Prabhupāda: And as soon as He was in the net and the fisherman touched Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he also began to dance, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare. And his brothers, his fellow men thought, "Oh, he's caught ghost, haunted." So in the meantime, His secretary, Damodara Svarupa came to the seashore and he saw that the fisherman was dancing. Then he could understand that he must have some connection with Caitanya Mahāprabhu, (laughs) otherwise why this fisherman is dancing and Hare Kṛṣṇa?
Secretary (Conversations)
Expressions researched:
"secretarial"
|"secretariat"
|"secretaries"
|"secretary"
|"secretary's"
Notes from the compiler:
Only researched in regards to Krishna consciousness secretary.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1967 Conversations and Morning Walks
Discourse on Lord Caitanya Play Between Srila Prabhupada and Hayagriva -- April 5-6, 1967, San Francisco:
Hayagrīva: Oh, He threw Himself in the ocean.
Prabhupāda: In the ocean. Bay of Bengal. And the fishermen they came to catch fish. So instead of fish, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's body was in the net.
Hayagrīva: Oh, I see.
Prabhupāda: He already dropped Himself on the sea.
Hayagrīva: He was unconscious.
Prabhupāda: Unconscious. He was rolling in the sea.
Hayagrīva: So they brought Him out and some of His friends went to find Him.
Prabhupāda: Not all. His secretary. Because he knew that Caitanya must have gone somewhere. So while inquiring where is Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when he came to the seashore he saw that the fisherman was dancing. Then he could understand he is dancing with Hare Kṛṣṇa, that means he must have some connection with Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Meeting with Devotees -- June 9, 1969, New Vrindaban:
Hayagrīva: I'm president.
Prabhupāda: You are the president. And who is secretary?
Hayagrīva: Śyāma dāsī is secretary.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Hayagrīva: Śyāma dāsī.
Prabhupāda: Śyāma dāsī, secretary. And who is treasurer?
Hayagrīva: Hṛṣīkeśa.
Prabhupāda: Hṛṣīkeśa. And what is Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja's position?
Hayagrīva: He is maṭha commander?
Devotee 1: Prime minister.
Śyāma: Advisor. Advisor?
Hayagrīva: General advisor, maṭha commander.
Prabhupāda: The maṭha commander... Of course, so far the management of the New Vrindaban affairs is concerned, that is within maṭha commander's jurisdiction?
Hayagrīva: I don't know.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Maṭha commander means the, everything of that place under his command.
Hayagrīva: That's not good. Then advisor is better. Advisor would be better.
Prabhupāda: Advisor means his advice will be final?
Hayagrīva: Advice final? That means the advice would be depending on the president.
Prabhupāda: Confirmed by the president. So honorary advisor. Advice gratis?
Hayagrīva: Yes.
Prabhupāda: (Chuckling) No. Another thing is that, as I suggested, that Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja, being sannyāsī, he should be given the top post to give honor to the position of a sannyāsī. Otherwise in our society there is no meaning of a sannyāsī.
Hayagrīva: So you want him to be president?
Prabhupāda: I think he should be, like that. You become secretary, and Śyāma dāsī become assistant secretary. Of course, everything should be decided in a meeting, and president may be have as a casting vote, but the decision of the meeting will be actually the decision. Not that president autocracy, no. Or he may be president, you may be vice president and others, Śyāma dāsī, secretary, and treasurer he is. From sampradāya point of view, sannyāsī has to be given the top post. Do you think he will overrule you? (Laughs)
Hayagrīva: Well, I have to make one request on that.
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Hayagrīva: That I not stay here.
Prabhupāda: You do not stay here?
Hayagrīva: Yes. I don't want to stay.
Prabhupāda: Unless you become president?
Hayagrīva: Unless I am in charge, I don't want to stay. I mean there are too many responsibilities that I've already assumed, and not to have the decisions as to what to do with the vehicles, what to do with this, what to do with that, I'd rather not have any part of it.
Meeting with Devotees -- June 9, 1969, New Vrindaban:
Prabhupāda: No. Your decision is all right, but now he can give some suggestion. Actually, when you are in charge of, your decision will be all right. But just like we make a plan. That is not one man's decision. That is the society's decision. Suppose if we want to construct a temple here. So in this way we have to cooperate. Otherwise how it can be developed?
Hayagrīva: I'd rather not be totally in charge because it's too much work. I mean I don't want to be in that sense responsible for the whole thing.
Prabhupāda: Then in your absence this secretary will do or this maṭha command will do.
Meeting with Devotees -- June 9, 1969, New Vrindaban:
Hayagrīva: Well, what happens when I leave? Then if he's not here and I leave, what happens then?
Prabhupāda: Then the maṭha command, secretary. Not with you, not that all, everyone, is leaving. You may leave sometimes. You want to go to your college, university, like that?
Hayagrīva: Well, I'll be gone every week about half a week for the whole school year. So somebody has to be here to take charge for three days out of the... I'm at least gone three days at least.
Prabhupāda: So then the Paramānanda is there, and he is there. They are not fools. They are also intelligent. They can manage.
Meeting with Devotees -- June 9, 1969, New Vrindaban:
Prabhupāda: Yes. You finish it and give me. I will get it printed, and then he goes. In the meantime you... So he remains as consultant. Your proposal, that you remain president, he is secretary, and treasurer, and he is consultant so long he is here and when he comes.
