1. Srila Prabhupada goes to the cinema

    Our students, Krsna conscious person, if he is invited, “Come on, there is a nice picture in the cinema,” no. He’ll never go. He’ll never go. [chuckles] Because he has become hamsa. He is not a crow, that he’ll go such places. Why? What is there? So hamsa, here it is said, tad vayasam tirtham usanti manasah. They reject, reject. Usanti manasa na yatra hamsa niramanty usik-ksayah [SB 1.5.10].

    There was an incidence in my life. I was, of course, at that time householder. So one my friend, he was going to cinema with his family, and he saw me. I was in the street, and he immediately stopped his car and he asked me that “You come. We are going to cinema.” So I refused, that “If you give me one thousand dollars, still I shall not go to cinema.” So he dragged me. He took me to the cinema house, but I never entered. I came back. You see? Because it was detestful.

    From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.5.9–11 – June 6, 1969, New Vrindavan