We were walking in Lakeshore Park, Lake Michigan. Srila #Prabhupada swung his cane and said, “What is this, fruit or flower?” Everyone else was silent. I knew a little bit about gardening. I said, “Prabhupada, that’s called a Holly bush. It makes a little red berry that the birds can eat.” He walked a little bit further, swung his cane, and said, “What is this, fruit or flower?” I said, “Prabhupada, that’s a Camellia. It has a nice flower, but no fragrance.” Prabhupada said, “A flower with no fragrance is like a handsome man with no good qualities.” Prabhupada began walking again, swung his cane and said, “What is this, fruit or flower?” I said, “Srila Prabhupada, it’s useless.” Srila Prabhupada said, “No, you’re useless.” Which was true on many levels. Prabhupada said, “The plant has a use. You just don’t know it.” He said that every plant has a use. Krishna doesn’t want to waste. Either it’s used for fuel, for food, it is medicinal or it creates a fruit or flower. It has a use. So Srila Prabhupada said, “The plant does have a use. You don’t know the use so you’re the one that’s useless.”
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