Hayagrīva: So he can be... He'll be general supervisor?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Naturally when he comes, he becomes overhead everyone, when he comes, because he is a sannyāsī. Just like here, when I am present, you take all final decision from me, so that should be the honor of the sannyāsī. But he should actually... He is not in charge of this place. Just like in other centers the president, secretary, are in charge.
Hayagrīva: So that's not called maṭha commander. That's called general supervisor.
Prabhupāda: He will be, for the time being, the superintendent of the society. He will go everywhere and see and report me what, how things are going on. And then we are going to make a central committee gradually. Everything will be done. Let us work very seriously and sincerely. Everything will come out.
Hayagrīva: So then Śyāma dāsī is our treasurer..., secretary.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And he is treasurer, Hṛṣīkeśa?
Hayagrīva: He's treasurer and temple commander.
Prabhupāda: No, what...? You president, she is secretary, and then? Treasurer?
Room Conversation With John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and George Harrison -- September 11, 1969, London, At Tittenhurst:
Prabhupāda: The, dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca. The father of Duryodhana is asking his secretary, Sañjaya. His secretary's name was Sañjaya.
1970 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation -- December 12, 1970, Indore:
Prabhupāda: This is the meaning of yasya prasādad bhagavat-pra... Without his recommendation there is no entry in Kṛṣṇa's kingdom. Yasya-prasādad na gatiḥ kuto 'pi. If he displeases Kṛṣṇa's representative he has no entrance to the Kṛṣṇa's kingdom, however learned he may be or whatever he may be. Immediately rejected. In a business office, suppose a secretary is there. A clerk does not accept the order of the secretary. Immediately he should be dismissed.
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation -- August 17, 1971, London:
Haṁsadūta: But in the Brahma-saṁhitā it says that He is present in every atom in His complete fullness.
Prabhupāda: This brain will not accommodate. But as soon as the king is there you must know the king is with his ministers, secretaries, everything. How you can say the king is alone there.
Revatīnandana: You said also in the heart Kṛṣṇa is not alone. Every...
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is never alone. With all paraphernalia, all Vaikuṇṭha paraphernalia. That is acintya.
Room Conversation with Dr. Karan Singh, -- November 25, 1971, Delhi:
Dr. Singh: Is it possible, Swamiji, that Kṛṣṇa may like to be satisfied through the material life?
Prabhupāda: Well, provided it is done for Him. Just like Arjuna, fighting. Fighting, if you take..., just like nowadays fighting is going on, that is material. But the same fighting done for Kṛṣṇa is spiritual.
Dr. Singh: It is the attitude with which one does it.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the definition of bhakti. Bhakti means hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ, that is bhakti. Now to serve Kṛṣṇa, Hṛṣīkeśa, that requires qualification. Just like you are king, if somebody wants to serve you as your secretary, he has to have specific qualifications. Not ordinary man. Similarly, bhakti means to serve Kṛṣṇa. So everyone can serve Kṛṣṇa provided he is qualified. And what is that qualification?
Dr. Singh: Love of Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That qualification... Love of Kṛṣṇa is not so easy. We have to reach that point after many processes. Exactly in the same way, to become a secretary of the president, personal assistant, it is not very easy job. It requires some qualification. Similarly, to serve Kṛṣṇa, it requires some qualification. And what is that qualification? Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam: (CC Madhya 19.170) when we give up our designation. At the present moment, we are all designated: "I am Indian," "I am Christian," "I am American," "I am Pakistani," "I am Hindustani." These designations are going on. When you give up your designation, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ (CC Madhya 19.170), that is mukti. "I am not Indian," "I am not Christian," "I am not Pakistani," "I am not Hindu."
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Talk with Bob Cohen -- February 27-29, 1972, Mayapura:
Prabhupāda: It is very simple. The living entities forgetting Kṛṣṇa, they are in this material world. Kṛṣṇa means His name, His form, His abode, His pastimes, everything.
Bob: What was that last?
Prabhupāda: Pastimes.
Bob: Pastimes.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like, when you speak of king, it means king's government, king's palace, king's queen, king's son, secretaries, military strength, everything. Is it not?
Bob: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Similarly, Kṛṣṇa being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as soon as we think of Kṛṣṇa (it) means all energies of Kṛṣṇa. That is complete by saying "Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa." Rādhā represents all the energy of Kṛṣṇa. And Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. So when we speak of Kṛṣṇa, the living entities are also included.
Room Conversation -- April 18, 1972, Hong Kong:
Prabhupāda: I was trying. In India also, I tried. I wrote Mahatma Gandhi that "You are very respectable man, and people like you. You preach Bhagavad-gītā. You stand with your photograph. There is Bhagavad-gītā. Why don't you preach Bhagavad-gītā? Now politics is finished. You have got independence." But this politics is so sweet to these politicians, that until he was killed, he could not give up politics, until he was killed. He was advocating non-violence, but he was forced to die by violence. He wanted Hindu-Muslim unity. He was forced to accept partition of India. He was so much baffled, but still, he would not give up politics until he was killed. On the day of his death, in the morning, because he had so many letters, so many secretaries, so he said, "I am very much useless. I want to die." He said like that. And actually, in the evening he was killed. He was thinking that "My next solace is only death," because he could understand, "I have created simply problems. No problem I have solved. I have simply created problem." He was a sane man.
Room Conversation -- April 18, 1972, Hong Kong:
Guest (1): How many disciples do you now have, sir, in the U.S.?
