Africa (Conversations 1976 - 1977)

Expressions researched:
"africa" |"africa's"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: africa's or africa not "south africa*"

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 8, 1976, Nellore:

Vasughoṣa: Hinduism department in Indonesia. So they've divided the land..., you know, the different religions into different departments, and they have one man who studied in Benares. He's in charge of the whole country for Hinduism and Buddhism.

Prabhupāda: So why they do not allow our?

Vasughosa: No, actually they allow us. They allow our society, but it's such a corrupt country that at any moment they could kick us out if they want. They have no principle except money.

Prabhupāda: Just like Africa.

Vasughosa: Yes. But the man seems to be a little intelligent, a little knowledgeable. I met him. He seems to be a little.... (break) They try to renovate temples there. They are very old temples like in India and they have...

Prabhupāda: (break) ...they do not give for so-called religion, it is better. They are not spoiling the money.

Morning Walk -- January 12, 1976, Bombay:

Devotee (2): Bhattacharya doesn't come to maṅgala-ārati.

Dr. Patel: ...the all Patels are giving you right now from Africa.

Prabhupāda: But not here.

Dr. Patel: Ninety percent of the.... Here they are very poor. Those who are in States are rich.

Prabhupāda: You are not poor. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Dr. Patel: We are poor as compared to.... We just live, no? Three percent(?) we acquire for our status.(?) We don't require much money.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...death.

Morning Walk -- February 6, 1976, Mayapura:

Hṛdayānanda: Aborigines?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like Africa.

Hṛdayānanda: Prabhupāda? You wrote in a letter to Bhagavān... You said that originally the Europeans had Aryan-type culture but they have become degraded.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. They are still Aryan. Europeans are Aryan, Indo-Aryan. That is admitted in history.

Hṛdayānanda: You said that they became degraded by associating, by bad...

Prabhupāda: Yes, by association with these aborigines.

Morning Walk -- April 10, 1976, Vrndavana:

Hari-śauri: The whole material world's a forest.

Prabhupāda: There are so many forests in America, full of forests still. Africa, so many forests, big, big forests.

Akṣayānanda: (break) ...Kali-yuga we cannot do that due to our conditioning.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari śauri: Fifth Canto describes the whole material world is a forest.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Of enjoyment.

Lokanātha: Forest of enjoyment. (break)

Prabhupāda: They go in the village for begging little food, that's all. Just like you can live in this forest. And what you will eat? Two cāpāṭi. So you can go and beg. That's all. Whole day's business finished. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: No money required. No money required. Simply one is required to work to produce food grain. That's all. No money required. And God has given us so much land that we can produce food grain and we can keep cows' milk, and from milk we derive so many rich, nutritious, full of vitamins foodstuff that the whole economic question solved immediately. But we are producing.... Instead of food grain, we are producing tobacco for smoking cigarette. We are producing coffee for going to hell. So how you can expect social reformation? In Africa I have seen. Instead of producing grain, they are producing coffee, tea, and keeping the cows for killing, making business to sell meat to other countries.

Mr. Dixon: Is incense a form of intoxication?

Prabhupāda: Incense? No. Why intoxication?

Press Conference -- April 27, 1976, Auckland, New Zealand:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Do you spend your whole year traveling, or only part of the year?

Prabhupāda: I am traveling either in Europe, America, Africa, Canada, India, everywhere.

Interviewer: So, do you have a home, or do you have...

Prabhupāda: I have 102 houses, but nowhere I am allowed to live. That is the difficulty. (laughter)

Interviewer: How old are you, Swami? How old?

Prabhupāda: What do you think?

Interviewer: Oh,... How old?

Morning Walk -- May 3, 1976, Fiji:

Prabhupāda: Then how he's living? And the elephant in the forest of Africa. Who is going to give them food? How they're living? From the elephant to the ant, He's providing, and He cannot provide you. This is all mistaken idea. You haven't got to ask. Everything is there. Because in the.... (break) ...accustomed to sense gratification life after life, we are habituated to ask. That is a habit. "Habit is the second nature." Actually, we don't require. These dogs, they are not asking, going to the church for asking, "God, give us our daily bread." Where he is getting bread? (break) Dogs are enjoying, but they are not asking bread from God. And where they are getting? (bird chirping in background.) (break) ...how he's chirping so nicely. But he has no anxiety. He knows that "I'll get my food anywhere. That's all right." The bird has got the sense, confidence: "Yes, I'll get." And that's a fact.

Morning Walk -- May 26, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: There's so many, so much land vacant all over the world—Australia, Africa, South America.

Devotee (3): Why would someone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious have a hundred children?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Devotee (3): Why would someone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious have one hundred children? For example, why would someone like Dhṛtarāṣṭra, who is not particularly Kṛṣṇa conscious...?

Prabhupāda: Oh, he was Kṛṣṇa conscious. In those days everyone was Kṛṣṇa conscious. (break)

Morning Walk -- May 26, 1976, Honolulu:

Devotee (1): Places like Africa, such as Biafra, where they have...

Prabhupāda: There are countries, there is, they are not opulent or affluent as you are. But that doesn't mean they're starving.

Hari-śauri: Well, they show so many places of children with malnutrition, and they say that so many thousands of people are dying every week in certain areas...

Prabhupāda: You have got your..., so many hippies are malnutrition. You have got enough food right there—malnutrition. What is this? Another...

Hari-śauri: That's not actually a very good argument of theirs anyway, because here in America they were found to be dumping excess grains in the ocean, excess milk they give to the pig farms, like that.

Morning Walk -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But I mean, there are other people in other parts of the world, like in Africa, they found bones from five million years ago, and they say that it's the missing link bones.

Prabhupāda: Missing, why missing?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well they couldn't figure it out until they found these bones.

Prabhupāda: That means they couldn't. Still, he says. Just see, he has brought as if he was dog, the rascal. The dog is prohibited. Man is.... (break) (walk continues on beach) ...They have got?

Rāmeśvara: Other theories.

Garden Conversation -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: The Germans were not for colonization.

Dr. Wolfe: They were before World War I. They lost their colonies at the end of World War I. They lost Cameroon and Togo and East Africa. That is where Nairobi is now; Nairobi was German before.

Hṛdayānanda: Not so many colonies like the others.

Dr. Wolfe: Hm, they had quite a few, quite a few.

Prabhupāda: The Englishmen they have lost their colonies, all.

Hṛdayānanda: Yes. Even now England they can no longer control.

