Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


BBT (Conversations - 1977)

Expressions researched:
"BBT" |"BBT's" |"Bhaktivedanta Book Trust" |"bhaktivedanta trust" |"book trust"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Yogi Amrit Desai of Kripalu Ashram (PA USA) -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So if you regularly do businesslike, I can give you loan.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. We may need a small loan, Śrīla Prabhupāda. I'm not asking till it becomes...

Prabhupāda: No. For printing books I'll give you loan.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually the BBT's turnover now is around four lakhs. A year ago we opened this BBT account with only two thousand rupees in the bank. Now it's gone to four lakhs.

Prabhupāda: Books which are sellable, you can print in quantity. That will be cheaper. These books I think will be...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. We're going to sell this for one rupee, fifty paisa.

Conversation with Yogi Amrit Desai of Kripalu Ashram (PA USA) -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So at what price you are selling?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This is costing us seventy-eight paisa. So BBT will sell it to the temples for eighty paisa, and the temples are free to sell it for one, one-fifty. So we're charging reasonable price, so we can go after quantity.

Prabhupāda: No, if it can be sold at two rupees, you spend little more. Yes.

Indian: That's what I said.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I selected the most popular pictures for covers because people buy in India on the basis of covers.

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is very nicely selected. Both pictures are very nice.

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

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: He is a chief of the Russian agency that imports books into Russia.

Prabhupāda: Well, so address him.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. "Dear Mr. Yekinow."

Prabhupāda: So it has come from Delhi?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So give the Delhi address, embassy.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I have told them that we don't have any Bhaktivedanta Book Trust offices in Bombay because I did not want them to visit our... I told them our Bhaktivedanta Book Trust office is in Bombay, because then he would have said, "I'll come and visit you in your office" and then he would have come to the temple. So we don't want to show any connection with ISKCON for Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Because then they'll find out it's religion and they will stop it at once.

Prabhupāda: As soon as he reads the book, he will find, according to them...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, what I told the Russians was that ISKCON buys all the books from Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

Prabhupāda: Just keep that position. What is...?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I mean we have to keep it...

Prabhupāda: But we have got pictures of God, and with every page there is Kṛṣṇa, and how you can hide it? That is another foolishness. Every page, there is Kṛṣṇa, and there is nothing but Kṛṣṇa.

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

Hari-śauri: Anyway, they expect that something coming from India is going to have something to do with God.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We are saying... What I said is Bhaktivedanta Book Trust is dedicated to publishing books on ancient Indian culture.

Prabhupāda: You say like that... Whatever you like, you can say, but when they read the book it is simply...

Jagadīśa: Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa. That's all. (chuckles)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, but the scholars, the Russian scholars, know...

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

Prabhupāda: So what is the amount of the bank that he transferred?

Devotee (1): Twenty-five thousand rupees.

Prabhupāda: But I heard, it was thirty-five?

Devotee (1): There was originally three fixed deposits. One of them was broken six months ago. We used it, BBT. So there was two remaining left for twenty-five. Originally there was thirty-six, and then one was broken. That's already been accounted for.

Prabhupāda: And our Madras center is now closed?

Devotee (1): Yes. There's no center there now. Mahamsa Swami, he's sending two men there regularly to help set...

Prabhupāda: Collect.

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? I had previously told you that the BBT was... Because it's doing very heavy printing at the moment, say, for two months we need a little loan.

Prabhupāda: You showed me you have got four lakhs.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: That is including an accounts receivable. That money's invested in books.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Para-hasta tataṁ dhanam.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No. Like Gargamuni owes BBT one and a half lakhs.

Prabhupāda: I know that. That is called para-hasta tataṁ dhanaṁ puti-gata-vidyā. "I am very learned man." How? "Now I can speak when I see the books." That means "Personally, I have not assimilated anything. I can... And I have got money. I have to realize this." (laughter)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, these are books already sold. These are books sold.

Prabhupāda: That's nice, but the money is not in your hand.

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So that I can give, loan. I am giving...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Within two or three...

Prabhupāda: But you never return.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I returned all your loans. In Vṛndāvana loans were all... We haven't taken any loan in Vṛndāvana. The only loan which I didn't return was which was taken from Māyāpura two years ago with Jayapatāka. They're, (I'm?) supposed to pay back. The BBT...

Prabhupāda: So now you... Our big business brain is here, Rāmeśvara. If he recommends, I can do.

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Rāmeśvara: For one year's sales.

Prabhupāda: That's very nice. (laughs) One and half million.

Rāmeśvara: They say it is the largest printing in the history of the Western United States. They are giving Bhaktivedanta Book Trust credit now for the largest printing of any publisher in the Western United States for one title. And for our printer, the only books... He has never printed... He prints encyclopedia, he prints the Bible, but he has never printed so many copies of one book all at one time. This one and a half million copies should be printed all at once.

Prabhupāda: They are proud of printing.

Rāmeśvara: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) That is good.

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Rāmeśvara: They are so proud that they have offered to hold a big press conference to announce to the press and all the journals of printers that they have gotten this order to print so many copies of Bhagavad-gītā from the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

Prabhupāda: Let them say that. This is our advertising. And let this opposition party understand that "If it is brainwash, then your whole country is now washed. (laughter) How you'll protect them? It is already washed." Tell them like that, humorous.

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Why not spend some money for advertisement? It will be noticed.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We can advertise them in prestigious papers like Reader's Digest or printer's...

Prabhupāda: Nice advertisement. Spend some money.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: That will increase our prestige.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: But we should advertise in America as Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, not Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: No, no. As Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. Actually, we have to keep ourselves.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Advertise as BBT, because no connection with Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: If you have got excess money, you can advertise. There is no need of keeping money. Spend.

Arrival of BBT Manager -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Especially newspapers. I have given the instruction. You are here, and you can arrange, three. I am reading the matter also like this. Read it. It is very simple.

Rāmeśvara: "Read worldwide Hare Kṛṣṇa literatures and be happy. Books by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. 1) Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Cantos 1-9, twenty-seven volumes, Rs..." (aside:) Not so many. Per volume. "Bhagavad-gītā As It Is; Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, seventeen volumes; Teachings of Lord Caitanya; The Nectar of Devotion; Śrī Īśopaniṣad; Easy Journey to Other Planets; Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, the Topmost Yoga System; Kṛṣṇa, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, three volumes; Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers; and so on. Recommended by learned scholars and professors all over the world. Available for reading from all university, college and public libraries of the world, and can be purchased."

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We can give the name of few leading bookstores in each city.

Prabhupāda: Not through bookstore. Only our...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

Prabhupāda: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, and you can give that Calcutta agent, Vrnda Book... That's all.

Rāmeśvara: And for the books you have in Hindi you should write "available in Hindi."

Prabhupāda: No, Hindi we shall advertise differently.

Arrival of BBT Manager -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So these books are there?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Now I have everything in stock. We have everything.

Prabhupāda: And which we have not got stock you print here. Keep for sufficient stock, in this way. So I was asking last night that at least in Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, simply whatever collection is there, fifty percent print books and fifty percent spend for temple or for pushing on the books. No money available. Bas.

Rāmeśvara: That is always the situation. (laughing)

Arrival of BBT Manager -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: (laughs) As soon as there will be money, there will be headache and income tax, this tax, that tax. So keep always empty. Bas. Vigorously push, and whatever available, spend. Bas. Finished. How do you like?

Rāmeśvara: That is always our policy.

Prabhupāda: That's all. And if we have to take contribution, take ISKCON. They're free. But for Bhaktivedanta Trust there is no need of contribution. Then there will be exemption certificate required and so on. We don't want any contribution. If anyone wants to contribute, let him contribute to the ISKCON. They're tax free. And here there is no tax, no tax free. That's all. Print book and sell and spend. Follow this policy there and here also, and push these books. That is our main preaching. Somehow or other, it must go, from door to door, hand to hand. Then our preaching is successful. Anyone who will read, he'll get some benefit. That is sure, because such literatures are not available throughout the whole world. It is a new revolution to the people in general. Am I right or not?

Rāmeśvara: Definitely.

Prabhupāda: That's all. (laughs) Then do it now. And I shall spend all this money for advertisement. That's all.

Arrival of BBT Manager -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is good recommendation, yes. If that museum is so important, so to keep our books there is prestigious. In Europe, America, it is going on nice. Now here we have to take advantage of these papers. So I have already given Jagadīśa the idea. Now you immediately put into effect. You keep that also with your papers, this format. Yes.

Hari-śauri: Will there be an address on the advertisement for people to write to?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. The Book Trust office.

Arrival of BBT Manager -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Rāmeśvara:Śrīla Prabhupāda, the business of the Book Trust has gotten very big. So the warehouse in Los Angeles has become too small. So we have gotten a new warehouse.

Prabhupāda: We have got a warehouse like Howrah Station.

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Please see that there is no printing mistake.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, we won't.

Prabhupāda: That is...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. I'm giving Bombay address; Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Hare Kṛṣṇa Land, Juhu, Bombay; Bhaktivedanta Book Trust; and the Delhi address. Delhi temple also.

Prabhupāda: No. Why Delhi temple? They are not executing?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. Because we have a good stock of books over there also.

Prabhupāda: No, that is another thing. But they have no department for executing. They will be embarrassed when they receive order.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: OK, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Bombay and Bengal.

Prabhupāda: Give the full address.

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: So what I'm saying, Śrīla Prabhupāda... The demand for our books is there. And like BBT Los Angeles sells a Bhāgavatam to the temples for $3.50, and we are selling it for $1.45. And that includes our profit already. Our real cost is 90 cents, 95 cents. So we can expand our printing capacity here. As I discussed with you last week, there's one machine from England that Usa Printers wants to import. And if we give him a loan... It will be his machine. He'll give us documents, and he'll pay back interest every month. In two years he'll pay back the whole money plus interest, which will be higher than what the bank gives us.

Prabhupāda: Is that all right?

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

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.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Because once BBT India starts making profit, then the burden on BBT America will also be lessened. BBT India can start giving money for construction and other things. I foresee that if BBT India goes on, next, in 1977 we should make a profit of at least twenty-five lakhs rupees, twenty-five to thirty lakhs.

Prabhupāda: That's nice. And open center village to village, town to town. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma. See first printing is very first class and it is distributed very widely. Not shabby thing. No. Just like our Godbrothers, they printed... They have no printing; still, whatever they print, all shabby.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Full of mistakes.

Prabhupāda: Full of mistakes. Full of mistakes, the get-up is not good, but they'll sell. And they print only in Bengali.

Room Conversation on 1976 Book Scores -- January 16, 1977, Calcutta:

Rāmeśvara: 487,000 Perfection of Yoga, 263,000 Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Is Authorized, 10,000 cook books, Hare Kṛṣṇa Cook books, 4,000 Gopal coloring books, and just under 7,000..., excuse me, 7,000,000 Back to Godhead magazines. Now, the total magazines, almost, about 7,000,000. Total small books like Perfection of Yoga, Easy Journey, is 740,000. Total medium books like Kṛṣṇa trilogy, Śrī Īśopaniṣad, is 319,000. Total books like cook books, Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Is Authorized, other titles: 280,000. Then total hardbound books: 1,007,000. So the total literatures sold last year is 9,076,280 literatures. Nine million.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Gargamuni: It's only English.

