Prabhupada on WAR

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Prabhupada on WAR

 

Morning Walk, Conversation (World War III), April 4, 1975, Mayapur:

 

SIMPLY CHANT HARE KRSNA

 

Hamsaduta: So Prabhupada, is there something we should do to prepare

ourselves for this disaster?

Prabhupada: What?

Hamsaduta: This coming war.

Prabhupada: You should simply prepare for chanting Hare Krsna.

Hamsaduta: That's all?

Prabhupada: That's all.

 

IN ANOTHER FIFTY YEARS

 

Srila Prabhupada: Yes, for the last two hundred years they have been

preaching that life comes from matter-not for thousands of years. And the

cheating will be finished in another fifty years.

 

(Life Comes from Life, Morning walk, May 15, 1973)

 

THEY MUST USE THE WEAPONS

 

Paramahamsa: Coincidentally, the original purpose of the hydrogen bomb was

to prevent death, to end the Second World War as soon as possible.

Prabhupada: How they can prevent? That he does not know, how to prevent. He

can accelerate. That's all. [break] ...puts before us, "Here is your

problem, janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi. Solve it." Where is that scientist? They

avoid the real problem and take some childish problem. [break] ...not any

hidden problem. It is the open problem. Krsna puts it:

janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi duhkha-dosanudarsanam, The real seer will see to

these problems. There is no answer or solution of these problems. Where is

the solution of these problems? Where is the biochemist or the psychologist

or the atom bombist?

Paramahamsa: The theory nowadays is that by the proliferation of atomic

weapons, that Russia has so many weapons, China has so many weapons, the

United States has so much...

Prabhupada: Everyone now. India has also.

Paramahamsa: They're all afraid of using them.

Prabhupada: They must use it. That is nature's arrangement.

Paramahamsa: Yeah, right. History.

Prabhupada: Yes. That is nature's arrangement (chuckles) that you all die.

That is nature's arrangement.

Tamala Krsna: When someone gets some power he wants to try it out. Just like

there was that demon. Lord Siva gave him power: whoever head he touched, the

head would fall off.

Prabhupada: Just like in your country there are so many cars so that a poor

man like me has car always, not an inch move on leg. So because there is so

many. There are so many cars. So there are so many weapons now. That must be

used. That is a natural sequence. They must use it.

Bahulasva: That is why they have wars, just so they can use up the weapons.

Prabhupada: Oh yes.

Paramahamsa: The only difficulty is that if one person uses the atomic

weapon, that means entire, it would be entire waste of mankind. So

everyone's afraid of using the ultimate.

Prabhupada: Well, anyway, they must be used. There is no doubt about it.

Therefore we can say there will be war. It is no astrology. It is natural

conclusion.

Tamala Krsna: Common sense.

Paramahamsa: That'd mean total destruction.

Prabhupada: Well, total or partial, that we shall see. But they must be

used.

 

THIRD WORLD WAR IMMINENT

 

Nowadays, therefore, it appears that every state is busy manufacturing

atomic weapons to prepare for a third world war. (SB 10.1.17 purp)

 

"No one wants a Third World War, but it seems imminent."

(Elevation to KC)

 

First World War, Second World War, Third World War, and there cannot be any

peace. As soon as you become strong, you declare war. Hitler thought, "I am

now strong. Let me declare war." And another strong party, America came,

Russia came. He was killed. So this is no conclusion. And even after

Hitler's being killed, there is no conclusion. So this sort of conflict will

never bring any peace. That will go on. That is struggle for existence. That

is fighting like animals. Two dogs fighting, two hogs fighting, but that is

not conclusion. That fighting will go on so long people will remain as dogs

and hogs. That will go on. There is no question of peace. (Philosophical

discussions with Shyamasundera Prabhu)

 

THIRD WORLD WAR FINISHED IN A SHORT TIME

 

Morning Walk, Conversation (World War III), April 4, 1975, Mayapur

 

Harikesa: A lot of the devotees have been wondering about book production if

there is some war.

Prabhupada: War? The war will be for a few days only.

Bali-mardana: Then the presses can go on.

Prabhupada: This war will not prolong. That is not possible.

Harikesa: So this is not the big one.

Prabhupada: No, it is big war, but it will be finished within short time.

Bali-mardana: Drop their bombs, everything's finished.

Upendra: But the argument is that these bombs will create more disturbance

than just the blowing up. They create what's called radio-active fallout.

Prabhupada: Yes, that will do. But the war will stop because the party which

will be able to drop the bomb first, he will be victorious.

Harikesa: They've got these fancy...

