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Devotees were interested to learn that Brian Dixon, the State Minister for Sport and Recreation, had been invited to speak with Srila Prabhupada. Many devotees knew him in his previous capacity as a famous Melbourne footballer, who rose to fame in the late '60s. The strongly-built man, who was accompanied by his attractive young secretary, was introduced to Srila Prabhupada by Sabhapati, who continued to successfully arrange all Srila Prabhupada's interview liaisons.

As the mid-morning sun streamed through the colourful stained-glass windows, Prabhupada, seated on his asana, was the cordial host. Mr. Dixon began the dialogue by explaining how a lot of his responsibilities as State Minister involved the growth and development of young people. Aware that Srila Prabhupada's disciples were free from drugs and alcohol, Mr. Dixon was interested to hear his solutions to these problems.

Prabhupada explained that the basic principle of Krsna consciousness was to cleanse the heart. "Just this morning, several boys and girls became initiated. They promised that from this day, no more illicit sex, no more intoxication, no more meat-eating, no more gambling."

Prabhupada stressed, however, that such a life could not be achieved without the association of devotees. "Nobody can do it outside. But here they are able. So you can bring any number of young men, and we shall be glad to make them free from all these things. It is open. If you like, you can take advantage."

Mr. Dixon said he was thinking more along the lines of education. Prabhupada gave an apropos Krsna conscious definition: "Education begins when we learn to see all women as mother. That is the original system of education in India, matrvat para daresu. Then, para-dravyesu lostravat: to think other's money as the garbage in the street .. And atmavat sarva-bhutesu: And one who sees all other living entities on the level of himself. If one learns these three things, he is pandita, he is learned."

Prabhupada explained that there were three other things that would ensure peace in society -- understanding that God was the proprietor of everything, the enjoyer of everything, and the friend of all living beings. This would solve the world's problems, especially war and starvation. Prabhupada pointed out that God had given so much land on which one could produce food grains and keep cows for milk with no expenditure.

"But instead we are producing tobacco for smoking cigarettes. We are producing coffee for going to hell. So how can you expect social reform? In Africa I have seen. Instead of producing grain, they are producing coffee, tea, and keeping the cows for killing, making business to sell meat to other countries."

Mr. Dixon inquired about the stricture of "no meat-eating", whether it was because animals have a higher priority in life than vegetables.

"There is no question of priority. Our philosophy is that we are servants of God. So God will eat, and whatever remnants of foodstuffs He will leave, that we shall take."

Prabhupada gave a practical example. "Just like you have come here. So if I want to offer you something for eating, it is my duty to ask you 'Mr. Dixon, which foodstuff would you like to eat?' So you dictate, 'I like this very much'. Then, if I offer you that foodstuff, then you become pleased. So we have called Krsna in this temple, so we are waiting, what foodstuff He wants to eat? So He said that .."

Prabhupada glanced at Guru Krpa, who quoted the verse on cue, "If one offers Me with love and devotion, a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it."

"Yes. Patram puspam phalam. He is asking very simple thing, which everyone can offer. Just like a little leaf, patram, a little flower, puspam, a little fruit and a little liquid, either water or milk. So we offer that. We make different varieties with these ingredients, and after Krsna's eating we take it. We are servants; we take the remnants of the foodstuff left by Krsna. We are neither vegetarian nor non-vegetarian. We are prasad-ian .. Whatever Krsna eats, we eat. If Krsna says that 'Give me meat, give me eggs', so we shall offer Krsna meat and eggs and we shall take it."

Mr. Dixon asked how Prabhupada spent his day.

"I go in the morning for a little morning walk, because the body, all day, if I sit down, it may be jammed. Therefore, for body's sake, I go for a little walking. And then whole day and night, I am sitting here, either chanting or writing books or talking with you, giving direction. That's all. We have no other business than Krsna's business."

This, Prabhupada explained, was the "peculiarity" of the Krsna consciousness movement. The Christians, he said, go to church once a week for one hour, and then not very regularly, whereas the devotees were engaged twenty-four hours a day. Prabhupada smiled and said, "Last night I woke up at 12.30am, so on the whole, utmost I sleep four hours, two hours at night and two hours in the daytime."

Mr. Dixon's time was up. He accepted some prasadam, thanked Srila Prabhupada for his hospitality, and left. Prabhupada continued to speak to the devotees in his room about the condition of modern society. The fact that Mr. Dixon had brought with him a beautiful secretary, Prabhupada frankly surmised, was an indication that politicians of the day had very low character. Not only politicians, he said, but even so-called sannyasis and yogis. Their only objective, he said candidly, was sex.

Tusta Krsna offered a contemporary example of how people were unable to give up their bad habits. "One devotee in New Zealand, his father was dying of leukaemia. He told his father that if he stopped eating meat and smoking cigarettes, his health would improve. His father said, 'If I can't do these things, what is the use of living?'"

Hari-sauri presented another titbit: Ernest Hemingway committed suicide after the doctor had told him that he couldn't engage in sex any more. Prabhupada himself added an example. He knew of a Marwari man, who, even though eighty years of age, recently had gone to Germany for a medical operation -- a monkey sex-gland transplant. "Therefore I say these leaders, rascals, are blind, and they are trying to lead other blind men. But all of them are falling into a ditch."


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