Dollars (Conversations 1977)

Expressions researched:
"dollar" |"dollars"

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: ...to wait means that waste of time.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. But Bhagavad-gītā, we're doing one lakh copies now, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is our first experiment with the paper manufacturer here. He's making paper for us exactly like American, especially for us. So I've given Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, Part Two. We are printing ten thousand. Four thousand we'll print on this government paper, softbound, for cheap distribution, and six thousand on expensive American paper, hardbound, for export, because we will be able to export it for a dollar forty, which is two dollars below what Los Angeles charges. Substantial... So as an experiment, I only wanted to... I've ordered paper for six thousand expensive hardbound. Let's see how the paper is. If it's good, then we'll use the same paper for one lakh. Before taking a risk on one lakh, I wanted to experiment on a smaller run.

Trivikrama: So I'm also thinking about printing again. Now we have just enough...

Prabhupāda: We can print here.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We have very good arrangement.

Prabhupāda: At what price you are printing?

Trivikrama: Pretty cheap.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Hong Kong is very expensive.

Prabhupāda: No no, let him say.

Trivikrama: Well, you know the book we have, six chapters.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

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

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Have you seen the Gītās we printed in India? Here are our samples. They're very good. Actually, I mean I'm not trying to be rude... Because I was negotiating the prices for the Chinese Gītā when... You know that time. Sevānanda was telling me all the prices of the worst of Hong Kong for that time. It was above a dollar.

Trivikrama: Yeah, I know, but that was in Hong Kong. We got it printed in Taiwan for cheaper.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh. Because he sent me for dollar forty, dollar thirty. I have the prices with me.

Trivikrama: And this was... That was also for the corrections. No, the price is about seventy-five cents.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Only thing I've told Jayatīrtha and Bali-mardana Prabhus to do is to open a letter of credit now because we are going to be exporting these Gītās at export price. And the bank is giving our printer a loan of ten lakhs. So he has to show the bank a letter of credit, so I hope they send it, and then this will start rolling. End of February is our first shipment. We're going to ship ten thousand Gītās.

Prabhupāda: Letter of credit you can get.

Room Conversation -- January 4, 1977, Bombay:

Jagadīśa: With just a stick.

Prabhupāda: Yes, with a stick. (chuckles) They are so submissive. The cow is going this side, "Raa-raa!"—immediately. (Jagadīśa laughs) When in Bible they say, "The animal is given to the care of man," like that... There is. This is care of, not that "Because we care of, we shall kill them." What is this interpretation? How demonic this Western civilization. "Because Jesus Christ, the God, has given the animals to our care, therefore we shall kill and eat." Anyway, try to introduce a renovation of civilization. Therefore they are trying to oppose us. Now they are conscious about the movement, that "If it is allowed to increase, then our program will be finished. And young men are taking. They are not rejecting." That is their concern. They are concerned about their business and industry. If these young men are held up in plain living, then where their industry...? Industry means to exploit the work of others and give them one dollar and make profit ten dollars. This is industry, at the cost of others some capitalist gaining huge profit. This is industry. "And let them live in a hellish condition, go to hell.

Evening Darsana -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: We are increasing. There is opposition against our movement, and still, we are increasing.

D. D. Desai: When you say, "We are poor..."

Prabhupāda: No, no, so-called poor.

D. D. Desai: That's it. Because the other day when I was reading Howard Hughes and his billion-dollar life, and then also Poli(?), I can say this much, that some of our poorest of Indians are far better off than these gentlemen.

Prabhupāda: Yes, culturally we are better off. Materially, we are certainly very poor. But because we are culturally advanced, even the actual poor man, he does not feel that he is in poverty.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Oh, book sale? Five to six lakhs. Now, you can just imagine from the sales.

Guest (1): And how many people it must be going. This magazine is hardly one dollar. In America one rupee. (Hindi?) ...magazine for them.

Prabhupāda: So this is documentary. And the Europeans and..., they are not fools and rascals that they are interested in purchasing other religious book, not their Bible. You see? So it has got very great potency. So under the circumstances, we should now make combined effort that it can be pushed on more organizedly. I am doing now alone with the help of these... But no Indians are coming. This is the difficulty.

Guest (2): I think, with all due respect, many Indians are trying to do things in their own religious sect or in their own districts.

Prabhupāda: Nobody is doing.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Girirāja: Sanātana Gosvāmī, when he suspected that they were going to steal, he told, "Get rid of it."

Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughs) Yes. He immediately offered, "I have got this seven dollars. You take it." He was astrologer. He said, "No, you have got eight dollars. But I'll not take your money." "No, no, you take, sir. You'll not take—somebody will take. I'll give you. Kindly help me." And he chastised his servant, "Why you have taken these dangerous things? So you have got still one dollar. You go back. You don't come with me. And eight dollars I have given him. I'll be free." He thought that "Master is by sentiment leaving home and he is so opulent. Let me go with him and keep some money in case of emergency." Of course, that is... From his part it was right, but he thought that "Without this money, to remain, is more safe than to feel safety by keeping money." Because if the government is plunderer, then there is no other. This time is coming. The government will plunder in the name of taxation, and there will be no rainfall, scarcity of food. So everyone will feel very difficult to maintain the family. They'll leave voluntarily and go away. This is foretold.

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

Gurudāsa: It's on what's called Gangadwip. But that's new place. It's an island that just appeared this year, splitting the Ganges in two. You know, Jushi is here, and Gangadwip is here. And the place where we were last year is here. We were here last year, Gangadwip is here, and Jushi is here. And... But I've been sending out and going out on saṅkīrtana, so that will make up for our location. It's not so bad, but I want to paint a true picture. It's not so good, nor is it so bad. And there's thirteen tents. We have three bigas of land, sand. And we've made a tin enclosure all the way around. And we had a Swiss cottage tent for yourself. Swiss cottage means a room about this large from the end of the almirah to the wall and about this wide. And then a middle room about from here to the wall, and then another small room. But I was not satisfied with that, so I took that tent down, and when I left a day and a half ago I told Bhāgavata dāsa and Jagat-guru Mahārāja, who are there, to erect a straw house for you, bigger. So they are, I hope, doing that. The difficulty was that we had no money, and therefore I've come and am going back. I had a few hundred dollars in traveler's checks which I cashed and gave it to them to keep going.

Prabhupāda: Straw house is not good.

Gurudāsa: No? What would you like? Because a straw house retains the heat during the day.

Prabhupāda: That's all right, but if there is fire it will be...

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

Prabhupāda: Oh. So there is facility for exchanging dollars?

Gurudāsa: Yes. I'm trying to cash this draft. I went to three banks, and as I say, I had some traveler's checks, and because there was no money there I cashed my own traveler's checks and left it with them, so they... You want dollars into rupees? Yes, that's possible.

Prabhupāda: What is the rate?

Gurudāsa: It was 8.78 the other day. It fluctuates from day to day, but 8.78.

Prabhupāda: That is good rate, 8.70...

Gurudāsa: Better than before. That was for traveler's checks. It may be slightly less for cash.

Hari-śauri: Yes. Traveler's checks are always higher.

Gurudāsa: So I'm going back today. As soon as Gopāla Kṛṣṇa gives me the lakṣmī, money, I'll go back. Bhāgavata's doing a very nice job.

Prabhupāda: We have to go to Orissa, Bhuvaneśvara, afterwards.

Discussion on Deprogrammers -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Rāmeśvara: Following the example of Kaṁsa, unfavorable meditation on Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But that will also do benefit.

Trivikrama: Their center is Kṛṣṇa also, only they're demons.

Rāmeśvara: These are receipts, Śrīla Prabhupāda, each one for two thousand dollars deposited in your account in Los Angeles.

Prabhupāda: That is rent tax.

Rāmeśvara: Yes. We already entered that. Both times from Balavanta in...

Prabhupāda: You enter. Enter this.

Hari-śauri: Two from Balavanta, two from Rūpānuga.

Prabhupāda: Debit.

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

Prabhupāda: So make this immediately.

Rāmeśvara: This is the notice of the money we just sent to Bombay from Los Angeles, seventy thousand dollars.

Prabhupāda: So now do the needful about this. And the invoice? You have sent the books?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

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.

Morning Darsana and Room Conversation Ramkrishna Bajaj and friends -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is our victory, when there is opposition, and that is our victory. In spite of opposition, we are selling our books in large quantity. Yes. Large quantity. What is the one week sale that? Eighteen lakhs or something like...

Girirāja: In one week, the books, total of books, was seven lakhs books in one week.

Indian man: In one week? That would be hundred thousand dollars.

Prabhupāda: No, no. More than. Eh? Seven lakhs?

Guest (11) (Indian man): But mostly they are in America. Also in that number in Japan?

Prabhupāda: No, America. And opposition is also in America. No, Europe and America, they are taking.

Guest (10): Opposition is natural. Because you are converting their churches into temples.

Prabhupāda: No, there are many... First thing is that my students are advised, "No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication up to the point of smoking cigarette and drinking tea, and no gambling." But this is their life. How they can give up this? That is... It is a shock. Therefore they say, "brainwashing," that "How a gentleman can give up all these things?" Many... No many. A few of my students, they left. They said that "Swamiji is denying the primary necessities of life." They left. They could not tolerate even. So I do not make any compromise. That you want to become my student you have to give up these things. So the responsible parents, they are appreciating that "My son is now purified." But some of them, there are...

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Bali-mardana writes to me that he even wants to order 7.2 and 7.3 from India. So what I'm saying is the demand is there for our books. Because we are selling the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for one dollar forty-five cents, same quality with plastic cover and two or three ribbon.

Prabhupāda: No, one thing is that if you export, you will come to the light of the government. They want. And then you will get a good supply of paper.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. We can import paper also.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: So that's why I want you to spend a day or two. We have so many things I want to cover with you.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He can send paper?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, what I had earlier written to him was we can import paper and I can give the money into construction. And because I have... I know the Joint Chief Control of Imports and Exports in Delhi, and he told me he would give me a license to import paper duty free. So we can import paper which you can pay for in Singapore, you follow? I'll give you the dealer, everything. And the paper will come. We'll print...

Prabhupāda: You supplied paper to Japan, I think.

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So do it immediately.

Rāmeśvara: This is a good opportunity for us to have a very solid relationship with the printer.

Prabhupāda: Hm. That's nice.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Also if we can give these Bhāgavatams for a dollar to America, they can import it from here also, and as I told Rāmeśvara Mahārāja, we can give a plastic cover plus two or three ribbons. Insured, it will cost nothing extra.