Prabhupada: Then after effects, what will happen, that is another thing. But

the war will not continue for ten years or five years, like that.

Bali-mardana: Many Communist countries now, they are not making any more big

cities. They are keeping the population very spread out so that after the

war they will be able to take over. Because if one has a big city, then the

people can be killed very easily in one bomb, finished. [break]

Prabhupada: ...they are afraid of death?

Bali-mardana: Well, the Chinese figure they have so many people that even if

there is a war...

Prabhupada: They are gainer.

Bali-mardana: There will still be so many of them left. [break]

Prabhupada: ...they will be left. [break] Harer nama harer nama [Adi 17.21].

[break] ...Hare Krsna. Don't bother.

 

ALL CITIES WILL BE DESTROYED

 

Paramahamsa: Srila Prabhupada, you said that this war will destroy the

demonic civilization.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Paramahamsa: Does that mean that it'll destroy all the cities and all the

industries?

Prabhupada: War means destruction of all cities. That is natural. You have

got experience in Europe so many times.

Hamsaduta: Cities and industries.

Prabhupada: Eh?

Hamsaduta: Cities and industries.

Prabhupada: Yes, that is the main target.

Hamsaduta: Nobody's interested in a farm. [break]

 

SINLESS PEOPLE WILL SURVIVE

 

Siddha-svarupa: [break] ...a campaign that...

Prabhupada: That will take place. Otherwise, how they will be killed?

Ambarisa: They're calling it a limited nuclear war.

Prabhupada: They are accumulated so much sinful load that must be killed.

That is sure. [break] ...the massacre. That will take place.

Harikesa: The sinless people will survive?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Devotee (3): Who is that?

Prabhupada: We. [break] There was an artificial famine in India and I

particularly inquired from all devotees whether they have got any problem in

this famine. They said, "No, we haven't got." I have taken the statistics.

In 1942 the artificial famine created by government... So there were big

earthquake in Bihar. At that time one of my godbrother, he was government

auditor. So I inquired. In that earthquake only his house was saved. I have

seen it many times. Kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati.

 

THEY WILL DIE 20 YEARS EARLIER

 

Ramesvara: ...that if there is a war between Russia and America, there would

be a nuclear war and they would pollute the whole atmosphere with

radioactive particles which would kill everyone.

Prabhupada: It is already polluted.

Ramesvara: They say that this radioactive fall-out...

Prabhupada: The whole material world is polluted. Who will live here? A

little, say, twenty years before, dying. After all, you have to die, twenty

years after or twenty years before. So it is already polluted. That is

humbugism. They will die at the end, but still they are trying to live.

(kirtana in background growing progressively louder as Prabhupada approaches

temple)

Tamala Krsna: Like they're creating their own...

Prabhupada: This is the difference between man of knowledge and without

knowledge. A man of knowledge will think, "After all, I have to die. So what

is the difficulty, dying a few days more or before?" That is knowledge. And

those who are not in knowledge, they are afraid of death. Best business is

before the death comes let us finish our Krsna consciousness perfectly. That

is wanted. Death will come. You cannot avoid it.

Ramesvara: They say that this radioactive fallout will pollute the air so

that no crops can be grown.

Prabhupada: That's all right. You shall die without food. Be(cause) after

all, the death. In Bengal, it is called: more bhera ghalne (?): "The most

misfortunate thing is death." That will come. Therefore the best

intelligence is how to avoid death.

Rupanuga: Become immortal.

Prabhupada: Yes. That is real intelligence, not to be bothered by these

trifle temporary things that "I am dying twenty years before. If the

situation was better, I would have lived more twenty years." What is this

mentality?

Devotee: Back to Godhead.

Ajata-satru: Yes, we can go back to Godhead. (Prabhupada enters temple,

kirtana very loud) (end)

 

ALL SKYSCRAPERS WILL BE FINISHED

 

Asked to speak at the University of Nairobi in September 1972, Srila

Prabhupada addressed an overflow crowd of students and government officials

at the campus’s Taifla (Independence) Hall. In his lecture he advised

citizens of the developing nation of Kenya, “... please develop spiritually,

for spiritual development is sound development. Don’t imitate the Americans

and Europeans, who are living like cats and dogs. The atomic bomb is already

there, and as soon as the next war breaks out, all their skyscrapers and

everything else will be finished....”

SSR

 

WAR WILL BE MASS SLAUGHTERHOUSE

 

You are killing innocent cows and other animals—nature will take revenge.

