Sometimes, especially during walks, Srila Prabhupada made humorous remarks. For example, here is an excerpt from a morning walk conversation recorded on June 8, 1976 in Los Angeles: Srila Prabhupada: That is rascal. Is it all right? South, South America, South Africa, there are so many factories of begetting chicken. Pusta Krsna: The Rainbow Chicken Factory. Prabhupada: Yes, the chicken factory, but they’re taking the eggs from chicken. Why not manufacture small egg and give to the fermentation and come? There is no question of killing animals. Why they are taking? Radhavallabha: They say God has provided it for us for food. Prabhupada: That’s all right. Then you become a dog. God has provided you a dog’s body. Take advantage of it and bark.

Vrindavana das Thakur says in Caitanya Bhagavat that the Holy Names of God will resound around the entire earth. To my knowledge this was predicted in the Bhavisya Purana. Bhakti Caru Maharaja takes the view that technology, especially computers, airplanes, telephony, videotapes, DVDs, audiotapes, book production and modern building construction techniques are not accidental products of Kali Yuga, but manifestations of these predictions, making it possible for them to come true.

Srila Prabhupada elicited laughter from a group of disciples when he insisted on one devotee playing the role of an atheist scientist. He became flustered with the devotee prefacing almost every argument with “They say.” After much laughter from Hansadutta, Ramesvara, Trivikrama, Brahmananda, Satsvarupa, Visnujana, Madhudvisa, Pusta Krsna and others, Srila Prabhupada finally said, “What is the use of They say'? You say. When you'll sayThey say, I’ll say `They say.’ “

Sound has a special place in Vaisnava philosophy. There is another dimension to sound. According to Vedic thought, sound is the basis of everything that exists. Generating and moving in outer space, sound is the start of creation. According to this body of knowledge, sound generates the elements of touch, form, taste and smell. Sound sets things in motion. The sound of Krishna’s flute, the sound of Krishna’s voice, His words and the sounds of mantras. The Swami refers to these phenomena in his writings as the “transcendental science of sound.” Sound as described in the Vedas is energy. It generates electricity, atomic energy, cures disease, builds structures, sends missiles to their targets, and even creates whole planets. In his book, “The Teachings of Lord Caitanya,” Srila Prabhupada wrote that, “Love of God is the fifth dimension in human endeavor.” One way to describe how his drumming affected the kirtanas would be to say that he gave the chanters a glimpse of that other dimension. Certainly, the distinctive personality of the mrdanga, as introduced by Srila Prabhupada when he first played it for devotees, made a deep impression on all of us.

Srila Prabhupada told his disciples that eclipses occur when the invisible planet Rahu comes between the earth and the sun or moon. He also said that the moon is further away from the earth than the sun. This conversation took place in Los Angeles on June 22, 1975: Dr. Singh? He had become very doubtful when you told him they didn’t go to the moon. He was saying, “Do you think they really didn’t go?” He never thought of that before, that they might have just made a show. Prabhupada: No. If we believe in our Bhagavata (Srimad Bhagawatam), they have not gone. It is above the sun planet, 1,600,000 miles above. How they can go? Bahulasva: Srila Prabhupada, at night, when we see in the sky that moon, that is the same moon that is above the sun? Prabhupada: Yes. Bahulasva: Yes? So their miscalculations are due to their imperfect senses. Prabhupada: Yes. Bhavananda: Srila Prabhupada, I told Madhava dasa in Atlanta that you had said that the sun is actually closer than the moon, and he immediately was able to prove that that is correct. He sat down and he was able to prove something by the way they are measuring… They are measuring the distance incorrectly in terms of bending light rays and straight light rays. Prabhupada: Oh. Brahmananda: Sometimes the moon comes in front of the sun. Prabhupada: What is the front? Brahmananda: Between the sun and the earth the moon comes. Jagannatha-suta: Lunar eclipse. Prabhupada: No, no. Eclipse is different, not according to their theory. That planet is called Rahu. Devotees: Ah yes. Tamala Krsna: It’s not the moon. That’s Rahu. Revatinandana: So Rahu covers sometimes the sun and sometimes the moon? Prabhupada: Yes. Bahulasva: This Rahu planet’s invisible? We cannot see this with our eyes? Prabhupada: Yes.

On May 15, 1973, Srila Prabhupada personally mentioned that Krsna was once seen talking with a bird: Prabhupada: One day on the bank of Yamuna He was talking with a bird. One old lady saw and said, “Oh, He’s talking with a bird?” That is perfection. Paramahamsa: He sounded like this? He talked like that, like the birds talk? Prabhupada: Yes, yes. Therefore Krsna’s another quality is bahubhasajnah, He can speak in any language. Other devotee: Birds have language? Animals have their language? Prabhupada: Oh yeah everyone has language. Everyone.

On the walls, large tree trunks and sides of buildings in Vrindavana, one can see, painted in yellow and blue paint, the words, “Radha” and “Krishna” in devanagari letters. This is reportedly the work of one particular “graffiti” artist who wants to remind Vraj dwellers who the village actually belongs to. (Told by Mahanidhi Swami)

This exchange took place in Los Angeles in 1973: Paramahamsa Swami: Srila Prabhupada, what about in mineralogy? Scientists have proven that, for example, mountains are growing by sedimentary activity. Prabhupada: Yes, that is also growing on spirit soul, Supersoul. Paramahamsa: In the mountain? Prabhupada: Yes, everything. Mountains have been described in the Bhagavata as the bones of God.

It’s been said that, “not a blade of grass moves without the sanction of the Supreme Lord.” Acceptance of phrases like this indicate that one is a true theist, aware of an ultimate controller.

The current mentality of many theologians is convoluted. There is a book written by a rabbi who says that bad things happen to good people because God is not omnipotent. He is omnipresent and omniscient, but not omnipotent. He cannot prevent evil, even when he desires to. This kind of theology has a mistaken (one might say warped or perverted) concept of God. Similarly another theologian called himself an “Atheist Theist” or so Prajapati prabhu once told Srila Prabhupada. “The same theologian, Prabhupada, he calls himself an atheist theist.” (from a conversation recorded in Los Angeles on December 15, 1973)