Rāmeśvara: This is just English.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) ...French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese. (Bengali) We want. (Bengali) Person to person... (Bengali) Huge organization. (Bengali) ...Bhaktivedanta Book Trust... (Bengali)... stock, distribution, salesmen control. (Bengali) ...Delhi paper... (Bengali) We have got substance. (Bengali) So it is very encouraging, this report.

Room Conversation with Sannyasis -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Satsvarūpa: He wants that you... He said, "The translator frequently adds comments containing information from other Vedic scriptures, for instance, ancient astronomical calculations referred to by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. It would be highly interesting to have a compilation of such astronomical texts translated into English. One can only hope that the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust endeavors to do this to the great benefit of the historians of science."

Prabhupāda: We shall do it. I am searching after some astronomer.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- January 30, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We plan to print up to at least hundred pages each volume. But this is already about two hundred pages. So we are going to reduce it little bit so that we can print it in next volume.

Prabhupāda: Life From Life, we are already advertising in our BBT list.

Hari-śauri: Yes. It's already listed there.

Morning Room Conversation -- February 16, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is a very handsome type of binding. It's called... I'm not sure who has done... I think the libraries do. It's called "permabound." It's your pocketbook edition but bound into a hard cover. Very handy book.

Prabhupāda: Recent publication?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't... I'm not... I don't think that actually the BBT did this binding. This is done by someone else, but somehow I managed... It was in my office, so I brought it with me. But it's very nice to get the small pocket-size book but with a hard cover. For traveling it's very handy.

Arrival of Devotees -- February 24, 1977, Mayapura:

Rādhā-vallabha: We have the figures for the production of your books in every single language since the beginning, twenty-three languages.

Rāmeśvara: This took several weeks of very careful work to prepare. We were calling up printers... We threatened Dai Nippon, they must give us the figures. We called up every BBT office around the world, so this is very accurate. And also I estimate that at least ninety to ninety-five percent of all these literatures that have been published have already been distributed. These are the figures for publishing, but most of them have been sold already.

Rādhā-vallabha: So English is first. 43,450,500 literatures. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Where is such publisher?

Rādhā-vallabha: That's one for every five people in America. And second is Spanish: 2,947,000. Third is German: 2,125,500. Then Japanese, I had to make a guess. I'm not sure, but this is pretty close: 2,125,000. Fifth is French: 1,670,000.

Prabhupāda: There should be... A big board should be hang.

Rāmeśvara: We have a big display of this for the Māyāpura exhibit. We made this up as a...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Arrival of Devotees -- February 24, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: And you did not send to the reporters and the...? No.

Hari-śauri: Did you give these figures to the reporters at the airport?

Rāmeśvara: Well, we want to have a press conference tomorrow.

Gargamuni: We're going to have... At the Calcutta Book Fair we finished decorating our pandal. It promises to be very successful. We're just opposite the Americans, who have spent fifty thousand rupees, the American Embassy. And next door to us is the German Embassy, and on the other side is the British Embassy. So we're in a very good spot, and we'll have all our books. We'll have the displays as well as the movie, the BBT movie, and we have our men there, who will take orders and sell books. It starts tomorrow afternoon. And we'll have a press conference also and release these figures.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Arrival of Devotees -- February 24, 1977, Mayapura:

Rāmeśvara: They've written us a letter about this. They have never received such a large paper order at one time for one book. We have a letter glorifying the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust from the paper company, and another letter from the printer. This is the largest.

Gargamuni: They said that... I read that letter. Not since 1930 they cannot remember that such an order has ever been placed. Right? It was 1930?

Prabhupāda: These letters should be published.

Rādhā-vallabha: They're the second largest printer in America, and they say they've never printed so many of one book.

Arrival of Devotees -- February 24, 1977, Mayapura:

Rāmeśvara: We had a ceremony for our new warehouse, opening up of the new warehouse, and they published one article in the papers in California. It circulates about almost fifty thousand, this local paper. It says, "Hare Kṛṣṇa publishing office opens. Culver City councilman Paul Jacobs, assisted by Hare Kṛṣṇa leaders, cut the ceremonial ribbon last week at the grand opening of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement's new office building in Culver City Business Park at 8500 Higuera Street. The new 30,000 square foot warehouse and office building will house the organization's publishing arm, the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, parentheses, BBT. BBT prints millions of dollars' worth of books every year and is the world's largest publisher and distributor of books on the culture, religion and philosophy of India."

Prabhupāda: Present this in the court.

Room Conversation -- February 27, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: If there is scarcity of money, you ask me. I shall pay you. You can pay me later.

Harikeśa: Actually there's no scarcity.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Harikeśa: German BBT, I think is...

Prabhupāda: For printing there should not be any delay for money. Whatever money you require, I shall arrange.

Harikeśa: I'm trying to follow your principle of not keeping a bank account by just always printing more books.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes, yes. It is very nice. I simply asking them that "Print books. Whatever money I have got in bank, let me spend." I am asking always.

Room Conversation -- February 27, 1977, Mayapura:

Rādhā-vallabha: Well, gurukula already has ten books, but they're printed very, very poorly.

Prabhupāda: Why ten books? Not a single student knows well English, neither Sanskrit, and ten books.

Rādhā-vallabha: These are the Americans, American boys, American gurukulas.

Prabhupāda: Why I do not know. You just discuss this. They do not learn anything, and we are printing books.

Rādhā-vallabha: Those books, they print themselves, the gurukula.

Prabhupāda: "Themself" means?

Rādhā-vallabha: They have a little... In Dallas they a little photostat, and Nandarāṇī would write and they would print it.

Prabhupāda: So it is waste of time, waste of money and waste of time.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If they don't learn, what is the use of the book?

Rādhā-vallabha: In Los Angeles they are learning how to read.

Prabhupāda: This policy is not good. Why?

Rādhā-vallabha: So before I get involved in it at all, I'll make sure Jagadīśa speaks to you.

Prabhupāda: No, no. We should not invest our BBT money in that way.

Rādhā-vallabha: I wasn't going to. That's what I wanted to mention.

Prabhupāda: Strictly. It is not required, unnecessarily investing money. It should be noted.

Rādhā-vallabha: That's what I wanted to ask you about.

Prabhupāda: Before investing money in anything, you should ask me.

Room Conversation -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:

Gargamuni: In fact, there are so many people around our stall, the management had to make announcements that people should visit the other stalls also. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Canvassing.

Gargamuni: Yes. There were thousands watching the movies and coming in, streaming out. And all the other stalls, they were half empty.

Prabhupāda: That's good. They will understand what is their position. Now, what is the signboard, our?

Gargamuni: It says... A big signboard with lights around, it says, "The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust," and "Founder of the Trust, Founder-Chairman, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. The largest book publisher of India's culture in the world," And then "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma..."

Prabhupāda: Ah. Very good. (chuckling)

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

Satsvarūpa: Starting with South America... South America's responsibilities would be divided between Pañcadraviḍa Swami and Hṛdayānanda Mahārāja like this: Pañcadraviḍa would be responsible for the temples in Mexico and Central America, Guyana, Santo Domingo and Trinidad. And he will also work as required in the Los Angeles Spanish BBT office. And Hṛdayānanda Mahārāja will retain direct responsibility for Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Chile and Ecuador, and also he was going to take on co-GBC responsibilities in Spain and Portugal, which are the same language as the books he's printing in, along with Bhagavān, in whose zone that is, Spain and Portugal in Europe, for spreading Spanish book distribution. And as for the BBT duties that Hṛdayānanda Mahārāja has, he will have Pañcadraviḍa Mahārāja assist him in that also. We passed a resolution about...

Prabhupāda: What about the French printing and translation? That is stopped now?

Hṛdayānanda: No, it is not... It is not altogether stopped, but some members have left.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Some members have left, but...

Prabhupāda: Why?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hṛdayānanda Mahārāja was just there in France. He just paid a visit, so he'd be... What is your report, Hṛdayānanda, about the French BBT?

Hṛdayānanda: Well, some of the important members have left.

Prabhupāda: Why they have left?

Hṛdayānanda: Well, they were dissatisfied with Bhagavān.

Prabhupāda: That should be rectified. They are important members. They are translating.

Rāmeśvara: How will that be rectified?

Prabhupāda: What...? Why they should be dissatisfied? If the workers are dissatisfied, then who will work books?

Brahmānanda: Bhagavān claims that the BBT printing is still going on, that next month a Back to Godhead is coming out and also a Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Prabhupāda: No, book...

Rāmeśvara: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam within three months, in three months.

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

Brahmānanda: Bhagavān claims that all these men who signed this letter, they were spiritually weak.

Prabhupāda: So what you have decided? Yogeśvara was doing nice in translation, his wife was doing nice. So why should we lose these important hands?

Rāmeśvara: He hasn't been working at the French BBT for many months. He gave that up some time ago and was working with his wife at the gurukula.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He told me that he was frustrated. That's why he gave it up. When he was in New York he told me that had become discouraged.

Prabhupāda: So if Bhagavān and he does not agree, then he should be given better place that both husband and wife, they can go on with the translation work. It is not that he has to remain under the control of Bhagavān. That is not necessary. Let him translate independently, and wherever he likes, he can remain. What do you think?

Hṛdayānanda: He is not so much a translator.

Rāmeśvara: His wife.

Prabhupāda: You see, nobody is translator. We have to accept whatever is offered. Kānā māmā (blind uncle). Without māmā, better a blind māmā. That's all. That is our policy. So to remain without māmā is not very good choice. Must have a māmā. Never mind he is blind. That is our policy.

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

Prabhupāda: Lot of money coming here from France? How is that?

Gargamuni: On transportation. Air flight.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And also no one collected. He's improving that also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One problem is that to this date they have to separate the BBT account from the temple accounts. They are not yet separate, so that...

Bhagavān: It is separate.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I was informed that they weren't.

Devotee: No, theirs is separate now.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't know who to believe.

Prabhupāda: So anyway, printing and translation must continue. That is our main business. It cannot be stopped. Must go on. Just like persisting, now we have got so many Hindi literature. (laughs) I was simply persisting, "Where is Hindi? Where is Hindi?" So it has come to some tangible form. And I was simply poking him: "Where is Hindi? Where is Hindi?" So he has brought into fact. Similarly for French language also, very important, we must translate and bring books, as many as possible. "Bring books" means we have got already book. Simply translate it in the particular language and publish it. That's all. Idea is already there. You haven't got to manufacture idea. So France is very important country. So printing and translation must go on. That is my request.

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

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I took all the books into East Berlin. When I went to East Berlin I took all the books through. Even though they were censored, I convinced them that "I'm a salesman of a book from..."

Harikeśa: But they never made it on the shelves.

Gargamuni: He's Indian, so they are not so... He is an American, so there's nothing much he can do. But as an Indian, there's great friendship between Russian... They came to our stall in Calcutta and bought books. And they bought one poster of rāsa-līlā. So with India they are very friendly.

Harikeśa: It's simply meant that there's a certain amount of prerequisite knowledge one has to know before he goes into a communist country.

Prabhupāda: No, another thing is that BBT you are keeping, a separate organization. So if the BBT representative goes somewhere, so why he should be restricted?

Harikeśa: Well, for example he went to visit the two devotees we have in Moscow, and a KGB man followed him up to the door and he tried to lose him. It was a whole thing. It seemed very risky for the people.

