PUBLIC OPINION. WHAT IS THE USE OF SUCH 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 opinion of an ass? So the people are trained up just like dogs and asses, then what is the use of their opinion? .... That is the defect of Western civilization. Vox populi, taking opinion of the public. But what is the value of this public? Drunkards, smokers, meat-eaters, woman-hunters....What is the... they are not first-class

men. So 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.

Prabhupada: Well, anyway, the priestly class, sanctioning homosex.
Director: Pardon?
Prabhupada: Sanctioning. They are allowing homosex. And there was report that man and man was married by the priest. In New York there is a paper, Watchtower. That is a Christian paper. I have seen in that paper. They are condemning it, that priest is allowing man-to-man marriage. And they are passing resolution, homosex is passed, "All right." And in Perth you said that the students are discussing about homosex, in favor of homosex. So where is the ideal character? If you want something tangible business, train some people to become ideal character. That is this Krsna consciousness movement.
Director: What you people say what ideal to you is not ideal to somebody else?
Prabhupada: I am giving the example ideal character.
Director: Yeah, but that's one opinion.
Prabhupada: No. It will not depend on opinion. 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 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. The opinion... immediately there will be discussion. And what is the use of taking their opinion? It must be done. That is the defect of Western civilization. Vox populi, taking opinion of the public. But what is the value of this public? Drunkards, smokers, meat-eaters, woman-hunters. What is the... they are not first-class men. So 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 opinion of other patients: "Now I am prescribing this medicine for this gentleman, now give me your opinion." Does he do that? The all patients, what they will think? The physician is the perfect person. Whatever he has written prescription, that's all. But here in the Western... 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 mind, but that is deprecated mind. Just like madman, he has got his mind, but what is the value of that mind? You are not going to take 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, what is called, in disordered condition, there is no value of his opinion

[S.P. Room Conversation with, Director of Research of the Dept. of Social Welfare, May 21, 1975, Melbourne]