Prabhupāda: Hm? (laughs)

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Monkeys also. So monkey's the forefather of Darwin. Better kill them so that there is no opportunity of criticism that "You are coming from monkey." You extinct this species. It is rather insulting. If I say that you are descendant of monkey, then it is insult. So extinct this monkey. I don't think there is monkey here. Africa there is monkey. You have been in Africa? There are monkey-eating birds. Top of the tree, monkey, they catch up on the head and drop it from high. And then they take it. (pause) There was a boat which belonged to this house. I think he has sold it.

Room Conversation with Ambarisa and Catholic Priest -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: You see this black men. They earn sufficient money, but see their home. See their home. You America, you have given them equal rights, they are getting money, but they have no culture. Therefore you may pay them as much as you like, but still poverty-stricken. In Africa also I have seen that they have got their own kingdom, independence, but if we go to the African slums, they are poverty-stricken, wretched. So this civilization will not endure. If there is no culture, simply by money you cannot maintain a standard of civilization. That is not possible. Now the American leaders they are thinking, "Let us have money, then everything..." Of course, by money you are covering all the defects of the social culture. But this will not endure. Day will come and everything will be exposed. Therefore culture required.

Conversation with Clergymen -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: So if you produce enough food grains, both the man and the animal will live very peacefully. Food grains. And I've seen in your country, in America, in Africa, in Australia, so much vacant land without producing food grains. So men are not engaged to produce food grains, but they are brought in Detroit to manufacture of wheels of motorcar.

Kern: For ambulances to bring the sick to the doctor.

Prabhupāda: So we have to correct this. First of all, produce food.

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: Everywhere. Rājanyaiḥ, dasyu-dharma. Simply wanting some bribe. They are in power. And that will increase. It will be impossible to deal with. Now it is already. In India, any work you want to be done by government, unless you bribe.... In Africa also. The situation is becoming very dangerous. That Mullik's Thakur, where he...?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In Calcutta, yes.

Prabhupāda: The state is in the management of official trustee. And this trustee in charge of the trust board men, they give us so much trouble and exploit the position for his personal profit. I have seen. Horrible. For instance, I can give you, if in some property there is some repair, it will cost you, say, one hundred rupees. And they'll give it to a contractor, and the contractor will present a bill, twelve hundred rupees. And he'll pass. And the contractor will be given, say, two hundred rupees, and balance he'll take. I have seen.

Room Conversation -- June 26, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Same thing in Africa.

Hari-śauri: I think you gave that example. If you give... If there's a dog and you put him on a king's throne, (Prabhupāda laughs) he'll still come and lick your feet.

Prabhupāda: Yes, he'll lick up shoes. Another example is given: (Bengali saying) aṅgārā śveta... (indistinct). If you take a piece of coal, you can wash it hundreds and thousands of times, it never becomes white. And these are material things, but spiritually you can reform. It doesn't matter. If one comes to the spiritual platform then everything possible. Otherwise not.

Room Conversation -- June 29, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In Africa also they eat live bugs. Cockroaches, dead or alive, anything. Once when we were in Zambia, there was this one African who was cleaning around the house, his name was David. He was about twenty years old. So we swept up his room because it was so filthy—I was there at the time. And there were all these cockroaches in a pile, and we were about to throw them out and he said, "What, you're throwing them out? You mean you're not going to eat them?" (laughter)

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: There was one big, big professor we met in the college...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It's hard to understand that prasādam is (indistinct). (laughter)

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Not only the Africans, but this big, big professor, she is advocating that people should eat the bugs because they are good protein. She is experimenting different bugs to eat—the worm, the cockroach, the beetle—and she's making a big study, being paid money, how to feed people by eating insects.

Hari-śauri: They're already doing that. In France, you can buy cans of chocolate-coated ants, grasshoppers, frog's legs, bumblebees, fried bumblebees you can get. The French eat the most abominable foodstuff.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The English think that way, anyway.

Hari-śauri: They all do.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Morning Walk -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: No, I have seen in Jabalpura, that is also very big fall.

Hari-śauri: There is one in Africa as well.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Victoria Falls. I've seen that. It's a mile wide.

Prabhupāda: Vancouver.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In Victoria, Rhodesia.

Hari-śauri: In Africa there's a very big fall.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: That's not the biggest one either though. The biggest fall is in Venezuela.

Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: We think, according to our philosophy, everything is the property of the Supreme Lord, and we are all sons. So everyone has the right to use the property of the father. So that consciousness should be spread. This barrier of nationalism is against Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Why there should be? Actually everything belongs to God. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). The sky, the land, the water, they are all creation of God, God's property. But we should not take more than what is allotted to us. That is real life. Otherwise, I have practically studied that there is enough land. Just like in your country, in America, there is enough land, not utilized. They can be properly utilized, and if food grains are produced, there is no question of scarcity of food all over the world. Not only in America—in Africa, in Australia. (break) If we get nourishing food, every one of us, so there is no economic problem.

Morning Walk -- July 11, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: It is dangerous to die here.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not as dangerous as in Africa. I saw one movie, and there's one tribe, that when a man becomes very old...

Prabhupāda: Yes, I've heard of that.

Hari-śauri: They throw him on the roof, and then eat him.

Prabhupāda: That is a feast.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Love feast.

Prabhupāda: Grandfather feast. Now great-grandfather feast.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Bhagavān: And Africa. Much countries in Africa are French-speaking.

Prabhupāda: Oh. You can sell in Mauritius.

Bhagavān: Yes. I send books to Mauritius.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Everyone speaks French.

Bhagavān: Did you see the color printing inside? It's also very nice. They have done the same.... This was last year in Paris, when you received Bhagavad-gītā.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhagavān: It's a nice picture. Everyone who sees it says how friendly Prabhupāda is.

Hari-śauri: This one is downstairs. George Harrison immediately pointed to it and said, "Oh, that's a wonderful picture."

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is Vaiṣṇava picture. Vaiṣṇava is always humble. (looking at picture) Jagannātha Purī.

Room Conversation -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: Now I have given the ideas, the philosophy, in the books. So it is your business to develop all over the world. You are very intelligent, Europeans and Americans. Give it a shape, for the world prosperity. Give it a practical.... It is practical. There is no difficulty. So much land. Very good fertile land in Africa, Australia, in America. All of them can be utilized for the happiness of the whole world. The portal(?) has come or not?

Yogeśvara: I haven't seen any new devotees come from London, so probably not.

