Devotee (1): Śrīla Prabhupāda, he states about Africa, that the food..., that they do not know what to eat tomorrow, and in fact, that here it's very hard for them to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. My question is which, what can we do which is...?

Prabhupāda: Go and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and give them food. They are hungry. Then it will be successful. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, let them come and dance with you, and give them prasādam. They are hungry. It will be success. It is not difficult at all. That was Caitanya Mahāprabhu's preaching to the mass of people. He would chant for four hours, and after finishing kīrtana, He'll give them sumptuous food to eat. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was doing this. So you can do this. You collect money not for your eating but for distribution of prasādam. That is required. And if you do that, Kṛṣṇa will send you. Yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham (B.G.9:22). There will be no need. We have got about 102 centers, and each center, there are so many people, up to 250, and not less than fifty. So Kṛṣṇa is sending their food. There is no scarcity. We do not do any business. We do not go to serve in the office, but Kṛṣṇa is sending. One hundred and two centers, average hundred men—how many? Hundred into hundred? Hm. So ten thousand men we are feeding daily, apart from distribution to others. So Kṛṣṇa is sending them. So you can attain. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa. He'll give you supply. You have to attempt only. So chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and distribute prasādam, your movement will be success.

(Lecture------Nairobi).

Harikeśa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? What about the point, in certain places in Bhāgavatam it distinctly says that the human being's food is creatures of four legs with cloven hoof?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Harikeśa: It distinctly says in some places in Bhāgavatam that the human being's food is four-legged animals with a cloven hoof.

Prabhupāda: Yes, if you remain animal. But that is not the ideal, that you remain animal. That is culture. If you want to remain animal, then it is all right. If you want to remain pig, you eat whatever you like. But if you don't want to remain a pig, then you have got to make discrimination. You have to take kṛṣṇa-prasāda. Because it is Bhāgavatam, it is written that one animal is food for another animal. That is for the animal. And I have already said that this Vedic civilization is meant for making the animal a perfect person.

Harikeśa: In the Manu-saṁhitā also there is many, many rules about what kind of meat to eat.

Prabhupāda: That is gradually. Gradually. If he cannot give up meat-eating, so, "All right, don't eat cows' flesh. You eat hogs. That's all." But the real purpose is to stop meat-eating. And that is also under restriction. "You can eat one goat. Sacrifice it before Goddess Kālī under such and such rules and regulation. Then you take one piece of meat at night." So any sensible man—"Why I should undergo such rules and regulation for eating a little piece of meat? Better give it up." That is the idea. It is not that encouraging him. What is the meaning of encouraging? He is already eating meat? Why śāstra should... The real way, nivṛtteḥ... Pravṛttir eṣāṁ bhūtānāṁ nivṛttes tu mahā-phalam. The pravṛtti, the inclination, is there. Now train him to give it up. That is wanted. Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva says, tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed sattvam (S.B.5:5:1), that "Tapasya is your business." Tapo divyam. The human life is for tapasya-athāto brahma jijñāsā—only discussion on Brahman, to understand Brahman, and tapasya. Therefore you find in India so many saintly persons, highly educated brāhmaṇas, high literature, everything.

(Morning walk-------Mayapura).

Upendra: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Would you like some mint tea now? I have the mint tea, that podina chāy.

Prabhupāda: What is the benefit?

Upendra: It's... You might like the taste, and it's very simple. It's not complicated or anything, certainly not mucus-forming, and it's cooling and refreshing to drink. It's just a nice drink and very simple.

Prabhupāda: So, Tamāla Kṛṣṇa?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, mint tea is water boiled with some mint leaves, so it gets the essence of the taste of mint in boiled water. Sometimes they add a little honey. I think they must have added a little bit of honey. So it's flavored warm water with honey in it. Probably it would be good for you to take some liquid. One should drink some liquid. You are not performing austerities that you don't have to... (Prabhupāda chuckles) Just like I think it was Dhruva Mahārāja. He did not take anything. We don't want you to do that, Śrīla Prabhupāda. So this is a nice drink. Sometimes in the past I've had it. It has a pleasant taste, and it's soothing on the stomach because it's warm. More or less, it's boiled water with a little flavor and some honey. It will give you little bit of liquid inside, which isn't bad. Not to drink anything, I don't think that would be good.

Prabhupāda: So give.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You must be feeling empty inside, Śrīla Prabhupāda. I covered your body with powders. How do you find the taste?

Prabhupāda: Not bad.

(Room conversation-------Vrndavana).