Prabhupāda: You decide for (indistinct) why not.

Rāmeśvara: We're going to discuss it at the Māyāpur festival with Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Swami, because he's in charge of distribution.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: He has to approve the quality.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The quality's only a little inferior.

Prabhupāda: I don't think India can make such quality.

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Rāmeśvara: Has Prabhupāda told you how much profit you should make? Because in America you have always said it should be marked up one hundred percent. If a book costs us one dollar, we should sell to the temple at two dollars. So your book is costing over one dollar, and you are only selling it for $1.45.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, no. The Bhāgavatam's costing less. The Gītās we are selling for $1.50.

Rāmeśvara: Oh.

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

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

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

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

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Prabhupāda: Yes. So make records "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa."

Rāmeśvara: And for each record our profit is $2.50. So $2.50 times one million records becomes millions of dollars.

Prabhupāda: Spend it for prasāda distribution. Don't squander it. Every cent should be utilized for Kṛṣṇa, not for sense gratification.

Rāmeśvara: Now, some of the money could be sent to India for ISKCON Food Relief.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Rāmeśvara: That would be very good.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. That will make our movement very popular in India.

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Why, in the Bowery Street, they are lying on the street in stool and urine? Why?

Rāmeśvara: Formerly they were doing that, but now again they are just living nicely.

Prabhupāda: Living nicely on the street. They have no nice place even. What is that? Lions? Go pay one dollar and live there?

Jagadīśa: YMCA.

Prabhupāda: Something like that. They have no place to live. At night... Whole day they lie down on the street and beg and drink, and at night they pay one dollar and live.

Rāmeśvara: That's a very small minority of the people.

Prabhupāda: Well, there is? Why? You are so rich country, why? Why it is happening? Not small minority.

Rāmeśvara: And we have our vacations. We can travel anywhere in the world and visit, sightsee.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. But you cannot say that everyone is very rich. That is not... We admit your contribution, but... The other day I was saying that aeroplane is contribution, but it is not safe. So long it is flying, it is all right, but any moment... Similarly, this civilization will be contribution like that. It is not safe. Because this life, you are enjoying very good house, very good society, but next life, if you are going to be a tree by nature's law, then what is the value of your this life?

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Jagadīśa: They're helping us to spread Kṛṣṇa's glories.

Rāmeśvara: Now, they say... Just like in Los Angeles we have sued the family for two million dollars, two and a half million dollars, because they kidnapped their girl. So they say that the girl, she would not have done this, but because we told her to do it, therefore she did it. Therefore there is control. We are controlling her.

Prabhupāda: We must because you checked her freedom.

Rāmeśvara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Why did you kidnap? Therefore we must teach him some lesson.

Jagadīśa: Everyone acts in such a way to please his friends, anyway.

Rāmeśvara: Their argument is that this girl who was kidnapped, she still likes her family, but now we have told her, "You must sue them." So therefore she is doing it. So therefore she is not free. She is... We are controlling her.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now you want to control her. We are controlling, but you want to control her. So if you can control, why shall I not control? Why you are poking your nose? We shall cut your nose. (laughter)

Conversation and Instruction On New Movie -- January 13, 1977, Allahabad:

Prabhupāda: Then why not?

Rāmeśvara: ...we can start some businesses. Just like Spiritual Sky was started. It is giving every month to Los Angeles five thousand dollars.

Prabhupāda: So you can do business. Why don't you start this toothpaste? It is very effective. I am using personally. Toothpaste is a very common thing. If you introduce, it is used by cent percent persons. Simply they should like it.

Rāmeśvara: The taste is all right?

Prabhupāda: Yes, taste can be...

Rāmeśvara: Adjusted.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Conversation and Instruction On New Movie -- January 13, 1977, Allahabad:

Prabhupāda: And "You do not know what is good. It is good. We have given up these bad habits, sinful life. It is not... But you have no idea that these are good. You have idea, but out of your definite malice you cannot appreciate. You are spending millions of dollars for giving up this LSD, and our power is so strong, as soon as one comes, he gives up. But you are so rascal, you do not appreciate. That means you are rascal. Our power is there; our reaction is there for good. That's a fact. But you cannot understand. You are so rascal; you are so fallen down. The same, like the hog. He does not know what is the..., how nice is halavā. You give him halavā; he'll not take it. He will take stool. That is his misfortune. It cannot say that halavā is bad, but he cannot appreciate because he's hog. He'll prefer to eat stool. We are giving up these nonsense, nasty things. You cannot appreciate. 'Oh, they are giving up meat-eating? It is brainwashing.' You are so low, hog life." Tell them like that. "As the hog cannot appreciate what is the value of nice halavā, similarly you cannot appreciate. Your brain has to be washed. Please come inside. We shall wash it." Is it not?

Rāmeśvara: Yes.

Conversation and Instruction On New Movie -- January 13, 1977, Allahabad:

Prabhupāda: So we can take money for food. That is also our program.

Rāmeśvara: Well, I'm going to try to develop this record business. I think we can make a million dollars a year, profit.

Prabhupāda: And send it for our farms, and we invite, "Come here. Take prasādam."

Rāmeśvara: Oh, the farm communities. Oh, not just food relief, but also developing the farm projects.

Hari-śauri: That's food relief.

Prabhupāda: Now, my project is that we shall actually give them food, shelter and...

Rāmeśvara: Cottages, little cottages.

Prabhupāda: And cloth, whatever primary necessities and simple living, and let them chant.

Conversation and Instruction On New Movie -- January 13, 1977, Allahabad:

Prabhupāda: It will be successful.

Hari-śauri: Then they could increase that.

Prabhupāda: It will be successful.

Rāmeśvara: I think we can make a million dollars a year.

Prabhupāda: Oh yes.

Rāmeśvara: After it has been developed.

Prabhupāda: And purchase grains. (indistinct) purchase books.

Rāmeśvara: I've studied but more Americans buy records than books. They spend more money buying records than buying books.

Prabhupāda: Mm. That is natural.

Rāmeśvara: But commercially there's some good potential.

Prabhupāda: But do not neglect book sales.

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

Prabhupāda: All brahmacārī and sannyāsī.

Rāmeśvara: My zone is all gṛhasthas (laughs) with a few brahmacārīs. Anyway, next year we can beat Tamāla Kṛṣṇa. (Prabhupāda chuckles) He has only beaten us by a few hundred thousand dollars.

Prabhupāda: But don't tell him now.

Rāmeśvara: Or it may be ruined.

Prabhupāda: He may be very careful.

Rāmeśvara: I think we should send him a congratulations letter.

Prabhupāda: (laughing) Yes. You send.

Rāmeśvara: I'll send him.

Prabhupāda: (laughing) Yes. To entice him.

Rāmeśvara: This is his main...

Prabhupāda: Actually in the beginning, for increasing the sale, Tamāla Kṛṣṇa gave the impetus. He was selling best in San Francisco. Then went from... What is that? We were printing in the beginning? What is the press called?

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: But they have never used it against us. But now they have started. One devotee, a girl from Berkeley temple who is a very big book distributor... Sometimes she could collect five, six hundred dollars in one day. She was just kidnapped—by order of the court. They have a psychologist who listens to the parents' description, and on the basis of that secondhand report the psychologist...

Prabhupāda: No, kidnapping, that is already law there. If one is minor or without the permission of the parent, with police force she or..., can be kidnapped.

Rāmeśvara: But this is not for minors. This is for adults.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Oh.

Rāmeśvara: This is a new thing, that the psychologist will write some report to the court that "Based on the information I have received, this person is not mentally competent. Therefore this person must be put under the guardianship of their parents even if they are an adult. Otherwise they will harm themselves." So in this way the psychologists...

Prabhupāda: But any psychologist will give report or anyone can...

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Gargamuni: Years ago there was a scandal in the States, and in the Midwest they found a family who was receiving a total of thirty thousand dollars a year in welfare checks.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Rāmeśvara: This problem practically ruined Australia's economy. Five years ago Australia was a very wealthy country, and then they elected a new government, socialist government, and they began increasing all sorts of benefits, pensions, welfare benefits. And millions of people... Not millions, but many working people stopped working because it was easier just to get the free money. In this way...

Prabhupāda: So you should be very careful. Because you are giving free prasādam, similarly all lazy fellow may not come and take free prasāda. Therefore engagement must be there. Otherwise this lazy fellow will come, sleep and take prasāda.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: The farmers.

Hari-śauri: Yeah.

Rāmeśvara: They devalued the Australian dollar very much. The Australian dollar used to be worth maybe...

Prabhupāda: More than American dollar.

Rāmeśvara: One dollar, forty cents.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: Or one dollar, sixty cents. Now it is almost equal.

Prabhupāda: Oh. So much.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Gargamuni: Yes, in Canada.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Seeing my books. That Consulate General in Montreal, he, when he read my The Teachings of Lord Caitanya, he immediately became attracted.

Gargamuni: You spent only twenty-five dollars, and we spent so much on lawyers.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Twenty-five or thirty-five dollars.

Gargamuni: We were hiring lawyers in New York.

Prabhupāda: The lawyer was taking monthly at least three hundred dollars and postponing. That's all.

Rāmeśvara: Naturally. So he can continue getting money.

Prabhupāda: He would phone Rayarāma, "Will you kindly send me $150 today." And he has to send. And he was simply postponing date. That's all.

Gargamuni: He would call on the phone.

Rāmeśvara: I heard that you once said, "Lawyer means liar."

Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughs)

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Thieves, rogues and plunderers. That's all.

Hari-śauri: Detroit has the highest murder rate in the world, 'cause all the city population is black.

Prabhupāda: Therefore we could purchase that palace which costs six million dollars fifty years ago. And we have got for three hundred thousand. Why? Nobody was purchasing. Who will go to purchase there? I took it. "Yes it is..." I offered him... He was asking 350,000. So I told him, "I'll pay you cash, all three hundred." He immediately agreed. (laughs) I should have offered him less. He would have agreed. Nobody was purchasing.

Hari-śauri: Yes, we could have got it for half...

Prabhupāda: So he immediately agreed. Anyway, that's a very nice place. You have seen?

Rāmeśvara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Very nice place, unique palace.

Hari-śauri: Yes, a very good center.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Very nice building. We haven't got such building anywhere. On the waterside, big, big rooms, very nicely decorated, aristocratic, really aristocratic, really aristocratic. How many devotees are living there?

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: America, I don't think so good.

Rāmeśvara: Although there is a way to develop mail order business. We found out that mail order businesses in America make millions of dollars.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: So it's possible.

