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Wednesday, 21 April 1976

The morning walk on the perimeter road of the Botanic Gardens was animated. While discussing the attitude of Western religionists, Guru Krpa Swami gave the example that his father, although very sinful, would always say "The good Lord is protecting me". Prabhupada asked him: "Why is it that he will be protected and others not? When there is atomic bomb, would Krsna protect then?" He gave the example of Europe. There, he said, people were always afraid of another war, since they had already suffered two big wars already. "Why doesn't God protect them? Simply your father's term has not yet come."

He illustrated his point describing the philosophy of bhute pore gobar hase -- the "cow dung philosophy". "The fresh cow dung laughs at the dry cow dung as it is being burned in the fire, but he does not know that when he dries up, he will also be burned in the fire. So your father's logic is like that. 'I am protected', laughing at the death of others."

The conversation turned to the colonisation of Australia. The so-called colonisation, Prabhupada said, was all done by thieves and rogues. "Australia was never given to the Englishmen. They came and they, by force, took it."

"Now they are dividing up the booty and fighting over it," added Guru Krpa.

This reminded Prabhupada of a story. "That story, that some thieves stole, now when they are dividing they say, 'Please, let us honestly and religiously divide the booty'. The things are stolen and now it is to be divided religiously. The foundation of the thing is stealing and they are dividing it."

Towards the end of the walk, Balarama told Srila Prabhupada of a recent official decree from the City Council, effectively banning future Ratha-yatra parades in Melbourne. The town clerk, Mr. F.H. Rogan, had claimed the recent festival in January had been "a hazard", citing that flowers, confetti, coloured powders and streamers were strewn along the route. That, coupled with what he called "excessive noise" and disruption to the traffic were good enough reasons, he said, to convince the Council not to allow such festivals in the future.

Prabhupada expressed his disappointment with the decision. He suggested that the devotees take them to court. "So it is a festival. There must be a crowd. You have no festival? Unfortunate. So you must fight to the court. How they can stop? It is our religious function."


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