Harikeśa: No, it was air-freighted, it's sitting in the Paris airport.

Yogeśvara: It is? How do you know?

Harikeśa: Portal's in Paris airport, no?

Hari-śauri: Well, it was there at ten o'clock this morning. Did they pick it up?

Room Conversation With French Commander -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Hari-śauri: You want to go for a walk now, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Yogeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda? This is Ulain. He is from the Ivory Coast in Africa. And he is very sincere, and he is also attempting to start Kṛṣṇa consciousness in Africa in the Ivory Coast.

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Yogeśvara: He had a question for you.

Prabhupāda: First of all, you remain here for some time. Be trained up. Because every one of us, we have followed the silly jackals. Now we have to follow Kṛṣṇa. Janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra (CC Adi 9.41). That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's advice. First of all, let your personal life be successful, then try to do good to others. The, all over the world, they have simply followed the silly jackals. Now we have to follow Kṛṣṇa. When you are trained up to follow Kṛṣṇa, then our life is successful. Then you can do something. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). We have to follow Kṛṣṇa alone. Not all these rascals, silly jackals. Then our life is successful. Kṛṣṇa can give you all guidance. In all respective necessities of life, there is everything complete. We haven't got to follow the silly jackals.

Room Conversation With French Commander -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Translator: He's wondering, he's convinced about Kṛṣṇa consciousness himself, but he is wondering why in a country or a continent like Africa, which is not so scientifically or technologically developed...

Prabhupāda: There is no need of.

Translator: There is no need. So he is wondering why we only have two temples in Africa. Is it because...

Prabhupāda: Because language difficulty.

Translator: Language difficulty.

Prabhupāda: Otherwise, there is no difficulty. Still, even without language, without talking, if you simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, everyone will follow. And give them prasādam, they will take. And that will be good preaching. It doesn't require language or anything. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, let them chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and give them nice prasāda. They will take. That will be good preaching. But who is chanting, he must be a sincere devotee.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Pradyumna: The Sahara Desert used to be all trees, very fertile. Sahara Desert in Africa, it is the biggest desert in the world. Nothing...

Prabhupāda: Sahara, Sahara.

Pradyumna: Sahara Desert. It used to be very rich thousands of years ago, but then became desert.

Hari-śauri: It's supposed to increase its size by ten miles every year.

Pradyumna: Desert growth. Formerly, that city Carthage used to be there. Carthage was fighting Rome. Carthage was very rich, all farms.

Prabhupāda: Cartharian civilization was very big civilization. The thing is that the more people become sinful, they'll be disturbed by this natural atmosphere. Therefore I'm surprised that moon planet is inhabited by pious inhabitants, how there can be desert?

Arrival Conversation -- August 13, 1976, Bombay:

Indian boy: I come from Tanzania, Bazalof.

Hari-śauri: That's in Africa.

Indian boy: Yes. And we are a life member of ISKCON. You know Navayogendra dāsa of Nairobi? Now he is transferred in Mombassa.

Prabhupāda: Navayogendra, yes.

Indian boy: Yes, he came there between 1975 or 1974 and he made us the member. He's now in Mombassa.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā. So when you have come here?

Morning Walk -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Yaśomatīnandana: No. He has got land and he has got some buildings, but now he has no funds to go further. And there also no local people give. All he collected in London and Africa from the Gujaratis. (break) ...in becoming trustees and managing the things, but they will not give any money.

Prabhupāda: So bring some sitting place.

Vāsughoṣa: Every brāhmaṇa got 116 rupees, and they brought him a cādara and they paid for prasāda. Lakhs of people came from all over central India, Andhra Pradesh, thousands and thousands. They paid for prasādam. Whole pandal, huge pandal, they went to this exhibition ground. They gave, the rest of the money went to the Rāmānuja Swami.

Evening Darsana (on night of arrival) -- August 16, 1976, Hyderabad:

Mahāṁśa: Yes, for Somalia. Now he has come back. He just, he's very, very favorable for you. Because, we were talking and he was blasting all the Śaṅkarācāryas, he was blasting all the different gurus and everyone, and he says the only guru is Śrīla Prabhupāda. He says he met our devotees in Africa, he's been to London and other temples in Europe.

Prabhupāda: Oh, he has seen our temples.

Mahāṁśa: He has seen our temples in Europe and Africa and he was very, very impressed. So when I told him that Prabhupāda is coming for the inauguration, he said, "You must give me the privilege again to have a program." So tomorrow evening there will be a program there, and on the 18th morning at ten o'clock, between ten and ten-thirty is the prāṇa-pratiṣṭhā. The chief minister is coming there as the chief guest, and it will stay till about twelve o'clock. I wanted to have a feast for all the people as we did in Vṛndāvana, but it's not possible here because there's no space.

Room Conversation -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: And many Indians, they have come from Africa.

Maṇihāra: Kenya.

Prabhā Viṣṇu: Uganda, especially.

Prabhupāda: Uganda. They got English citizenship. Now they cannot refuse them legally.

Maṇihāra: There's one group, the National Front group, they are trying to stop the citizenship. Because the government they are saying, "Yes, we will make you citizens if you come here, get business." And they are fighting against this.

Prabhupāda: They are refusing citizenship to the children. Children born of Indians in England, naturally they should be citizens. But now they're refused.

Hari-śauri: They're making all of them get six-month visas. That's partly the reason why India is now thinking to impose visa regulations on the British, on British people who come here.

Meeting With Member of Parliament, Mr. Krishna Modi -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Even in black Africa Prabhupāda has temples.

Krishna Modi: Yes, that is good.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I said even in black Africa you have temples and devotees.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Krishna Modi: You must circulate these all things. At least to our members.

Prabhupāda: Read it.

Lokanātha: Where is the verse?

Prabhupāda: Why don't you print the opinions? Several times...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We have printed.

Prabhupāda: Where is that?

Garden Conversation -- September 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Sikhs are very brave. They're martial. And another martial race, Jats. They are kṣatriyas. Oh, they can fight... When Britishers possessed India they organized this military with Sikhs especially, Jats, and Gurkhas. And they expanded their empire, Burma, Ceylon, Africa, all these British Empire possessions. And not only that, they fought two big world wars with these Sikhs soldiers. They conquered over this Mesopotamia, Middle East.

Caraṇāravindam: They worked so hard. It's a pity they weren't doing it for Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: They like military. They want military jobs. Very kṣatriya spirit.