Prabhupāda: You cannot expect many disciples, but still, there are two thousand. Because I have got so many conditions and the fact is so difficult to understand, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They have forgotten Kṛṣṇa, they have forgotten God, and I am trying to make them Kṛṣṇa conscious. It is a very difficult job. I have to shed my blood three tons before I make one convinced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is my experience. I have to talk with him, especially these Europeans and Americans. They do not accept anything so blindly. They try to... I am always being questioned, even in my tooth(?) Question, question, question. That's nice. Inquisitive, they want to know. So I give them answers. I have got four secretaries always with me. They are giving answers.
Room Conversation -- August 1, 1972, London:
Prabhupāda: So write Girirāja immediately a letter, that she agreed to be president of the trust. You make a trust body for fund-raising, and our best life members, like Sumati Morarji, and make her the president of the trust. You remain the secretary, and other also, as treasurer also. One or two of her own men.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk -- May 12, 1973, Los Angeles:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: So making these houses, temporary houses, is directed by Him.
Prabhupāda: No. Directed by māyā. Prakṛteḥ, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni (BG 3.27). Is it dry or wet? (the ground)
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Not very wet, just a little wet.
Prabhupāda: He has nothing to do. Na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. Just like I am head of the institution. I have nothing to do. I say, "Karandhara, do it." Immediately does. I say you, do it, immediately... I say him. I have got so many secretaries. I will ask him. Similarly, why God will create.
Room Conversation with Sir Alistair Hardy -- July 21, 1973, London:
Prabhupāda: Simply by becoming Sanskrit scholar or Latin scholar, it is not sufficient. He must be God-realized, purified. Then it is possible. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ: (Brs. 1.2.234) "By your these blunt senses it is not possible to understand what is God, what is His form, what is His name, what is His quality, what is His kingdom, what is His paraphernalia." These things are to be understood. God means... Just like when we speak of "king." King does not mean alone. King means he has got his queen, he has got his kingdom, he has got his secretary, he has got his minister, he has got his palace, he has... so many things, king, royal. When we speak of Queen, we immediately remember the Buckingham Palace, his (her) bodyguards and so many, so many other things. Similarly, God means He has got His entourage also, everything. He's not alone. To understand God means to understand everything of God—His name, His fame, His līlā, His pastimes.
Room Conversation with Lord Brockway -- July 23, 1973, London:
Prabhupāda: Para, the Supreme, has got so nice brain that things are happening as if natural. But no, the brain is acting, brain is acting. But His energy and brain is so nice that He hasn't got to do it personally. As soon as He desires, immediately the energy works. Just like nowadays electronic. So simply by pushing one bud, a button, thousands of business is done immediately. So if it is materially possible, just we have to think how much it is great and possible by spiritual energy. Parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate, na tasya kāryaṁ karaṇaṁ ca vidyate. These are the Vedic description. God hasn't got to do anything with His hands. Just like here also. A big man, he has got secretaries, officers. He simply directs, "Do this," everything is done. Similarly, the Supreme Lord, how much energy He has got, and spiritual energy, that as soon as He desires something, immediately it is done.
Room Conversation with Reporter from Researchers Magazine -- July 24, 1973, London:
Prabhupāda: Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ (BG 7.15). So India cannot be happy being guided by the duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ narādhamāḥ. It is not possible. This request I made to Gandhi That "You are..." People accepted him as a spiritual man all over the world. So if Gandhi would have taken this movement sincerely and scientifically, it would have grown thousand times.
Reporter: Yes, yes. But that... What Gandhi said? Did he reply to your request?
Prabhupāda: No.
Reporter: No. Hm.
Prabhupāda: But it did not go to his hand-hands of his secretary. They thought, "What is this nonsense propaganda? Now let us become prime minister."
Room Conversation with Banker -- September 21, 1973, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: So similarly the society must be divided: the brain of the society, the arms of the society, the belly of the society and the legs of the society. That will make perfection. The brain will give direction That is the brāhmaṇas. The arms will give protection. That is the kṣatriya. And the belly will give energy, food, that is vaiśya. And the legs will carry the body. That is śūdra. This is... Whole society should be divided into four divisions, the brāhmaṇas, the kṣatriyas, the vaiśyas and the śūdras. And they should work cooperatively for the total benefit of the body. This is perfect life. Not that everyone should be brain. Then who will carry me? Just like in your bank, the manager is the brain. The secretaries and assistants are the hands, clerks. And ordinary worker, they are legs. Anywhere you go, you must find out these four divisions. Therefore the human society must be divided into four divisions.
Morning Walk -- December 8, 1973, Los Angeles:
Karandhara: Well, they say that's the universal cop-out. The universal cop-out is to say that God does not reveal Himself to anyone except His devotees.
Prabhupāda: That is natural. That is natural, if a big man, he reveals to his confidential secretaries, not to everyone.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk -- January 12, 1974, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: They agree. Then automatically, slaughterhouse will be closed. If there is no customer for meat, then slaughterhouse will be closed. Just like Gandhi started this movement, non-cooperation, "Don't cooperate with the British government." That was his... Because the Britishers were ruling India with the cooperation of the Indians. Otherwise, how they could rule? The soldiers were Indian, the police were Indian, the secretariat, office, clerks, they were Indians—all Indians. But they manufactured in such a way that they were cooperating. So Gandhi took the route that "You non-cooperate; then the Britishers will automatically go away." That was his movement. Similarly, if we educate public that "You must find out a leader who is free from these sinful activities. Then you will be happy. And you also give up. Otherwise, how you will be able to select such a leader?" This should be our real propaganda.