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

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The Russian government sent me a New Year's card this year. I showed you that card? The Russian government sent us a New Year's card.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I showed you in Bombay.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So I... What do you think, all GBC? He should be restricted in that way?

Rāmeśvara: There's no harm in being cautious.

Prabhupāda: Cautious we must be in every action. That is another thing, but for canvassing business, why one should be restricted?

Harikeśa: There's no question of restriction.

Haṁsadūta: No, it's just a matter of being cautious. That was his whole point.

Hṛdayānanda: It could be stated in such a way that Harikeśa will simply help. It's not a question of restricting the BBT salesman, but just to help him.

Prabhupāda: That is all right.

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

Bhagavān: This idea of Yogeśvara leaving... Actually Yogeśvara doesn't want to leave so much...

Rāmeśvara: Let us finish this point. This is very important for the whole BBT.

Bhagavān: Oh. I thought this was about the children's books.

Rāmeśvara: No, no. Yes, but it's a general point. It will tie in later.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I'm just thinking that in about ten minutes you're going to have to go down. This can be discussed during the massage.

Prabhupāda: All right.

Room Conversation -- March 2, 1977, Mayapura:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yeah. For the time being actually, we are planning to finish up some of the articles that we have been writing. We want to make it in a final form. So the other two scientists are also here. The answer has to be printed, and Gopāla Kṛṣṇa promised me he could print it in our Bombay BBT. So we are just about ready to print about a few articles so that we can print as a monograph. Then, in about three months or so, I'm planning to leave for the States by the first week of April or so.

Prabhupāda: First week of?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Pardon?

Prabhupāda: First week? What did...?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yeah, at the end of the first week of April, or in the middle of April at the latest. Then, in about six months, I have decided to finish the book we have been writing. So by six months' full time, all three of us together can work hard... There's a lot to be studied, studies, studies. So I've made a proposal for the three of us in which we'd work real hard for six months to finish the book. And then, by that time we would have the first volume of the journal plus the book. So we can go out for preaching. We can all have the material for... Just speaking, sometimes it's so difficult for others to understand what's there. They want to really study our work. And then we can also do some saṅkīrtana while we're preaching. Then in the future we might also be self-sufficient, not supplying any money from BBT. It will be a burden to the BBT fund, and so also we wanted to generate so that it can be self-sufficient, rather than donation by BBT.

Prabhupāda: They pay for scientific lecture. When there is some scientific lecture...

Room Conversation -- March 2, 1977, Mayapura:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I also want to talk with Rāmeśvara Mahārāja since he's here about printing policies and some of the artwork we'll be needing in the journal. I want to put a lot of illustrations, scientific, and want to make it very nice as well as very scientific. So in Bombay Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Prabhu told me that there's not so much facility for artwork and art.

Prabhupāda: Our men can do it.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. But in BBT in Los Angeles.

Hari-śauri: They're all set up to do the whole thing, to do the artwork and print it very nicely. Gopāla's artwork is just... He gets the color separations from America.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That is only disadvantage here. Otherwise he's ready to print. That they can do fast.

Prabhupāda: So there is no harm. We can do there.

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

Satsvarūpa: And I was accepted as editor in chief of Back to Godhead. The details of the editorial policies that I should follow, I can take in consultation from my other GBC Godbrothers. And further, in an attempt to set a uniform standard so that Back to Godhead is like scripture, I should function as editor for all Back to Godheads published in the various languages. In this I should work in cooperation with the co-editors and BBT trustees of the various foreign language BTGs. There may be various co-editors of those magazines, but I will be responsible to keep a uniform standard.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

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

Satsvarūpa: Then, regarding the program to sell standing orders to individuals, this should be undertaken with GBC supervision. Tripurāri Mahārāja has volunteered to supervise a team in the US and Gopāla Kṛṣṇa in India. The BBT at their trustees meeting will consider their role in printing brochures for this.

Prabhupāda: Nice.

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

Satsvarūpa: Resolved: Devotees preaching to raise funds for Māyāpura must make a uniform presentation. A brochure should be prepared by the BBT. The preaching for Māyāpura should not be done differently by different persons in different parts of the world, and a brochure should be prepared for this preaching. Any GBC who wants a BBT loan...

Rāmeśvara: That's specifically for fund raising.

Satsvarūpa: Yes. Preaching for fund-raising for Māyāpura. Then, any GBC member who wants a BBT loan will submit it to Rāmeśvara Mahārāja, but it will be held in abeyance until the Māyāpura financing is decided in regard to the BBT commitment to Māyāpura.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

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

Prabhupāda: Property committee means the GBC and Tamāla Kṛṣṇa.

Jayatīrtha: Five.

Prabhupāda: Four?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: Or what else?

Rāmeśvara: No, that will be good. But, Prabhupāda, I think that also if Tamāla Kṛṣṇa can help supervise, perhaps, the spending of the money that we send for construction as part of property committee duties, at least he could check, 'cause he's also a BBT trustee, how it's being spent by Saurabha.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Should be checked. That's nice.

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

Satsvarūpa: More resolutions about book distribution. The temple presidents, in order to control the techniques of book distribution, whether they are going against our resolution not to use illegal techniques, the presidents should go out on a monthly basis and observe their own book distributors, how they distribute books in the field. And also the GBC man should go out in each of his temples in his zone at least once during the year to see how the men are distributing books. And if a temple continues some illegal technique for book distribution, the BBT trustees are responsible to do the needful to rectify it.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Satsvarūpa: We have made one resolution that certain techniques should not be done. They are too dangerous for arrest. So if a temple persists in doing those illegal techniques, then the BBT will...

Prabhupāda: Rectify.

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

Satsvarūpa: Resolved: Tuṣṭa Kṛṣṇa's group in New Zealand and Siddha-svarūpānanda Swami in Hawaii should pay the same price for BBT books as the temples in the ISKCON, not less, as they are paying now. It is well known that these groups preach actively against ISKCON. In response, although we should point out their philosophic defects, we should not directly confront them but remain aloof from...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In other words, no fighting with them.

Prabhupāda: This is to give them chance. They are chanting. Some way or other, keep them alive.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I have been in Perth.

Hari-śauri: Yeah, you were there for ten days about two years ago. (aside:) Prabhupāda is thinking of going to Australia?

Devotee: I don't know.

Hari-śauri: We had a center there for a short time.

Prabhupāda: Very good place.

Hari-śauri: Yeah. Generally now we just send our book distributors, and actually it is one of the best places for distribution.

Prabhupāda: Amogha. Amogha goes?

Hari-śauri: No, he is doing college programs mainly in Melbourne now. But the BBT distribution party, sometimes they collect three or four hundred dollars a day, each man.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1977, Bombay:

Gargamuni: ...from one very important Hindi scholar, and he is Dr. V. P. Singh, M.A. Hindi, M.A. Sanskrit, Ph.D. literature, and he's the senior professor and head of the department of Hindi, and Dean of Faculty of Arts of Benares Hindi University at Benares. So he writes about your Hindi Bhāgavatam, which has just come out: "It gives me great pleasure to review these publications of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. Especially I am appreciating this Hindi edition of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, complete with original Sanskrit text, word-for-word synonyms, and a marvelously lucid Hindi translation. In addition, having read thorough portions of the purports, which in my opinion reflect the vast erudition of the genius of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, I am discovering an unequaled body of literature in terms of scholastic quality and devotional impact both. The real meaning of such bhakti literature can only be disclosed by one who is a truly devotee and a saint. The evidence of these qualities in Swami Bhaktivedanta are highly apparent because of his great dedication and success in spreading the message of the Bhāgavata all over the world, and creating thousands of foreign bhaktas who aptly deserve the title of Vaiṣṇava Brāhmaṇa, due to their strict practice, devotion and learning."

Prabhupāda: Ah, very good.

Room Conversation -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: We wanted some.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda said he wanted some hundred copies.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, those were the American. But now we are doing the Indian version, which is costing us 30 paisa each. So that we can give away to anyone who writes in. So I am going to send them. But he says many inquiries are pouring in. And when I was in Calcutta three weeks ago I saw him in his office. He showed me letters. They are coming from all over east India, from Orissa, from Cuttack, about our books. During the month of March, BBT India distributed over about fifty thousand pieces of books and magazines, to the temples, libraries, everything included. Fifty thousand pieces of books.

Prabhupāda: I have asked already Tamāla Kṛṣṇa. Can you give me a statement of the account?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. It's ready.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, what is the trustees?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The BBT trustees means of the different publishing arms of the BBT. French trustee is Bhagavān...

Prabhupāda: Oh, BBT.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: BBT, yes. They had a meeting in Māyāpura 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 Nṛsiṁhadeva 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?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. It is quite a... It's about two weeks old. Somehow or other, Śrīla Prabhupāda, the mail is... This was sent to Hyderabad, this letter. So that accounts for it. "BBT Trustees' Meeting. 1) Yogeśvara dāsa was appointed the Los Angeles production manager for all international publications and will also act as assistant to the English production manager, Rādhā-vallabha." Yogeśvara dāsa was already in Los Angeles, and the various different foreign BBT's were com-plaining that they weren't getting the proper help from L.A. BBT.

Prabhupāda: He?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They were complaining that they weren't getting things timely. So Yogeśvara will handle all the international business of the L.A. BBT.

Prabhupāda: That's nice. He's very good.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "2) Rādhā-vallabha will train up Vipra dāsa in New York to oversee the color printing done at Tandem Press." The reason for this is that every month, at least once a month if not more, Rādhā-vallabha has to fly to New York.

Prabhupāda: No, this should be stopped. Extravagance.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Up until now, Rādhā-vallabha has claimed that no one else is qualified to do this, but...

Prabhupāda: No, no.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...the BBT felt that he could be trained. Vipra dāsa is about forty years old, and he's a trained photographer for many years.

Prabhupāda: And every time Rādhā-vallabha changes something, that should be stopped. He is very much inclined to change something. This practice should be stopped.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "3) There will be a BBT budget meeting every week in L.A. at which all Press expenditures will be discussed and approved by Rāmeśvara Mahārāja, and a monthly financial statement detailing the Press expenditures will be sent to all the trustees."

Prabhupāda: This unnecessary expenditures like Sanskrit department and art department, this should be curtailed. We require money for Bhaktivedanta Institute.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "4) Every BBT division must make a monthly BBT report showing the income and expenditure and reviewing Press activity. All forms must be stated in US dollars except the Indian statement, which should also be stated in rupees." One of the reasons for this, Śrīla Prabhupāda, is that the only two, or I should say, the only three BBT divisions, or four, that gave regular reports was English, that was Rāmeśvara; Spanish, Hṛdayānanda Mahārāja; German was Jayatīrtha; and then Harikeśa. But the French were not giving any kind of regular statement. They have never given any statement.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, Bhagavān said he didn't have the necessary accountants. He gave a number of reasons. But the BBT Trustees rejected all the reasons and said that now there has to be a regular statement monthly. Similarly from India, there was no regular monthly statement given out to the other trustees. So now every month all the trustees must send a regular statement.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: " 5) The Deity worship book will be printed by Jayatīrtha dāsa without BBT funds." This is that book. I forget the Sanskrit name, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Devotee: Hari-bhakti-vilāsa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. So Jayatīrtha wants to print it on his own. Means he doesn't want to take BBT funds. So the trustees felt that that was very good, since funds were scarce; he does a nice printing. He said that he would take responsibility for printing and distributing it. Because it is a very limited edition, it's not going to be sold to the common people, just to devotees.

