In an exchange with the director of research of the Department of Social Welfare, Melbourne, Srila Prabhupada explained his antipathy to public opinion.

Prabhupada: I am giving the example of ideal character.

Director: Yeah, but that’s one opinion.

Prabhupada: No. It will not depend on opinion. What is the value of opinion if the people are all asses? There is no opinion. One should take as it is enjoined in the sastra. No opinion. What is the use of taking the opinion of an ass? So the people are trained up just like dogs and asses, then what is the use of their opinion? If you are to enforce, you must do like this. Just like when we introduced this “No illicit sex,” I never cared for their opinion. What is the use of taking their opinion? “It must be done.” That is the defect of Western civilization: vox populi, taking the opinion of the public. But what is the value of this public? Drunkards, smokers, meat-eaters, woman-hunters. They are not first-class men. What is the use of such third-class, fourth-class men’s opinion? We do not advocate such opinion. What Krsna said, that is standard, that’s all. Krsna is the Supreme, and His version is final.

No opinion, no democracy. When you go to a physician, doctor, for treatment, the physician does not place his prescription for the opinion of other patients: “Now I am prescribing this medicine for this gentleman, now give me your opinion.” Does he do that? All the patients, what they will think? The physician is the perfect person. Whatever he has written as the prescription, that’s all. But here in the West, everything, public opinion. What is the use of such opinion?

Director: You don’t think the patients have any mind of their own?

Prabhupada: They have a mind, but that is deprecated mind. Just like a madman has got his mind, but what is the value of that mind? You are not going to take the opinion of a madman. He has his mind, but he is a madman. Mudha. Mayayapahrta-jnana. His knowledge has been taken away. The mind being in disordered condition, there is no value of his opinion.

Public we don’t care. Wei What is the public? We have got our own public here. So pubi What is the public? All rascals. They are killing cows and drinking and topless dance, bottomless dance. What is the value of this public? All rascals. I don’t give any importance to this class of public, only after sense gratification, that’s all. They have no ideals of life.

They do not know what is God. What is the value of this public? Mudhas. If he cannot (follow after initiation), then he is cat and dog. He is not a human being. Why he should accept initiation? Let him remain a cat and dog. He promises to follow, and if he cannot follow, then he is nothing but cat and dog. In the court, they take promises, that “In the name of God, “”In the name of Bible.” So that means he will speak the truth. Similarly, before the fire, before Deity, before guru, before devotees, he is promising something, and if he does not follow, then he is cat and dog. He cannot advance. It is not possible. That is the distinction between cat and dog and human being. Cat and dog, they cannot promise. It is not possible. But a human being can promise. And if he keeps his promise, then he is human being. Otherwise cat and dog. Word of honor. The cats and dogs, they have no sense of honor. Either you kick him or pat, he does not know what is the difference. That is cat and dog. He does not know the distinction. A human being knows what is promise, what is word of honor.

Jan 10, 74