View source for Indo-American Cultural Society, they gave me the subject matter: "East and West." So I talked, "We don't find any such distinction, 'East and West,' when we come to the spiritual platform. This is all material platform"

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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="1973_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="6" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1973 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1973 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
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<div id="RoomConversationWithDavidLawrenceJuly121973London_0" class="quote" parent="1973_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="44" link="Room Conversation With David Lawrence -- July 12, 1973, London" link_text="Room Conversation With David Lawrence -- July 12, 1973, London">
<div class="heading">The last time when I was in Calcutta I was invited by the Indo-American Cultural Society, and they gave me the subject matter: "East and West." So I talked, "We don't find any such distinction, 'East and West,' when we come to the spiritual platform. This is all material platform."
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation With David Lawrence -- July 12, 1973, London|Room Conversation With David Lawrence -- July 12, 1973, London]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Hm. Western mind... I, I do not find any difference between western mind and eastern mind. Because so many western mind is changed. Yes. So there was no difficulty. Two, two plus two equal to four is to be understood by the western mind and the eastern mind. You cannot say, because you are western mind, you'll say, "No, two plus two equal to five." You cannot say that. So there may be some influence of the culture, but that is superficial. When you speak the real truth, science, that is equally applicable to the western mind and eastern mind. There is no difference. If you speak the real truth... Two plus two equal to four, mathematical calculation, nobody will deny, either western mind or eastern mind. Yes. So he must be reasonable. That's all.</p>
<p>David Lawrence: Yes. That's it.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: So we expect every human being, rational... Eastern, western, there is no difference.</p>
<p>David Lawrence: As you see from my plans, really what we hoped to do was to, if there was any cultural difference, to some extent eliminate that cultural difference.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Then the first thing is therefore you have to understand that "I am not this body." The cultural difference is on account of this bodily conception of life.</p>
<p>David Lawrence: Yes. Yes.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: But if we transcend the position of our bodily concept of life, we come to the spiritual platform. So there is no difference.</p>
<p>David Lawrence: The difference is irrelevant then.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No. There is no difference. Just like we are talking. You have got a coat. I have no coat. That does not make any difference. We are talking as gentlemen. That's all. The last time when I was in Calcutta I was invited by the Indo-American Cultural Society, and they gave me the subject matter: "East and West." So I talked, "We don't find any such distinction, 'East and West,' when we come to the spiritual platform. This is all material platform."</p>
<p>David Lawrence: We find when we're teaching, you know, really secular youngsters that it's terribly difficult to get off this cultural veneer, you know.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Therefore one has to understand first that "I am not this body."</p>
<p>David Lawrence: That's it. And you've got to believe... The teacher... This is the big thing, isn't it? The teacher has got to be God conscious.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes.</p>
<p>David Lawrence: So he believes that there is the God conscious experience.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: He must realize that he's not this body. He is different from body. But I am encaged now in this body under certain condition. So at least this... This is called jñāna. Jñāna. So long one is in the bodily concept of life, he is affected with so many things. So many things. So this bhakti-yoga begins when one is purified from the bodily concept of life. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 19.170|CC Madhya 19.170]]). Now, these boys, they are coming from different nations. But they never think that one is Englishman, another is American, another is Indian, another is African. No, we don't think like that.</p>
<p>David Lawrence: No.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: At least, we have surpassed that stage. If we have not advanced in any other way, (laughter) at least we have advanced in this respect. We don't consider on the bodily concept of life. What do you think?</p>
<p>Śyāmasundara: Yes.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That is our qualification. Yes.</p>
<p>David Lawrence: Unfortunately, as we find, the youngsters that, certainly that I teach, have got such materialistic views of their...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: If you keep the students as English boys or American boys, then it will be difficult. Then the, the cultural question will come up.</p>
<p>David Lawrence: Yes, yes. We try to bring in as much... In fact, now we have a new course... This is the sort of thing that's happening. (Break) ...the Jewish-Christian scriptures which do not, you know, just don't lend themselves in any way to the right sort of feelings being created and the right sort of experience being created. We found that this year's course-it's the first year-has been tremendously helpful. We brought the boys... I can't think anybody was here, but we brought the boys up to the London temple, and...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Here?</p>
<p>David Lawrence: Yes. Well, no, in the Bury Place. And they were thrilled to bits. We had one or two who made the usual silly comments, you know, which you'd expect. But they were embarrassed, you know. Everything that came over, which was interesting, was that they found that all the devotees were very kind, very loving and very sincere. This, this came from even really the most secular of boys with a very, very low intelligence. He could see and perceive and understand that this was how it was.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That is our general certificate, everywhere. Even the Americans, they are surprised. They inquire, "Are you Americans?" (laughter.)</p>
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