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In the afternoon, Srila Prabhupada met with Professor Don Ferrel from La Trobe University's Department of Modern Indian History. Originally from America, Professor Ferrel had invited devotees there to address some of his classes while he was still in the US, and had, over the years, collected a number of Srila Prabhupada's books.

When Amogha reminded Prabhupada that La Trobe was the campus where students had disrupted his lecture the previous year, Prabhupada was characteristically gracious. "That's all right," he said, and smiled forgivingly.

The bearded professor began by asking Prabhupada when he had started practising Krsna consciousness. Prabhupada gave a brief glimpse of the earlier history of the Krsna consciousness mission. "We were trained up from our birth. My father was a great devotee and our family traditionally was devoted to Lord Caitanya. My grandfather, my father's elder brother -- we came from a family that is traditionally Vaisnava."

"Why is it, then," Professor Ferrel asked, "that just in this century the translations have begun. Why didn't they occur prior to this?"

"Formerly," Prabhupada explained, "the Indian people didn't care to preach. But my guru maharaja, and his father, Bhaktivinode Thakura, wanted to preach. And Caitanya Mahaprabhu also wanted to preach. So Bhaktivinode Thakura wrote a small book, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He wanted to distribute it to Western universities. This was in 1896, my birth year. He distributed that book to many universities like McGill University. My guru maharaja was entrusted to preach, and me also. Therefore, at the last stage of my life, at the age of seventy years, I made an attempt. So our predecessors wanted, and they wanted me also to do that, so I thought 'Let me try'.

"I was publishing that Back to Godhead paper even from my grhastha life, from 1944. I published my first book in 1962. The next was in 1964, and then the third volume was published in 1965. Then I came to America, and I've translated all these books, whatever you see, about 50 books."

Professor Ferrel enquired about the recent rapid expansion of the Krsna consciousness movement, especially in the West. "Why do you think you are so successful?"

"I don't think I am successful, but people say."

Professor Ferrel laughed. "Very good!"

"I will be successful," Prabhupada added, "when everyone chants Hare Krsna."

Professor Ferrel wondered how Prabhupada's disciples were so willing and able to give such a deep commitment.

Prabhupada explained. "I ask only for four things: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. That's all. But these four things are very, very difficult for Western people. That I know. God consciousness cannot be achieved by any third-class man. One must be the topmost first-class man."

"And who decides what is first-class?" asked the Professor.

"Krsna decides," replied Prabhupada.

Srila Prabhupada asked Amogha to read from the relevant verses of Bhagavad-gita, and give the word-for-word translations for the qualities of a brahmana. When Amogha got to vijnanam, wisdom, Prabhupada explained further. "Vijnanam means practical application. If one believes in God, Krsna, and if one believes that Krsna is giving food to everyone, even to the elephant and to the ant, then why shall I bother for my food? If God is so competent that He can feed millions and trillions of unlimited living entities, and I have dedicated my life for His service, will I starve?

"A saintly person should depend on Krsna. If Krsna is not supplying cloth -- all right. Find out some torn, thrown-out cloth on the street. And food? Go to the tree. Take some fruit. And for water, go to the river. And for shelter, go to the cave. Over and above, one should have faith that the Supreme Lord takes care of the person who has fully surrendered unto Him."

The devotees, Prabhupada said, had no worries for their future. Krsna consciousness, he explained, was "so nice" that whether one was immediately successful or not, still one would benefit. If one was unsuccessful, he explained, he would be born into a family of righteous people. If successful he would go back home, back to Godhead.

"What's going to happen to you in the next life?" asked the Professor, with a grin.

"My life? According to sastra, if we have actually developed Krsna consciousness, we are going to Krsna."

"And you are...?"

Prabhupada smiled and indicated his disciples. "I may not, but they will go." Prabhupada's endearing humility caused the devotees and the professor to laugh heartily.
cont'd


- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu