MOON-THING

Interview 6 months before lunar landing

December 26, 1968, Los Angeles

Reporter: ... about the movement, and it occurred to me...I was wondering if there were any religious people in this country that had any misgivings or thoughts about the trip around the moon. And whether there were any objections or opinions that would run contrary to the usual thought about traveling to the moon, and he said that in some of your recent lectures you had said that man would not be able to land on the moon because of, now these are his words, because of spiritual beings there or that there would be an impossibility or something along that line. I was wondering if you could elaborate on that or explain what you meant.
PrabhupAda: You are particularly interested with that subject matter?
Reporter: Yes. I told Dan that was what I was interested in. I have background information on the movement, for instance, and yourself.
PrabhupAda: Yes. So far the movement is concerned, it has nothing to do with the moon planetary journey, it has nothing to do. But in the SrImad- BhAgavatam, the authoritative Vedic scripture which we generally follow, in that scripture there is statement that for promoting oneself to the moon planet, one has to accustom himself to the different kind of worshiping process. Just like in the Bhagavad-gItA it is stated that yAnti deva-vratA devAn. Those who are worshiper of the demigods, they are promoted to different planets of the particular demigods. YAnti deva-vratA devAn pitRRn yAnti pitR-vratAH. And those who are worshiper of the pitRs, or forefathers, they go to that planet. Similarly, one who is engaged in worshiping the Supreme Lord, he also goes to the supreme planet. These informations are there in the Bhagavad-gItA. And so far moon planet is concerned, that is within this material world. Those who are pious actors, those who are engaged in pious activities according to Vedic rituals, they can go to the moon planet. That is stated in the...
Reporter: Those who are engaged in what activities?
PrabhupAda: Pious. There are two kinds of activities: vicious and pious.
Reporter: Pious and...
PrabhupAda: Vicious.
Reporter: Vicious?
PrabhupAda: Yes. So those who are engaged in vicious activities, they cannot go to that moon planet. And it is also stated that if somebody goes to the moon planet he gets duration of life very, very long period.
Reporter: If someone goes to the moon planet...
PrabhupAda: Yes. He has a long duration of life there in that moon planet.
Reporter: I guess I didn't understand.
PrabhupAda: Just like we are living here at most hundred years, but they can live there ten thousand years. Do you follow? Just like different forms of body have got different duration of life. A dog lives for six years or a cow lives for twenty years, a man lives for hundred years. Similarly, the residents of moon planet, they live for very, very long time, ten thousands of years.
Reporter: The residents of the moon live for a long time? Thousands of years?
PrabhupAda: Thousands of years.
Reporter: Now are you talking about...
PrabhupAda: This information we get from SrImad-BhAgavatam. SrImad-BhAgavatam, this book. I have rendered into English.
Reporter: Which book is this?
PrabhupAda: SrImad-BhAgavatam.
Reporter: Was this a book which you wrote or translated or...
PrabhupAda: Translated and commented.
Reporter: Translations and comments.
PrabhupAda: Yes. Similarly, I have translated this book also. This is being published by Macmillan company, one of the biggest publisher of your country. Yes. I have published this book...
Reporter: Were you referring to this book when you meant, when you said residents of the moon, do you mean people that go there to live or that are...
PrabhupAda: They are there already. In every planet there are living entities, residents.
Reporter: And this is written in this book.
PrabhupAda: Yes. SrImad-BhAgavatam. There is a vivid description of different planets in SrImad-BhAgavatam. There are innumerable planets within this universe and all of them are described in the SrImad-BhAgavatam. The sun planet, the moon planet, and other planets, they are all vividly described, what kind of residents there are, their mode of living, everything is there.
Reporter: Now Dan not only said that you said that if people try to land on the moon they would not be able to. Can you explain what you meant by that?
PrabhupAda: Yes, it is very common sense. Suppose if somebody wants to land on your country, America. You do not allow. There are so many restrictions, visas, passport, and immigration. And how do you expect to land there, all of a sudden there? They are so intelligent and their duration of life so long. They are far advanced in knowledge. Everything they're advanced. So you cannot expect in that way to land there. This is common sense affair. Besides that, the scientists also agree that the temperature there is two hundred degrees below zero, so how you can expect to land there and live there?