Room Conversation -- February 13, 1974, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: So why don't you get the manuscript and let us have an Indian edition. I told Rūpānuga that the difficulty is that the enlarged edition when we are attempting to publish, MacMillan says that "We are publishing your book, why not we, we publish." If we publish, then we save our investment to publish. That has not been decided, so therefore I advised my secretary in New York that MacMillan's permission or no permission, you should immediately print. If they print it is all right, otherwise print ourself.
Morning Walk -- March 16, 1974, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Britishers, they train. Just like in India, they trained. They were on the head of the administration. The Viceroy, the governor, the secretaries, the military commander, they are all Englishmen. All other, Indians. Therefore Gandhi started non-cooperation movement. That these people are ruling over us by our cooperation.
Morning Walk -- March 31, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Yes. Sarge. Those who have come to this material world, they are envious of Kṛṣṇa.
Dr. Patel: Iccha-dveṣa-samutthena.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Iccha-dveṣa... They... "Why shall I serve Kṛṣṇa? I shall become Kṛṣṇa." This is iccha-dveṣa.
Dr. Patel: Is that so because of the reason of not understanding Kṛṣṇa, they go on...
Prabhupāda: No, no. Kṛṣṇa is enjoyer. Just like a big businessman, and his secretary is working under him. So he sometimes thinks, "Why shall I work under him? Why not become another Birla like him?" That is the fall down. He's happy there, becoming secretary of a big man, but he gives up the job and tries himself and becomes a vagabond. That's all. This is the position. Anyone who is trying to become...
Morning Walk -- March 31, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Yes, I have got the translation. All my secretaries, they have got. (break) (kīrtana, Acyutānanda singing) (end)
Morning Walk -- April 2, 1974, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: No, he was my customer. I used to go to his home. And he was coming to my shop. Yes. He was my customer. When 1928 congress was there, I sent him one letter that "I want to become a delegate and go there." So immediately, "Yes, you come." So I went to Calcutta and I told his secretary that "Panditji has told me like this." "Yes, take this ticket." Yes. I became... So I was criticizing my friend because the delegate fee is one rupee and the reception committee fee at that time was twenty-five rupees. And still, they were in the last seat. And because at that time Motilal Nehru became president, the president, the province in which the president becomes, that provincial member occupies the first seat. So we occupied the first seat from Allahabad. So I...
Morning Walk -- April 24, 1974, Hyderabad:
Prabhupāda: Then they will be very much pleased. And as soon as you criticize, that "You are doing this wrong, you will suffer." "Oh, yes, this Swamiji is not (indistinct)." That is going on everywhere. In the name of religion you do all nonsense rascaldom, and the leader approves, "Yes, you can do." Vivekananda did it. "Yes, there is no difference between eating meat and not eating eat in terms of religion system." He preached this, and all the sannyāsīs of the Ramakrishna Mission they eat meat, they drink, they have woman secretary, everything.
Morning Walk -- June 9, 1974, Paris:
Prabhupāda: Bāhya means external, and abhyantaram means internal. So we should be active, both, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, externally and internally. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, externally hearing and chanting, and smaraṇam, internally smaraṇam, thinking—these are the process of bhakti. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam (SB 7.5.23). Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa... (break) If somebody asks, "Give me one picture," and I ask my secretary—"There is no picture." (laughter)
Room Conversation with Mr. Deshimaru -- June 13, 1974, Paris:
Prabhupāda: Why the GBC men are not interested in these talks?
Satsvarūpa: I'm interested, I was just doing secretary work.
Prabhupāda: That's all right. How you will do secretary work if you do not hear? These are the important philosophy is going on. Where is the other man Bhagavān dāsa? These important talks going on and you do not..., you think that you have learned everything. What is this?
Morning Walk -- June 14, 1974, Paris:
Prabhupāda: This you have to control, udara-vegam. Udaropastha-vegam, genital. In this way, one who has controlled all these forces, he is able to make disciple all over the world. Otherwise, not this rascal guru. As soon as he saw one very beautiful secretary, "Oh, let me enjoy." And he's guru. So these are cheating.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Room Conversation with Indian Guests -- March 13, 1975, Tehran:
Devotee (1): Can you satisfy equally as brahmacārī or gṛhastha or sannyāsī? Can you satisfy equally in whatever path you have chosen?
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. The satisfaction is the point. So just like the head of the family, he is asking his wife to do something, children to do something, servant to do something. So if they are doing according to the order, then it is very nice. The head of the family is satisfied, and everything is going nicely. Anywhere, in office also. There are different officers, secretaries, managers, and the director. He has given: "You do this. You do that. You do that. You do that." So if they do their duty, then everything is nice.
Room Conversation with Canadian Ambassador to Iran -- March 13, 1975, Iran:
Prabhupāda: So when the Britishers understood that the soldiers, Indian soldiers, are now noncooperating, then they decided, "No, no more. It is not possible." So they voluntarily withdrew, that Sir Sirpiting(?) Lawrence, the secretary of state for India. Then they voluntarily settled up.
Room Conversation with Yoga Student -- March 14, 1975, Iran:
Prabhupāda: Do you think Allah is wordly name?
Lady: We recognize that it is before Kṛṣṇa...
Prabhupāda: That's all right, you recognize it. Allah, Allah is not worldly name. It is given by the authority Muhammad so you have to chant it, who knows God.
Lady: But he didn't really mean Allah is the name of God.
Prabhupāda: If... Why do you say he didn't mean?
Lady: Because...
Prabhupāda: That is you say. Muhammad did not say that "What I say, I did not mean it."
