interview with Srila Prabhupada

[Guest guest]

Reporter: Swamiji, your movement has received a great deal of attention for,

at least one reason, because many of your followers dress in what for the

West is an odd fashion and relate to the world in what for the West is an

odd fashion. Can you respond to that? Why have you asked your followers to

dress in this fashion and to play drums on the streets?

Prabhupada: This is our preaching method, some way or other to draw their

attention. (laughter)

Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!

Reporter: I'm sure that you're aware that to many people in the West, in

America, in New York City specifically, that your disciples seem strange

because of the way they act on the streets. What about that?

Prabhupada: Yes, they must be strange because they are spiritual. You are

all material. (laughter) So, for the material persons, we are surely strange

people.

Reporter: Is this manifestation the only way to be spiritual, dressing in

this fashion?

Prabhupada: No, no, you cannot compete with us. Because we don't have any

illicit sex, we don't have meat-eating, we have no intoxication, we have no

gambling. There's so many no's which you are unable to perform.

Reporter: Swami, that wasn't my question. My question was, is this

manifestation, dressing in this fashion, playing drums and dancing in the

streets, the only way to be spiritual?

Prabhupada: No, we have got about sixty books. If you want to learn this

movement through science and philosophy, we have got our books. You have not

seen our books? (laughter)

Reporter: Swami, that isn't the thrust of my question. Yes, I have. The

thrust of my question very simply is this: Can't people be spiritual without

dressing in this fashion and dancing in the street?

Prabhupada: Oh, yes, oh, yes, you can become spiritual in your this dress.

Simply you have to learn what it is from the books. The dress... dress is

not very important thing, but still, in the material field, this girl is

dressed in a different way, you are dressed in a different way.

Reporter: The way we dress lets us move in all circles.

Prabhupada;: No, the thing is, dress is not very important.

Reporter: But you have your disciples dress in this way...

Prabhupada: But just to draw a particular... Just like the policeman, he is

differently dressed. One can understand that he is policeman. Similarly, we

are also differently dressed so that people may understand we are Hare Krsna

people.

Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!

Female Reporter: Swami, I saw a television program about your movement once,

and they said that the men make the decisions and the women follow. Is that

true?

Prabhupada: I do not follow.

Srutakirti: She hears that the men make the decisions and that the women

follow these decisions.

Prabhupada: Not necessarily. We follow the decision of Krsna, men and women

both. We follow the decision of Krsna. That is applicable both men and

women.

 

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Interview -- March 5, 1975, New York