Sometimes the three modes of Tama, Raja and Sattva are compared to dry wood, smoke and fire. Such subtle concepts can stretch the mind and challenge the imagination, yet, according to Vedic wisdom, these concepts are not extraordinary. This conversation took place in Los Angeles, on June 23, 1976 in Los Angeles: Prabhupada: “Yes. Fire is better than smoke. Smoke is better than wood. Wood means tamo-guna. And smoke means rajo-guna, `Now it is coming.’ And fire means sattva-guna. So you have to go still above. That is called suddha-sattva-guna. Here, simply blazing fire, it may also extinguish, but the platform where it is never extinguished, that is spiritual platform. That is spiritual.”

On a morning walk in Durban Srila Prabhupada explained how the British got Indians addicted to tea (laced with caffeine of course). It wasn’t too hard to get them addicted. They set up free tea stalls all over the country advertising the new drink that would impart sexual vigour, aid bodily strength, make you feel good, increase memory, and taste wonderful. Now tea is part of the Indian way of life.

Srila Prabhupada talked about mystic power and inconceivable energy. He spoke of the growth of a human finger nail and the growth of human hair. He taught that no human can adequately explain how these two processes take place. Nonetheless they do happen all the time, and this reveals inconceivable power. Birds can take off, fly and land with great precision. For them this is acintya-sakti or mystic power.

Srila Prabhupada: These Britishers, they are so much envious. Therefore they will never admit that Bhagavad-gita was spoken five thousand years ago. They bring all within the Christian period. That is their rascaldom. Jayadvaita: We went to a college and gave a class last week where the professor was saying that the Bhagavad-gita is only two thousand years old, like that. Prabhupada: Yes. They will never accept it. (Los Angeles Conversation, December 2, 1973).

Modern science is proud of its ability to describe natural phenomena in scientific terms. Srila Prabhupada mentions this, together with the fact that science in general has not improved world society. In 1973 he used the stark example of a man imitating a dog. This is what he said: “Just see how they are spoiling hard-earned public money. Because there is no good leader, all these rascals are benefiting, taking their money, and enjoying, and giving bluff information to the public. This should be stopped. Immediately this should be stopped. What is their contribution? The same thing: a dog is already barking, and because they’re imitating barking, they’re being awarded Nobel Prize, `Oh, how you can bark nicely!’ This is going on.”

Another bit of history not found in textbooks: Marconi did NOT invent the radio, according to Srila Prabupada. In Los Angeles, this exchange took place: Srila Prabhupada: …Just like this Marconi, he stole the knowledge from Dr. Jagadisha Candra Bose. You know that? Svarupa Damodara: I have heard this. Prabhupada: Yes. Jagadisha Candra… I was present. He said that, “This man cheated me. I talked with him. Next morning he published the theory.” Bali Mardana: Which theory was that? Prabhupada: That Marconi wireless. Bali Mardana: Wireless, radio. Prabhupada: Yes, radio. That was Jagadisha Candra Bose’s discovery. But the government will not give the credit to the Indians. Because Jagadisha Candra Bose happened to be Indian.

Srila Prabhupada sometimes cited both Isaac Newton and Einstein, as they had a perception of God. Here is a quote from Einstein: “The human mind is not capable of grasping the universe. We are like a little child entering a huge library. The walls are covered to the ceilings with books in many different tongues. The child knows that someone must have written these books. It does not know who or how. It does not understand the languages in which they are written. But the child notes a definite plan in the arrangement of the books – a mysterious order which it does not comprehend, but only dimly suspects.”

Birth is the name of a popular film. I haven’t seen it, and don’t intend to, but it’s reported to touch on the subject of reincarnation. Transmigration of the soul is a phenomenon that has captured the imagination of many a screenplay writer. Ancient and modern wisdom on this subject has been made into feature films at a cost of up to 100 million US dollars each.

In Srimad Bhagavatam, Sukadevi Gosvami tell us that “Degraded men are actually no better than animals. The only difference is that animals have four legs and such men have only two.”

According to Srila Prabhupada, when the British were ruling India they made vigorous propaganda world-wide that the English people were civilizing the Indian people, who were primitive and superstitious. When UN delegates queried the validity of British occupation in India, the English maintained the position that they were civilizing India’s people.