Lady: No, the name of God. He didn't mean Allah.
Prabhupāda: You say, you say. Who cares for your word? Muhammad said this is the name of God. We have to accept, that's all.
Lady: So why...
Prabhupāda: You cannot say he didn't mean. You are not a private secretary of Muhammad. (laughter)
Conversation with the GBC -- March 27, 1975, Mayapur:
Prabhupāda: The... The money matters should be dealt with the president, secretary and the treasurer, three men. Out of three, two should sign. And GBC's business is to see that things are going on, money matters. That's all. GBC is not supposed to deal directly. He has to inspect. That's all.
Atreya Ṛṣi: So I can cross this...
Prabhupāda: Just like... But the thing is, if the GBC and the president is the same man, that is not good. That is not good. The president should be separate. So the president, treasurer and secretary, they will deal directly, and GBC should inspect book, account, that it is done very nicely. That's all. You can question, "Why you have done this?" That's nice. Otherwise, in the..., it will be difficult to manage.
Conversation with Devotees on Theology -- April 1, 1975, Mayapur:
Prajāpati: Harvard chair, bishop's salary... Bishops get 25,000 dollars a year.
Acyutānanda: Then if you can't discuss openly with people, then what's the point?
Prajāpati: The point is they have big, big buildings, big, big salaries, big, big positions...
Prabhupāda: That is... That is all right. If you want to keep one man in a very high position, you should give all comforts. That is good. Just like if you want to keep a king, he must have a palace. He must have his officers, secretaries...
Morning Walk -- May 12, 1975, Perth:
Prabhupāda: Spiritual life is reality they do not understand. They take it as something mental position. (long pause)
Gaṇeśa: All of these gurus are being exposed. Just like Guru Maharaji.
Paramahaṁsa: Generally people don't believe it if someone says he is God.
Prabhupāda: The first thing is: what wonderful thing he has done, that he is God? People have no common sense. We accept Kṛṣṇa as God. There are so many wonderful things done by Kṛṣṇa. Now what has he done that we accept that he is God? He has fallen in love with his secretary; any common sweeper also becomes.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Morning Walk -- February 5, 1976, Mayapura:
Prabhupāda: That's all right, but He creates by His energy. Just like I am creating this institution, but I am not doing directly, but my men or my assistants, they are doing it. (sound like conch) What is this sound?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Intercom.
Prabhupāda: So why this intercom? Inter...?
Hṛdayānanda: To speak from one room to another.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It connects the pūjārī room and... It connects the pūjārī room, the office, your secretary, and up here, Bhavānanda Mahārāja.
Prabhupāda: (break) ...accepted, now He created and that... What is that next? Explain.
Hṛdayānanda: Now God is dormant, in a dormant condition.
Prabhupāda: What is that dormant?
Hṛdayānanda: He has no more activity. He simply created, and now He has no more activity.
Prabhupāda: Well, "no more activities," that's all right, but He is active. Suppose I am walking. I may not walk half an hour. That means I have got the capacity of walking. That you cannot say, that my walk... Because I have now stopped walking, you cannot say that I cannot walk. Is another nonsense. How you can say "dormant"? He is active.
Morning Walk -- June 5, 1976, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: So increase the number of Back to Godhead.
Svarūpa: Yes. As the quantity and quality increases in Back to Godhead, the membership program is increasing, and orders for the literature through Back to Godhead increases.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's our best means of advertising, that magazine.
Mahendra: Every day, the mail order department is delivering to the airport, or to the post office, a big stack of books to be mailed out.
Prabhupāda: So why not ask them to make a post office here, ISKCON post office?
Svarūpa: Each day fifty letters are coming. Some are inquiries, some are orders. (break) ...program Prabhupāda, we continue writing letters to these people, until they become devotees.
Prabhupāda: That's nice.
Svarūpa: And last year thirty became devotees. They wrote us letters saying that they have moved into a temple and that they are very happy now.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Svarūpa, he does all this writing; he's the secretary. He keeps correspondence with all of these people every month.
Rāmeśvara: In your book, there is an invitation in every book: "For more information, write to the secretary."
Prabhupāda: Yes, I've seen.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That is Svarūpa. He does all this.
Prabhupāda: (break) ...avasthiti. When one remains in svarūpa, that is called mukti. (laughter) Svarūpeṇa avasthitiḥ. (break) The best place in Los Angeles for walking.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Wow. This is the best place in Los Angeles for walking.
Prabhupāda: (break) ...still the sea beach is here.
Morning Walk -- June 6, 1976, Los Angeles:
Prabhupāda: Rathayātrā, introduce in every city. You have already got some national holiday?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: You'll get everywhere. In this way, one day we'll capture the whole government, and you'll become the president.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Rāmeśvara.
Prabhupāda: Yes. (laughter)
Rāmeśvara: You said Balavanta.
Prabhupāda: Balavanta may be his secretary. He can.... (laughter)
Rāmeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I was told you once said that he would be in the White House before he's forty years old.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) No, I did not.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That was only to encourage him.
Rāmeśvara: Oh, to encourage him. Also, Śrīla Prabhupāda...
Prabhupāda: If you bring public in your favor, it is not difficult.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's a fact. You have to bring them in your favor.
Prabhupāda: Yes. "A Kṛṣṇa conscious man. He's a Kṛṣṇa conscious man. Give him vote." This opinion. That's all.
Magazine Interview -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:
Interviewer: What happens when that inevitable time comes when a successor is needed?