Caraṇāravindam: They collected so much, but they lost it because they didn't give it to Kṛṣṇa.

Garden Conversation -- September 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Caraṇāravindam: Actually I have seen that even in all these villages in Africa and India, they have no real connection to the city politics. Because if the city breaks down they could move back to... They have their cow, they have field, vegetables...

Prabhupāda: If there is war they were not affected. And the soldiers would not bother the public. It is said during Mohammedan period the soldiers of one party will ask the cultivator, "Where the other soldiers gone?" They would say, "I have seen and they have gone this side." The cultivator is going on. The fighting is going on, but the cultivator is not affected. He is free. "You fight between themselves and whoever the victor is, I shall pay taxes. That's all. I have nothing to do with politics." This was... Between two parties of king or political, they may fight. Citizens, they have nothing to do who is the victorious. "You fight and one of you will become victorious. So you take taxes. I am concerned with paying tax. And tax, tax means whatever I have grown, you take one-fourth. You see this I have grown. Now you can take away one-fourth." No income tax, no sale tax, no this tax or that tax.

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Prabhupāda: So that is your interpretation. But we are trying to present Bhagavad-gītā as it is. That is our mission. That you produce food grains sufficiently and give protection to the cows so that food grains and milk will give you all benefits of economic question. You'll be satisfied. That's all. Not only that, I have practically seen that by God's arrangement there are so much land on this planet that you can produce ten times food stuff of the whole population. But they are not doing that. They are utilizing land... Just like in Africa I have seen, enough land is there, but what they are doing? They are keeping some cows and bulls, and when they are grown up... They are not given anything to eat. There is enough grass. And as soon as they are fatty, they are taken to the slaughterhouse. Not for their own eating, but exporting.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Central India also there are lions.

Dr. Patel: There are no lions anywhere, sir. Lions only in Africa and India in this place. Not even South America, anywhere. This Gujarat, this particular jungle, and Africa.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Dr. Patel: Africa they have hunted down all the lions on safari.

Prabhupāda: Killing business.

Dr. Patel: They have killed them at random. There is a disease called sleeping sickness. This sleeping sickness is common in the wild game and wild animals and antelopes in Africa. That we found out. And from there a type of fly called tsetse fly, he bites them. Just like the flies bite those animals, then when you go in the jungle they bite you. When they bite you they transfer the germ from animal to you, and you get the sleeping sickness. Now the latest sleeping sickness medicine is dependable, I mean nobody can die. But to arrest this disease in Central Africa, they'll kill all the game. Still they have not been able to arrest this sleeping sickness.

Letter to Russian -- January 5, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: That's good idea? So Hṛdayānanda Swami and Kīrtanānanda Swami are going to Africa. And on the 9th they told me to send a telegram signed by you saying you are sick and you want Brahmānanda to come immediately. So then Kīrtanānanda Swami will personally bring Brahmānanda Swami to India. But they want him to become your permanent secretary again.

Prabhupāda: I have no objection.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: You have no objection. Okay. And Hṛdayānanda Swami is ready to manage Africa till the festival.

Prabhupāda: He was experienced, Brahmānanda, in Africa. Where is that Cyavana? He is gone?

Letter to Russian -- January 5, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Cyavana? Cyavana Swami? (break) I think they're going to have war in Africa pretty soon. They're going to have war.

Prabhupāda: War. Civil war?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, between... Not where Kenya is but between Rhodesia and Zambia, in that area.

Hari-śauri: Whites and blacks.

Prabhupāda: That is inevitable. The whites cannot...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Rhodesia has rejected...

Prabhupāda: ...cannot kill them, repress any more. That is not possible. The other blacks will join.

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: In China they have got? They have also? They have got, Arabian... In Africa, oh, you see a buffalo and bison... (?)

Prabhupāda: Buffalo and bison different.

Dr. Patel: But they are of the same degree or more wild. These are tame. This, sir, is a (Hindi). We call it (Hindi), the Sanskrit word, more or less. (pause)

Prabhupāda: The coconut trees makes the place paradise, palm trees.

Dr. Patel: I've got the place, sir. When you came to my house my wife immediately planted twenty-two coconuts all round. Now we get coconut, they'd be more than two thousand rupees per year.

Prabhupāda: We are getting eight thousand.

Dr. Patel: Yes, you are very good. Mine is hardly half an acre.

Prabhupāda: The other day Girirāja told me we have got eight thousand.

Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Oh. Any head.

Dr. Patel: And they dance, even as they do in Africa. Nagas are very much civilized now.

Prabhupāda: Civilized?

Dr. Patel: In this way...

Prabhupāda: No, they were civilized. Otherwise...

Dr. Patel: Western civilization, I mean to say.

Prabhupāda: Otherwise, how Arjuna could marry?

Dr. Patel: Fourth-class civilization. In Naga races there is polyandry, sir. One woman can...

Prabhupāda: Still there are, in Himalayan hills. One woman has got five husbands.

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The Bhāgavatams... Also the freight from here is less. That's another feeling that we have. Prabhupāda told me England, Australia, Africa should get books from India, and America, Canada, from America.

Prabhupāda: There is no consideration of big profit. Simply we want big number, distribution. That's all.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Also this will increase our prestige as a movement.

Prabhupāda: Big number, as big as possible. My Guru Mahārāja, he had magazines in six languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Oriya, Assamese, and one Bengali daily. So if our men complained that "Such and such men are not giving their subscription, so, what we can do? Stop the supply?" Oh, he would become very angry. He asked them, "Are you commercial-hired fools? No! Supply free!" He used to say like that. He was asking, "Whether we shall stop supply? The subscription is not coming." So immediately he became angry: "Are you commercial-hired? If he's not giving price, supply him free." That was his policy. So less perfect or..., try to see how many numbers of books.

Room Conversation -- January 15, 1977, Allahabad:

Prabhupāda: Yes. India did not know what is tea. They started the tea gardens, and they recruited labors from India. We have seen in our childhood that Mahatma Gandhi Road. When I was standing on the gate, five hundred, six hundred laborers recruited from Bihar. Bihar and Orissa, these two provinces very poor. Even all these colonies, just like Trinidad... Where is Englishmen? If the laborers and Indians were sent... Therefore we find in Mauritius, in Africa, so many Indians. Their kingdom, first of all it was conquered by Indian soldiers. Then, when it was to be organized-Indian coolies, Indian laborers, Indian guards. They have got men and money, but they expanded Empire. So I am doing the same business: American money, American... (laughs) I am also a great politician.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: And also later missionaries went all over the world alone, to Africa, all countries of the world, converting people, although it was very difficult. So they had a very good missionary spirit formerly. When I went to Fiji I saw many Christian churches in Fiji. Right next door to the house where Vasudeva lives there is a Christian tabernacle, and they wake up every morning at 4:30 and they have hymns-same practice as we have, but it's Christian hymns.