Prabhupāda: Hm... That is worth.

Rāmeśvara: Now, one thing... (break) ...because he's very passionate, because he takes intoxicants, so he wants to control that money. He made a plan that if the whole money is given to San Diego he will match it gradually. So now I've already given seventy thousand dollars to San Diego. So maybe we can...

Prabhupāda: So I'll tell him that they don't bother. He is doing nice.

Rāmeśvara: But we can suggest to him that "We have already given seventy thousand. So now you match that. Then, when we give more, you can match that."

Prabhupāda: No, he's a good boy. You can talk with him. All right. Take rest. (end)

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: So madman they are.

Rāmeśvara: It was in Reader's Digest. They had that idea. And they described one man who invested fifty thousand dollars and imported crabs from, where? Australia, Indonesia. And he put them in a pond. He was thinking they will reproduce and I'll have huge family of crabs.

Prabhupāda: That you can have. That is material...

Rāmeśvara: And the crabs, in such close quarters, they began eating each other.

Prabhupāda: Acchā?

Rāmeśvara: And at the end he had one crab left for his fifty thousand dollars. (chuckling)

Prabhupāda: A madman working... Chāgale nā khāya, pāgale ki bale. "A madman, what does he not say, and a goat, what does he not eat?" There is a system like that amongst the Muhammadan aristocracy. They keep one hundred chickens. Each day they kill one chicken, and that flesh, chopped up and given to the ninety-nine. Then, next day another. In this way, when one is left, that the master eats. Concentrating from hundred to one, and then he eats it. This is Muhammadan process.

Room Conversation -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: No, then this Kartanai(?) can help.

Rāmeśvara: Yes. And their main interest is foreign exchange from the tourists. So if we offer them U.S. dollars to purchase the property, they may think, "Why should we waste our time developing when they will give us lakhs in U.S. dollars, and let them develop?"

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: So they may sell it to us on that basis.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We shall develop. (break)

Gargamuni: ...talking about in Purī, that there's a class of men who are preaching that because of Caitanya's movement, Islam was spreading, because the king became somewhat weakened, they have said. So I met one such man there also at the Purī Hotel. He said, "What is this Hare Kṛṣṇa? By this Caitanya cult the Islam has spread." He was saying. So I told him, "You said that. We don't get any information historically. In fact it was the reverse, that this Hussain, the Nawab Hussain Shah, he became a great follower." He said, "No, that is not written anywhere." I said, "No, it is in Caitanya-caritāmṛta." He did not accept Caitanya-caritāmṛta as historic fact. He was a crazy man.

Prabhupāda: Demon.

Evening Darsana -- January 23, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: More than that. You were in the welfare department. What is the minimum?

Satsvarūpa: It keeps going up. I think it's more like forty, fifty dollars for one person.

Prabhupāda: Forty means at the rate of nine rupees.

Guest (2): Nine-fifty.

Prabhupāda: No, not fifty. Per week, yes.

Mr. Pandiya: In Western countries they give wages in terms of weeks.

Prabhupāda: Yes, weekly.

Guest (1): So spiritually they are innocent, comparing with India. We have become complicated after passing through many cultural ups and downs.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Due to these blind leaders. You see Bhagavad-gītā.

Room Conversation -- January 26, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: "You first of all give so much blood. So much give me, and then..."

Gurukṛpā: Yes. And charge you fifty dollars.

Prabhupāda: Regular business. It is very difficult to consult with a doctor.

Gurukṛpā: And I saw the dentist. He tried to ruin one of my tooth so he could do work on that also and make more money. He tried to damage the teeth.

Prabhupāda: Money is the only aim. And they will talk all nonsense and make experiment, especially in the Western countries. Here also they have got now money-making sight. Lawyers also. Any... I have seen in our relatives, big, big rich men. The brothers may sit down and make some... My father-in-law did that. They sat down, and they were two brothers, and divided his property and got two days. But those who are rascals, they go to lawyer and continually meeting—his man, his man. In this way the whole property is sold. And they get out with this. That's all. I have seen so many cases. Then the property division means there is nothing to divide. Everything is sold, and the money was taken by the lawyers as their fees. I have seen so many cases. These real estate men? Real estate? They also. So many times they complicated our men. You know that?

Room Conversation -- January 26, 1977, Puri:

Satsvarūpa: The first time?

Prabhupāda: Yes. They'll promise... You have got five thousand dollars. They'll promise 100,000 dollars' property you'll get, and how it will be done, this scheme, that scheme... "We'll do this scheme, that..." Then they will take five thousand dollars from you, and they will say, "Now it is finished. Now bring more money." Then further made... That lawyer who was trying to give me a permanent visa?

Satsvarūpa: Yeah, some Greek name.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Fishlington or something like that.

Satsvarūpa: Mitralanti(?) or something.

Prabhupāda: Ah. So he was taking every fortnightly 150 dollars by telephone, and Rāyarāma, he was paying. He took about five hundred, six hundred dollars and did not do anything, simply extending the date. The lawyers will plunder. The government men will plunder. The physician will plunder. Ordinary dealing, they will plunder. The shopkeepers will plunder. The... And bank will say that "You take money. You pay your bills. We'll give you loan, we'll charge interest. And when you get your salary, then you have to deposit it in the bank." And they'll adjust. And again you are penniless. Again you take loan. The social arrangement is so made that you simply depend on loan. And to earn this money you'll have to go five hundred miles away from your home, early in the morning, in the car.

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: What is the working? People are suffering; you are working. There is a Bengali proverb, sate kusti dolpe gelun.(?) There was a big fair. One has to go there. So he began to dress himself nicely. So the time occupied for dressing, in the meantime the fair was finished. (laughs) Sate kusti kolpe gelun.(?) These are practical. You need immediately water. These rascals say, "Yes, wait. Wait for future."

Satsvarūpa: "Wait and give us billions of dollars. Research."

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Why shall I wait? Immediately necessary. You have no such power to evaporate the water and make into cloud and distribute. Very easily it is being done. Then why don't you accept somebody's doing that?

Satsvarūpa: If a scientist will accept there is God, then there is no harm in making scientific progress.

Prabhupāda: Then they will hear the words of God, Bhagavad-gītā. Then everything will be solved. Yajñād bhavati parjanyaḥ (BG 3.14). Then he will hear. They will chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and there will be rain.

Room Conversation -- January 29, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: It means few dollars.

Hari-śauri: Yes. Three or four hundred dollars.

Prabhupāda: In taxi in the beginning, I saw, "Three hund..., three thousand dollar." So (laughs)... And "Three thousand yen." So I did not know. I have got... They changed. Not dishonest. Honest or dishonest, I did not know. Whatever they took and returned, that's all. But I know they are not dishonest. They are nice people, hard worker, honest. But Japanese... This Tojo attempted that "This is the time for expanding with German help." Bad luck. They could not do. They wanted to keep China under their control. That also failed. They fought with the Russians in the beginning, when we were children, to expand-failed. This time they wanted to occupy Hawaii.

Morning Walk -- February 1, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: That is the position. And I have heard that among the scientists' society, if somebody speaks of God he's immediately rejected.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. Just like, for example, NASA this, what is it? Aeronautics and Space Institute, they are applying a lot of grants especially to the study of the origin of life from chemicals and all these research schemes. They are spending billions of dollars. But once...

Prabhupāda: See. How foolish. Billions of dollars they are spending for a false thing, and they are educating. Durāśayā bahir-artha-māninaḥ. (chuckling) It is stated in the SB.. They're proposing something which is not the fact, which will never be possible. still, they'll do.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In fact, there's one member from here from India, he's in Bombay, that Atomic Research Institute. He's one of the (indistinct) members in this study of the origin of life from chemicals. And if it's possible we would like to give a lecture there in the...

Prabhupāda: He is talking nonsense also?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: All of them.

Prabhupāda: A nonsense society. "International Society of Nonsense."

Morning Walk -- February 2, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Gurukṛpā: Thousands of dollars.

Prabhupāda: Why do you pay? One man is earning ten rupees a day, but when there is some case he is paying fifty rupees a day or fifty rupees per standing a lawyer. Why does he pay? No, you say to them that "We are brāhmaṇas. The more you pay us, you'll be benefited." What do they say? That "You are living at the cost of others"?

Gurukṛpā: Yes. We are taking from the society.

Satsvarūpa: They don't recognize our activity as work, honest work.

Gurukṛpā: Think we're cheating. Many people interrupt our book sales, saying "These people are simply taking money."

Prabhupāda: Where do they say? In your country?

Gurukṛpā: Yes. They come, and they stop the sale: "Don't give him anything. He's cheating."

Prabhupāda: Ācchā?

Gurukṛpā: "He's stealing from you." That is a great problem. We lose so many sales because of envious people stopping.

Satsvarūpa: They say we're pretending to be a religion just to collect money, but our real aim is just to cheat, false propaganda. (horn beeps)

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "ISKCON farm report: Port Royal, Pennsylvania, report for year 1976. ISKCON Incorporated of New York owns a prime farm in Juanita County of Pennsylvania. The land is nearly four hundred acres in size, valued at around five hundred dollars per acre, or two hundred thousand dollars. In addition the buildings on the property consist of the following: barn worth $40,000; outbuildings worth $10,000; calf barn $25,000; equipment $50,000; residential building $45,000; guesthouse and public kitchen and prasāda pavilion $75,000; and silos $20,000. Total, including land, $465,000. The purpose of this land is to produce foodstuffs to meet all the needs of the farm community as well as the needs of our temples in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. Another purpose is to demonstrate the principle of cow protection, as we are strict vegetarians and do not believe in slaughtering cows. Our herd of cows is Brown Swiss, and they are rated amongst the top one percent of dairy cow herds in the United States. All of the cows are pedigreed. Our farm holds fifty milk cows and fifty young cows, heifers. The milk cows milk an average of 40 kilos of milk per day in their first month of lactation and average 25 kilos per day over the whole year. We have 140 acres of crop land and 30 acres of pasture, the balance being woods, primarily hardwood, which is excellent for fuel. On our land we grow not only all the food for the residents but also for the cows. The following is the yield for 1976: corn-200 tons, soybeans-10 tons, barley-10 tons, oats-10 tons..."

Prabhupāda: What do you do with the soybeans?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The soybeans are ground and given to the cows.

Brahmānanda: In the winter.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In the wintertime. This way...

Prabhupāda: They're very nutritious.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Very digestive.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes. And water sells now for a dollar a gallon now in New York. A good market.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "So we at ISKCON farm look forward to an even more bountiful harvest in the year 1977. This is subscribed and sworn before me by a notary public." So it is official report.