Prabhupāda: No. Few copies.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. "6) Hṛdayānanda Mahārāja will settle the Portuguese money through Satsvarūpa Gosvāmī." I don't exactly know the meaning of that. "7) Sa-vijñānam Journal"—that's the Bhaktivedanta Institute Journal, Śrīla Prabhupāda, the scientist journal—"will be printed and paid for by BBT India and exported to the Bhaktivedanta Institute." So that monthly journal or quarter, you know four times a year journal, will be printed here in India, because we felt the printing could be done much less expensively. And it will be sent from here.

Prabhupāda: But he was going to print it at Los Angeles.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I'm not sure if he's printing these... I think he is not printing a Sa-vijñānam Journal. He's printing some other booklets. But this regular journal, which comes out regularly, will be printed in India.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "8) The scientists' book, Life Comes from Life, will be printed by BBT India, 5000 copies and paid for by BBT US. 9) No brochure will be printed for individual standing orders at this time. Rather, a selective market should be concentrated upon." This is in regard to Tripurāri Mahārāja's trying out some standing orders door to door in homes. So we decided that the BBT will not print any kind of special brochures at this time, but that he should first of all see what the market is like and make some experiment before we spend money.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "13) It is not the BBT's business to pay for publishing children's books."

Prabhupāda: No, not...

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "15) Foreign temples will receive records for approximately 75 cents, while North American temples will pay one dollars. All profits made by the BBT for records will go to ISKCON Food Relief. Prices may increase if the costs rise. 16) Harikeśa Mahārāja will take responsibility to prepare the Māyāpura brochure. 17) The BBT Trustees for each division are responsible for setting priorities in each division." That means printing priorities. "18) The US BBT will experiment with importation of books from India as soon as..."

Prabhupāda: What happened to that book, Dialectic Spiritualism?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Spiritual Dialectics?

Prabhupāda: Yes, Dialectic Spiritualism.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Dialectical Spiritualism. I think Harikeśa was working on that, wasn't he, when he was here...

Prabhupāda: No, no, it is finished. It was being edited by...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, okay, well, I'll write and ask.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "18) The US BBT will experiment with importation of books from India as soon as practical. Gopāla Kṛṣṇa will make further efforts to increase the quality."

Prabhupāda: Yes, quality must be there. It is not yet standard. Unless quality is improved, it cannot be exported and spoil the market.

Conversation: Vairagya, Salaries, and Political Etiquette -- April 28, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So these things should be stopped, that they should live comfortably with husband and wife, children, and take salary from the... You decide. This is not to our... Besides that, in our BBT it is clearly written that "Fifty percent for printing book, and fifty percent for..." So you cannot violate this. Those who can give voluntary service, "Welcome." Otherwise we don't require. At least they should not be given any salary. That is very bad. This is against principle.

Morning Conversation -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I wanted to ask you, should BBT America pay for our expenses in that Book Fair? It will cost about three thousand dollars. It's a very good preaching opportunity. They can pay?

Prabhupāda: No, half and half. You pay.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Half I pay... Half we pay, half they pay? Okay.

Morning Conversation -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. So I'm not moving the press because it is very cheap for us for six rupees a page, a plate of forty rupees. I just had one other question on the BBT. Sometimes these... Sometimes the temples don't pay the BBT, and their bills climb up to sixty thousand, seventy thousand rupees, and...

Prabhupāda: Don't pay?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. My... I have told the temples that "BBT will give you as many books as you want, but once you sell, the cost must go to BBT and the profit goes to the temple." But sometimes the temples don't pay. So...

Prabhupāda: Why?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, they take it very easy, like they're doing in America also. So I wanted to stop sending them books or at least threaten them that I won't send them books.

Prabhupāda: No, if you have... Why threatening? You settle up with temples authorities.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay.

Discussions -- May 20-22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And in regard to the money which is held in your name, which will be used for the society, that should also be... Your signature should be given as a power of attorney to two or three other persons.

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Other than that, you already formed the Māyāpura-Vṛndāvana Trust. Everything is there.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: BBT is there.

Prabhupāda: These are the points.

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhavānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda, the trustees should be designated.

Prabhupāda: You do not know. Trustee without designation—where is the trustee? I have already made one block of trustees, that Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: In that style you make.

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Trustees appointed by me. Each temple should have three trustees.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And they're appointed by you.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they are appointed... And the format is already there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In BBT.

Prabhupāda: Yes. In this way make it immediately.

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: So the trustees should be managing on behalf of ISKCON.

Prabhupāda: So after making finally, we consult with that Mr. Sharma. He'll make some clarification. Gargamuni knows. He'll make it final.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's a trust lawyer. He specializes in this.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Then make it final. That's all.

Girirāja: So if you'd like, Rāmeśvara Mahārāja can read what we've drafted.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Rāmeśvara: This is based on the BBT Trust document that you wrote many years ago, the same idea almost. "I, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, disciple of Oṁ Viṣṇupāda 108 Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja Prabhupāda, and we, the members of the Bureau of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, hereby give and transfer the properties and all the property rights incidental thereto, as hereinafter described, to the following persons as trustees in trust for purposes hereinafter stated and to be administered in accordance with the provisions hereinafter set forth." And there are five different trusts. The first one is for Māyāpura, and the proposed trustees are Jayapatākā Mahārāja, Bhavānanda Mahārāja and Gopāla Kṛṣṇa. The second one is for Bombay, and the proposed trustees are Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja, Girirāja and Gopāla Kṛṣṇa. The third one is for Vṛndāvana, and the proposed trustees are Akṣayānanda Swami, Gopāla Kṛṣṇa and Viśvambhara.

Prabhupāda: Viśvambhara is not our regular disciple.

Jayapatākā: Shouldn't be included.

Prabhupāda: Then he has to accept sannyāsa from me.

Jayatīrtha: Jaya.

Prabhupāda: He should know...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Become initiated.

Jayapatākā: Trustee must be initiated disciple.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

GBC Meets with Srila Prabhupada -- May 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Girirāja: Then, for the BBT, the idea would be that the principle amount should not be touched, but it can be given, you know, for loan if absolutely necessary, just as you have been doing. But the idea is that that amount should always be repaid.

Prabhupāda: On principle.

Girirāja: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: Even by chance it is not paid, don't mind. Business should not suffer. That's all.

Girirāja: Yes.

Prabhupāda: If you can provide, you must, of course, see that business is done. And then they should try to pay. If they are actually not able to pay, don't mind. Is that all right?

Rāmeśvara: Yes, Prabhupāda.

GBC Meets with Srila Prabhupada -- May 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Rāmeśvara: We should consolidate the accounts. Just on paper keep it simple.

Girirāja: Yeah. And then for the BBT money the decision to give out loan should be unanimously approved by all three of us, Tamāla Kṛṣṇa, Gopāla and myself.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Girirāja: Then the accounts in your personal name... We thought that those funds could be transferred to the Māyāpura-Vṛndāvana Fund, just as you suggested, and just keep our own account, how it is spent in terms of your desire.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You can transfer at any moment.

GBC Meets with Srila Prabhupada -- May 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Satsvarūpa: Next we have a question about the BBT. At present, no translation work is to be published without your seeing and approving it. So the question is, is there any system for publishing works in the future that you may not see? For example, we've heard suggested that the Padma Purāṇa or the Ṣaṭ-Sandarbha may be translated. But what would the system be to insure the paramparā if you would not personally see these translations?

Prabhupāda: That you have to examine expertly.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In other words, there's no set principle that only the works which you have already translated can be published by the BBT. If there is some worthy translation of a bona fide Vedic reference, if it's properly done, the BBT could publish it.

Prabhupāda: That we are doing, just like Hindi. We are doing other languages. If it is properly translated, it can be...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even if it's a work which you have not yet translated yourself.

Prabhupāda: No, no, no, the principle is... Just like my translation, another person translating into Hindi or other languages, we are publishing. Similarly, if somebody has translated properly, it can be published. But amongst our disciples, I don't think there are many who can translate properly.

Rāmeśvara: None. We're not eager to publish anything which is not perfect, because you have already set the highest standard for the BBT. The name BBT means the highest standard right now in the world.

Prabhupāda: That is good answer.

Kīrtanānanda: Therefore, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we think that you cannot leave us very soon.

Prabhupāda: I don't want. But if I am obliged, what can I do?

Kīrtanānanda: If you don't want, Kṛṣṇa will not want.

Prabhupāda: A realized soul, must be. Otherwise, simply by imitating A-B-C-D will not help. My purports are liked by people because it is presented as practical experience.

Morning Conversation -- May 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Gargamuni: Oh. But I had written you in the report that out of the first twenty thousand we have printed, still 18,500 are remaining.

Prabhupāda: So not selling?

Gargamuni: Because we have very few men, so now Gaura-Govinda is taking on bullocks cart. He'll go to the villages, and he'll distribute. Then some portion of what I will collect, I will put in... I have separate account for book fund and one for construction. Some portion I'll put in book fund. Then we'll print, and I will bring...

Prabhupāda: No, you gave money. I can give you. There is Book Trust.

Gargamuni: I just feel...

Prabhupāda: No.

Discussions -- June 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Girirāja: Then we can type it. "I, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, settler of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, and disciple of Oṁ Viṣṇupāda 108 Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja Prabhupāda, presently residing at Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Mandir in Vṛndāvana, make this, my last will. 1. The Governing Body Commission, GBC, will be the trustees of the entire International Society for Krishna Consciousness."

Prabhupāda: You can... Then there will be question, "The trust deed will be given? Then there will tax."

Girirāja: No, because the ISKCON trust is already there, and ISKCON is already tax exempt. The only difficulty is if you create a new trust.

Prabhupāda: No, no new trust.

Girirāja: No.

Prabhupāda: Instead of trustees...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Use a different word.

Prabhupāda: Ah!

Discussions -- June 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Rāmeśvara: "I, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, disciple of Oṁ Viṣṇupāda 108 Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja Prabhupāda and settler of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, at present residing at the Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Temple in Vṛndāvana, hereby solemnly declare, say and confirm as follows: 1. That I am the Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, known as ISKCON, a society registered under the Society Registration Act of 1860, with its headquarters at Juhu, Bombay, and branches at..." And then it's to be filled in. "2. That some properties with movable and immovable..." What is this word? "...have been donated to me by the devotees of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness or purchased or otherwise acquired by me in my name which still stand in my personal name; 3. That I hereby categorically declare and say that I am just a benāmadāra (benāmi) of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness..."

Prabhupāda: What is benāmadāra?

Girirāja: It means... Just like in the Chand Society. Due to some reason we could not take in the beginning in the name of BBT, so we appointed someone to keep in his name, but actually it is not his. He is the only the benāmadāra on behalf of the society.

Prabhupāda: Oh, benāmadāra.

Rāmeśvara: "...that I am the benāmadāra of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in respect of the said properties, and I hold and do hold these same in trust as a trustee for the said society." No, we take out this phrase, "trust." "...that I hold the same for the said society."

Girirāja: No, "as the Founder-Ācārya..."

