"Well, if it rains, then we'll go back inside," I pointed out.
"And if your electricity fails, you'll go to hell," Srila Prabhupada quipped, raising laughter all around. "This is no argument. That is obstinate rascal's argument. That one ... they were eating yogurt. Everyone said, 'Oh, very first-class, nice yogurt.' So there was the obstinate rascal, he has to find out some fault. He said, 'Yes, it is very nice, but if we keep it three days it will be bad.' He's not thinking of the present, but he has to criticize it, that if you keep it three days it will become bad. That is all right, but what you are tasting now, talk of that. When there will be rain, you'll have to go in the room -- this is no argument. This is obstinate rascaldom."
"But we have to plan for the future," I said.
But Srila Prabhupada wasn't having any of it. "Future you cannot plan. That is another obstinate rascaldom. Future is not in your hand. They are planning so many things for future, but it is being baffled. So many schemes there are. In India there is a planning commission, after independence. So whatever they did, all failure. All failure. And now it is chaos. That Gulzarilal Nanda you know? He was one of the prominent member of the planning commission. He was very important member in the central government, Home member, planning commission, president and so on, so on. Nowadays he is loitering on the street, coming me to talk as ordinary man. You have seen? You were giving me massage on the roof and he was sitting?"
I recalled Prabhupada's meetings with him in November 1975 when I first joined the party in Delhi. "Yes. He's just trying to make some name and fame now by becoming a pious man. He was prime minister for about ten days."
"Yes, for a few days. He was a very prominent member in the cabinet, and now see. So planning, you make so many plans, but it requires sanction. That planning is condemned by Prahlada Maharaja. Balasya neha saranam pitarau nrsimha nartasya cagadam udanvati majjato nauh. In this way, there is a verse, that every parent is planning how his child will be grown nice, educated, but it becomes different. Every father, mother plan that 'My child should be like this.' But he is becoming hippie. When there is somebody diseased, rich man, he is planning to save him, best physician, best medicine supplied, but he's dying. So what is the value of your planning? Your planning is ... That's all right, that's your duty. But it requires the sanction of some higher authority. Otherwise useless. That is your position. That is practically going on."
- From "A Transcendental Diary Vol 4" by HG Hari Sauri Prabhu
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