Prabhupāda: Very good report. It is worth seeing, worth considering our... If we develop our farms in India on this basis, it will be very nice. We have got greater land. You have got 450 acres; we have got 600. No? Now it requires development.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Mahāṁśa was calling for this because he said that by showing this... He wants to get a big grant of money.

Prabhupāda: They simply want money. That's all. Money will only be supplied. Let them show some work.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The whole profession is crooked. She told that they have a cure for cancer. There's a cure for cancer. It comes from a natural herb available in South America. But the American Medical Association has forbidden the importation of this herb, because if they import it, then all of their cancer work is finished. And they're making billions of dollars doing cancer research. So they won't allow this herb to be imported. It has no bad effect, but they will not allow its importation. So one of our devotees, Jayānanda, you know he has cancer now.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Oh, he has very severe case of cancer.

Brahmānanda: They say he will die from this.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All over his body these nodule protrusions have come, big lumps growing out, cancerous growths. After Ratha-yātrā this happened. So he went into the hospital, and they nearly killed him in the hospital. Practically they killed him. They put so many tests on him that he was nearly dead. He lost fifty, sixty pounds, he was practically dead. Then when I heard, I got him out of the hospital. There's no purpose. I could understand they didn't know what they were doing. They were just testing. So then he went... He's now in Tijuana, Mexico, and since taking this medicine all of the growths have gone away. Now, how long he will live, that is another matter. But immediately all of these symptoms, outward symptoms, they're gone simply by taking this medical...

Prabhupāda: Herbs.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So we have to close.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's already closed.

Brahmānanda: And they seized our books.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Books were seized for twenty thousand dollars worth of books.

Brahmānanda: But there has been some reports in the newspapers that Argentina is now a military dictatorship, and it's very bad place. Many people are being taken and shot regularly.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now... But also in Venezuela, there, now the government wants to audit the accounts. They are asking for a public auditing of our books.

Prabhupāda: Public property?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Audit. Audit.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Room Conversation with Adi-kesava Swami -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Just see. This is their civilization. In Paris there are so many clubs. The old men, they first of all pay fifty dollars to enter into the club. Then he selects which vagina he will lick up. Then another payment. I know that. (aside:) No, he can be asked to sit down there.

Hari-śauri: To sit in the room.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Actually this is the fact. But they are fools. They still like to lick up new vagina. Exactly dogs. We are restricting that "Give up this business, licking of vagina," and they are seeking up to the point of death another vagina, another vagina, another... Which is better? If we say that "Give up this nonsense business," is that brainwash? And if it is brainwash, it is for good. What is this civilization, who is never satisfied? The same business is going on up to the point of death. Our civilization is: "All right, you are attached to vagina-licking. Do it up to fifty years. Then give it up." This is our civilization. "You are so much accustomed to the vagina-licking business—up to fifty years, so long you are young. Then give it... Don't do it anymore." This is our civilization. And that also, after twenty-five years. For twenty-five years teach him, "It is no good business. Brahmacārī. Remain alone. You have got so much botheration." If he's still unable: "All right, take one wife. Be satisfied. Lick up one. And then, at the age of fifty years, give up." This is our... Is that wrong?

Satsvarūpa: It's good.

Room Conversation with Adi-kesava Swami -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Dogs and all animals, smelling vagina. They think, "Here is real pleasure."

Hari-śauri: There's no need to move around, Śrīla Prabhupāda... (break)

Prabhupāda: They're going for vagina and paying heavy toll: fifty dollars for entering the club, then two hundred dollars for drinking. You know this?

Hari-śauri: Yes.

Prabhupāda: This is their civilization, vagina civilization. In Florida they go, Miami, to spend money weekly, five hundred, five thousand dollars for naked dance. You know that?

Hari-śauri: Yes. So many places. Las Vegas. Every big city has...

Prabhupāda: And Brahmānanda told me sometimes they see on the stage a fatty woman having sex with an ass. This is exhibited in Mexico. And they enjoy it.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gargamuni: They grabbed the books. I had to leave so many books there. They wanted them immediately. And they will pay us in dollars also.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Gargamuni: They get special grants.

Prabhupāda: How many standing orders?

Gargamuni: Well in Rangoon I went to the head of the Oriental Studies. They ordered all of Bhāgavatam. Then there's the National Library. They want. Then the National Trading Corporation wants to import our books and sell to the various libraries there. We met... We were only there four or five days, but we met so many people of different types of departments who want the books. Then in Bangkok I met the head of the Department of Philosophy. He ordered the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Then I met the head of Eastern Languages...

Prabhupāda: Did you go to our center, Bangkok?

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.

Rāmeśvara: "It publishes it in eighteen languages..." But now we see it's twenty-three languages. Made a mistake. "...including Russian. The books are predominantly translations of Indian classics by the movement's founder and director, Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda."

Prabhupāda: But why "director" and not "ācārya"?

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: What you have to pay?

Rāmeśvara: Five hundred dollars a month. Pays for rent and gas and food.

Prabhupāda: He pays that five hundred. Hm. But he is very slow nowadays in editing.

Rāmeśvara: He finished editing the Kapila book, and he finished the first volume of the philosophy book since he last saw you.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Do whatever you think is good.

Rāmeśvara: Well, after we finish the second volume of the philosophy book, there will not be any more work for him.

Prabhupāda: Then?

Rāmeśvara: Jayādvaita is editing the Bhāgavatam.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Huh? No, no, Australia can produce huge quantity of ghee. What is the price generally?

Bali-mardana: This is $3.90 for five pounds, no, two kgs.

Brahmānanda: Two pounds.

Bali-mardana: No, no, it's four pounds six ounces. Four and a half pounds. Less than one dollar per pound, little bit less.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Same as in America.

Prabhupāda: Per pound. What is the price here?

Devotee (4): About eighteen rupees.

Bhāgavata: Sixteen or eighteen rupees a kg.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The same price in America also, about a dollar a pound.

Prabhupāda: No, in India?

Bhāgavata: Sixteen or eighteen rupees, one kg.

Hari-śauri: They're getting that Holland ghee for about twelve rupees a kg.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's the same price here also, about a dollar a pound.

Hari-śauri: That's not pure ghee. That's dalda.

Prabhupāda: That is not pure ghee?

Hari-śauri: No. That's dalda.

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Pure ghee is not available. So at least we can import pure ghee for our own use. If possible, we can sell also. At least for our own centers, food distribution.

Pañcadraviḍa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, when we first got to Argentina it used to be for three dollars you'd get five kilos of butter, or for a dollar you got, like, twenty-four quarts of milk.

Prabhupāda: Australia.

Bali-mardana: No, Argentina.

Prabhupāda: Argentina, oh.

Bali-mardana: There is also many cows... They produce many cows there.

Rāmeśvara: They have the reputation in Argentina of killing more cows than any country in the world.

Prabhupāda: No, because they do not know what they will do except killing.

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Oh. What is this, 3.92?

Bhāgavata: Three dollars, ninety two cents, Australian money, for four pounds of ghee. Seven cans.

Prabhupāda: So Australian dollar, about ten rupees?

Bali-mardana: No, it is less. Now, devalued.

Jayatīrtha: Same as an American dollar now.

Bali-mardana: One dollar, eight. One dollar eight, US. Eight cents.

Prabhupāda: So about ten rupees, Indian ten rupees.

Bali-mardana: Although the rate in India they give less, for some reason, because it was just devalued. So it's about 8.90 for cash, about 9.70 for Australian travelers checks.

Prabhupāda: No, the Amer..., is ten rupees. It is one kilo?

Bhāgavata: This is two kilos. Four pounds, 6.5.

Prabhupāda: So about five rupees per kilo. Very cheap.

Bhāgavata: That's forty rupees... No... Kg...

Bali-mardana: Forty per kg.

Evening Darsana -- February 26, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Scholars and universities... He's also big scholar, archaeologist, very big scholar. (break) ...beginning it was not so heavy. It is heavy. So even it is double weight, at that time it would cost thirty rupees. Now thirty into thirty times, nine...

Hṛdayānanda: Nine hundred.

Prabhupāda: So according to that proportion it would have cost one thousand at the present moment, value. So why so much, four hundred dollars? Four hundred dollars means three thousand.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: See, the thing with this coin is that they did not mint very many copies.

Prabhupāda: That's another thing.

Room Conversation -- February 27, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So by propaganda, it is happened. Although he is not ghost, he began to think that "Maybe I have become ghost."

Harikeśa: In Austria something very, very nice has happened. We were never able before to sell books because whenever Germans went there the Austrian government caught them and charged us thousands of dollars' fine and threw us out of the country. But now I've sent one devotee who was blooped for one year. His name is Cakravartī. He used to be the most important person in Germany.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Harikeśa: And so by your mercy I managed to drag him back by his hair one day, and I sent him and his wife to Austria, and now they are doing something amazing. They never spend even one penny. Everywhere they go, they beg as monks that someone should please give them a place to stay and something to eat, and they're begging gasoline and they're selling so many books, it's inconceivable. The bookstores...

Prabhupāda: German language. German language.

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

Jagadīśa: For example, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we take Bhagavad-gītā...

Gurukṛpā: Eight hundred dollars.

Prabhupāda: Oh. This is American?

Bhagavān: It's French money.

Hari-śauri: Francs.

Jagadīśa: If we take the first purport in the Bhagavad-gītā...

Prabhupāda: Purport is not for the children. They should simply understand the word meaning. That's all. Purport is not for the children.

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

Prabhupāda: You deposit in the Māyāpur.

Rāmeśvara: In Los Angeles, that check.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: That's the check. And also the Tehran yātrā is making an additional two thousand dollar donation to Your Divine Grace. Shall I give him a check or shall I put it in your account? Which way you like?

Prabhupāda: No, no. You can directly put in my account.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Put it in which account? In Māyāpur account? Or shall I put it in my account and give you interest?

Prabhupāda: That's all right

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Whichever you like. I am giving...

Prabhupāda: He gives eighteen percent interest.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

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.

Hari-śauri: It's very rich. Because in the northwestern Australia, there is lots of mining towns, and Perth is the only place that they can come to spend their money. So we can collect lots of money. It's very good.

Indian man: Śrīla Prabhupāda (Hindi).

Prabhupāda: Nei. Develop farms.

