When Prabhupada was in Vrindavana in 1976, I went to visit him to ask him some questions in his quarters.

 “Oh your lecture this morning was so nice,” I told him.

“Yes.” 

“It was so inspiring.” 

“Yes, that is my aim.  That everyone should be engaged in Krishna’s service; that everyone should work for Krishna.  Otherwise they’ will be lured by maya.”  

Then I told him I would read in his books and heard on tapes that the dogs and hogs in Vrindavana were all going back to Godhead.  So I asked,

“What about the trees and birds in Vrindavana?  Are they also going back to Godhead?” 

“They are already in Godhead, In Vrindavana everything is glorious.” 

I was a little confused.  I said,

“All these people seem to be chewing pan, smoking cigarettes, and seem to be doing sinful activities.” 

Srila Prabhupada answered,

“In Vrindavana no one can be sinful.  But if someone appears to do something with some offense, that means they have one life to go and then they go back to Godhead.”

He quoted Narottama dasa song that everything in Vrindavana is glorious.

I had some other question in my mind.  At that time our mothers ,the women doing book distribution, were beginning to pin flowers on men in order to increase the collection of laksmi.  I was thinking that this was very unchaste for our women.  I asked Prabhupada if this was bonifide.  I told him that they shake hands, and pin flowers on men.  So Prabhupada said, 

“For Laksmi, you can do anything.”

One time I went in with Ramesvara Svami in the evening to ask him some questions about art.  Prabhupada was admiring a couple of the paintings that were on the wall in his room.  One was painted by myself ,and the other was by Muralidhara.  He said,

“In the beginning she could not paint, but I needed a painter, so I engaged here.  And now by sravanam kirtanam visnoh the paintings are coming out so nicely.” 

In his lectures in Vrindavana Prabhupada had been speaking about Prahlada Maharaja’s prayers every morning.  A recent verse explained that by simply following the nice processes of devotional service, one becomes fully educated.  So at that time, he referred to that verse and said that the real technique for advancing in talent, is sravanam kirtanam visnoh.  Then all good qualifications and education come.