Rāmeśvara: "...as the Founder-Ācārya; 4. that I further declare, say and confirm that I have no personal claim or interest in these said properties or any..." It says, "position alone...," "...and the same solely belongs to the said society, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, absolutely. That which is stated above is true to the best of my knowledge, information and belief. Witnessed..." The witnesses swear to that.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Discussions -- June 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Rāmeśvara: Prabhupāda, this afternoon we had a meeting of the BBT trustees, and we were discussing the situation of the Bengali printing. There are some manuscripts lying, and we want to print them as soon as possible so that selling can increase.

Prabhupāda: So Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, give them money.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I have already given seventy thousand rupees.

Rāmeśvara: The situation is that the seventy thousand rupees is already invested in Gītār Gāns, and all the rest of the money Gopāla has...

Jayapatākā: Gītār Gāns and Bhāgavat Darshan and...

Prabhupāda: So you are not selling?

Rāmeśvara: They are.

Prabhupāda: Utilize that money. You have taken already seventy thousand. That's all.

Discussions -- June 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: No. Seventy thousand? We have no debt with BBT. We're paid up.

Rāmeśvara: How much have you paid so far?

Jayapatākā: Since April I've paid twenty-one thousand.

Rāmeśvara: He's already paid twenty-one thousand rupees of it back.

Prabhupāda: So you can take fifty thousand also. If they have returned twenty-one thousand, you can pay fifty thousand, loan more.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We can pay fifty thousand...?

Rāmeśvara: He'll take a loan.

Prabhupāda: Give and take, give and take, give and take.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The thing is, I've given them seventy thousand...

Prabhupāda: That's all right. They have returned twenty-one thousand.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Then you can pay another fifty thousand. In this way transaction will go on.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: At the present moment BBT can't give them so much money.

Prabhupāda: So give them something. Twenty-one thousand give them, thirty thousand. Then again... If they are returning, you give them. Give and take, give and take.

Discussions -- June 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Rāmeśvara: Our idea is that from all the money that is collected, we will reinvest in Bengali books.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Rāmeśvara: So in addition, he wanted to borrow from your own BBT, because Gopāla says that all his money is tied up for printing in English and Hindi and the other languages.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: At least for six months.

Rāmeśvara: So that is his request.

Prabhupāda: That he can get in September.

Conversation, 'Rascal Editors,' and Morning Talk -- June 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It's not the responsibility of the BBT trustee, to see these things don't change without Prabhupāda's sanction?

Prabhupāda: And Rāmeśvara is indulging this. The great rascal is that Jagannātha? He's there in Los Angeles.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jagannātha dāsa?

Prabhupāda: Maybe.

Indian devotee (2): Jagannātha-suta.

Prabhupāda: Jagannātha-suta.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No...

Prabhupāda: And the one rascal is gone.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Nitāi.

Prabhupāda: It is starting. What can I do? These cannot... These rascals cannot be educated. Dangerous. Little learning, dangerous. So how to correct? The leader of these dangerous-Rādhā-vallabha.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Rādhā-vallabha?

Prabhupāda: Hm. He's a dangerous, who maintains these rascal with this work. He'll always have questions and alteration. That is his business. That is American business. They take that always. What can I do? Ultimate, it goes for editorial. They make changes, such changes.

Conversation, 'Rascal Editors,' and Morning Talk -- June 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: One time I had a strong talk with Rāmeśvara Mahārāja about our article for printing in the Back to Godhead. I didn't want them to be printed in Back to Godhead because they made so many changes...

Prabhupāda: Oh, he has dared to change yours also?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, yes. They change so many things in our article. And it was on the telephone. I was speaking to him in Atlanta from Los Angeles. And I told him that "This article should not be printed because they have made so many changes." And I didn't like that. Then they answered that "It has already been offset, and BBT policy is always to be rushing. It's always BBT policy." Then I told him that "If you sacrifice quality on the strength of rushing, then it is your business, but that's not my way, so please don't print it." But in any case, they have printed anyway that article. And we all had a bad reaction.

Prabhupāda: So you bring this to Satsvarūpa. They cannot change anything.

Conversation, 'Rascal Editors,' and Morning Talk -- June 22, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So we stopped writing article for Back to Godhead since then because...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now, I think, with Satsvarūpa there, you won't have that problem of changing like that. He wrote a letter saying that one of his first things is that he will not change what is given there unless... He will not make changes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, if they consult us, even with changing, that's all right. But they just edit here and there and cut it out, certain things. They're changing the whole meaning. And that makes sometimes nonsense instead of making sense.

Prabhupāda: So on the whole, these dangerous things are going on. How to check it?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There has to be strong philosophical leaders who can check this, like Satsvarūpa and Jayādvaita.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They have to also be included in the decisions of the BBT. It can't simply be that managers make decisions.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Without their sanction, there will be... Let them... These all rascals...

Morning Talk -- June 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: People write that now they have got your books they are feeling actually alive for the first time. People write like that. They get so many letters at the BBT, thanking them for giving these books. In all languages people are writing you like that. They feel grateful.

Prabhupāda: Yes, I received directly such congratulations in the airport many times. Many times.

Conversation with Bhakti-caitanya Swami-New GBC -- June 30, 1977, Vrindaban:

Trivikrama: There will be no shortage of money. There's so much... Just yesterday a man gave five thousand rupees. And he wasn't even a big man. Small man. Big man, we can get. There's so many.

Bhakti-caitanya: (laughs) Yes, practically because we have no small big man.

Prabhupāda: So it is very good premise. So why Gopāla should be sorry that "I go"? Is there any reason?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, he'll feel that he's worked in Delhi before. He developed the Delhi temple. If he feels he can work with it, they'll be...

Prabhupāda: If he can also join, what is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He won't... I'm speaking... I'm just... We don't want him to become disappointed. I know in the past sometimes Gopāla gets disappointed.

Trivikrama: He has so much to do in Bombay with the book, BBT.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Conversation with Bhakti-caitanya Swami-New GBC -- June 30, 1977, Vrindaban:

Bhakti-caitanya: What I was wanting... If we will make our Delhi office, from all the BBT payments we will make a conserving of that collection from there, and from there we can supply books all over north India, no problem. And I have a little bit brain to expand it, and I have seen, experienced, since about six months. I don't have any help from anyone except your blessings. So I was trying my best, and I am successful. I can... You can see our work.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Conversation with Bhakti-caitanya Swami-New GBC -- June 30, 1977, Vrindaban:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, I... I mean, everything sounds rather nice to me, and there's always... You know, everything has to be done so that nobody... People should not be sentimental.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But since they are sentimental, we have to work in such a way that even the sentiments aren't hurt. That's all I'm trying to say.

Trivikrama: But also that bill should be paid. The BBT should be paid.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, it has to be a two-way thing. You have to get books, and you have to pay for them.

Bhakti-caitanya: That's all. Sometimes like the... Suppose I get lot of books worth of five thousand today, and there's no money. We have to sell the book. That gives us a month to pay them.

Prabhupāda: No, what is your month, you pay.

Bhakti-caitanya: Now I will pay that. There is no point of that.

Prabhupāda: So you can pay immediately seven thousand.

Bhakti-caitanya: All right.

Conversation with Bhakti-caitanya Swami-New GBC -- June 30, 1977, Vrindaban:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, I'm writing Gopāla that "You should immediately send the books."

Bhakti-caitanya: I can send that right away to Gopāla too.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But he should send books in any case. That's your policy, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Supply books in any case. Don't be miserly about supplying books. And you, on your side, whenever you have money at the end of the month, you then pay the BBT.

Bhakti-caitanya: No, there will be no problem because we have got theme for collection. Even we will...

Prabhupāda: No, immediately you send in seven thousand.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "And he wrote me a note for the librarian. This note influenced the librarian to take not just the standing orders or all of the books, but they have agreed to take every book that we have in each of the different languages also."

Prabhupāda: How intelligent.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Every language, all the books in all languages. "Feeling a little satisfied that this school had been properly inoculated..."—he called it an inoculation—"...I picked up my two bags and ran to the train station."

Prabhupāda: When all these standing orders will be supplied and they read it, we'll get more first order.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: So our book prospect is very nice future. So BBT must be very careful for distribution like this. Such reception, who is that author, he'll not be engladdened all over the world? Against odds. Against odds. It's simply Kṛṣṇa's arrangement.

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

Prabhupāda: The chanting, did they give?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Bulgaria?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not yet. No devotees have ever entered. "As we are so fallen and incompetent, we beg that you will keep guiding us and allowing us to continue to serve you. We remain always desperately begging for your mercy. Your selfish servant, Ghanaśyāma dāsa, BBT Library Party."

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very positive. He says, "One additional note. Our Library Party in America recently attended the annual convention of the largest organization of libraries." That's called the American Library Association. It's made up of all of the libraries in the US, and it's the most prestigious library association. "At this convention, the booth of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust won the first prize..."

Prabhupāda: Just see. This is our triumph.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Delhi temple is going on nice?

Bhāgavatāśraya: Oh, yes. We are redecorating everything inside. We've painted to about four feet off the ground with some gloss paint and then nice distemper. And I've spent, oh, a lot of money, around two thousand rupees on the whole temple. Temple room, Deity room, kitchens, everything, we're painting it all. And now Bhakti-caitanya Swami, he will have his office there. BBT office will be in Delhi. It is very good arrangement.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. They're very strong. It says, "We have maintained, through your never-ending kindness, for two years or more financially in terms of our daily operational requirements and household support. Now I'm looking for ways of relieving Bhaktivedanta Book Trust of the burden at once. Deity making, the saṁsāra trailer, and other such enterprises will provide means for our maintenance and research expenditures..."

Prabhupāda: Oh, very good.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I haven't seen what this is yet. It's from Gargamuni Mahārāja. It's "To all India GBC and temple presidents: Dear Mahārājas and Prabhus, please accept my humble obeisances. Enclosed please find our newly established Encyclopedia of Vedic Knowledge program. This is the beginning of the major big book distribution program in India. Our library party has already received tremendous success in this program, and Śrīla Prabhupāda has greatly encouraged us to sell these all over India. The profit only amounts to Rs. 10 per book, but it will allow everyone to regularly read our books and refer to it as an authentic encyclopedia. Our aim is to replace this encyclopedia against all other encyclopedias, which are meant to take the people to the hellish planets. When our representatives come to your area, please be good enough to assist them in making possible that Śrīla Prabhupāda's books be distributed to leading educational, intellectual persons all over India." Here's what he's published, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It's called "The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Library Encyclopedia of Vedic Knowledge." I think I should read it to you, because it's got mostly words in it.

Prabhupāda: Read the covering.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's pretty much the whole thing.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Pamphlet.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, it's a pamphlet. Should I read it to you? It says, "Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Encyclopedia Department, Hare Kṛṣṇa Land, Juhu Road, Juhu, Bombay. In 1970 His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda founded the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust for worldwide printing and publishing of Vedic knowledge. Today the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust publishes in twenty-five languages with total of 55,000,000 publications printed in six years." Phew! Fifty-five million! That means an average of nearly ten million a year, pieces of literature. No other publishing house can boast that, I don't think, such a big amount. "The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust offices are located in Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Frankfurt, and Bombay. Śrīla Prabhupāda has..."

Prabhupāda: You can send one copy to Dr. Kapoor by post.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I'll tell Gargamuni. It will be more impressive coming from Bombay.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And one to Bon Mahārāja at Vaṁśī-vaṭa(?).