Hari-śauri: Along with all, that, though, they're allowed to please their senses in any way that they like. So their teaching doesn't really have much benefit for anyone. They're still doing all kinds of sinful activity. Now their idea is that if you accept Jesus, it means that you can carry on doing as many sinful activities as you like, but Jesus is going to take all the sinful reaction.

Rāmeśvara: Yes. "He died for us, so why should we suffer?" (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Jesus Christ is the contractor. They say that "Our religion is very good. If you simply have faith in Jesus Christ, we can do anything."

Room Conversation -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: All rascals. Therefore I call them as... My Guru Mahārāja used to say, bokaloka. Bokaloka. So I was thinking, "Why he's..." Even Rabindranath Tagore, he's a Bokaloka. So I was thinking that "Everyone is bokaloka?" Now I can understand that everyone is a bokaloka, mūḍha. So enthusiastically do everything. You are the beginner of this movement, one of the pioneers. So you should be more vigorous. You should not lag behind anyone. You voluntarily joined. You first joined in Tompkinson Square. So keep that spirit. What is the situation in Africa?

Room Conversation -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: They must be intelligent persons. Otherwise how he can... The Britishers, they took away these Indians to organize Africa. Otherwise, they conquered, but the Indians organized.

Brahmānanda: They were all the administrators.

Prabhupāda: Yes. After all, Kṛṣṇa is there. He'll look after. So so far we are concerned, there is no disturbance.

Brahmānanda: Oh, no. No.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Then develop. We are getting good place without any monetary difficulty.

Room Conversation -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: That is nice.

Rāmeśvara: Hṛdayānanda Mahārāja is becoming interested also in Africa, because it's very close to Brazil. He will also be able to send men as a demonstration of his interest.

Prabhupāda: Then do it. Some way or other, manage. It is Kṛṣṇa's business.

Rāmeśvara: I think we'll discuss this at the Māyāpur meeting.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. You are so many GBC's. You can discuss now.

Rāmeśvara: But the ones who are going to send the men aren't here.

Prabhupāda: How many GBC's you are, present now?

Conversation During Massage -- January 23, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: What he...? He's not qualified man.

Rāmeśvara: This past year Russia sponsored a war in Africa, Angola. Is it Africa or South America? It's Africa, Angola? The Russians sponsored one war. They supplied all the money, all the weapons, and they were victorious. They conquered a country through their local Communist party.

Prabhupāda: Which is?

Rāmeśvara: It's called Angola. And the Americans were trying to support the opposing side. But the public in America has got such a bad taste from Vietnam that they became what they call isolationists.

Prabhupāda: They have become hopelessly, what is called, unsuccessful in Vietnam.

Morning Walk -- January 24, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: ...the forest and see actually. (laughter) Hare Kṛṣṇa. In Africa they're open.

Bhāgavata: Yes, in that national park in Nairobi.

Prabhupāda: The dog also knows that he's in the cage.

Bhāgavata: This is an Indian lion, from India. They have captured in India. And they also have African lions in here.

Gurukṛpa: Gujarati. It's a Gujarati.

Bhāgavata: From the forest of Katiwan.(?) (break)

Prabhupāda: ...monkey and cow. Rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa, sattva-guṇa. Lion in the rajo-guṇa, monkey in the tamo-guṇa and cow in the sattva-guṇa.

Morning Walk -- January 24, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) The lion... What is called? Lance? Lance? They are afraid. If you have got lance, they will not attack you.

Bhāgavata: In Africa there is one tribe. They are very powerful. They are called the Masai. And with one spear they know how to kill the lion, with one throw only.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.

Bhāgavata: They are very expert.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And they also know. If you have got lance in hand they will not attack.

Evening Conversation -- January 25, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: Hm. Through Atlantic.

Hari-śauri: Yes. We had to go Atlantic and right 'round the tip of Africa and across the Indian Ocean, because the Suez Canal was finished then. It was blocked by the war.

Prabhupāda: Suez Canal still not open?

Hari-śauri: No.

Prabhupāda: What they have done, these...? They were getting, minimum, fifty thousand rupees daily.

Hari-śauri: Oh, at least.

Prabhupāda: So what, these nonsense politicians? They lost the money and inconvenience to others. These rascal politicians, they can do anything whimsical. They were getting money, not less than fifty thousand, not smaller than daily fifty thousand. From business point of view they could have raised the toll. They could get more money. What is the use of stopping?

Room Conversation -- January 30, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Pṛthu-putra: Because I went to some universities. They have big, big universities in Cairo and in every places in North Africa, because now they try to be educated. The white Africans, they have some intelligence to understand to a certain extent philosophy, because when I was talking about the Bhagavad-gītā, when I showed the table of contents, they more or less agreed to take interest in it because they didn't see anything specific about another religion, another God. They were seeing the titles like "Confidential Knowledge," "Transcendental Knowledge," "Karma-yoga," "Jñāna-yoga." They are very interested about knowing these things.

Prabhupāda: That is good the first, beginning, let them come. Let them sit down, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and take prasāda. In Iran we are doing that. Gradually it is becoming interesting. You had been in our Iran, Tehran?

Room Conversation Varnasrama System Must Be Introduced -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So you reply this, that "You come. I shall train you. You will guide. We are prepared to guide you, but it is not possible to, bring men outside to guide you. You come to us. I shall train you how to guide." This is the reply. And that is wanted. This Bon Mahārāja failed. Why? He wanted... Guru Mahārāja wanted that you start one temple in London. But he was thinking of bringing, taking men from India. Actually he had no.... (break) That is the fact. Therefore he failed. Instead of serving Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, he wanted to serve Vivekananda. To become like Vivekananda and "I shall be very much eulogized in my country, second Vivekananda." That was his ambition. He never wished to defy Vivekananda and elevate Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He has introduced in his Oriental Institute, Gandhi philosophy, Vivekananda philosophy. Just see his position. He's appreciating... We are simply condemning Gandhi philosophy, and he's appreciating Gandhi. We are simply depreciating Vivekananda, and he's introducing Vivekananda. This is his position. He cannot understand even that where is philosophy in Vivekananda and Gandhi? Gandhi is nationalist. Again problem with your finger. Twenty-four hours, finger problem or nose problem. That I am observing. No attention. So where is philosophy in Vivekananda or Gandhi? He was nationalist. Nationalist means dehātma-buddhi. Dehātma-buddhi means sa eva go-kharaḥ (SB 10.84.13), cows and asses. He worked throughout his whole life for Indian people. In Africa also, he wasted twenty years, and India, thirty years. Fifty years.

