[ The facilitator of Saragrahi.org, I have found this Srila Prabhupada disciple, and my unknown god-brother, as very interesting; devotee, after my own heart, so to speak; hence I decided to make a collage of his recorded and documented communication with Srila Prabhupada, which he did via the only way it was done in those days, snail-mail, or known as “letters”, which I researched on Srila Prabhupada VedaBase. Around 25 years had passed, and one’s memory might not be so clear on details, which may be of interest.]
At a Bhagavad-gita 3.31-34 Lecture, Los Angeles 1969:
Bhaktijana:
“What’s the next evolutionary step for these flowers that we offer to Krishna?”
Prabhupada:
“From trees, the worms. Do you see from the flower there are some butterflies? You have seen? The flowers generate some worms, and they transform into butterfly. You have seen it. Then gradually they’ll become birds from butterfly. And from birds, different birds, then they’ll become beast, four-legged. And then the four legs turn into two hands and just like gorilla, monkey. Then he will come to this beautiful form. And if you miss this opportunity, again you want to become butterfly, go on. Who will check you? Become butterfly. Nature will not excuse you. As soon as you want to become butterfly, “Yes, come on. Here is…” (laughter) They do not know. They are thinking, “This is a flickering lamp. Oh, let us enjoy.” Very risky civilization. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati.
These are all stated in the Puranas. These books were meant for human society. They are not reading. They are reading all rascal novels and literatures and sex life, frauds, and this and that, books. How they are wasting their time! The other day Govinda dasi was showing me one literature, Hawaii picture. The boys and girls, they are enjoying this, what is called?”
Tamala Krishna:
: Surfing.”
Prabhupada:
“Surface. Spending money. You, see? But there is no instruction how they are wasting their time, this human form of life, simply by jumping in the water. (laughter) And they are thinking, “I am enjoying, butterfly.” You, see? They do not know the value of this life. And the system of civilization who is encouraging them to do this without any good information, what kind of condemned civilization is that? Pulling by force to the darkest region of hell.
They do not know although the hellish condition of life is in the front. There are so many varieties of life.
They do not question, “Wherefrom these lives come?
The Padma Purana says, jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati, kåmayor rudra-sankhyakah. There are, nava-laksani, 900,000 species of life within the water. We begin our aquatic life. Because the whole world was in the beginning, full of water, so we had to live within the water. So there are 900,000 species of life within the water. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavara laksa-vimsati.
And when the water dries up, as soon as the land comes out, the trees and plants begin to grow, two million types of trees and plants. In this way there are 8,400,000 species of life.
What do they know, the botanists and the biologists? So it is very serious. People should take it very seriously, Krishna consciousness movement. It is not a humbug thing. It is based on authorized scriptures, Vedic literatures. Unfortunately, we have no customer for this knowledge. Yes?
Bhaktijana:
“Doesn’t Krishna take any special mercy of flowers that are offered to Him?”
Prabhupada:
“Yes. When it is offered to Krishna. Yes. Therefore we offer flowers to Krishna. We are doing service to the flowers.”
Bhaktijana:
“Where will they take their next birth? They don’t become butterflies.”
Prabhupada:
“That may be understood later on. First of all, because it has come to Krishna, there is something good. The tree which has produced this flower, he is benefited because he is offering his energy. Krishna consciousness means offering one’s energy to Krishna.
The energy is derived from Krishna; it should be offered to Krishna. Just like what is this water? Water is taken from the ocean, derived from the ocean. It goes to the sky, again turns into water, falls down, and in river goes down again to the ocean.
Similarly, we have derived our energy from Krishna. Now again if we glide down towards Krishna, that is perfection. We haven’t got separate energy. This is Krishna consciousness, to apply the whole energy towards Krishna. That’s all. That energy may be utilized in different ways—but to Krishna. This is Krishna consciousness. Chant Hare Krishna.”
(end)