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (laughs) Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. "Śrīla Prabhupāda has taken on the monumental task of translating the essence of all Vedic..." I want to get to the... Here it comes. "All in all, the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust library Encyclopedia of Vedic Knowledge includes at least one hundred published volumes. Scholars from all over the world have described Śrīla Prabhupāda as a literary genius after reading his treasure chest of Vedic knowledge. And now for the first time this treasure chest of transcendental knowledge is unlocked for everyone to dive deep into the ocean of transcendental bliss upon reading these classics." These words are nectar.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "It is no wonder that this transcendental treasure chest of spiritual texts have been described by many scholars as the first presentation of full encyclopedia of Vedic knowledge. This encyclopedia touches various subject matters relating to philosophy, religion, sociology and anthropology, literature and classics, political science, history and psychology. On the back side of this pamphlet an order blank to apply for a full encyclopedia published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust is given. Please fill in and return." (chuckles) Here's what he says, "The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Library of Vedic Knowledge can make a worthwhile gift to a friend of relative or may be kept in one's own home. Or one may contribute a set to a school, college, hospital library, reading room, temple, or for any other charitable purpose. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust is offering this encyclopedia on an easy installment basis by which one may receive published volumes every month without any extra cost." Sounds like they're getting a lot for free. (chuckles)

Prabhupāda: Organized very nice. Hm. "Gargamoney." (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Kindly fill in the form below to receive your first volumes." Then it says, "Name and age, date of purchase, address, city, state, country, type of business, phone, number of sets to be purchased." Number of sets to be purchased. It's very hopeful. "Whether encyclopedia is for personal use or other, please explain." 'Cause they're going to keep a file to see what people use it for. "Number of books to be received each year. Amount given as advance." He says, "At least fifty percent of the total cost can be given for the complete set as advance, and balance to be made in yearly installments. Signature of purchaser. Please note: The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust shall fulfill its obligation to supply all books to the purchaser as agreed upon and shall ship all books postage prepaid to any part of the world. Dated and signature of the salesman. Checks to be made out in the name of Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Bombay. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Library Encyclopedia of Vedic Knowledge, Founder-Ācārya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. Recommendations and appreciations by leading scholars of India on the BBT Library Encyclopedia of Vedic knowledge." He seems to have got a lot... I don't know how he did this. It says... These are different recommendations. It's from the Minister of Education, Government of Maharastra. Shrimati Patiba Patel. " 'I therefore wholeheartedly recommend this encyclopedia of our culture and all BBT publications to all educational institutions, schools, libraries and colleges concerned with the moral and cultural development of their students within the boundary of Maharastra and throughout the world.' " See, each one he has the word encyclopedia bold and underlined. "Ph.D. from Harvard University." All different big personalities. "The Mayor of Bombay. Padma Bhushan, Vice-Chancellor of Baroda University. Professor of Gujarati language, Gold Medal winner and author of 36 Gujarati books." Another man. "Award-winning Gold-medalist in Gujarati literature." "Award-winning author in Sindhi literature." All these people are giving their recommendations.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Now we are going to all the district towns." That means not very big cities. "Now we are going to all the district towns in Maharastra, and almost one thousand standing orders have been taken all over India so far. Since we have started the encyclopedia program many persons have ordered every single book you have published. Nearly twenty encyclopedia orders have been taken so far." This means every book. Not just one standing order. Complete.

Prabhupāda: May Kṛṣṇa bless him. You are doing very tremendous job.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Says, "First week, July, three of our men are opening a BBT Library office in Bangkok."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "They have a mission to develop this whole area, Southeast Asia, for book distribution." He sent a team of three men to develop Southeast Asia, and they've opened an office in Bangkok. "Their program includes: 1) government recognition of our books, 2) sales to universities and colleges, 3) acceptance of our books by leading scholars, and 4) sales of encyclopedias to Hindus. All of Southeast Asia will be developed for book distribution. We pray for your blessings in this..."

Prabhupāda: Yes, Kṛṣṇa's blessings are there upon you. He is dictating the organizing capacity. Do it very nicely.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "So far, I have credits of over three lakhs of rupees with BBT in our first year of distribution." He's given over three lakhs business.

Prabhupāda: Now print books and have enough stock.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: " 'Later the saint Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja, in commenting upon the life of the great Mahāprabhu Śrī Caitanya, brought to the highest level of understanding these principles in his immortal Indian classic, Caitanya-caritāmṛta. It is good fortune of the world that these two spiritual works presented as the Encyclopedia of Indian Culture have been translated and commented upon in the style of a true scholar by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. Śrīla Prabhupāda, out of his obviously great desire to inject the world with his vast storehouse of learning, has translated precisely the rich Sanskrit and Bengali ślokas. He has given the transliteration, word-for-word meaning, purports, and each volume filled with full color illustrations by his disciples. I therefore wholeheartedly recommend this encyclopedia of our culture and all other Bhaktivedanta Book Trust publications to all educational institutions, schools, libraries, and colleges concerned with the moral and cultural development of their students within the boundary of Maharastra and throughout the world.' "

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He refers it as the growing cultural and educational center. He's understood your purpose, Śrīla Prabhupāda. " '...is an object of deep interest and pride to myself and all fellow Bombay citizens. The members of Kṛṣṇa consciousness are always well mannered and cheerful due to the blessings of their benign Swamiji. Anyone who reads Śrīla Prabhupāda's clear translations and commentaries of well-known Sanskrit and Bengali literature can understand his secret of success. I do not think such accurate scholarly and clear expositions of Vedic culture can be found in English elsewhere. His Bhaktivedanta Book Trust publishing house has made sure that the immortal words of our classics have been presented in first-class style. Among the BBT publications, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Caitanya-caritāmṛta, comprising an encyclopedia of Vedic knowledge, are especially notable. I have examined volumes of these sets and recommend these sets not only for our municipal corporation libraries and municipal-funded libraries, but for all libraries of the world...' "

Prabhupāda: They are approaching municipal libraries?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. " 'But for all libraries of the world, wherever people have a sincere interest to go into the depths of Vedic philosophy.' Signed Murali S. Deora, Mayor of Bombay."

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: " 'Along with the Bhāgavata, the Caitanya-caritāmṛta has received as much care and attention in the translation by Śrīla Prabhupāda. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust is presenting these two sets as an encyclopedia of our culture, and our university has made a standing order of these volumes, which our students delight in reading. There is no doubt that the Swamiji has immensely obliged all lovers of our Vedic culture and devotees of Kṛṣṇa cult by this simple, clear, faithful, and illuminating rendering into English. The notes bring out beautifully the subtle implications of the Sanskrit and Bengali text. The lay reader is thus greatly helped in appreciating and understanding the brilliant simplicity of the path of bhakti.' "

Prabhupāda: What he is?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He is the Head of the Department of Sanskrit at the Bombay University. " 'The printing is really excellent and the general get-up highly attractive. I have nothing but the highest praise for this splendid publication. The BBT's encyclopedia would be a valuable asset to each school and college library as well as all general libraries throughout the world.' " These reviews are as good as your books, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: " 'Any educational center interested in giving a complete education to its pupils should follow the example set by the University of California, the British Library, the Oxford University, and the University of Bombay, among many others, who have ordered sets of the BBT's encyclopedia. As an Indian, I am proud of the vast accomplishments of my fellow countryman, Swami Prabhupāda.' "

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Maybe later on I can read some more of these to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. They are very ecstatic. Yeah. Later on I'll read more to you.

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

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Also, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we've come out with Diwali cards this year. These are going to be very, very big. Inside is a message. We are selling hundreds of these. On this BBT will make a very big profit plus the temples will make a profit. We are selling these exclusively to our life members. And on the back is the mahā-mantra. I brought you a package with me. This is another sample.

Yaśomatīnandana: This is going to be very profitable business.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: In the shop it sells for four rupees, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Yaśomatīnandana: We'll sell it for two rupees to our men.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: One-fifty. I've sent you a newsletter to all the temples.

Yaśomatīnandana: We'll sell for two rupees.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We want bulk orders.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How much do they cost?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The BBT cost I'll tell you later.

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much.

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

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: These are all from your books, and this also advertises your books because on the back it's written, "Painting from..."

Prabhupāda: Such and such book.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I thought that by coming out with these Diwali cards, each temple will make an extra thirty, forty thousand per year, because the BBT will make about a lakh a year extra. It's new income. This is a little start.

Prabhupāda: Yaśomatīnandana will order that set. You can sell.

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

Prabhupāda: So far the printing is concerned, there is no question. First class. Very nice.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, this is costing the BBT only...

Prabhupāda: Whatever it costs, I don't mind. You make some profit. That's all.

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

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 -- October 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It gives them specific instruction to immediately transfer these two fixed deposits on the date of maturity to the Central Bank of India, Gwalior Bank, north branch, to the account of Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

Prabhupāda: No. What do they say?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And they also acknowledge having received it, having received the two fixed deposit receipts. The bank manager stamped it, dated it, signature. We gave them the receipts signed, so they acknowledged having received it.

Prabhupāda: But they have not issued any letter, "Yes, it will be done"?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, their acknowledgement of the letter should constitute that. I got them to acknowledge that they received the original. The fact that they would take the receipt of the fixed deposits indicates that they have to do the needful, as we have instructed them. And I have no doubt that they will do that. When they came to see you, they accepted that they would have to do that, because the money was sent to them, the four lakhs.

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, England. America, we are thinking of printing small books for them, because for America to get lower price on all books they have to print many hundred thousand. So many books of yours are out of print, out of stock with BBT Los Angeles. But we can get the same price on a lower run. That means that on lower investment we can print the same books, and in this way at least they will have some books in stock of every book you have published. So if somebody wants some book, they won't say that they don't have it, but they can supply it. So I've been writing about this to Rāmeśvara Swami.

Prabhupāda: My point is, I don't wish to keep money in the bank. Invest in printing.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And now we are making a big go-down in Bombay, a professional go-down for BBT.

Prabhupāda: Where?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: In Bombay.

Prabhupāda: In our?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, in our Hare Kṛṣṇa land. In that Gurukula building, because now we have so many books and we don't have enough space, so we're going to start work on the go-down. I just need three lakh rupees, but when Rāmeśvara comes I'll talk to him and then start it.

Prabhupāda: No, three lakhs we have got.

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Don't keep money unnecessarily. Invest.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, Śrīla Prabhupāda, there's no money. (laughs) BBT is... I'm always asking Hari-śauri to make his payment quickly, because we have invested everything into printing.

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

Harikeśa: The printer has invited all the BBT trustees from all over the world, and he will pay their fare, and he will say he will beat everybody's price in the whole world for printing.

Prabhupāda: Then why not print there?

Rāmeśvara: He wants us to go to do the research next month in November.

Prabhupāda: So go. If you get cheaper and nicer, why not?

Rāmeśvara: We're planning to go and research it very carefully.

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

Prabhupāda: So here is a intelligent boy. Why he should rot here, typewriting? (break) Whatever deficiency are there, that is excused by Guru Mahārāja. Go on printing, go on printing. Deficiency will be corrected, next, next, next. I printed Bhāgavata in that way, many defects. "All right. Whatever is printed, that's all." But these are first class. There is no defect. German printing is very pure. They have got the first-class machine. So we have got so many centers. Wherever cheaper and better printing can be gotten, we may take from there. That's all right. Thank you.