Room Conversation -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's three hundred devotees from America, England and South America. And then, of course, there's still Australia devotees and some devotees from Africa. There are more. So I think at least between three and four hundred devotees.

Prabhupāda: And here we can accommodate. How many rooms?

Satsvarūpa: 165 on one floor and 135 on another.

Prabhupāda: Two persons very comfortably can live in one room.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's nice.

Prabhupāda: So we have got about three hundred rooms. We can accommodate six hundred men.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Similarly, we can develop farm here also. Farm development is Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. Kṛṣṇa is tending cows, and Balarāma is plowing. Therefore the plow and flute, flute for tending cows and plow for agriculture-Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. In Africa also you have got good opportunity for these farm projects.

Brahmānanda: Yes. Actually one of our members in Mombassa, he wanted to buy us a farm. Unfortunately Cyavana rejected it. Anyway, he went and bought the farm for eighty thousand, and now he's developed it, and it's a wonderful farm. We went there for a program. It's very productive. He has one manager, an Indian manager, and the Africans do all the work. He has cows and mangoes, growing vegetables. He's very thankful to us because we helped...

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Farm project is very nice. Kṛṣṇa gives. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.44). This is economic problem solved. And brāhmaṇa, brain problem solved, and kṣatriya, protection problem solved, and śūdra, labor problem solved. Four things combined together, live peacefully, happily. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Introduce this farm project. In America there is enough scope. So much land is lying vacant. And if there are jungles, cut the jungles; use the wood. Just like our Virginia. Big, big jungles. You cut the woods, you get ground, open field, and utilize the logs for house-making. Food, shelter, everything there. In Africa, everywhere, the nature's way. Pūrṇam idam (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). Everything, complete arrangement by Kṛṣṇa.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: At that time not Churchill. Attlee, Attlee was Prime Minister.

Brahmānanda: In Africa, Nehru, he was instructing the African leaders also how to get...

Prabhupāda: Freedom.

Brahmānanda: Freedom. So they all allowed the Indian example. So the British, they were very resentful against the Indians.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now British making "Drive away. Drive away the Indians."

Brahmānanda: They became the leaders of the independence.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even now they are still resentful.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We have to be very cautious in dealing in these countries. We talked with Hṛdayānanda Mahārāja, and he said that now they are changing their tactic a little bit. They are becoming more cautious, because before they were too bold. Just like Brahmānanda was describing, when he first went to Africa, they had the van...

Brahmānanda: With loudspeakers and... We were very ambitious. So the people, they'd never seen anything like this, and so they accepted it. But then after a while, they resented. If you become too much... Actually, the governments feel very threatened. That was one of the reasons why you were not permitted to land in Kenya, because it was so much advertised, they put banners across the main avenue and radio, TV announcement, posters. They saw this as a..., something that will eclipse their government, their own president. You were more famous. (Prabhupāda laughs) Therefore they tried to say, "No, I am more famous." So therefore they didn't want you to come.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So it's better in some cases to be a little cautious, low key. Better to go slowly sometimes than very...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Not become aggressive.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. South Af... He had no practice here. One attorney, he told me in Bombay that "Your Gandhi was waiting for cases here, sitting in this chair." He was not even successful lawyer. Then he got a case in Africa. He thought it wise, "Let me go there." And there, instead of becoming a lawyer, he became a political agitator. So to take equal status for the Indians he fought there. And that was failure. Still it is going on. They are very determined not to give any advantage to anyone except these whites.

Room Conversation -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Most sinful.

Ādi-keśava: That is the national industry there, cattle slaughter.

Prabhupāda: It has become national industry in Africa also.

Hari-śauri: And Australia...

Prabhupāda: Australia.

Hari-śauri: ...New Zealand.

Prabhupāda: Therefore the world is suffering, so much sinful activities. The greatest sinful activity is cow slaughter, and they are committing. They do not know what will be the result. Such brain, stool, stool-bound brain. Thorough overhaul is required. That we are doing. Otherwise the stool cannot be cleansed. (Bengali) (end)

Room Conversation -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Tripurāri should take standing orders for the Indians because he has many centers under his charge.

Prabhupāda: In Africa? Huge Indian, whole Africa-east, west, north, south.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And also in Trinidad.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Those countries.

Prabhupāda: Trinidad, there are many Indians. They know Hindi.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. They were waiting for Hindi books.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Give them. Print huge quantity. This is very important item, our book distribution. Whole Bombay, whole building should be stocked. Hindi, Gujarati, Telegu, so that one house for one stock. And try to, mean, vacate even by giving them. Simply our business, nothing else. And those who are devotees, they'll follow you, and they can come and live. That's all. And engage whatever help they can give.

Evening Darsana -- February 24, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: I think you can introduce in Africa also. (laughter)

Brahmānanda: We want to introduce in Mombassa. We've already been discussing it.

Prabhupāda: This warfield painting is done very nicely.

Jayatīrtha: I think so.

Prabhupāda: Who has done it?

Jayatīrtha: Parīkṣit.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Actual.

Evening Darsana -- February 24, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: None. So that twenty years, failure, and here also he started that nonviolence-thirty years. In 1917 he came here from Africa, and the nonviolent, noncooperation... Actually the Hitler's war in 1947 helped India to become independent, the Hitler's cooperation with Subash Bose, INA. When he organized the soldiers, then Britishers thought, "No more chance." Then they left India. Not for the nonviolence. These are artificial things, in politics nonviolence.