Reporter: In other words, you don't... How do you yourself feel? Do you feel that if the United States or the Soviet Union were to attempt a landing and their spacecraft went down, what do you yourself expect...
PrabhupAda: No, so far our calculation goes, from the books, nobody can do so. That is impossible.
Reporter: Well, does the book say that it would be impossible for anyone to even approach it? At what point would it be impossible...
PrabhupAda: Impossible means the process by which you are trying to reach there.
Reporter: To live there.
PrabhupAda: No, to reach there.
Reporter: Oh, to leave there.
PrabhupAda: Leave there and reach there also. Reach.
Reporter: Reach, I see. But would the flight that was just completed, that doesn't contradict with anything in this book? I mean they were within, I don't know, so many miles...
PrabhupAda: But so far we have got information, no flight has been successful to land there till now. So I do not think how they are going to be successful in the future. This process, just like we are going from one place to another by motor car or by airplane, this process will not help us to go to the moon planet. The process is different as described in the Vedic literature. One has to qualify.
Reporter: What would be, when you say impossible for one to land or to reach the moon's surface.
PrabhupAda: Just like why you speak of moon? Suppose in the ocean, in the ocean you can land by some artificial means for some time, but it is not suitable for human being to live on the ocean. Apart from moon planet, you take the ocean, water, ocean.
HayagrIva: You can't live in the ocean. It's a different atmosphere. You cannot live on the moon because the climate is so different. You can't survive on the moon.
PrabhupAda: Everything is different. You require different type of body to live there, to go there. Just like if you want to live within the water, this body will not be suitable. But the fish, it has got a type of body, they live very peacefully. Similarly, the residents of moon planet, they are meant for living there. You cannot go and live there, abruptly. That is not possible.
HayagrIva: Swamiji? Are there people living on the moon now or were they in other yugas living there? Are they in this yuga living there?
PrabhupAda: No, they're still living there. Yes. As we are living here, they are living there. Yes.
Reporter: And how would you describe these people that live there? Would they be invisible to us or visible?
PrabhupAda: Almost invisible, yes.
HayagrIva: Spiritual body.
PrabhupAda: Not spiritual. That is also material.
HayagrIva: Like ghost bodies? Subtle bodies?
PrabhupAda: Yes.
HayagrIva: Excuse me.
Reporter: Okay, thank you. Thank you. (door closes)
HayagrIva: Their bodies are subtle bodies. They're not like gross bodies.
PrabhupAda: Just like... You try to understand me, that this matter, consisting of five elements, earth, air; earth, water, air...earth, water, fire, air, ether. And then, still subtler than ether is the mind, and then, subtler than the mind is intelligence, and subtler than intelligence is the spirit soul. So before we reach our spiritual platform, there are so many elementary material platforms. So in different planets one of the element is prominent. Just like we can experience in the ocean and sea the water is prominent. In the land earth is prominent. Similarly, in different, just like in the sun planet fire is prominent. So in each and every planet there are particular type of body, particular type of residents. You cannot expect that the same type of body and same type of residents are there.
Reporter: Now, in a way, when you talk about this, you're getting into an area which to outsiders would be interpreted as a type of prophecy since...
PrabhupAda: No, it is not prophecy. We have got this description in the Vedic literature. We are speaking on the strength of authority of Vedas. We are not prophesing(sic).
Reporter: Speaking on the strength of...
PrabhupAda: Of the Vedic literature.
HayagrIva: V-e-d-i-c.
Reporter: Oh, on Vedic literature.
PrabhupAda: Yes. We don't talk anything which is not authorized by the Vedic literature. That is our process.
Reporter: So let me see if I can summarize correctly your views on this, that it would be impossible for human beings to land on the moon planet?
PrabhupAda: Yes.
Reporter: I wonder if you could explain how it would be impossible, to what extent. I mean whether...
PrabhupAda: The same example as I have already given, that if you want to reside in ocean water, is it possible? If you want to construct a city like New York in the ocean, is it possible?
Reporter: No, but what if they had resided in the ocean or on the ocean for a short period...
