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Friday, 9 May 1975

As Prabhupada and his small group of disciples walked near City Beach, they could see the sky becoming illuminated. Nuances of colour revealed the horizon, and the devotees could see the vast Indian Ocean stretching away to meet the sky where the last stars twinkled then faded. Prabhupada and his small group of disciples walked along a section of road adjoining the large sand dunes that separated them from the beach proper.

The party came across some fishermen, casting their lines out past the rumbling, shore-breaking surf. Prabhupada's facial expression showed the depth of his compassion.

"They haven't got any business. They must do all of these sinful activities. That is the defect of modern civilisation -- keeping all men in darkness." Jayadharma asked Srila Prabhupada whether those same fishermen would have to become fish in their next lives.

"Oh, yes. They do not know how the transmigration of the soul is going on. They cannot explain from where the fish are coming, from where the trees are coming. Everything in darkness. All this is going on in the name of 'civilisation'. They cannot explain what is death, what is the next life. Sometimes they say: 'It is nature', but how nature is working they do not know."

Some raucous seagulls landed on the calmer water behind the breaking surf. "The birds and beasts are also catching fish, and the men are also catching. What is the difference? They have got this nice human body, and they are acting like birds and beasts. There is no enlightenment. This is modern civilisation."

Amogha brought up a common doubt: "They'll say, 'Why not eat fish? Jesus was passing out fish. And we all catch fish. We like it'."

Prabhupada stopped and propped his cane firmly on the ground. "You tell them that you will be very merry, that's all right. But do you want to stop these merry affairs all of a sudden? Ask them. What will they reply?"

"They'll say, 'No, we don't want to stop'," suggested Amogha.

"Then, nature will stop it. What are you going to arrange for that?"

"They'll say," continued Amogha,'We don't know what will happen after, so we'll just enjoy and have fun now, as much as possible'."

"So," Prabhupada countered, "why have you come to school? Why don't you play all day?"

"Because we need to get a good job so we "

"Then they are thinking of the future," Prabhupada replied. "Every sane man should think of the future. But because they are kept in darkness about the future life, they are doing all this irresponsible work, with no idea of the future after death."

Amogha spoke out on behalf of the materialists. "Many of them say we cannot prove there is any life after death."

Prabhupada did not agree. "This is proof: just as the boy is there and the father is there, the boy is going to become father. This is future. Both of them are there. The boy is going to be the father, and the father is going to be the grandfather. Where there is no future? The rascals, they do not know, but there is future. How can you stop it?"

Amogha: But then he dies, and they cannot see any future after that.

Prabhupada: Your seeing has no power. This is no argument, 'I cannot see'. I cannot see land on the other side of the ocean. That does not mean there is nothing. This is all rascaldom. He has become authority -- 'I want to see'. What you can see?

Prabhupada pointed to the horizon with his cane. "Now this is the Indian Ocean. On the other side there is India, and other islands, but you cannot see it. Does it mean there is nothing?"

Paramahamsa: But there are so many people who come to us and say, 'Well, we can see'. But we don't believe they can see.

Prabhupada: What they can see? Nobody can see. Therefore the Vedas say your seeing should be through the book of knowledge. That is seeing. Everyone is anxious about the future. Why do they keep a bank balance? Why do they have insurance? Everyone is thinking of the future. But because he is a rascal, he is thinking simply for this span of life. Tatha dehantara-praptir. Again you have to accept another body. That they do not know. Such rascals. Simply calculating for this span of life.

Paramahamsa had now fully assumed the doubter's persona: "We accept that, but in the next life we have a new future. This life we have this future, and in the next life we have...."

"Then suppose you become... What is called? Clam? And enter into this." Prabhupada stuck his cane into the soft ground. "Will that be a very good future? You like that type of life?"

Paramahamsa was fully absorbed in his role-playing. "Well, I don't like it now, but if I was a crab I might like it."

Prabhupada was also enjoying the mock debate. "Then become a crab. That's all right. This is their solace. This is ignorance. You don't like it, but 'When I become a crab, I'll like it'. That is maya's covering. Otherwise he cannot live. If the crab thinks: 'I was a king in my past life. Now I have become a crab', it will be horrible for him. Therefore he forgets. That is a concession of maya. Forget whatever you have had."

Paramahamsa: Well, all of these things are relative anyway. So whether I'm a dog or human being, it doesn't really make much difference, because I'm still existing.

Prabhupada: Still, you don't want to become a dog when you are a human being.

Paramahamsa: But when I'm a dog I wouldn't want to become a human being either.

Prabhupada smiled mildly. "Yes, this means happiness in ignorance. Like the ass. He's bearing two tonnes of load, and if he is thinking 'I am happy; it is nice'. Therefore they are called ass -- accepting distress as happiness."

Towards the end of the walk, the topic of sankirtana came up. Amogha told Srila Prabhupada about Justice Street, the Supreme Court judge who had proclaimed in his historic court decision that chanting Hare Krsna added colour to Sydney's streets. Prabhupada appreciated the news. "Nice judge," he said. "God gave him sense."


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