṛdayānanda: He wants to know who give us our mantra, if the spiritual master gives us our mantra.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes, spiritual master.</p>
<p>Professor: Hay una ceremonia?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, you can chant without ceremony. There is no loss. You can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and see the effect.</p>
<p>Professor (Hṛdayānanda): He said he has seen us in New York and London, and one thing he has noticed that wherever he sees us, our faces are very satisfied, content.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: You are intelligent. (laughter)</p>
<p>Professor (Hṛdayānanda): That even though it's outside, it shows that there's something special inside.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, this enquiry was made by one priest. I was going from Los Angeles to Hawaii. The priest was in his ordinary dress. He came. He said, "Swamiji, can I talk with you?" "Yes." He first of all he said, "How your disciples look so nice and full of spiritual consciousness?" That was his first question. No, everything has got process. If we adopt the process, the result is there.</p>
<p>Professor (Hṛdayānanda): How do we finance our movement?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: By Kṛṣṇa's grace. It is no sends us money.(?) We are spending about ten hundred thousand dollar per month. Kṛṣṇa is providing.</p>
<p>Professor: Ten thousand...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Ten hundred thousand. Million dollar. We are getting especially by selling these books. Our book selling is increasing. We are selling fifty thousand copies at the present moment of all these books.</p>
<p>Hṛdayānanda: Every month.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Every month. In America all the universities, professors, learned scholar, they are giving us standing order, "As soon as published, please send this."</p>
<p>Professor (Hṛdayānanda): Where in the world do we find that people most understand us and join us?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: America, North America. Now we have come to South America.</p>
<p>Professor: (Spanish) I saw the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement on British television, and they had an interview with the head of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement there, and they sang and they danced and many other things there. So people are very receptive to the message of...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: All over the world. In Africa also.</p>
<p>Professor: But here in Venezuela, I find that Venezuelans, or at least the government, has been a little bit too intolerant with your people here.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Government is not tolerant?</p>
<p>Hṛdayānanda: Has been a little bit too intolerant. In the past they were a little bit pushy. But now they have stopped.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, if anyone reads our books, then he will accept it. Therefore we are trying to publish all our books in different languages.</p>
<p>Professor (Hṛdayānanda): How is our movement doing in India?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: India, it is already there. Every person is Kṛṣṇa conscious in India.</p>
<p>Professor (Hṛdayānanda): He's asking, "Everyone in India?"</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes, everyone, by nature they are Kṛṣṇa conscious, but the modern leaders, they are trying to divert their attention. The leaders are trying to make them Kṛṣṇa unconscious. (laughter) Because they are of opinion that "Being Kṛṣṇa conscious, India is so backward. So we have to become American conscious or European conscious." That is their...</p>
<p>Professor (Hṛdayānanda): It was a great pleasure that you invited us to your...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Thank you very much. So you are welcome whenever you have got time. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. (end)</p>
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