Rāmeśvara: He is asking about the future, who will guide the movement in the future.
Prabhupāda: They will guide. I am training them.
Interviewer: Will there be one spiritual leader, though?
Prabhupāda: No, I am training GBC, eighteen all over the world.
Rāmeśvara: His personal secretaries.
Interviewer: I see.
Rāmeśvara: To see that the original teachings that Prabhupāda has given are not in any way changed.
Interviewer: Well, nothing more? Then ah, thank you, and I wish you well in your travels.
Rāmeśvara: We have given him many books to read and magazines, so he's already preparing the article from that material we have given him.
Prabhupāda: For a common man it is little difficult, but it is very easy. We are talking of the spiritual platform, but common man does not understand what is spiritual, although it is very easy. My body, your body, is moving on account of spiritual spark. That's a fact; everyone can see. As soon as the spiritual spark, soul, is off, the body, it is simply lump of matter. That is a fact; everyone can see. But still they are not serious to understand what is that spiritual spark. There is no education. Mostly they are thinking there is no spiritual spark, the body is moving.... How it is moving? What is their explanation?
Conversation with Clergymen -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:
Prabhupāda: The thing is that I have established so many centers. So I have to go from one center to another just to encourage them. Otherwise I am old enough. I am eighty years. So traveling is not very good job for me, but still I do it just to encourage them.
Kern: Do.... Your lines of authority then come from you, or is it an elective authority?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Everything is work on higher authority.
Kern: In other words, there would be no election. Like if you go to San Francisco...
Prabhupāda: No, I have got my secretaries. I have got about twenty secretaries who are in charge of some group of temples.
Scheverman: I see. And you appoint the secretaries then who are in charge of the groups, each local group.
Prabhupāda: Yes. I try to manage as far as possible, but I'm not getting any government's cooperation. It is all my personal endeavor.
Scheverman: Do you hope to acquire school buildings for teaching school?
Prabhupāda: Yes, why not? If there is arrangement for financing such school we can start, very nice.
Room Conversation After Film -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Ṛṣi Kumāra: I don't want to get married. It's just being kicked by māyā. I can see that.
Prabhupāda: At least you have got already experience. (laughs) Don't be misled. Stay for sometimes. Will be give you sannyāsa. And now Mr. Punja, has he written any letter?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Mr. Punjasai? He wrote a letter recently. He mentioned the business about the books, that Guru-kṛpā said he was supposed to some give books from Australia, and he wasn't getting them.
Prabhupāda: So you can write him—note down—that "We are managing our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement by GBC. We have got about twenty GBC's for looking after the whole world affair, and above the GBC, I am there, and under the GBC's there are presidents, treasurers, secretaries in each and every center. So the president is responsible to the GBC. GBC is responsible to me. In this way we are managing. But why you are proposing a separate trustee for Fiji? We have no separate trustee till now, but if for security, if it is required, you can adopt it. So this is our management going on. Now, if you have got some new idea, so please explain to me how you want to manage. But I think Fiji temple cannot be managed in a separate idea. But still, I shall entertain if you have got some idea to manage. The deed should be given to the founder-ācārya, in the name of founder-ācārya like 'A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, Founder-Ācārya International Society.' "
Room Conversation After Film -- June 28, 1976, New Vrindaban:
Prabhupāda: "It cannot be dedicated to any of the office-bearers."
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The deed should be...?
Prabhupāda: "Deed should be made in favor of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder-Ācārya, International Society. But it cannot be dedicated to any office-bearer. So I suggest that you become the president on the temple and Upendra become the secretary, and either your brother or your wife can become the treasurer. There is no need of trustees. But in any circumstances, the temple cannot be a private property in the name of ISKCON. That is not possible."
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "A private property in the name of ISKCON."
Prabhupāda: "If you want to keep it a private property, then the ISKCON name should not be utilized." Here you have understood that he's trying to utilize ISKCON's name...
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: To collect.
Prabhupāda: ...to collect, and he'll be keeper. That should be frankly disclosed, that "This is not possible." So we shall write our Upendra? No, I have already written that he should be the secretary. No?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes. You mentioned earlier today that he was supposed to be one of the trustees, but now this is different, so...
Prabhupāda: So we are not going to make any trustee.
Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:
Devotee (3): And this is Emmet Holman(?) who teaches philosophy at George Mason University. He's also very interested in Indian philosophy.
Prabhupāda: We had some talk with Professor Kotovsky in Moscow. Recently our representative went to Moscow for selling our book. They have highly appreciated our books. They have given in writing appreciation.
Mr. Boyd: Your Grace, in regards to the organization of the movement, as such, I somehow am led to believe that there's no coordination between, should I say, your office, in regards to the karmī world, and the different temples. Are each..., does each temple operate by itself, or each division operate by itself?
Prabhupāda: No, (indistinct). There is separate arrangement for management, but the idea and philosophy is the same. Ultimately, I am managing. I have my twenty secretaries, they are called GBC, they are assisting me to manage. Every GBC has got a certain number of temples to supervise, and ultimately, I supervise everything. Therefore I come occasionally, stay for few days to see how things are going on. I have got hundred temples, big, big temples, very nice. They have organized palatial buildings, but I cannot stay anywhere. (laughter)
Mr. Boyd: That's the trouble with being boss. If you don't do it, nobody else will.
Prabhupāda: As soon as I say, "Ah, it is very nice place," the time is over, they say "You please get out." (laughter and groans from devotees)
Interview with Newsweek -- July 14, 1976, New York:
Interviewer: I didn't mean that he was retiring from spiritual life.