Mahāṁśa: You two were working together?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Pūrṇam idam (Īśopaniṣad, Invocation). Everything is complete by the arrangement of Kṛṣṇa. Simply we mismanage. That's all. I do not know why people are engaged with politics, fighting, and so on, so on. By Kṛṣṇa's grace everything is complete. You eat sufficiently, you be strong and keep your health good and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is the arrangement. These rascals, they have created civilization, simply animosity-fighting, politics. This is Kali-yuga. Kali means simply unnecessarily fights. There is no need of fighting, but they'll create a situation, fighting. That's all. This is Kali-yuga, unnecessarily. Why politics? Why so much discussion, barking in the United Nations? Kṛṣṇa has given the formula. Annād bhavanti bhūtāni (BG 3.14). In America, Australia, Africa, they can produce so much grain that ten times of the population as it is now can be maintained. Similarly, Australia can produce ghee. So by Kṛṣṇa's arrangement everything is all right, the economic problem.

Room Conversation -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: That is Kṛṣṇa's order, kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyam (BG 18.44). (break) ...is important, not that the learned brāhmaṇa class is important and śūdra, he is not im... He is also important. He is giving you service according to his quality. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). And center is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I think from Africa also they can send because...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Milk products. Yes, they had great milk products when I was there.

Indian man (1): Very good cows there.

Bali-mardana: We should investigate from Argentina. He said it was very cheap.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But now we're not in Argentina anymore. Amsterdam.

Prabhupāda: We shall regain again.

Room Conversation -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: In Africa also, land is cheap. Give this civilization. Then our mission will be... The African people are nice. Everywhere they are nice. These rascal leaders make them bad. In Russia also they have nice people. These, a few rascals, they are controlling the government.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Leaders are bad all over the world.

Prabhupāda: Dangerous.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: America also.

Prabhupāda: Everywhere the mass people is good. We know it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This prasādam and chanting will cure them.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- February 28, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Very nice? Yes. Now see. (laughter) He is one of the person who helped you. When I went to Africa I asked Brahmānanda, "Are you going to support me?" He said, "Yes, I'll do." Then I signed. Otherwise I hesitated, that "These people are denying property..."

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The people are envious of Bombay, especially this man, Sada. He's head of the Trombay that I talked. He was the... Everybody knew about our temple.

Prabhupāda: That is a good advertisement.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- February 28, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: And on this Kṛṣṇa culture, the India was ruling all over the world. During Parīkṣit Mahārāja time there was only one flag. And now go to the United States organization—simply flag increasing, "United."

Brahmānanda: In Africa they just made a new country. It's the smallest country in the world. It's one little island. Now it's independent country.

Prabhupāda: This is going on. So for the time being let this program. We go to Vṛndāvana and from Vṛndāvana to Bombay, and then we make program there. Is that all right? If possible, invite some ministers.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But if you were to go to Manipur we have to make arrangements.

Room Conversation 'GBC Resolutions' -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Then why the sannyāsīs meeting again?

Satsvarūpa: For the particular service of each sannyāsī, so he will say, "I want to preach in Africa" or "I want to go to the colleges." Each man write down...

Prabhupāda: That is another thing. That is preference how he wants to work. That's nice.

Satsvarūpa: That's the purpose of that meeting. And then we also scheduled the holding of the bhakti-śāstra exam for being on Gaura Pūrṇimā, the fifth.

Prabhupāda: Next.

Satsvarūpa: Yes, the next day.

Prabhupāda: That's good.

Room Conversation with GBC members -- March 2-3, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: We are very glad. That's nice.

Satsvarūpa: Brahmānanda Swami will prepare a list of devotees he requires for Africa, and every zonal GBC will supply a good man as required. Next year the GBC members Brahmānanda and Jayatīrtha will report how the manpower is being engaged.

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Satsvarūpa: The GBC will encourage serious devotees in their zone to go to India and will allow those to go who actually want to go. Resolved: Gṛhasthas not be discouraged to work at jobs or develop their own business with their own means.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Room Conversation -- March 22, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: The same thing. They are also living in the holes, and we have made some holes.

Bhavānanda: Even in Africa, we saw some anthills that were as big as skyscrapers.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā?

Bhavānanda: Big, big.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Twenty foot.

Bhavānanda: Twenty-foot anthills.

Prabhupāda: If more men come, then I shall describe all this anthill civilization. "Health." Nonsense, what "health"? He'll be kicked out immediately.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (reading:) "Baboons imported for FP vaccine trials. Twenty-five baboons have been specifically imported from Africa for crucial experiments with the birth control vaccine developed three years ago at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences. The five male and twenty female baboons which came two months ago are kept in the institute's animal house for use in trials before the vaccine could be cleared for use on women." About anti-pregnancy vaccine. "The baboons will be used in the experiments to find out if the sterility induced by the vaccine is reversible and whether the baby baboons, born after such reversal, are normal both mentally and physically."

Prabhupāda: Abnormal. (laughs)

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: BBT, yes. They had a meeting in Māyāpur discussing some common points of interest and concerns. It says, "We will anxiously be awaiting a report on Śrīla Prabhupāda's reaction to the various points, and it would be good if you sent copies to all the trustees directly if there are any urgent points. I am going to L.A. in a few weeks, at which time I will make it my business, as one of the US trustees, to look into the Press matter. I will send a report after doing so. I also share your concern in this matter. I am going to France in a few days and will send a report on my findings. I am especially concerned to see that BBT be set up along standard lines. I have heard that Śrīla Prabhupāda's health has improved somewhat. Please be so kind as to send reports on this from time to time, as all the devotees are very much concerned. We are all praying to Lord Nṛsiṁha-deva that His Divine Grace's health will be completely restored. I remain your servant, Jayatīrtha dāsa. P.S. I will be visiting Africa in May." This letter is dated 25th March.

Prabhupāda: March?

Morning Conversation -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Jagat-guru Swami, who is?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's your... He's that disciple that was in Africa for a while.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Tall sannyāsī.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He was preaching in Africa for a while, and he was in India for a while also. He's one of your disciples.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: He took sannyāsa last year with Haṁsadūta Swami.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: His name is Jagat-guru.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: He collected a big donation in Middle East once, and he gave it to you, twelve thousand dollars or some...

Prabhupāda: Our?

Letter from Yugoslavia--'Books!' -- June 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And this means that ambrosia. And you are all Mohinī-mūrti, distributing ambrosia. These scriptures should be brought to the (indistinct) system, and they'll get opportunity to meet with them. So how...?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, I also... It could mean... According to Gopāla, from Africa, that prasāda...

Prabhupāda: Prasāda from...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: From all over.

Prabhupāda: Has he come with some news?

Bhu-mandala Discussion -- July 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In the Alps no one can go there. There's places in the Alps. There's simply so many mountains, no one can go there. The map as the modern people show it—India, Africa, Europe, America, North America, South America—do we accept that much?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Do we accept the contour of the continents? Do we accept the general continents?

