Learning the Science of the Soul
15
lovers, they have sex, the woman becomes pregnant, and the man goes away. The woman has to take charge of the child and beg alms from the government, or else she kills the child by having an abortion. This is the woman's independence. In India, although a woman may be poverty-stricken, she stays under the care of her husband, and he takes responsibility for her. When she becomes pregnant, she is not forced to kill the child or maintain him by begging. So, which is real independence—to remain under the care of the husband or to be enjoyed by everyone?
Ms. Nixon:  How about in spiritual life—can women also succeed in Krṣṇa consciousness?
Śrila Prabhupāda:  We make no distinction on the basis of sex. We give Krṣṇa consciousness to both men and women equally. We welcome women, men, the poor, the rich—everyone. Krṣṇa says in the  Bhagavad-gūā  [5.18]:
vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini śuni caiva śvapāke ca paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
“The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle  brāhmaṇa , a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a dog-cater.”
Ms. Nixon:  Could you explain the meaning of the Hare Krṣṇa mantra?
Śrila Prabhupāda:  It is very simple.  Hare  means, “O energy of the Lord,” and  Krṣṇa  means, “O Lord Krṣṇa.” Just as there are males and females in the material world, similarly, God is the original male ( puruṣa ), and His energy ( prakṛti ) is the original female. So, when we chant Hare Krṣṇa, we are saying, “O Lord Krṣṇa, O energy of Krṣṇa, kindly engage me in Your service.”
Ms. Nixon:  Could you please tell me a little bit about your life and how you knew that you were the spiritual master of the Krṣṇa consciousness movement?
Śrila Prabhupāda:  My life is simple. I was a householder with a wife and children—now I have grandsons—when my spiritual master ordered me to go to the Western countries and preach the cult of Krṣṇa consciousness. So I left everything on the order of my spiritual master, and now I am trying to execute his order and the orders of Krṣṇa.
Ms. Nixon:  How old were you when he told you to go to the West?
Śrila Prabhupāda:  At our first meeting, he ordered me to preach Krṣṇa