1. ISKCON: an institution for well-to-do people

    Indian man (1): Many religious institution, they welcome the rich peoples. Those who are coming by cars, and those who are coming gorgeously, and they are donating much to the institutions, they are welcomed by the people, management of these institutions. And this is your version. It is just contradictory. I accept your version. It is quite, quite right. And I hope our institution must do not like that. This ISKCON must not do like that. The well-to-do peoples who come, they’ll get more [indistinct], more receptions, more congratulations. I request it must be your directions that our institution ISKCON must not do like this. And it is your… [laughter]

    Srila Prabhupada: But one thing is that we are not living like Caitanya Mahaprabhu. [laughter] Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He was ideal sannyasi, and He was living apart from any material attachment. But we have to do preaching work. We have to construct temple, comfortable temple. So who will pay for that? So for the satisfaction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, we sometimes do that. But we collect money from them not for our sense gratification, but constructing this temple. And unless we have got temple like this, nobody would come. If I sit down here, “Bhaktivedanta Swami is sitting here,” nobody will come. [laughter] But Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He is God. He can attract any man. But I am not God. I have to attract people by some opulence.

    Indian man (2): But Prabhupada, in the beginning, you attracted in the park everyone. When you went to America, you were chanting and attracting people just in the park. Same place. [laughter]

    Srila Prabhupada: Now, at that time, only Brahmananda was attracted [laughter] Not you. Not you.

    (Morning Walk – March 9, 1974, Mayapur)