Hari-śauri: There's an eight-hundred-acre farm we are getting in Australia. The devotees are very enthusiastic for it, because in the past we haven't been able to make so many new devotees. They are not very much attracted to living in the cities in Australia. But they think that the farm... Then that will expand a lot. Probably this region we can grow everything, fruits, all kinds of tropical fruits, and cows.

Prabhupāda: Fruit, grains and milk. Vegetables. Finished everything.(?)

Room Conversation -- March 31, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Our Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja, he refused to take charge, Madhudviṣa. I was little hopeless. And Brahmānanda encouraged me. "I will do." And then silent. "Give him fifty dollars. Give him fifty dollars." And his policy was that where he will get this money? He is beggar. Fourteen lakhs? Whatever one, two lakhs he gives, that's all. I told him friendly that "I have no so much money. Immediately I can collect four lakhs. I shall give you two lakhs against your money, and two lakhs I shall spend for construction. Of course, within three years I shall fill up." He thought that whatever two lakh, one lakh comes, he will not be able to... That was his... I knew that I had no money, but I never thought that "I shall not be able to do." That I was confident. So it's a great history. So many things happened. It is all Rādhā-Rāsavihārī's līlā. Otherwise it is... Now next program, your: make a strong party and you travel extensively all over the world, amongst the scientists, and whatever amount is required, I shall spend. What do you expect monthly expenditure will be without any difficulty, a whole party? How many you want to travel?

Room Conversation -- March 31, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: You travel all over the world. Why part of the world? We are not preaching part. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma. (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) We are concerned. Nothing shall be left over.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja can give us some hints about travel, some experience in traveling.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Maybe ten thousand dollars.

Prabhupāda: Sanctioned. I will give you ten thousand. Do it.

Devotee: A year?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: A month.

Prabhupāda: Ten thousand dollars means one lakh of rupees. So we shall save from that luxury department. And this is solid work, yes. It must be done. Without any hesitation, without any impediment. That will increase our prestige of the movement. And go in good dress because people...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In suits.

Prabhupāda: In suit, yes. You get first dress, then address. (laughter) But tilaka must be there. You dress like up-to-date gentlemen, but tilaka must be there. That is our trademark.

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Where are so much women? (laughter)

Guru dāsa: So I have this for you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. This is from Alex. For your cars.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Yes, he wanted to pay me. What is the amount?

Guru dāsa: Four thousand five hundred dollars. He gave it to me because he trusts me. Then Poland, we're very excited about going. Now there are six men, including Umāpati, and in two weeks we are meeting in Germany, and we are going to chalk out our preaching program. I think it will be very good.

Prabhupāda: Now the time is favorable. The Russians are ordering our books. And there is a prediction, the Russians will be first-class theists.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: First-class theists.

Prabhupāda: Now they are atheists. They will become first-class theists. I think that there is... Just like Jagāi and Mādhāi. Jagāi and Mādhāi became great devotees. Vālmīki. Vālmīki was a dacoit. He became a... There are so many cases. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is so superexcellent that we can turn the whole Russia to devotee. That is possible. They are searching after something solid and factual. They are harassed with this so-called Christian religion, Pope, and... That is a fact. They do not want anything humbug. But when they very critically read our literature, they will become devotee.

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: These dollars has to be deposited in Bank of America. Other bank will not take.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Any bank will convert.

Prabhupāda: No.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yeah. I mean, when anybody comes here, any tourist, they always bring dollars.

Prabhupāda: Is that?

Guru dāsa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, it was done in the Central Bank, Māyāpur.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes. Dollars is easy.

Prabhupāda: All right. So organize that party.

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You told the American GBC that you don't mind getting their letters of management when they are sending you one thousand dollars a day. You'll take the headache for that much.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, our movement is sublime, our position is also sublime. Kṛṣṇa is supplying everything what we need. We have got sublime books, philosophy. Now you arrange meetings of the scientist everywhere. We are, our party Dr. Svarūpa Dāmodara and others, they will go and speak something.

Guru dāsa: So I can do that in the Communist countries also.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, everywhere.

Guru dāsa: I'll do it.

Prabhupāda: Science is for everyone. There is no such thing as Communist science. "Two plus two equal to four," that is both for the Communists and capitalists. That's a fact. Because I am Communist, I cannot say "Two plus two equal to five." It is four. So science means fact.

Interview with Mr. Koshi (Asst. Editor of The Current Weekly) -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Why you are concerned? If you become perfect by one, why you're after so many? Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ (BG 18.66). So we have taken that one. That's all. Kṛṣṇa. We are not after zeros. Ask these boys to come after zeros and bribe them millions of dollars. They will refuse: "No, we're after one, Kṛṣṇa." They have been trained up. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. We have written these big, big books, eighty-four books, only on Kṛṣṇa. Now it is recognized that Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is genuine, in New York high-court.

Mr. Koshi: Yes, I saw the review in the Times of India also. But there was a lot of controversy there. It was called brainwashing and all that.

Prabhupāda: There are so many accusations. Now in the court has acknowledged, "It is genuine."

Mr. Koshi: But you don't require recognition of any court, do you?

Prabhupāda: You require. (laughter) I don't require. You require.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Hm? You want to speak?

Upendra: Cannot imagine.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's one and a half million dollars nearly, per month.

Prabhupāda: Money will come. We don't care for these rascals checking. But we must be very sincere. Money is coming, it will come. Kṛṣṇa has given us avenue, these books. We shall sell all over the world huge quantity of books. But they should give us this money, this Tirumala. They are creating anartha, situation which has no utility.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And they are doing it with the money which was given in good faith to Kṛṣṇa. That's very objectionable.

Prabhupāda: No, objectionable... The rākṣasas... Just like Kṛṣṇa was there within the womb of Devakī. Kaṁsa imprisoned. So the brilliance of the body of Devakī could not be seen by others, because imprisoned. So if Kṛṣṇa comes from the womb of Devakī, and He will come, similarly if by your endeavor Kṛṣṇa comes in this movement, then these Kaṁsas will be destroyed. He will kill. That day will come when we shall take all the political posts. That is Kṛṣṇa's mission. That is battle of Kurukṣetra. "Take it from Duryodhana. Give it to Yudhiṣṭhira, Arjuna." If you go on steadily, that will be... And all these demons, Kaṁsa, Bakāsura, Aghāsura, sakala incarnations, swamis, yogis... They are Aghāsura and Bakāsura. Just like Kṛṣṇa had to kill so many asuras, disturbing element. You become under some Aghāsura.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

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

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.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, not...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "14) All foreign language editions of BTG will include a section of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam."

Prabhupāda: Hm, that's nice.

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 Māyāpur 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.

Prabhupāda: ...Hayagrīva. But he is doing nothing and taking money.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And your enemy country, they're actually happy. They print exactly money like this. They come and purchase goods and give you fortune, anybody. I know. Then what is the difficulty? Suppose this American dollar, is it very difficult to print? So the Chinese, they are America's enemy, they can print, bring millions of dollars and purchase from your country and export to his country and give you some paper. You are... What you can do?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, we can only hope that we'll catch them. We hope that we'll catch them.

Prabhupāda: That is another thing, "when we catch." Who will catch? "Bell the cat." It is going on. I know. During wartime, one Chinese man was coming from China, and one business friend, he was appointed his purchasing agent. He was giving a list of goods to purchase. And this man, whatever money he'll charge, he'll immediately-Indian currency. He'll not say, "Why so much price?" No. Then he will pack up the goods and through some channel he'll dispatch it. That is also through our way, not in the... The China is in on the border. There also, if you pay money, smuggler's rate... They try to do.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: What is that? The idea is cheating. The cheating business begins from the government. And why people will not learn to cheat? This is cheating. I am giving you one paper, one hundred rupees, dollars, and you are happy: "I have got so many ..." I am giving you check, ten thousand dollars. You got ten thousand dollars. Now I give you a paper. But it is going on. We have made machinery in such a way that it will go on in hundred rupees or ten thousand rupees. Just like this fixed deposit. I am giving actual money; they are giving a receipt. And it will increase. What increase? The same paper. And gradually inflation is going on. They'll pay at the inflation rate.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, they say they're paying at the investment rate.

Prabhupāda: That is, mean, their plea. Really, today... Just like in our childhood my father had three hundred rupees, and that three hundred rupees is now ten thousand. So if my father would have deposited three hundred rupees at that time, automatically he has become ten thousand... So if you pay me instead of three hundred, say, six hundred or eight hundred, what is your loss? It has already become ten thousand.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is paper.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now, that's cheating. A man can produce a son. A son has got real value in so many ways, but instead they'll give that paper worth...

Prabhupāda: Cheated with ninety rupees, and he's no more...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just like the foreigners bought the island of Manhattan for twenty-four dollars from the Indians, the native Indians in New York, twenty-four dollars' worth of trinkets. And they purchased.

Prabhupāda: No, the land was there. Just like Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura purchased Māyāpur at eight annas a bighā.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now...

Prabhupāda: Two thousand rupees.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And they want five thousand. Same land.

Prabhupāda: Land value has increased.

Morning Conversation -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: What is made is made. You can reject it. Make another, authentic. And I have asked to pay you for your department... What will be the savings?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, Rasara said he could save half.

Prabhupāda: Half. What is that half?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Somewhere between fifteen... Around fifteen, twenty thousand dollars perhaps, like that.

Prabhupāda: Fifteen, twenty thousand dollars per month.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So we can pay you so much. What was your estimate? You made some estimate.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yeah. It is about six thousand, six thousand dollars.

Prabhupāda: Six thousand dollars, but we are ready to spend fifteen to twenty thousand dollars. Make it nicely, everything. We shall spend. Make worldwide propaganda. And there will be no scarcity of money. Tour. Make extensive tour, especially in Russia. In Russia send this film group, the scientific group, and if the Doctor is seriously our friend, let him translate. And that translation, it shall be good.

Morning Conversation -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And the person who is translating, encourage him. Do this.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, Harikeśa, we have to reply his letters, so I have noted down to tell him that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Let him translate as many as possible. And make this program. And that twenty thousand dollars should not be touched. It will be simply spent for this propaganda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So any money that's saved now...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...from the budget should be banked? Should it be saved in an account?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Scientific propaganda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Let it be saved.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Conversation -- April 23, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: ...sinful. And for this bluffing, they have spent millions, er, billions of...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It said thirty billion dollars just for that one episode. In the article the man says that many Americans already feel the same way he does, that it's a bluff.

Prabhupāda: From the very beginning I have said it is childish, 1958. I am not scientist. I have no... No, there are so many incidences. I never agreed, "It may be they have gone." They did not go.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He has very elaborately described how they faked everything. He gave in great detail how each part of the hoax was perpetrated. The thing is...