Hari-śauri: From management.
Bali-mardana: His main work is his books, so he'll continue that.
Interviewer: I was wondering if he had a successor to do... Do you have a successor to take your place when you die?
Prabhupāda: Not yet settled up. Not yet settled up.
Interviewer: So what process would the Hare Kṛṣṇas...?
Prabhupāda: We have got secretaries. They are managing.
Rāmeśvara: He has appointed from all the disciples a group of secretaries. Each one is in charge of a different sector of the world.
Interviewer: How many secretaries?
Rāmeśvara: Presently there is eighteen.
Interviewer: And so that group of eighteen secretaries will choose another leader?
Prabhupāda: I am training each one of them as leader so that they can spread extensively. That is my idea.
Interviewer: So, in other words, you started this whole movement here in the United States ten years ago. Would you say that the United States had the most active, financially, group of followers.
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Rāmeśvara: She wants to know, seeing you chose the United States to begin this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement ten years ago, now do you find that in the United States there is the most active membership financially speaking. In terms of contributing to this movement, supporting the movement, is the best field America?
Prabhupāda: No, without finance we can go on.
Rāmeśvara: Without finance we can go on.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Interview with Newsday Newspaper -- July 14, 1976, New York:
Interviewer: How do you spend your days? You do an awful lot of traveling I understand.
Prabhupāda: Traveling is going on throughout the whole world and wherever I go, at night I write books.
Bali-mardana: Translates.
Prabhupāda: Translate. And daytime I meet devotees.
Bali-mardana: Manage.
Prabhupāda: Manage.
Interviewer: You arrange the marriages?
Bali-mardana: Manage.
Prabhupāda: They have to ask me, final decision is taken from me. From all over the world, from all over the world letters are coming some problem, some problem, some problem. Although I have got about twenty secretaries, still they have to consult, I have to give them advice.
Hari-śauri: In the evening Śrīla Prabhupāda goes to bed at ten o'clock and gets up at eleven-thirty to begin translating.
Interviewer: You just sleep a couple of hours, then?
Prabhupāda: No, one and a half hour.
Interviewer: That's it?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Of course in daytime I take rest two hours. So in this way altogether about three to four hours. Our philosophy is not that you sit idly and God will send everything, no, not like that. We know God will send everything, still we work. Without God's sanction nothing can come. But we must be qualified to receive the favor of God. That is our philosophy.
Room Conversation -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):
Bhagavān: We have a nice program on saṅkīrtana where at least twice a week they go to a house and give a class at someone's home.
Prabhupāda: Where?
Bhagavān: Wherever they are. They meet some interested person and they go and they have a class in their home.
Prabhupāda: And he invites friends.
Bhagavān: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Very nice.
Bhagavān: And one man, after the devotee was there, the next week he sent two thousand dollars in the mail.
Prabhupāda: Ācchā.
Bhagavān: And then he came to the Paris temple and he gave another thousand dollars. And then two weeks later he sent again two thousand dollars, and then he moved in with his whole family.
Prabhupāda: Ācchā. (laughs)
Bhagavān: They are here now. He had his own business and everything, very successful. His children are in the Gurukula and he is doing saṅkīrtana.
Prabhupāda: His wife also?
Bhagavān: She is the secretary. Very nice.
Prabhupāda: Wherefrom they came?
Bhagavān: South of France.
Prabhupāda: South of France.
Hari-śauri: If we had a big farm in the south it would be very nice. In the south of France the weather is always very good.
Prabhupāda: South of France is near Mediterranean. Marseilles is south?
Bhagavān: Marseilles is right on the Mediterranean. We have very big saṅkīrtana there.
Prabhupāda: Marseilles? Oh.
Bhagavān: Many books distributed.
Room Conversation with Professor Francois Chenique -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):
Prabhupāda: No, if from Sanskrit to French can be translated, I have no objection. But we have no such arrangement.
Yogeśvara: We have no Sanskrit scholars in French yet, no.
Prabhupāda: Not only scholar, not only scholar, he must be a realized soul. Simply scholars will not help, simply scholarship will not help. There are many Sanskrit scholars in India. There are many Sanskrit scholars, original Sanskrit scholars in India, they cannot understand Bhāgavata.
Yogeśvara: Professor Chenique's point is that we are seeking to introduce these books on a university level, and there's a certain standard that must be met.
Prabhupāda: What is that standard?
Bhūgarbha: He's just saying that the style of French, he feels that it's too many words.
Prabhupāda: French, he must be French, expert in language, at the same time, a devotee. Then he can explain. Otherwise no. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's secretary, Svarūpa Dāmodara, he asked that brāhmaṇa, bhāgavata paḍā giyā bhāgavata sthāne:(?) "Go and study Bhāgavata from bhāgavata." I have discussed this in the beginning of translation of Bhāgavata. So Bhāgavata, that is the limit of education. Vidyā bhāgavata vadhiḥ.(?) One has to study and take education up to Bhāgavatam. That is, if one understands Bhāgavatam, he's finished his education.
Evening Darsan -- August 10, 1976, Tehran:
Prabhupāda: He's giving intelligence. But if you don't accept, what can be done? He has come Himself, and He's giving intelligence. You take it and be happy. But if you don't take it, what God can do?
Hari-śauri: Then your argument that I have no independence, that's not correct.
Prabhupāda: No. You have got independence, little independence.
Atreya Ṛṣi: You have freedom to choose intelligence or be a rascal.