Prabhupāda: We accept nothing of their theory. They are prejudiced and nonsense. Formerly they were speaking that the world is flat. Now they have changed: "It is round." So what is the value of his estimate? And you'll find in that book, "probably."

Room Conversation With Son (Vrindavan De) -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Even in this planet, in different places there are different standard. In the ocean, then the standard is different from this standard.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. You said, just like in Africa there are seven-foot-tall people.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Giants.

Prabhupāda: In Japan, when I went there for... (aside:) Here. The house, it was so low that "How they live here?"

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Was that when we went to Dai Nippon that time?

Prabhupāda: (laughs) No, Dai Nippon has good building.

Room Conversation Mayapura attack -- July 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Gopāla. And Rāmeśvara is doing it from the international side. It came in all the papers. Imagine, they're getting calls from Rāmeśvara in Los Angeles, Jayatīrtha in Africa. Jayatīrtha visited Africa recently. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...they would have done. The first news was that "The founder was not there." Otherwise the police would have charged me that "He has given order."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Order to fire.

Prabhupāda: "Fire it." That we shall see by and by. Police can do that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Kṛṣṇa would never let that happen to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: No, no, that's all right, but that very word, that "The founder was not there," that means they were expecting that if I would have been there, they would have charged that "He is in the spot, and he has ordered."

Room Conversation -- July 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) Kṛṣṇa baḍo doyāmoy, koribāre jihwā jay. Kṛṣṇa-prasāda... (Bengali conversation) The real fact is that this jīvo jīvasya jīvanam. One life is food for another life. That is nature's way. But one has to pass through so many varieties of life, evolution. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi. How many millions of years we'll take to evolve to become a human being. Then he gets chance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Payeche mānava janma, mano rañjanam alpa.(?) Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). Emona janma, this janma, manuṣya-janma. And if we miss and don't get Kṛṣṇa, again glide down. Mām aprāpya mṛtyu-saṁsāra. Again you fall down. I'll eat you; you eat me. And the aquatic, 900,000 species, varieties of life. The same struggle, one fish eating another fish. Struggle within the water. A small fish can understand three miles away a big fish is coming. It is all stated in the Bhāgavata. This struggle is going on. Then in the jungle animals. The man-eater trees are there in Africa. Trees, man, eat man.

Room Conversation -- July 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Spider, big, big spider.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's a thing called the Venus Fly Trap. It's this special plant, and if anything goes near it, it goes like that. Maybe they have big ones in Africa.

Prabhupāda: Simply eating competition. These American... It's called surfer?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: American?

Prabhupāda: What is that sport, surfer?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Surfing. You mean on the board in the water? Surfing.

Prabhupāda: So they may become fish next life.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I was on my way with Bhavānanda to go to Africa for Brahmānanda Mahārāja. So we stopped for half a day in London, so they showed us the property. At that time they had not yet bought it, so the karmīs owned it. So I had to go in as if I was a customer there at the pub. I didn't buy anything, but I looked around. So then on the next floor... Basically it's a building, say, three rooms like this and then up.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: Quite big.

Room Conversation -- July 27-28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Africa said they never got theirs.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They got it, and I have a bill of lading. That was a completely bogus letter. I have all the evidence with me. Yes, I've got a bill of lading to show you. Fiji, Mauritius, they've all gone. Plus, I also wrote up a small catalog. This is a very cheap catalog, not like the American. A lot of people write to BBT for brochure or catalog. So this is costing us only about twenty-five paisa but advertises all your books.

Prabhupāda: Hindi?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's in English. Yes. Because a lot of people write to BBT to "Send us your catalog," and if we do a big one, American one, that's very expensive. We can't give it out free. So I wrote a small sixteen... This is for free distribution.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very nice. Yes, it serves the purpose.

Room Conversation -- July 27-28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Gujarati. Gujarati you can send anywhere. It will be... Any outside, in outside, outside India, any country, Gujaratis are there—Africa, Europe, America. Africa is Gujarati country. England. England also. All the guests we receive from pandals.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Patels.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: San Francisco too.

Prabhupāda: Eighty percent, they're from Gujarat.

Yaśomatīnandana: One boy just came from Toronto, and he said that now they have a team of Indian people. They get on the phone. They have one festival every month. And these five or six Indian people call up all the Indian people, and one thousand people gather every festival. And it is just one little town.

Prabhupāda: They have got life now. The Indians, on account of this movement, they have got life. They were forlorn, completely cut off from Indian culture. Now they have got it.

Visit From Allopathic Doctor -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Hari-śauri: You printed in Africa?

Brahmānanda: Yes. This is a magazine, Rudiwawumungu(?) It means "Go back to God." Mungu(?) is "God." That says, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa."

Upendra: They have letters explaining what each of the..., beads means, tilaka, clothes, explanation down here, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Brahmānanda: To distribute these books Cyavana Swami is having African devotees distribute them. He is organizing them. Cyavana Swami is good at organizing the Africans. But we are not able to distribute them for what it cost to print.

Prabhupāda: It doesn't matter.

Room Conversation -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Nava-yogendra Mahārāja has come from Africa to see you. Should he come over?

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's brought some presentations for you.

Nava-yogendra: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is a Deity of Kṛṣṇa. Sandalwood. Nice carving of Kṛṣṇa. These are sweets, different types. Many fruits.

Nava-yogendra: Dried fruit, Indian fruit.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Kaju.(?) Milk sweets all on silver trays.

Prabhupāda: Keep them properly and distribute to the devotees.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Where there is need of money, send there. I mean to say, just like Africa and other backwards... I am simply dreaming, and you are actually on the field.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We are actually what?

Brahmānanda: On the field.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, but that's because we're in your dreams. If you weren't dreaming like this, we would be on the material field.

Jayādvaita: It's like Mahā-Viṣṇu is lying down. The whole material world is being expanded by His dreaming. So you're lying down here, and the whole ISKCON activities are being expanded by your dreaming.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's another report, from Africa. Should I read it? It says, "The saṅkīrtana movement in the dark continent." This was written by Jalakāra and Śyāmalāl. Śyāmalāl is a Bengali devotee, Śrīla Prabhupāda. You may remember him from Calcutta? He's gone to Africa to preach, and he and this other boy Jalakāra travel together all over Africa.

Prabhupāda: Yesterday... No, yesterday some prominent men, Dalmiya. Who came?