Harikeśa: (choked voice) Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Jayatīrtha: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust ki jaya.

Devotees: Śrīla Prabhupāda ki jaya.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

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

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.

Brahmānanda: What is that?

Hari-śauri: Doesn't matter.

Brahmānanda: Doesn't matter. Yes. Therefore we have to get... I've asked at the BBT that some fund, if we could set up some fund... We have published in the books that "This is donated to the people of Kenya by ISKCON Frankfurt, West Germany." So he is getting a good advertisement also, that he is sending money out of the country for welfare purposes.

Room Conversation -- October 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Where is Tamāla Kṛṣṇa?

Hari-śauri: He's in a BBT Trustee's meeting right now, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Now, whatever direction...

Room Conversation -- October 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What meeting is going on?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We had two meetings today. One meeting was the BBT meeting for the completion of the Bombay project. And then another meeting was about our community Gītā-nagarī. Describing how it will be...

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? In order to finish the Bombay temple, we're making a... We're sending some money to them for completion. So we have a committee called the Māyāpura-Vṛndāvana committee. Persons on the committee are Jayapatākā Swami, Girirāja, Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, Ātreya Ṛṣi, Rāmeśvara Mahārāja, Gurukṛpā Mahārāja and myself. That committee was formed by the GBC last Māyāpura festival. So they decided that they would give a loan, because the BBT was a little short of money... The BBT sends the money to Bombay. So the BBT wants to loan some money from the Māyāpura-Vṛndāvana account in Los Angeles, and they'll pay it back with the same bank interest.

Prabhupāda: Make me centered.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Make a loan from Los Angeles to the BBT, and the BBT will repay it with the regular bank interest. Is that all right? Had you given power of attorney, now that the MV trust has approved it, Girirāja and I can sign on your behalf. See, we'll never sign on our own. We only sign after we get authority from the respective committee or from Your Divine Grace.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Rāmeśvara Mahārāja wanted to show you some very nice things from the BBT, I think your Godbrothers would also be interested to see.

Prabhupāda: Bring him.

Rāmeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, these are pictures of the new paintings for Tenth Canto, Volume Two.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Inside we are going to say very strongly about our philosophy and science. So anybody who's going to oppose that, we're going to duel them. Also we'll show some films, our Hare Kṛṣṇa films, just after the conference. The evening, I have some entertainment program. That program is for showing our films and our activities, ISKCON activities throughout the world. So I have brought all the slides from Los Angeles that we have from our BBT department, and also I have all the films ready. Also they can attend maṅgala-ārati, and in the evening they can also attend the sandhyā-ārati. And also some of them want just to see our temple, Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. They have heard that the architect is very nice, and it's very nicely decorated. So some of them already heard about it, so they just want to see how the temple is here. Overall, our idea is also to make them devotees.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is wanted. So go and arrange. That's all.

Room Conversation With Svarupa Damodara -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: ...some way or other it has become successful.

Bhāgavata: There is no question of thinking, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It is a fact. It is reality that you have become successful, because you have converted even now the scientists. Even the scientists are becoming encouraged to take up Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and their minds are being changed. It is history, and we are seeing it right before our eyes. That is another one of your great contributions in your spiritual conquests, that you have converted the scientists. As Caitanya has conquered the Māyāvādīs, you have conquered the scientists. That's why we are very much eager that you shall remain with us more and more, to carry on these conquests, that we can somehow or other in some small way just help you. But your presence is definitely required. Actually all the devotees are just living to see you from time to time, so that they can get your darśana.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It's a fact that we live only by Śrīla Prabhupāda's mercy. (break)

Abhirāma: Actually, Śrīla Prabhupāda, even though you're simply lying in bed, whatever instructions you give, those are being broadcast all over the world. Simply from this bed you can preach all over the world. You have established such expert system for preaching, your BBT... You have so many disciples. So now, even lying in bed in Vṛndāvana, your preaching is going throughout the world. In so many languages even. Whatever you are speaking here, the GBC's and older devotees, they're taking back to so many different countries and translating into so many languages-Spanish, French, German, Italian. The devotees all over the world are just waiting to hear every word that you speak.

Room Conversation -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Also another thing, that four thousand, er, four lakhs has reached Bombay?

Girirāja: Well, I sent a photocopy of that advice which they gave us here to the CBI, and I told them that they should be sure to get the money from Punjab Bank and put it in our account, BBT. But I didn't get any confirmation, because usually they give the advice to Bombay.

Prabhupāda: So?

Girirāja: So it's not confirmed that we got the money. But I'm sure that... Anyway, I think I'll be going to Bombay in the next week. Otherwise I can send another letter to the CBI to advise us here in Vṛndāvana confirming that the money has been credited.

Prabhupāda: CBI should have acknowledged. Why...? Hm?

Room Conversation -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I think in the BBT there are five, six lakhs.

Girirāja: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So why...? Turn them into books.

Girirāja: (whispering) "I think that in the BBT there's five, six lakhs. So why not transform it into books?"

Prabhupāda: Hindi books can be distributed all over the world.

Girirāja: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Similarly Gujarati, and English to Australia. Why money should be kept in the bank?

Room Conversation -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Let him bring. There is fifty thousand rupees in Orissa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Jayapatākā: That fifty thousand rupees was supposed to be for construction. Bhāgavata Prabhu has collected about 35,000 rupees on his own that he's put into the account there so far. More is also being collected. It was previously promised that whatever he would collect for construction, then that amount would be matched from BBT fund or from your...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Somewhere. So so far he has to collect fifty thousand, 'cause that's already there.

Doctor Visit and Conversation -- October 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. So then it's not for their lifetime; it's forever.

Prabhupāda: There is no harm. They cannot mortgage or...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sublet it.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They can simply live. I wanted that because he is formerly working for BBT... Work or not work, we asked him... Therefore we have given them a place to stay in right hand, and they can live, left hand, all of them. They cannot have the right to mortgage, sale, like that. That is our aim. They can live happily. This much I want. And if we give them right of proprietorship, the rascal may sell it or get out.

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Plus we are starting to construct a BBT godown. Surabhī Swami is working on that because now we are printing so many books, and also we have a big shipment of books from America that we definitely need a very huge godown in Bombay. Last time you had approved giving a loan of four lakhs for the godown.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. Three lakhs. One lakh for printing, three lakhs for the godown.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: (softly) No.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. You said that the godown would only cost three lakhs.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Three to four is the estimate. (to Prabhupāda:) So we are going to start work on the godown in November.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Pañca-draviḍa: We have an arrangement now that Spanish BBT is sending funds every month to Hyderabad temple to finish the construction, and then, to pay back the loan that you gave, we're also sending in contributions to pay back that loan.

Prabhupāda: So, (laughs) what do I need? The money is coming from outside. Never mind.

Guest (1): There is no lack of money, Prabhupāda.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's Gopāla's favorite loan.

Prabhupāda: You take loan—"payable when able." (laughter)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We paid back the first BBT loan—the second three lakhs—I paid it back three months ago. (laughs)

Prabhupāda: That's all. (laughs)

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I also got the loan for the godown. So in November we are starting construction of the BBT godown in Bombay.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That four lakhs, two lakhs was for the godown and two lakhs for book printing.

Prabhupāda: Money you'll get. There is no scarcity. Ātreya Ṛṣi will give you.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Let us introduce in Hindi.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Our Hindi books. And actually that man I spoke to on the phone, he spoke such fluent Hindi I had to ask him three times if he's Chinese or Indian. He was Chinese.

Prabhupāda: No, in Calcutta we have got many Chinese. They speak fluently.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This Chinese was from Peking, not Indian-born. And also I was thinking we can say that Bhaktivedanta Book Trust is one of the biggest printers in the world, and we are seriously thinking of buying Chinese paper for printing. And we can buy Chinese paper if it's good, because I found out that Chinese paper is as good as Japanese paper and it is cheaper.

Prabhupāda: No, we can print there also in China.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. He wrote to the secretary, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Haridāsa. There's a letter written. He says, "Dear Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja, please accept my most humble obeisances at your feet. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Prabhu has shown me the voucher where ISKCON Bombay owed to BBT India Rs. 70,000. When Śrīla Prabhupāda said he wanted to stay with us, I got greatly encouraged and had a desire in my heart to pay back this money to the BBT for Śrīla Prabhupāda."

Prabhupāda: Hm? I could not follow.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: I could not follow what he said.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says... He found out that the Bombay temple owed the BBT seventy thousand rupees. So he says when he heard that you had decided that you wanted to live and not leave us, he got very encouraged and inspired. So he decided on his own that he wanted to pay back this money to the BBT for you. He says, "I have been encouraging all the preachers here at ISKCON Bombay to go out and collect the money to pay off this debt to the BBT. Śrīla Prabhupāda has made all this arrangement very easily because of his encouragement to us. Even devotees who have engagements where they are not likely to make a life member are making life members very easily and are collecting money. And even persons not expected to become members are now becoming members. This is all due to the desire in the hearts of the preachers here in Bombay to serve Śrīla Prabhupāda. And by the grace of Śrīla Prabhupāda, everything is coming very smoothly. This is confirmed in our hearts that without Śrīla Prabhupāda, we cannot do any single work in this movement. Śrīla Prabhupāda gives us encouragement just to kindly agree to stay with us. So yesterday, on Daśarātrī, we collected over 21,000 rupees and made ten members." (Prabhupāda laughs) He says, "We cannot express in English what we are feeling in our hearts, but we are all very encouraged to go out and collect for Śrīla Prabhupāda and expand his life membership program, and we are all very thankful that Śrīla Prabhupāda has been merciful and..." (break)

Trivikrama: By your mercy.

Prabhupāda: No. Yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavat... Any devotee can become. That letter, mayor's letter also, it carries weight.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Vrindavan De: I have sent money twice. Once in Vṛndāvana and Bombay.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, we got the 870 rupees. That we received here.

Vrindavan De: But took from Prabhupāda personally.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. But so far, the payment to the BBT has not come.

Vrindavan De: No, BBT is being arranged. I shall send check.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think your outstanding bill is about 25,000 rupees.

Vrindavan De: Yes, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So that has not been paid.

Prabhupāda: So, why you have not paid?

Vrindavan De: That is also on a check basis. On its encashment I shall send a draft to BBT. I got some outstanding checks. So it takes time, at least a month or more than a month.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Vrindavan De: One thing, Tamāla, you know, I would like to have Prabhupāda's car for the time being.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But Prabhupāda said you had to pay five thousand rupees to BBT. That you haven't done.

Vrindavan De: After paying of this amount the car may be arranged.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But first of all you have to pay the money.

Vrindavan De: All right, I will... (Bengali )

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We already told you if you paid that money, Prabhupāda said then you can have the use of the car. But they have not received that money from you. I mean, actually, the fact of the matter is that you have got a 25,000 rupees bill outstanding which you have not hardly paid anything for in over a year. Now, from the point of view of business, this is not very good business.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Vrindavan De: I received a letter from Prabhupāda a couple of month ago that the amount which is due from us to BBT, that amount should be adjusted through order, which Gargamuni...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. Actually if you read the letter carefully you'll see that Prabhupāda pointed out that the amount that you would get on credit from Gargamuni was equal to the amount of your bill. He didn't say that it would be adjusted. I have a copy of the letter. It doesn't say that it will be adjusted against that.