PrabhupAda: Anywhere. Any, in the ocean or on the ocean, you cannot build up a city like Los Angeles or New York. That is impossible. So even in your presence, in different atmosphere, you cannot go and live. So similarly, the moon planet is completely different atmosphere. How you can live and go?
Reporter: But, of course, they're not going there to build a city, but they're only going there to take some rock samples, do some experiments, and then leave.
PrabhupAda: That may be possible. Just like you go in the ocean and live for some time and come back, but you cannot make any permanent settlement there. Yes. But that also I am doubtful whether you can land and take some, I mean to say, earth or water from there. That is also very difficult. So far our literature goes, our information goes, it is not possible.
Reporter: Do you think that the, say astronauts that would land on the moon, do you think they would encounter any difficulty in going about and doing what they wanted to and then leaving?
PrabhupAda: The first thing is that according to our knowledge from the Vedic literature they cannot go there.
Reporter: But you admitted that it may be possible for them to go there for a short time and leave.
PrabhupAda: That I am taking this example just like we go for a short time on the sea but we cannot make any permanent settlement there.
Reporter: Yeah. But according to the Vedic literature they cannot go there.
PrabhupAda: Yes. In this body we cannot go there. With this body we cannot go there. We shall have to change this body. Either you do it scientifically or spiritually or by any other method. With this body you cannot go there. You have to prepare a similar body which is suitable for living condition there.
Reporter: Would a spacesuit substitute for that?
PrabhupAda: Space?
Reporter: In other words, the spacesuits that the astronauts wear...
PrabhupAda: I don't think so. I don't think so. Spacesuits are...
Reporter: You see I'm a little confused because I can't tell whether you feel that based on Vedic literature, that you said it may be possible for them to land and to return for a short visit, yet you say they cannot go with this body.
PrabhupAda: Yes. I say also this, that to land there you must have the specific body suitable for that place.
Reporter: To land there you must have...
PrabhupAda: The specific body.
Reporter: I didn't get that.
HayagrIva: A specific body.
PrabhupAda: Now that specific body, if you are able to make by your modern science, then it may be possible. But you have to change your body to that specific condition. But the spacedress which is now being used, that is not useful.
Reporter: The space uniform, you don't feel that is adequate?
PrabhupAda: Space uniform, that is not adequate.
Reporter: Now what about the beings that live on the moon planet?
PrabhupAda: Yes.
Reporter: Do you feel that they would interfere with any experiments or persons from earth landing there or trying to land there? Say, even if they had some specific body change or came up with a spacesuit that would withstand any changes in temperature...
PrabhupAda: The first thing is that with this body you, neither you can land there nor interfere with their business. The first thing is. The scientists say that the temperature in moon planet is two hundred degree less than zero. Is it not?
Reporter: I don't know.
PrabhupAda: Howard?
HayagrIva: It's very cold.
PrabhupAda: Very cold. So even taking the scientific statement, how you can live there if it is two hundred degree below the zero degree?
Reporter: Well I don't know unless they intend to land at a time that...
PrabhupAda: No. There is suggestion of the scientist that there the temperature is two hundred degree below zero. I have read some paper. So if it is a fact then how you can live? You feel uncomfortable even in the Arctic region within this planet. How you can go and stay there even for a few minutes where two hundred degree...
Reporter: Yes, that's an argument based on logic,...
PrabhupAda: Yes.
Reporter: ...and given the information about the degrees... But obviously, they're going ahead with plans to do so, and you have a transition period, for instance, between the part of the moon that is in sunlight and the part that is darkness.
PrabhupAda: That I've already admitted, that by modern scientific method if you can change the condition of your present body then you can go. It may be possible, but that is very remote.
Reporter: Well do you rule out talking about the beings living on the moon planet? Do you disregard talking about that because you feel it is too remote a chance that anyone would ever land there or do you have any feelings...
PrabhupAda: Remote chance in the present way of going there. But this is not remote. If one wants to go there, there is a particular ritualistic process. If you adopt that, then you can go in your next life. That means after quitting this body you get a different body and you get your birth there. That is Vedic process.
Reporter: Did you say through a particular ritualistic process you can go there in your next life?
PrabhupAda: Yes.
Reporter: Okay. Now I still want to find out if you have any feelings about, say, if...
