Category:I Have Seen (Prabhupada)
Theme Analysis
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s use of the phrase "I have seen" underscores his position as a fully realized spiritual master who observed the world through the unclouded lens of Vedic knowledge. He did not speak from mere theory; his teachings were backed by extensive, practical experience gathered over a lifetime in India and his continuous travels around the globe. He bore witness to the acute suffering, restlessness, and degradation of modern human society, noting how people wasted their human form of life in futile materialistic pursuits. Conversely, he also personally witnessed and celebrated the transformative power of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, expressing deep satisfaction in seeing his disciples eagerly taking to the process, distributing books, and establishing gorgeous Deity worship. His observations serve as both a sobering diagnosis of Kali-yuga and a hopeful testament to the practical application of spiritual life.
- The Futility of Modern Materialistic Life: Śrīla Prabhupāda observed the intense, pointless struggle of modern civilization. From the frantic commuting of daily passengers to the endless cycle of breaking and building cities, he saw firsthand how people exhaust themselves for temporary, unfulfilling goals while neglecting their spiritual identity.
- The Degradation of Kali-yuga: With absolute candor, he described the sinful habits he witnessed globally. He noted how deeply entrenched society had become in meat-eating from childhood, the pervasive influence of violent media, and the breakdown of traditional family values.
- The Potency of Global Preaching and Book Distribution: As he traveled, Śrīla Prabhupāda was invigorated by the sight of his movement rapidly expanding. He took personal joy in seeing the enthusiasm of his disciples, the massive scale of their book distribution, and the vibrant saṅkīrtana festivals happening worldwide.
- Acquiring Properties for Kṛṣṇa's Service: Endowed with spiritual vision, he looked at the material world and saw opportunities for Kṛṣṇa’s service. When observing vacant churches or prominent buildings, he immediately evaluated their suitability for becoming magnificent temples to revive the public's lost spiritual consciousness.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: I Have Seen - Prabhupāda’s Realized Vision of the World.
Pages in category "I Have Seen (Prabhupada)"
The following 78 pages are in this category, out of 78 total.
A
- A man, snake-bitten, can be revived to his consciousness. Anyone Indian present here, they know. Still. Especially I have seen in Punjab, there are many snake enchanters who know the how to chant the mantras
- Abuses the father, mother, like anything. "Ah! You rascal! Why you have come? I shall kill you!" Like that. I have seen it. Mad, you call, or ghostly-haunted. Very dangerous
- Africans, I have seen, they look like gorilla. So why now from gorilla the Africans or any black man is not coming?
- All bad men, unfortunate and disturbed. This is the position. They will work so hard, catch daily passenger trains, Calcutta, Bombay, I have seen. They are actually hanging, some of them are falling down, lost life, and coming from hundred miles away
- All the Buddhists... I have seen in Japan. Their temple is as good as Hindu temple
- All the political parties - I have seen personally - simply they are making plan how to keep their position in the government so they may not be dethroned, other party may not come. The whole time is wasted
E
- Especially in the Western countries, I have seen that people awaken at five o'clock to go to offices and factories to earn their livelihood. People in Calcutta and Bombay also do this every day
- Especially in the Western country, I have seen, a girl is not married, but she has got child. What is that? That is varna-sankara. So varna-sankara increases; the world becomes hellish
F
- First thing is, these people, they cannot cross the Himalayan mountain. From my practical experience, I have seen Switzerland, it is so high that so many accidents have taken place. Little inattention
- From the very beginning of life, a child is habituated to eating meat. the mother purchases powdered meat and mixes it with liquid and feeds it to the infant. I have seen it
I
- I especially request you to try to open a center in China. So far I have information of the Chinese people and so far I have seen Chinese boys in Hong Kong, I am very hopeful for success in China
- I have gone to so many universities. I have seen the students, hippies. And if you say that, "If you act like cats and dogs, you will become dog next life," they say - What is the wrong if I become a dog?
- I have seen a photo of the dolls you have made of Krishna lifting Govardhana Hill and also Balarama. Your son has sent the photo. So you have done it very nicely. Go on with this work
- I have seen also very educated medical man, England-returned, M.R.C.P - I am speaking from my practical experience - so he goes to a hospital, big doctor, but I have seen in his house, he had not even a good utensil at home. He's so poor
- I have seen films of the Deity worship in Nairobi and it is very gorgeous. Proper Deity worship means to be clean, punctually and nice offerings of foodstuffs
- I have seen for generation. One generation passed another generation; the fighting is going on in the court. But if people are Krsna conscious, it could be settled within few minutes
- I have seen form of Krsna. You have seen also form of Krsna. There are hundreds and thousands of temples in India. Do you think they are all fools?