Prabhupāda: The Apollo, they were dying. They prayed to God. This is also artificial.

Morning Conversation -- April 29, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So immediately I transferred myself to Jergens, keeping my goods at Mukunda's place, Michael. Then I searched out that 26 Second Avenue. From going to 26 Second Avenue taking this risk of two hundred dollars, then I became little relieved. Before that, I was simply vagabond. That was the first shelter. Then this Kīrtanānanda, Hayagrīva, Satsvarūpa, Umāpati, they guided. Brahmānanda. Some other boys also came, and they left.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Stryadhīśa.

Prabhupāda: Hm? Stryadhīśa. So after getting that shelter, I began to grow. Everything was very precarious condition-vagabond. I was selling some books. I thought that "This boy will be trained up" when I got that place. He invited me to "Come to my loft." It was very big loft. I was holding class, collecting ten dollars. Then he was not paying rent. He gave me the charge of paying rent. So Kṛṣṇa was giving by collecting. It was on the top. Still, people were coming. Great story. Never mind. Now we... From my part, whatever is possible. Now you take care. That is my request. Don't spoil it. Now it is up to you. My, this ailment... I can pass away at any moment. My health is not good. I am old man. It is not surprising. Now you GBC, young boys, all, American, expert, you have got all intelligence, resources, so don't spoil. Let the movements go forward more and more. Now you have got nice places, filled with devotees. Don't be anxious for me. That, Kṛṣṇa will take. And even if I go, where is the harm? Old man. I have given my ideas and direction in my books. People appreciate. I think from my side I have done everything. Is it not? Do you think or not?

Morning Conversation -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

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

Prabhupāda: Our?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So he got a letter. Should I read it to Your Divine Grace? "Dear..." It's signed by Morarji Desai. "Dear Shree Jagat-guru Swami, I thank you for your letter of April 4th and am grateful to you for your good wishes. You have cited some very wise sūtras from our ancient writings. Although I have been called upon to shoulder heavy responsibilities, it has been my endeavor in the past and it will be so in future to see that there is no hiatus between my public and private life. This is what I have learned from Gandhiji, and I have thus saved my life from contradictions. Thank you once again for your kind sentiments. Yours sincerely..."

Prabhupāda: Hm. That's nice.

Morning Conversation -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That you have already told.

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.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda said it was all right if you went to Māyāpur with that man, those Germans.

Prabhupāda: I have given the idea. Now how to put it into shape, that I... That I do not know.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's a man coming that Patita Uddhāraṇa invited?

Surabhīr Abhipālayantam: Yes. Tomorrow this man from Bangalore is coming.

Prabhupāda: So where his place has been fixed up?

Surabhīr Abhipālayantam: He can stay in one of the life membership rooms because he's alone. He doesn't have wife and that.

Prabhupāda: It doesn't matter.

Conversations -- May 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) What was his age?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jayānanda was about thirty-eight or forty.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) I was very anxious to print my books. So he was the first one to come forward, a five thousand dollar check. (Hindi) What is this cloth is hanging?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It says, "Welcome, Śrīla Prabhupāda."

Prabhupāda: Oh. Where is Gopāla?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He went back to Bombay.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He was in Delhi. He was there day before yesterday.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He was in Delhi only about two days ago. He'll be coming back here, he said, in about one week from now, one week to ten days.

Prabhupāda: You can keep here. When Mr. Bose has come?

Conversations with Kirtana Groups -- May 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣāt. Nobody dies without illicit sex or intoxication. Anartha, unnecessarily they are habituated. There is no need, but by bad association you have practiced this, habituated, cannot be given up. LSD. Government spends so much, millions of dollars, that "These hippies may give up." Not successful. See practically. And as soon as they come to our camp, they give up. Is it not?

Jayapatākā: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣāt. In every step anartha. This material life means anartha. There is no need, but anādi karama phale. Due to our karma we are put into this unfavorable condition, and it is very difficult to come out of it. But if you take to bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje, immediately... Who is taking, without any force... How practical it is. Anartha upaśamaṁ sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaje.

Morning Conversation -- May 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This one on 26 Second Avenue must also be very cheap.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Our Ambarīṣa, he was very much eager. "Oh, don't mind. Take it. We shall arrange."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Cash.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Fifty years ago the cost was six million dollars, and we have purchased, only 300,000.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And the condition is not deteriorated.

Prabhupāda: Oh, it is very first class, palatial building. You have seen?

Gargamuni: No, Śrīla Prabhupāda. I've seen photos.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Deva-sādana, you gave the name.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You gave the name Deva-sādana.

Prabhupāda: Very, very nice. Better than our France palace.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's 1400 ounces gold in the ceilings.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Conversation -- May 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: He made some profit. Actually the boat belonged to the house. Anyway, palace is palace. Very big, big rooms. Now it would have cost ten million dollars. And we have paid only three percent of ten million. Is it not? Three hundred thousand?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: Govardhana wants to have dolls on the outside grounds.

Prabhupāda: Do. Yes, very good. You do.

Rāmeśvara: 'Cause they have so much lands, so right outside the temple there'll be doll exhibits for all the tourists.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Conversation -- May 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, that whole thing costs a thousand dollars, not a quarter of a million.

Prabhupāda: Doll exhibition you can have in this temple also. People will come to see.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Along the side?

Prabhupāda: Where is suitable.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually there's room up front where the water, the water fountain carrier, when you enter. There's a lot of open space there.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now you can go and take rest. Again you can come at one. What is the time now?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 9:20.

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Conversations -- May 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Rāmeśvara: We could do it in Los Angeles, but it would be more costly. Gopāla says that the main concern with the Hindi books is keeping the cost as low as possible so it can be sold in India.

Prabhupāda: No, plate-making, we have got all machine, so it will be cheaper.

Rāmeśvara: The price that he is getting in India is very cheap. He says that he can do twenty pages a day, composing. He's got one place in Vṛndāvana that he uses and another place in Delhi. So if each place is doing one different book, two books can be done simultaneously at twenty pages every day.

Prabhupāda: Twenty pages and cost?

Rāmeśvara: It costs about a dollar a page.

Prabhupāda: Where? In...?

Rāmeśvara: In India. To compose.

Prabhupāda: And there?

Rāmeśvara: If we did it in America, it would not be less expensive.

Discussions -- June 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm. Sold or mortgaged, never.

Girirāja: Prabhupāda doesn't want us to put in "can be sold or mortgaged..."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What about mortgaged? Just like, as an example, that New York building. They'll... When they pay it off, that building...

Rāmeśvara: They can get a million-dollar loan.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They can get a loan for a million dollars.

Rāmeśvara: And buy another building.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Or so many buildings.

Girirāja: But then there's risk.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That you consider.

Discussions -- June 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Rādhā-vallabha: I'm planning to take it away from him, but I can't find him. I think by the time I return to America...

Prabhupāda: It is very convincing.

Rādhā-vallabha: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: "You may pay me six hundred dollars for fifty (indistinct)."

Rādhā-vallabha: I've been trying to find him. As soon as I find him, I'll bring you the book from him.

Prabhupāda: Still paying him money?

Rādhā-vallabha: No, no, I stopped when you told me in Māyāpur.

Prabhupāda: Cheats his wife and children, this crooked man, cheating people. Tendency is there. Where he is?

Rādhā-vallabha: When?

Prabhupāda: Where he is now? (end)

Talk with Svarupa Damodara -- June 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Three? Three hundred million?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He said... He has thirty million dollars.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I think that will be very attractive, and it will open up wide cultural aspects of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And we will also have our institute in Washington, D.C...

Prabhupāda: Yes. So there is money, there is intelligence and... That's all. I can give you one... (indistinct) You have taken your lunch now?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, we'll take prasādam.

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: You look better, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Acchā? (break) ...I want.

Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- June 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...in winter months, even though we keep it to a minimum, the oil bill runs about eight thousand dollars a month. It's very costly. Because one time we tried to turn it off, and it was very dangerous. They warned us never to do that again, because if the pipe freezes, the whole thing will explode. Therefore we have to always keep some steam coming so that it never freezes. We can't turn it off for ten hours and then turn it on again. We were thinking we could do that. That we may do in each room, but down in the boiler room we must keep the boiler going.

Prabhupāda: And in summer shut off.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yeah. We have... We hired a man. There was man working there for four years. They were paying six hundred dollars. So we kept him for the first year until... We had one man stay with him. We have one devotee, he's a plumber. He's very good man. And he learned from him everything about the boiler for one year. And then we let that man go, and we have our own man running it. And there has to be a man twenty-four hours a day, sitting with the boiler.

Prabhupāda: That means you have to change.

Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- June 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Not vegetable oil.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, no. It's a crude type of oil, brown.

Prabhupāda: Grease.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, it's a grease. It's for burning, though. Eight thousand dollars a month, nine thousand dollars... And that elevator, three thousand dollars.

Prabhupāda: Eleven?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The elevator charge, for the electricity, twenty-five hundred dollars a month. It's not a joke to run a building of that size. That's why in New York to have, own a building in that location they get a very good rent. Every apartment, say, a two and half room apartment, 250, 300 dollars per month.

Prabhupāda: USA.

Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- June 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: They like prasādam.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, very much. Because vegetarian is becoming now a very popular thing. People are thinking that it is more healthy to eat vegetarian. They call it health food. It's called health food. In fact, they have places called "health food bar." Instead of getting a whiskey, they get carrot juice, like that. People come... They comes sometimes just for one glass of juice. They'll pay dollar and a half, any price. They'll pay anything in America. If you know how to sell it, you can ask any price. Now, this month of June, now the prasādam carts will be doing more and more, all day long, because New York...

Prabhupāda: No, I have seen. They are always busy. Always.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In our New York building we have two elevators. And that impresses people when they come there to see. If you own a building with two elevators in it, it's a big thing.

Prabhupāda: It goes up to the roof.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And the roof is quite nice. When the viewers see...

Prabhupāda: Very nice.

Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- June 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: And book selling?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Book selling... We sell at least, say, I would say, something like about four hundred dollars worth of books every Sunday at the temple. Most of the people who came, they came because they bought your book, and we gave them an invitation to the feast. Everyone who has joined has bought your book first. That is their introduction to Kṛṣṇa consciousness—a book. Very few people come first to a temple. First thing they take and read your book. Then they become interested. The book goes into their home. (break) They can put these. Oh, yeah... Because they're libraries. I mean, they can buy the books. They can buy the books. The theology, arts... Nothing wrong with their buying, but probably they... From what I know, the general system is that you don't send salesmen into these communist countries. You send a brochure, and they buy through their agents. And this is unheard of, that someone sneaks into a country with all these books and preaches. He said sometimes his life is threatened.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

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

Prabhupāda: Another rascal. Andhā yathāndhaiḥ. He's a rascal, and he's appreciated by another rascal. This is going on.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Even the government is behind this research. NASA and federal funding government, they spend billions of dollars on this research.

Prabhupāda: Just see. Then what is the government? Another combination of rascals, that's all. They have no knowledge.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Some of them are also beginning to feel that...

Prabhupāda: Yes, that must...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...there is something wrong...

Prabhupāda: That must be.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...with the whole approach.

Prabhupāda: That must be there.

Morning Conversation -- June 23, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: The landlord took advantage. He was receiving rent, eighty-nine rupees or eighty rupees. He charge me 125. And another room, he was getting fifty. So he charged me seventy-five. Little room.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Dollars.

Prabhupāda: Ah, yes, dollars. Eighty and fifty, 130. He charged me two hundred.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, you were paying too much. 'Cause I was living right there. I was not paying so much. I was paying sixty-five dollars.

Prabhupāda: How many there was...?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: For four rooms.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He took advantage.

Prabhupāda: I took advantage, "Let me stay somewhere." I was loitering in the street, so I thought, "Let me stay somewhere. Then I shall see later on."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's exactly what you had, two hundred dollars. You had saved that money very carefully?

Prabhupāda: Not carefully. Anyway, I got it. I was never careful for anything. Whatever automatically comes... I was never careful. "As the Jew, I have to save..." No, no.

Morning Conversation -- June 23, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Alone.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Were you doing any translation work at that time?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yes, you said. Then your typewriter was stolen.

Prabhupāda: I purchased one tape recorder, some fifty dollars...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What were you going to do with the tape recorder?

Prabhupāda: I was recording.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then who would type?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You were recording your translation.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who would do the typing?

Prabhupāda: I was doing.

Conversations -- June 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Everything is killed. "Fittest." Nobody is fittest in this world. Dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api (SB 2.1.4). Everyone is asat. He'll not exist. That is statement of the... Bhāgavata never said, "Here is a person or animal, fittest." That is not Bhāgavata. Teṣāṁ nidhanaṁ pramattaḥ paśyann api na paśyati. The rascal is so mad that everything will be finished, and he is talking of "fittest." All theory, no practical. Unnecessarily spent millions and millions of dollars, that "We have gone to moon." Why? Why this bogus propaganda? What is the value? And they take pride. Now we are drawing picture how many miles away. It is impossible to find out. And why they make this bogus propaganda?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's totally impossible they went to the moon.

Prabhupāda: No, they have not gone, but still, they are making such a big propaganda. What is the mentality?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Cheaters.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

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

Prabhupāda: So there is some agitation about our movement, that "How it is going on, whether it will stay." So anything more?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. It's just... These are all signs that our movement is here to stay.

Prabhupāda: It will stay.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It says here, "Aid the Fresh Air Fund." This is a fund. They collect millions of dollars for keeping the air fresh. But they never think why the air has become unfresh due to all these foolish industries pumping so many obnoxious things into the air. That they won't stop. But they'll devise new machines to clean the air.

Prabhupāda: Hm. So here is one of the machine. That we are creating, the farms. Air fresh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It is fresh air.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Room Conversation with Vrindavan De -- July 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Who can live in such house? Royal. Royal palace. We have 102 royal palaces. More than that. So even from economic point of view nobody is happier than us. Nobody is happier.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That New York building cost over one million dollars.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you go I shall give you chance to see how my devotees are living happy in big, big houses. Big, big house. Do you think to possess a twelve-story house in New York is joke?

Vrindavan De: Even I cannot think of.

Prabhupāda: Is joke? We have got. In Detroit we have got a house which was constructed at the cost of six million dollars, fifty years ago. What is the price six million dollars?

Vrindavan De: Sixty lakhs.

Indian: Five lakhs forty thousand.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, no, no. Six million means five crores.

Indian: Five crores for...

Vrindavan De: No. One million is ten lakhs.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Six crores.

Prabhupāda: So that house we are possessing.

Room Conversation during lunchtime -- July 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: There are so many things. I saw. You have to know how to make people fool. This art you have to know. Then you can have money. "Moon walk."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The government is the most expert at making people fool.

Prabhupāda: Government is doing that, giving a piece of paper, "one thousand dollars." American Express Company, giving paper only and collecting millions of dollars daily.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just for giving paper you have to pay one percent of the value of paper. When you give your money, they give you paper. You pay one percent.

Prabhupāda: But they have created such a credit, and people are confident as soon as present it... (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That means that our goal is not to do business. It's to enlighten people. (pause) So Vrindavan Chandra got off nicely. The train was on time, and he was very glad to receive all the prasādam. And they gave him a garland. He said he would remember everyone, such a nice visit he had. He actually enjoyed himself. I gave him the Nectar of Instruction to read. He read it.

Prabhupāda: Hindi.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: American (indistinct) is nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It says, "The Society's founder is A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. He left India at an advanced age aboard the merchant ship Jaladuta with only seven dollars and a trunk containing scriptures he had translated into English. The ship's captain became Śrīla Prabhupāda's friend and purchased the first books distributed in the US. Śrīla Prabhupāda had been instructed by Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, his spiritual preceptor, to broadcast Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the English language. That request was made in 1922. In the years that followed Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote an English commentary on the Bhagavad-gītā and started an English magazine in 1944, which he wrote, printed and distributed himself. He arrived in America in September 1965, and by July of '66 he had formed ISKCON Incorporated. Historically this corporation is part of the spiritual tradition whose followers preserve the pure teachings of the scriptures such as Vedas, Upaniṣads and Purāṇas." He goes on and on. Should I read on?

Prabhupāda: Hm!

Room Conversation Gaurasundara, Dr. Kapoor -- July 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Dr. Kapoor: Staggering figures.

Prabhupāda: Fifty-one thousand, five dollars each. What is the?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's about a quarter of a million dollars. Two hundred fifty thousand dollars.

Prabhupāda: Two hundred fifty thousand dollars, and if you exchange in rupees?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In rupees? About twenty lakhs, more than twenty lakhs.

Prabhupāda: In one week. So unimaginable.

Dr. Kapoor: I don't think any other publisher...

Prabhupāda: No, we are the first publisher in the world. That is already recognized.

Room Conversation -- August 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The only Hindu kingdom.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. They have got a sentiment of Hinduism. So with their cooperation, a little foreign exchange, you can establish a stronghold there. It will be a grat service. So how much foreign exchange will be required, minimum, to establish a stronghold there?

Prabhaviṣṇu: Actually they have a regulation that when foreigners come into the country they all have to change at least 150 dollars a month per person.

Prabhupāda: So that we can spare very easily.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How many men you want to go with you?

Prabhaviṣṇu: To begin with, about four or five devotees.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All foreigners?

Prabhaviṣṇu: No. Four foreigners, and there's one Nepali boy I'd like to take also.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So six hundred dollars a month. Hundred and fifty dollars times four.

Prabhupāda: That we can spare. Arrange for that, and make a stronghold there with the cooperation of government officials. I'll pay six hundred dollars. You'll get. I'll pay or anyone. I have got some money in London, also in America. So you have some bank account, and I shall advise Lloyd's Bank will send.

Room Conversations Bangladesh Preaching/Prabhavisnu Articles by Hamsaduta -- August 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Ah. Then it's all right.

Prabhaviṣṇu: Actually I think that in the case of Nepal, it's possible to change Nepal money back into Indian currency without much trouble.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's good. Then we can send as much money as you want. If that's a fact, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that they can change Nepalese money into Indian rupees without any loss, then we can send him whatever money he requires, because regularly we have to send so many thousands of dollars every month for construction to India. So if he can change money into rupees, then we can give him any amount of money—if necessary. (break)

Prabhaviṣṇu: Śrīla Prabhupāda, in Bangladesh the people would welcome us with kīrtana everywhere we went. They came into the streets and held kīrtana, and then they offered garlands to the devotees.

Prabhupāda: And offer them prasādam without discrimination. Some Muslim also will be friends.

Prabhaviṣṇu: Actually many of the upper-class Muslims who are more intellectually advanced, they were quite appreciative of our philosophy.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We said, "Why you say Hindu? We are not Hindu, Muhammadan. We are for humanity." (break) ...continue this kavirāja or we shall change? If we have to change, whether that astrologer has got any information? (break) New York Ratha-yātrā, there was no coverage in the press?

Room Conversation With Madhudvisa and others -- August 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Śrutakīrti: For free they had an orange lassi and halavā and a sweet and a nice potato vegetable with sour cream. And they had a sweet booth, and I think they made about four or five thousand dollars selling sweets right at the beach walk. They had watermelon and samosās they were selling. It was a very big day.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Good weather.

Śrutakīrti: Excellent weather. It was hot.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Los Angeles has good weather.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Very good weather.

Śrutakīrti: Hawaii's weather is (laughs)..., it's better.

Prabhupāda: So I wanted to return again.

Room Conversation With Madhudvisa and others -- August 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Śrutakīrti: These are small ones. They come to twice as big. These here we would sell for twelve dollars.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Śrutakīrti: And the bigger ones, they will sell for twenty-five dollars.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: People buy them?

Śrutakīrti: Yes. This works. And these cost about two dollars to make and about twenty minutes to carve.

Prabhupāda: Beautiful.

Śrutakīrti: There's a little science. They dip in all different color wax.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It actually costs two dollars to make, though.

Śrutakīrti: The wax. The wax is about two dollars' worth of wax. So it's very profitable. Especially in Hawaii and Waikiki it will be very lucrative business.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How much you can make in one day, profit?

Śrutakīrti: Last year in Toronto they made seventy thousand dollars in two months, profit, during the Christmas season.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Where is the scarcity of money? (laughter)

Room Conversation -- October 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So, and they are giving us some status to stay there?

Haṁsadūta: No, we have no official status. The way to function there is that you can stay for six months if you bring three dollars a day for them, and then go out, and you can come back the next day. They want to get rid of all religious groups. They want only their Buddhist group. They want to make the Buddhist religion as the state religion.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Haṁsadūta: At least they talk like that. And so all the religious groups there, the Christians and others, they're phasing them out by taking away their resident visas.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What about the Tamils?