Just wait. As soon as the time is right, nature will gather all these

rascals and slaughter them. Finished. They’ll fight amongst

themselves—Protestants and Catholics, Russia and America, this one and that

one. It is going on. Why? That is nature’s law. Tit for tat. “You have

killed. Now you kill yourselves.”

They are sending animals to the slaughterhouse, and now they’ll create their

own slaughterhouse. [imitating gunfire:] Tung! Tung! Kill! Kill! You see?

Just take Belfast, for example. The Roman Catholics are killing the

Protestants, and the Protestants are killing the Catholics. This is nature’s

law. It’s not necessary that you be sent to the ordinary slaughterhouse.

You’ll make a slaughterhouse at home. You’ll kill your own child—abortion.

This is nature’s law. Who are these children being killed? They are these

meat-eaters. They enjoyed themselves when so many animals were killed, and

now they’re being killed by their mothers. People do not know how nature is

working. If you kill, you must be killed. If you kill the cow, who is your

mother, then in some future lifetime your mother will kill you. Yes. The

mother becomes the child, and the child becomes the mother.

Maam sa khaadatiti maamsah. The Sanskrit word is maamsa. Maam means “me,”

and sa means “he.” I am killing this animal; I am eating him. And in my next

lifetime he’ll kill me and eat me. When the animal is sacrificed, this

mantra is recited into the ear of the animal—“You are giving your life, so

in your next life you will get the opportunity of becoming a human being.

And I who am now killing you will become an animal, and you will kill me.”

So after understanding this mantra, who will be ready to kill an animal?

The journey of self discovery

 

 

etam drstim avastabhya

nastaatmaano ’lpa-buddhayah

prabhavanty ugra-karmaanah

ksayaaya jagato ’hitaah

 

“the demoniac, who are lost to themselves and who have no intelligence,

engage in unbeneficial, horrible works meant to destroy the world.” BG 16.9

Purport: Animal killing is very prominent amongst demoniac people. Such

people are considered the enemies of the world because ultimately they will

invent or create something which will bring destruction to all. Indirectly,

this verse anticipates the invention of nuclear weapons, of which the whole

world is today very proud. At any moment war may take place, and these

atomic weapons may create havoc. Such things are created solely for the

destruction of the world, and this is indicated here. Due to godlessness,

such weapons are invented in human society; they are not meant for the peace

and prosperity of the world.

 

Formerly war was never declared by the whims of selfish political leaders;

it was carried out on religious principles free from all vices. SB 1.7.36

 

This sometimes happens in present days also—for one man’s fault a whole

state is sometimes attacked. This kind of wholesale attack is not approved

by Manu, the father and lawgiver of the human race. 4.11.6

 

In this age of Kali the propensity for mercy is almost nil. Consequently

there is always fighting and wars between men and nations. Men do not

understand that because they unrestrictedly kill so many animals, they also

must be slaughtered like animals in big wars. This is very much evident in

the Western countries. In the West, slaughterhouses are maintained without

restriction, and therefore every fifth or tenth year there is a big war in

which countless people are slaughtered even more cruelly than the animals.

Sb 4.26.5

 

MATERIAL DANGER IS NOT FOR DEVOTEES, THEY SHOULD SIMPLY PREACH THE CULT OF

LORD CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU

 

Sometimes the members of the Krsna Consciousness Society are afraid of the

impending danger of world war and ask what would happen to them if a war

should occur. In all kinds of danger, they should be confident of their

protection by the Visnudutas or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as

confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (kaunteya pratijaanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati).

Material danger is not meant for devotees. This is also confirmed in

Srimad-Bhagavatam. Padam padam yad vipadaam na tesaam: in this material

world there are dangers at every step, but they are not meant for devotees

who have fully surrendered unto the lotus feet of the Lord. The pure

devotees of Lord Visnu may rest assured of the Lord’s protection, and as

long as they are in this material world they should fully engage in

devotional service by preaching the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaaprabhu and

Lord Krsna, namely the Hare Krsna movement of Krsna consciousness.

SB 6.3.18

 

BOTH PARTIES WERE FINISHED IN THE WAR

 

The German people declared war against the English to ruin them, but the

result was that both parties were ruined. Although the Allies were

apparently victorious, at least on paper, actually neither of them were

victorious. Therefore it should be concluded that the Supreme Personality of

Godhead is not partial to anyone. Everyone works under the influence of

various modes of material nature, and when the various modes are prominent,

the demigods or demons appear victorious under the influence of these modes.

SB 7.1.8

 

PREPARATIONS FOR WAR

 

Nowadays, therefore, it appears that every state is busy manufacturing

atomic weapons to prepare for a third world war. Such preparations are

certainly unnecessary; they reflect the false pride of the heads of state.