- I have seen his Orissa literature about our movement and it appears to be very nice, any common man can understand it, and it is set up very nicely
- I have seen in foreign countries that practically no students join high philosophical and scientific classes. People nowadays are only interested in money-earning philosophy. Nobody goes to the philosophical classes in universities
- I have seen in New York that friends are coming to another friend's house because one has no facility for taking shower bath, so coming to a friend's house. So the symptoms of Kali-yuga described that it will be very difficult also to take even bath
- I have seen in the Hawaii University, all hippies. Solution, they will not take it
- I have seen in the Western countries, they are growing food grains for the animals, and the food grains are eaten by the animals, and the animal is eaten by man
- I have seen in Washington so many tourists came daily to see the many monuments & museums. So why not let one of the museums be about Krsna. Everything should be done first-class. I am sure that it will become the most popular place to visit in Washington
- I have seen many gentlemen, as teachers and educationists - as soon as he sees SB, "Oh, it is about God. Oh, we cannot purchase. We cannot purchase. Because it is God, therefore we have no connection with it. We cannot purchase." Such is the mentality
- I have seen many, spoiling father's money like anything. And the same man, when he is beggar in the street, he feels happy
- I have seen one Christian newspaper which is trying to attract the readers by resort to fashionable phrases and materialistic themes of mass public interest--simply because they have not got any real substance for attracting
- I have seen one dark well. In your country, when I was guest in John Lennon's house in 1969, we saw in the garden there was a dark well
- I have seen one sannyasi in India, very learned, very good scholar. Now he's rotting in the jail. He has taken to political movement. He wants to make . . . nullify this Pakistan and so many things. Now he has become a politician
- I have seen some television. People are learning how to smash, how to steal, how to harass people. Things are being shown like that. Not that "You are soul. You are spirit soul. If you degrade yourself, you then get this"
- I have seen that in the month of April, May, June, we can get mangoes. That is our direct experience
- I have seen that there is one church just near the Bank of America on La Cienega Boulevard. I do not know to which sect this church belongs, but that church is very suitable for your described purpose
- I have seen that two brothers quarreling
- I have seen the monthly book distribution report and your name, Australia, is first among the world distributers
- I have seen the pictures of your kirtan sent by Sachisuta, and they are all marvelous. Please print them in BTG
- I have seen the wife of a medical practitioner voluntarily accept death immediately when her husband died. Both the husband and wife were taken in procession in the mourning cart. Such intense love of a chaste wife for her husband is a special case
- I have seen this house from the outside, and sometimes I was thinking that this is a nice house for a temple. So I shall be glad to hear from you how and when you are going situate a temple in this house. That is the most essential point
- I have seen this special Rathayatra issue of "Back to Godhead" written by you, and I am so much pleased that so intelligently you have assorted the matter to completely understand our philosophy in a nutshell
- I have seen you when I was in New Vrindaban, and you are quite fit to take charge of New Vrindaban asrama. Take especially nice care of the boys there. They are our future hopes
- I have seen your German devotees, they are very enthusiastic and steady workers. So if you get some good souls to join, then there will be no difficulty for selling the books
- I have seen your poetry and it is very nice. Try to write more and to have it published. If you like, I can send you more topics to write poetries about and to versify into the German language
- I have seen, especially in Kanpur, even within the lane there are so many temples, Radha-Krsna temple, Visnu temples, Siva temple. So all over India you will find the temples
- I have traveled all over the world. I have seen America from village to village, Africa, Australia. There is so much land vacant that if we properly utilize them, we can produce so much food grains, we can feed ten times as many population as it is now
- I have traveled over the world at least fourteen times. I have seen there is enough land, especially in Africa, in Australia, in America, and we can produce so much food grains that ten times of this present population can be easily maintained
- If one gets a diamond, he possesses something valuable. But in this civilization you are simply making plastic plates and plastic cups. Indeed, in Japan I have seen pasteboard homes. And everyone is thinking that he is advanced
- In Calcutta I have seen people taking pleasure in cutting the throats of chickens and laughing when the chicken jumps and flaps about. Sometimes in Western countries students are taken to slaughterhouses just to see how the cows are butchered
- In comparison to other countries, I have seen that it is simply difficulty. Frankly speaking. And to speak more frankly, why there is Emergency? Emergency means bad government. Otherwise, there is no necessity of Emergency
- In Delhi I have seen Rama-lila, the effigy of Ravana is beaten with shoes sometimes
- In your country I have seen in several places. Nice building is dismantled, and again, in that very place, another building is raised. You see? Breaking and building. Breaking and... "Oh, this building is old. Break it." The same childish play