Haṁsadūta: Well, the Tamils are in a very bad position. They've all fled to the Jafna area, the north area.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Why are they so against the Tamils?

Haṁsadūta: Well, the government, the politicians, they incite the people to create trouble, and in this way they try to assume office. They just take advantage of the people in this way, stir them up.

Prabhupāda: Tamils are poor men?

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Thank you. Perhaps Kṛṣṇa wanted it.

Bhakti-prema: We can put it in very nice way now.

Prabhupāda: Anyway, thank you very much. (break)

Kulādri: ...dakṣiṇā, eight thousand dollars in dakṣiṇā, for... Before... With the new system of initiation that you've initiated, he asked them to write you a check for $111 for each devotee he's initiating for you. So he has a check for eight thousand dollars for you. One of the girls has taken silver thread and crocheted this silver bead bag with silver thread. (Prabhupāda chuckles) Silver thread on satin.

Prabhupāda: Silver thread.

Kulādri: Yes. Also there is some jewelry for you. We have taken some of the onyx from your palace and put some precious stones and made a little jewelry box. And here's one ring one of the girls... Sapphire, star sapphire ring on gold.

Upendra: All made by the devotees?

Kulādri: Made by devotees, yes. The box is also made by devotees. This is onyx from your palace with gold trim. This they have also made. This is a medallion made with sapphire and rubies on gold. The devotees have also made this. Here's some rubies and emeralds and opals.

Prabhupāda: So, why don't you find out some bride? (laughter)

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Very, very costly thing.

Hari-śauri: Yes. That's an onyx jewelbox with emeralds and things in it. And eight thousand dollars' worth of checks.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Checks. These checks are from initiations I think, Śrīla Prabhupāda. They're guru-dakṣiṇā for initiations.

Hari-śauri: That big thing has some jewels in it.

Prabhupāda: Where Kulādri kept it?

Hari-śauri: He had them locked away, Śrīla Prabhupāda. He was waiting until Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja woke up, because at that time he was taking rest. Then he was going to give them.

Prabhupāda: Where is Kīrtanānanda?

Hari-śauri: He's in his room right now, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I think this can be given to the Deities.

Prabhupāda: It can be given everything.

Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think we'll give you another report later on. It's successful. That's a fact. Only these are suggestions how it can be improved. We'll speak with Svarūpa Dāmodara about it. (break) ...from the devotees in France, Bhagavān's zone. In fact, it's a four-page telegram. Should I read it? It says, "Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, please accept our most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. Knowing how dear your book distribution is to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, the devotees in France would like to humbly offer you the results of our week-long marathon saṅkīrtana, hoping in some way to please you." Śrīla Prabhupāda? The devotees there, they went out on book distribution for twelve hours every day. All the devotees. They went out every day for seven days in a row, for twelve hours each day. And here is the results of their distribution. This is only for this one temple in France. It says, "We have distributed 25,061 hard-cover Bhagavad-gītās in one week." Twenty-five thousand, Śrīla Prabhupāda. We usually print of a Bhāgavatam 20,000 for the whole society. They distributed 25,000 Gītās in one week in French, Bhagavad-gītās in French. He says, "...to the conditioned souls of this country in seven days. We hope that these results are the biggest in the history of your movement and that they will give you some solace. Our top distributor were Bhakta Richard..." (laughter) Somebody who isn't initiated yet. "...who distributed 1,504 big books in one week." Every day he distributed over two hundred hard-cover books. That's pretty good. (laughter) That means he did about say 240 in twelve hours. He distributed about one book every three minutes for twelve hours in a row, Śrīla Prabhupāda, every day. "Jagad-vaśī dāsa, who distributed 1,125 big books; Ariṣṭa-nāśana dāsa, 864 books; Veśa-kīrti dāsa, 851 big books; Akhileśvara dāsa 835 big books; Kṛpā-siddha dāsa, 760 big books." Then they say, "Thank you for allowing us to assist you in preaching this message of Lord Caitanya in the Western countries. All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Your humble servants, the devotees in France." Pretty big distribution. Bhagavān estimates that they collected over sixty thousand dollars in one week. It's amazing. Seems like Kṛṣṇa is giving unlimited facilities to spread His glories, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We do not want liberation. We want to serve the purpose of the Gosvāmīs, in association with pure devotees. To stop birth and death is not our purpose. Tāṅdera caraṇa-sebi-bhakta-sane bās, janame janame hoy ei abhilāṣ.

Room Conversation -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Girirāja: "My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, You are known as Yogeśvara, the master of all mystic powers. So it is very easy for You to perform the impossible, as You have done many times in the past. By Your merciful glance You restored life to the boys and cows who had died by drinking the water of the Yamunā River which was poisoned by Kāliya. And You swallowed the devastating forest fire to protect the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. In the rāsa dance You expanded Yourself to be simultaneously present by the side of each gopī. And as guru-dakṣiṇā, You recovered the dead son of Your teacher. When the hunchback maidservant of Kaṁsa smeared You with sandalwood pulp, You made her straight and beautiful. And as a householder in Dvārakā, You expanded Yourself into sixteen thousand Kṛṣṇas and simultaneously satisfied all of Your sixteen thousand wives. When Sudāmā Brāhmaṇa offered You chipped rice, You transformed his poor cottage into a beautiful palace suitable for the king of heaven. And to satisfy Mother Devakī, You returned her six dead sons from the kingdom of Bali. To appease the Dvārakā brāhmaṇa, You also reclaimed his dead sons from Mahā-Viṣṇu. When Śrīla Prabhupāda sat with seven dollars under a tree in Tompkins Square Park, You transformed that tree into so many royal palaces, and You expanded that seven dollars into millions of dollars. And when Śrīla Prabhupāda spoke Your message, You turned the mlecchas and caṇḍālas into Your devotees. And when Śrīla Prabhupāda went all by himself to sell his Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam volumes, You expanded him into ten thousand loving salesmen who are working day and night without asking any salary, and You expanded his suitcase of books into fifty-five million pieces of literature in twenty-three different languages. And when Hare Kṛṣṇa Land was lost to the demons, You returned it to His Divine Grace. So from these examples we can understand that for You, the impossible is not difficult, but rather, You have performed so many impossible feats for Your devotees. Therefore if You desire, please give Śrīla Prabhupāda a new body."

Prabhupāda: Excellent. Very... Foundation, back to Godhead. I am getting little glimpse, He may agree to your prayer, yes.

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Everywhere dull-headed, intelligent... You are working at computer?

Dayānanda: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So, what salary they gave?

Dayānanda: Little over a thousand dollars in a month, about 1,200 dollars.

Prabhupāda: Hm. So how you are spending that money?

Dayānanda: Now I live in my own apartment, I'm giving fifty percent to the ISKCON Tehran projects, and fifty percent I keep for maintenance.

Prabhupāda: So there is no scarcity? Eh?

Dayānanda: No, there's no scarcity, Śrīla Prabhupāda. In my spare time I am working in the restaurant, helping to manage the restaurant.

Prabhupāda: It is a big company?

Dayānanda: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda, all over the world.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

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.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I told him, "Vrindavan, you're netting 800 rupees so for that 800 rupees you must be booking ten to twenty thousand rupees worth of orders."

Prabhupāda: So if he's not giving, then stop it.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: You deal.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, I know how to do this because I was doing the saṅkīrtana, so I know what should come from the money he's spending. It's the same idea as anywhere in the world. You spend, it's business, business, whether it's dollars or rupees. I'll try...

Prabhupāda: That man who has kept, he's working as assistant, he is plundering.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, I think so.

Prabhupāda: He's a foolish man.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well the thing is Śrīla Prabhupāda, he's not that intelligent. He's going to be plundered, I mean that's the unfortunate part. That's why we just have to help them and at the same time...

Prabhupāda: Try to help but not squander.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, that's the point.

Prabhupāda: I give you full freedom. As you learn. But arrange that they may remain in that house, lifelong and get each two hundred and fifty. Only my wife five hundred, that's all.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What karmī can earn so much!

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What karmī can earn so much. For the temples, that means that by selling your books, the temples will collect about sixteen million dollars in one year. Or in other words, fourteen crores, nine lakhs, forty thousand rupees.

Prabhupāda: They'll believe?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, believe it or not, it's a fact.

Prabhupāda: Fact, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually I don't think these men like Bajaj or any of them could possibly make this much money even in material activities, what to speak of spiritual. Spiritual, they lose money. They have to support it. But we have such a genuine religious movement that it supports itself. We don't require to construct big materialistic enterprises. We simply preach, and Kṛṣṇa supplies all the money.

Jayādvaita: Bajaj is just burdening the world with motorcycles, and you're providing the highest subject matter for hearing and chanting.

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

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What is that? (Tamāla Kṛṣṇa laughs)

Girirāja: Well, no, they... My father has increased the fortune, so he was trying to tempt me again, but I wasn't interested. But I think in the end he may give in to Kṛṣṇa, because we were in... We were helping Prabhaviṣṇu by giving him dollars, and he would give us rupees. So we were in a shop, and my mother was making a check, which she was giving to me to give to Prabhaviṣṇu. So the owner of the shop thought that the check was for him, and he started making some objections. So my father said, "No. In our system the husband gives to the wife, and the wife gives to the son, and the son gives to Kṛṣṇa." (laughter) So everyone laughed.

Prabhupāda: Just try to manage.

Room Conversation -- November 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Dollars?

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. (break) ...neophyte devotees. Without your inspiration, association, it'll be very difficult.

Prabhupāda: That Muhammadan, what is his name?

Jayapatākā: Which one?

Prabhupāda: Back side our...

Jayapatākā: Badusheik.

Room Conversation -- November 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No harm. It is too much.

Jayapatākā: The present design is too much. Yes, the present design means that every month, six hundred thousand dollars would have to be given, and that's just too much.

Prabhupāda: Too much strain is not good.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Also the tendency is that when you make an estimate, you're always higher. You say thirty million dollars-it's very likely that it will go more.

Jayapatākā: Yeah, so then consider. (break) ...his birthday was a couple days ago, and then he invited us. So I sent two brahmacārīs to his āśrama for his birthday celebration.

Prabhupāda: His temple is completed?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: His nātha-mandira?

Jayapatākā: I didn't ask, actually. I think he's a year older than Śrīla Prabhupāda? Or two years older.

Prabhupāda: At least one year. I want to develop Gauḍa-maṇḍala. So in yoga-pīṭha they could not build even a darśana-maṇḍapa in fifty, sixty years. So we can construct a, what is called, hall.

Jayapatākā: Without mandira.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Yes.