The real business of a chief executive is to see to the happiness of the

mass of people by training them in Krsna consciousness in different

divisions of life. SB 10.1.17

 

NO QUESTION OF PLEASING KRSNA BY WAR

 

When one nation declares war upon another, there is no question of pleasing

Krsna or serving Krsna. They're pleasing their own senses, serving their own

whims. When the First and Second World Wars began, it was not for pleasing

Krsna. The Germans wanted that their sense gratification not be hampered by

the Britishers. That means it was a war of sense gratification. "The

Britishers are achieving their sense gratification; we cannot. All right,

fight." So there was no question of pleasing Krsna.

Civilaztion and transcendence

 

PRESIDENT SHOULD LEAD THE BATTLE

 

BTG: Has God also devised the most perfect government?

Srila Prabhupaada: Oh, yes. The ksatriyas ruled the government in Vedic

times. When there was a war, the king was the first to fight. Just like your

George Washington: he fought when there was a war. But what kind of

president is ruling now? When there is a war, he sits very securely and

telephones orders. He’s not fit to be president. When there is war, the

president should be the first to come forward and lead the battle.

SSR – finding spiritual solutions to material problems

 

LOST FAITH IN GOD

 

“during World War II it was reported that many wives of the German soldiers

went to church to pray for their husbands’ safe return, but when they found

they had been killed in battle, they became atheistic. Thus we want God to

become our order-supplier, and when He does not supply our order, we say

that there is no God. That is the effect of praying for material things - On

the way to Krsna

 

ALL GOOD ARRANGEMENTS GRADUALLY DETERIORATE

 

The world is so conceived that even if we make a very good arrangement, it

will gradually deteriorate. After World War I an armistice was signed, and

there was a short period of peace, but World War II soon came, and now that

that is over they are making preparations for World War III. - Raja Vidya

 

ONE WAR IS THE PROBLEM & THE NEXT WAR IS A TEMPORARY SOLUTION

 

Sukadeva Gosvaami said that one kind of war causes a disturbance, and

another kind of war stops it for some time, but that is not the ultimate

solution to the problem. Sukadeva states that these troubles happen due to

ignorance: avidvad-adhikaaritvaat. Avidvat means “lack of knowledge.”

Avidvat-adhikaaritvaat praayascittam vimarsanam. Real atonement is performed

in knowledge. Why is there fighting and why are there miseries? Unless these

“why” questions, which in the Vedas are called Kena Upanisad, arise in one’s

mind, one is not fulfilling the proper function of his human life. These

questions must arise: “Why am I suffering? Wherefrom have I come? What is my

constitutional position? Where shall I go after death? Why am I put into a

miserable form of life? Why are there birth, death, old age and disease?”

- Matchless Gifts

 

EXTRACT FROM A LETTER

 

Reality Check Report from Ground Zero: New York City

by Ramabhadra das

President ISKCON New York

 

After seeing this Act of War under a Microscope since Tuesday I have the

following urgent recommendations for the Leaders of ISKCON,

 

1)GBC's and Temple Presidents in NATO cities such as London, Paris, Rome,

Germany, etc. should immediately construct strong wooden transport crates

for the large Marble Altar Deities in case of a need to move to a Safer

location on short notice.

 

2)Create a storage room with essential supplies in case of Biological or

Nuclear disaster.

 

3)Develope a plan of escape to an ISKCON Farm or Safe Haven far away from

Major Cities.

 

>From my close focus on all News reports since Tuesday be prepared in the

coming months to see a NATO Alliance Land and Air attack first against

Afganistan across the length of the Pakistan border. As that conflict

continues a key thing to look for is whether China assists the Taliban in

any way either with Troops or Supplies. If China enters against NATO the

chance of Nuclear Holocaust increases considerably.

 

The people of the USA and its Conservative and Hawkish leaders have drawn

the line and are determined to crush Terrorism. President Bush will not be

satisfied with a Trial and a small group of Terrorists sent to prison. They

attempted to kill the President and his Military leaders and destroy the

World Economy.

 

This act of War flaunted in the eyes of the World last Tuesday immediately

in my mind shrunk the importance of many issues presently plaguing ISKCON.

If devotees are thinking, "how will we preach during a Major War" I'll tell

them. Get out of the Cities to Farms and Safe Havens and "Save yourself and

the other devotees". ISKCON is a Brahminical Society and we are not equiped

or qualified as a Search, Rescue, and Protection agency.