- It is good to feel inadequate, and to try harder to please Krishna with better service. But one should never feel, oh, I have seen Krishna, and so I am reached perfection - this is not Krishna Consciousness
P
- Para-dravyesu lostravat. And other's property? Just like garbage. Nobody goes, but I have seen. Nowadays garbage is also tackled. I have seen in Hong Kong, one woman is finding out something valuable from the garbage. This is Kali-yuga
- People are losing interest in that arcana-marga. There are many temples I have seen, there is no caretaker. People are losing interest
- People are not bad. I have seen. They are very nice. The government, the rascals, a few men who are controlling the government, they are all rogues and thieves. The same thing in India. Everywhere the mass population, they are innocent
- People do not understand. I have seen many European big, big professors, they do not have any clear conception that the body and the soul, different
S
- Sankirtana is our life & soul. You have got a natural tendency for these Sankirtana performances. I have seen this personally. You can do it very nicely. For you the best thing will be to form a Sankirtana Party for yourself & travel all over the country
- Sitting in a right-angle posture and the eyes half-closed. Not fully closed. If you fully close then you will sleep. I have seen so many yogis snoring, sleeping. Yes. Naturally, if you close your eyes and you have no subject matter to think
- So modern civilization is not strictly following the Vedic injunction. Therefore, especially I have seen in the Western countries, there is no home practically
- Sriman Bhagavan das is mailing out one newsletter of our activities to the Indian families in U.S.A. to gain their support, especially in Chicago. I have seen one copy and it is very nice
T
- That is real affection, to make sure my child gets back to Godhead, that is my real responsibility as a parent. And I have seen that Gurukula offers this opportunity more than any other place anywhere
- The house which I have seen for this purpose is just suitable for this great missionary work as if it was built for this purpose only and your simple willingness to do the act will complete everything smoothly
- The karmis should not be given so much that there is waste. You can give them a little, and then if they like you can give them more. This system should be introduced everywhere. I have seen myself that so much prasada is being left. This is not good
- The people I have seen in America are very restless. They go from one apartment to another apartment or from one country to another country. That restlessness is there because we are searching after our real home
- The rice was selling at six rupees per mound. All of a sudden, within a week, it came to fifty rupees per mound. I have seen it. No rice was available in the market
- The whole dog is burned, and then they relish that roasted dog. Roasted pig I have seen. There is a class, they roast the pig and they eat. So this class of men, they roast dog, and it is called dog cake - kukur-pita. Pita means cake kukur means dog
- There are many thieves. At least in India I have seen. Their business is stealing, and they are put into the jail, and as soon as he comes out, again commits the same thing and put into the jail for many days
- These godless persons, when they're actually in danger, they think of God. I have seen it. Automatically they think of God. So this godlessness is not our natural life. To love God, that is our natural life
- They do not know what is truth or what is truthfulness. Or, in other words, everyone is liar. I have seen many big, big gentlemen that for nothing they will speak lies
- Trees living for many, many years? Near San Francisco I have seen a forest where there is a tree seven thousand years old. But what is the benefit? If one is proud of standing in one place for seven thousand years, that is not a very great credit
W
- We are practically purchasing many churches. They are vacant. I have seen in London, hundreds of churches are vacant. Nobody goes there
- We have seen many big, big sannyasi, they give up this world as false. But after some times, when they cannot actually realize Brahman, they again come to this jagat for humanitarian work, for welfare activities
- When in the sky it is regular speed and balance, it is going nicely. There is no crisis. All crises take place while coming down and going up. Leaving the land and coming the land. I have seen sometimes, they clap as soon as they.... "The danger is over"
- When the milk is available in the marketplace, what is the use of keeping a cow? It is a very abominable condition in the Western countries - I have seen it. Here also in India, gradually it is coming
Y
- Yes, I have seen the spot for the factory-mandir. Go ahead with the plans and send me a copy of the plans. It is very nice that Mr. Patnai will help us. Persist in that direction. He will be a great help if he can get some land for us
- Yes, with great pleasure I will accompany and we shall go village to village. I have seen the pictures and the buses look very nice
- You have installed the Deity there so nicely with all nice decorations, and I have seen how clean you are keeping it
- You'll see so many sahajiyas, professional: they can cry, but they have no love for Krsna. I have seen one professional reciter. He can cry, and he gathers many people around him
- Your progress in translating work is very nice. It is actually most important of all that this translating of books is going on at the same time as the festivals. I have seen the photographs of your festival blocking the traffic