Vrindavan De: No. Prabhupāda advised Gargamuni to pay interest in our favor to the BBT account to clear out our plea.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So far. I... I know it's being paid to your account.

Vrindavan De: That is why I have not sent any money to BBT. Anyway, I'm arranging to pay BBT immediately.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Some money should be paid. I mean 25,000 rupees' books were taken and no money was received. Very little money was received. I mean, I think to establish credibility some money should be paid. It's only right. The BBT has supplied books. Some money should come back. Otherwise there's a feeling that it's a very one-way business—simply books go out and no money is ever coming in. I think that from your side there should be some... Prabhupāda's only point with the car was to get you to give some money towards the BBT. That was the whole point. Otherwise he could give you the use of the car right away, but he wanted to encourage you that some money should be given to the BBT. The car is there in Māyāpura.

Vrindavan De: I shall send three thousand rupees, as I have committed.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When you send five thousand, then take the car.

Vrindavan De: At present I have arranged to pay BBT three thousand.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's good.

Vrindavan De: But I must get the confirmation. Otherwise he is not ready to deliver the car.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, I told the BBT that they should write you as soon as they receive five thousand rupees.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But you have not sent the money, Vrindavan. So why you're worried about the letter reaching late? First of all send the money, then worry about it. There's no worry. Once you send the money, the letter will come. I don't think that you can doubt that the letter will come. The main point is that the money has to come first. You have no reason to suppose that the letter will be delayed. It will come. They already know it. As soon as they receive five thousand rupees, the BBT, Bombay, will immediately inform Māyāpura, "Five thousand rupees been received. The car may be given." They know that. It's set up. It's a set-up. And you have to live up to your side to pay the five thousand rupees. It's not very much. It's not that much.

Prabhupāda: Now, with the help of Tamāla Kṛṣṇa and who else? Chandra. You can...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Take this order, I think.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And if the bank sees that you have got fifty percent, they will advance.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hm. Especially with the presentation of the bill. Against the bill...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's a little lazy. He's lazy. I could see that when he thought that the money was a donation, I think it came in his mind that "Even if the business deal doesn't go through, I still get the money." He should be encouraged, but his tendency is to be a little lazy. They should not be given money easily, too easily. Otherwise they won't work hard. He's also getting some money, he told me, from a fixed deposit in Calcutta from the BBT which he uses for travel expenses. He says gradually he will be paying some of that money back. He said that's why he sent you sometimes... He recently sent 870 rupees. He says that he's using it for travel expenses, and he may pay it back. I didn't know if you had arranged anything regarding that. You expect him to pay that money back, or not necessarily? It should be.

Prabhupāda: No, I expect.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: They have to see where there is account money. I cannot remember.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, I've got it... I mean I'm doing good on this. You mean just in general to keep everything properly. Is that what you mean, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You mean generally to keep everything in order. Yes, I have a very good hold on it. Some things... You know, because formerly they never kept these things down. Now I'm finding out things. But whenever I get extra information, I note it. Pretty much I have all of the things in order. Just like now I just found out for the first time that he's getting a monthly interest from one of the fixed deposits in the name of BBT. That was never noted. So when I find out the amount, I'll just note it. Then I can deduct it each month from the account that I'm keeping. Like that, sometimes I get new information.

Prabhupāda: So you have to search out.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...of the different businesses of Vrindavan? Well, first of all he was getting money for traveling expenses. So I have written a letter to Mr. Bekkar, the manager of the Central Bank of India at Camac Street, informing him that henceforward the interest from the fixed deposits in the name of BBT should be stopped from giving it to Vrinda Book Company, and instead the money should be transferred by mail transfer to the Central Bank of India, Gwalior Tank Road, to BBT account. I gave all the details. That's one letter. Then furthermore, I also addressed a letter to the Punjab National Bank, Brabourn Road, informing them that the Rs. 500 should be stopped from being given to Shrimati Radharani De, because... I didn't mention this, but the reason is that she'll be getting one thousand rupees from Indian Overseas Bank. And I'm sending that letter...

Prabhupāda: Oh... Has Indian Overseas arranged?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, may I talk to you about Vrindavan Candra?

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I had a little talk with him, you know.

Prabhupāda: Ha.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 'Cause you're giving him about, he gets about 800 rupees a month from the BBT for travel expenses.

Prabhupāda: Mm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So I have some experience with myself as organizing books distribution.

Prabhupāda: Hm, hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So when we would spend with our Rādhā-Dāmodara party, we used to spend about five thousand dollars a month for travel expenses, but for that five thousand dollars we would make a hundred thousand dollars.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In other words twenty times whatever we spent on travelling...

Prabhupāda: And if he does not give substantial order then stop it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, he's not giving any order. I mean the point I made to him was that...

Prabhupāda: Then don't give.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Or the other thing is that you're getting the orders but you're not giving any money to the BBT.

Prabhupāda: Then be satisfied with stipends, two hundred, three hundred, live in that house and then like that nothing wrong.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I have no objection to paying him if he was doing business but...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I just see he's not doing it.

Prabhupāda: I fully depend on your discrimination. I, if he's not giving bill then just stop it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I told him that if you do business, you take the 800 rupees but doing business means you'll pay the BBT some bills.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If you're not paying any bills it means you're not doing business. He is...

Prabhupāda: Very carefully the... I want they may not...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Squander.

Prabhupāda: ...suffer for want of stipend and place. That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: Do like that and I fully depend on you. If he's not giving business what is the use of?

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If he was getting the business, he would have paid your BBT some money.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In over a year he has paid two or three thousand rupees. That's not business. He's taking 800 rupees a month for so long for travel expenses, and he's paid maybe two or three thousand rupees total. I mean it's crazy business.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Anybody can see it's not good business.

Prabhupāda: So stop it all.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: At least five thousand rupees business must be given otherwise... That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Immediately there should be business. If a man spends nearly a thousand rupees for travelling every month, he must be making fifteen, twenty thousand rupees. But he is not giving any money at all to the BBT. So where's the one thousand rupees going that he's given? He couldn't be using it for...

Prabhupāda: So we have given in charge and now stop it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He was giving him travel money now for about two years. And he hasn't given any money to the BBT out of it so I, I really question. I'll talk with him further.

Prabhupāda: You deal.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is that all right? Says, "Book distribution, worldwide." Says here... These are the world totals for the month of September, Śrīla Prabhupāda. In the month of September all over the world they distributed the following number of big books: 215,914. 216,000 big books in one month, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Medium books: 226,000 in one month. Small books: 237,000. And Back to Godheads: 433,000. Now I calculated, Śrīla Prabhupāda, also the total amount of money realized by the BBT. In the month of September the BBT sold, the temples sold 675,000 dollars' worth of books. In rupees, I figured out it's fifty-nine lakhs the BBT sold. Now, the temples, when they..., if they sell a book, they get double the amount of money. You know what I mean? If the BBT sells the book to the temple for say $2.50, the temple gets $5.00 when it sells the book. So I calculated that the temples collected $1,350,000 from selling your books in the month of September, which comes out to one crore, seventeen lakhs collections from book sales. Then I was calculating what this would mean... (end)

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Kṛṣṇa's giving us... I figured out, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that if we... Just like we did in September, I multiplied times twelve to see how much money in a year your books are selling. And the BBT, in one year, can expect to make, around the world, about $8,100,000. In rupees that comes out to seven crores, seventy thousand rupees. Seven crores, seventy thousand rupees.

Prabhupāda: What karmī can earn so much!

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You got one letter, Śrīla Prabhupāda, from the BBT Library Party in America. I won't read it all, but just to sum it up... That Readings in Vedic Literature by Satsvarūpa Mahārāja, that book, remember, that I read some parts of to you? Readings in Vedic Literature Satsvarūpa wrote? It's a short book? That book is becoming very much accepted in university courses. Many, many classes are using it as a textbook, which means that automatically thirty to fifty copies are purchased at a time. And all over the country now, as the Library Party travels, at each college one or two courses use this book now each semester. It's a regular textbook now. Now that they've introduced the study guide to the Bhagavad-gītā, they expect the Bhagavad-gītā will also become a regular textbook more and more. Actually this is a... The Library Party reports that this is a great future for these books, is that gradually all of these books will be accepted as textbooks, and they will be made mandatory reading in college courses, which means there will be huge sales year after year. Another thing which they're beginning to sell very widely, Śrīla Prabhupāda... See, first the Library Party went to every university in America over the last four years and sold standing orders of the Bhāgavatam and Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Now they're going back this year and starting to sell textbooks, text orders. They've done standing orders, now they're going to the same colleges and they're approaching the professors and saying, "Here's a book for your class as a textbook," which means that the teacher orders thirty copies at a time. So they're beginning to do this now. And they're also beginning to sell the movies. Yadubara's movies are being taken. In each school one or two people are renting these films or purchasing these films as well as slide shows. This is called audio-visual media. The Library Party is starting to sell a lot of the movies and the slide shows as well as tape cassettes. Music courses, for example, want to order tape cassettes of Your Divine Grace singing bhajanas and playing the harmonium as part of a course in Indian music, for example.

Room Conversation -- November 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: Dollars. Every time he thinks about it, he adds fifty feet, and it goes up twenty million. So now all the distributors in the world, they were very eager to see the temple built, but at the present time it requires so much money at seventy million dollars and 450 feet that no one can think of even starting it for five years. But if the temple was 300 or 350 feet and twenty-five or thirty million dollars, which I don't think anyone—it would be the biggest building even in India and the biggest temple in the world—then it could be started immediately, feasibly. Four temples in America said that if they just get five women each, that means twenty women from the Society, then they could each pledge 25,000 rupees a month for..., in collection. That means $125,000. Plus BBT's $100,000 a month and Gurukṛpā, that would be enough immediately even in the coming year to start the construction of the temple, simply if Saurabha was asked to just make the temple on a thirty million dollar budget, which would be 350 feet or 300 feet. And this is really inspiring the book distributors to have this temple begun, and to complete it within your lifetime, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: My lifetime... (laughs) It is now very brief. At any moment I can...

Jayapatākā: We're all praying that Kṛṣṇa will give your strength back.

Room Conversation -- November 13-14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) (Bengali conversation with Bon Mahārāja)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is a certificate arrived from the Soviet Union.

Bon Mahārāja: It's in Russian language or in English?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, some of it, I think, is in Russian. I have the translation. It says, the top wording here, this says that "Books in the service of peace and progress. A diploma for the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Bombay, given by the First Moscow International Book Fair Exhibitions and Fairs, General Directorate of International Book Exhibitions and Fairs, USSR." (Bengali conversation)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: All Russian universities ordered Prabhupāda's books. (Bengali)

Room Conversation -- November 13-14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) Los Angeles is godown... (Bengali) Howrah Station. (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I have a picture of it, Śrīla Prabhupāda. I have a picture of that BBT godown.

Prabhupāda: Show him.

Devotee: It's about two blocks long and about one block high.

Bon Mahārāja: Everything is done in a very big way.

Devotee: 'Cause Prabhupāda's a big (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) (Bengali conversation with Bon Mahārāja)

Page Title:BBT (Conversations - 1977)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Labangalatika
Created:15 of May, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=138, Let=0
No. of Quotes:138