PrabhupAda: Going there with this body?
Reporter: Yes.
PrabhupAda: No. I am not very much optimistic. Almost I say it is impossible.
Reporter: But if the impossible happened and they were able to safely land on the moon's surface do you feel they would have any difficulty or encounter any trouble with the beings that you say live there?
PrabhupAda: The trouble is already there. You are going with great difficulty and if you land there you may die immediately. Everything is finished. You are already encountering the difficulty. It is not very easy. The Russian scientists, the American scientists, they're trying for the last ten years. Still, they have not approached the moon planet. So difficulty is already there.
Reporter: Yes, there are difficulties but still people feel...
PrabhupAda: Just like the Russians advertised that "We are going there in 1965," they advertised to sell land. So these are utopian. You see? Somebody wanted to purchase land in the Russia. And they advertise also that they have plucked their flag, Sea of Moscow. What is this?
Reporter: Well, my point is that I was trying to determine if there are any particular religious beliefs...
PrabhupAda: It is not religious belief. It is not religious belief. It is fact.
Reporter: Well, I mean not...
PrabhupAda: Knowledge received from Vedic sources. You are talking on the source of knowledge from the modern scientific books, similarly, we are talking also on the source of knowledge received from Vedas. It is not a religious belief or faith, blind faith. We are not inventing anything. We are talking on the basis of authoritative knowledge contained in the Vedas.
Reporter: Does this basis of knowledge include any information about beings and how they would react to people from another planet? Is there anything containing, you know, how they would react? How the moon people react to the earth people coming there?
PrabhupAda: Of course, such description is not in the Vedas, but in some sources we can understand that one king wanted to enter the heavenly kingdom, but he was opposed. He was opposed by the demigods. So much information we have got. So those who are not fit to live there or enter there, maybe they will be opposed by the inhabitants there. And that is also natural to think. If somebody all of a sudden comes to your country, oh, there is immediately immigration department. They will see the bona fides, how you can enter? So why don't you take that also? If moon planet is inhabited by more intelligent class of living entities how do we expect that without opposition we will be allowed to enter?
Reporter: So they are said to be a more intelligent entities.
PrabhupAda: Oh yes. Oh yes. They are living ten thousand years, they are not intelligent? Their standard of living, their mode of civilization, their mode of thinking, everything is higher than this planet.
Reporter: Is this from this book?
PrabhupAda: Yes.
HayagrIva: You say they may not be visible to us, though.
PrabhupAda: Yes.
HayagrIva: To these material eyes they are not visible.
PrabhupAda: Yes. So many things are not visible to our eyes.
Reporter: And when you speak of the analogies of one, say, a foreigner coming to another country and wanting to do whatever he wants to do there and being rejected or opposed by the inhabitants of that country, do you say only by analogy that there might be opposition to earth people?
PrabhupAda: No. There are informations. Somebody trying to enter in the heavenly planet was opposed because he was not qualified.
Reporter: So then because of this example are you saying that if earth people were able to land on the moon that they would be...?
PrabhupAda: First of all, my first conviction is they will never be able. But even they are able, I do not know how they will be easily received.
Reporter: You do not know how?
PrabhupAda: They will easily admitted.
Reporter: You said you don't know how they would easily be received or admitted.
PrabhupAda: Yes, by the residents there.
Reporter: The word "easily" there I don't know how that would... You don't know how they would be received, whether they would be hostile or friendly.
PrabhupAda: Naturally, when I oppose, then I must be hostile.
Reporter: Yes. And you expect that they would oppose?
PrabhupAda: Yes.
Reporter: The example of the king that wanted to enter the heavenly kingdom and was opposed, is this in this book also?
PrabhupAda: Yes.
Reporter: And he was opposed by the demigods?
PrabhupAda: Demigods, or the residents in the heavenly planet.
[...]

The above article was first published in the mid 1990s in the now defunct soc.religion.vaishnava newsgroup. The following are the Bhaktivedanta sources relating to the moon-thing:

A SYNOPSIS
THESE QUESTIONS DO NOT ARISE
BOOK REFERENCES
LECTURES
SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM
PRESS INTERVIEW
MOON DISTANCE DIFFERENCE
CONCLUSION