Prabhupāda: You have got independence to misuse your independence. That independence you have got. You have been given intelligence. Now you have got, because you have got intelligence, little independence, you can misuse that. Just like you are all my secretaries. So I give you some independence. You can misuse it. So that misuse is wrong. Then you'll become unhappy. Kṛṣṇa says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). Says. He doesn't force you—you must do it. You do it. That means independence. Now it is your choice. You have got independence of misusing it. So independence is a quality inherent in living beings, because he's part and parcel of God. The quality of the father is inherited by the son, even physically. Similarly, you have..., God is fully independent, you have got little touch of independence. Now that independence is properly utilized when you carry out the order of God. That is proper. Ordinarily, every country is independent. Does it mean that he is cent percent independent? No. Then why there is police department? Similarly, we are part and parcel of God. We have got little independence. But if we misuse it, then we shall be punished. So there is no question of independence. Independence, little. That is interdependence, not independence. Why they declare independence? That is their foolishness.
Room Conversation -- August 20, 1976, Hyderabad:
Prabhupāda: So people were enthusiastic to come to our festival?
Saurabha: Oh, yes, very much.
Prabhupāda: That is wanted.
Saurabha: And this place, when it is finished, it will be the most popular temple in Bombay.
Prabhupāda: They have done.
Saurabha: It's already the biggest. So this is the building, (unfolding plans) and these three rooms—this is 32 by 32—is your sitting room where you can receive people. Then here is your bedroom, and here is the secretary room, here is kitchen, and here is servant room. So personally you have this, four rooms.
Prabhupāda: What are these?
Saurabha: This is the elevator.
Prabhupāda: Oh.
Saurabha: Then this is the entry where the people can wait in case many people are there. Here's the secretary. This is the kitchen and...
Hari-śauri: Bathroom?
Saurabha: That is... That is... Like those things come out here. That is all connected with the room. So your bathroom, you have one toilet here and one shower here, each side.
Prabhupāda: That's good.
Evening Darsana -- September 1, 1976, Delhi:
Indian man (3): And now you will remain here in India for some time?
Prabhupāda: That I do not know. I, actually, now it is little troublesome for me to travel all the year.
Indian man (3): You are just gone from (indistinct).
Prabhupāda: Rest, if I rest then there may be... Because I am dealing with all neophytes. If I don't keep them alive by personal presence... Still they are doing nice. I have appointed twenty secretaries all over the world. I am training them. They are managing. Managing nicely. I have been in New York and Los Angeles and Hawaii, all big, big centers. London, Paris.
Indian man (3): Oh, it's a very great. Your program for Kurukṣetra and etc. and the...
Prabhupāda: Program was that they promised to give me land.
Indian man (3): Who?
Prabhupāda: That chief minister.
Garden Conversation -- September 7, 1976, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Our movement, all over the world they have joined. Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, and Africans. All, everywhere.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: "ISKCON has devotees in all parts of the world in all nationalities, including Muslims."
Prabhupāda: Samaḥ sarveṣu-bhūteṣu.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: "Should the government need any further information we will be more than happy and pleased to cooperate in all respects. With kindest regards. Your sincerely, Gopāla Kṛṣṇa dāsa, Secretary, ISKCON." It's okay?
Prabhupāda: Yes. It is nicely done.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: So this is a point by point reply. So now no one can open their mouth.
Prabhupāda: Oh yes. It is very intelligent. (Hindi)
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And I thought we'd give both Blitz and ISKCON so you can see right there.
Prabhupāda: So if Mr. Modi discusses this it will be a great help.
Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:
Prabhupāda: Toronto, Montreal, Paris, so many. So many temples. Very, very big temples. The cost is sometimes fifty lakhs, fifty-five lakhs each temple.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: New York is more than a million dollars, New York temple.
Interviewer: Do you have any proposal to spread this movement in Communist countries?
Prabhupāda: Yes, we have already gone. I have been in Moscow. This, my secretary, he has brought some order from them. They are also appreciating.
Interviewer: Now two priests of your temple in America have been arrested on certain charges as we read from the newspaper...
Prabhupāda: Well, the charges will be there. Gandhi was also charged, and was arrested. And that you cannot stop. That will go on in any movement. That is not any fault. Because the counter-charges are already there, everywhere. What is the American charges? I do not know. What is that?
Room Conversation -- December 7, 1976, Hyderabad:
Mahāṁśa: Because if he comes his cook will also come.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. His cook and servant, yes. So make this arrangement so that everything should be inaugurated tomorrow, not more than that. So You have to purchase vegetable and then make a big, big scheme. Bambharambhe(?) laghu-kriyā. Ārambha, very big, and action, very little. And ask some of our devotees to collect all the gobars and bring here. I want gobar. There so much gobars scattered here and there. Take one basket and two men may go and collect all of them, put it in the sunshine. So nowadays sunshine is so bright. You can have so many things exposed to sunshine. All vitamins. So you immediately make program for vegetable, fruits, flower, surrounding this, immediately. So how Bhogilal will be brought here?
Mahāṁśa: In his car.
Prabhupāda: In his car. So make arrangement. Either we both of us, we may stay there or one here, one there.
Mahāṁśa: And the secretaries can stay here.
Prabhupāda: Secretaries, as they are staying. I think one can manage that. There is no difficulty. (break) So all the devotees here, they are all required there?
Mahāṁśa: No.
Prabhupāda: Then why... So the temple work is not suffering?
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Letter to Russian -- January 5, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: No, businessmen are there all right. I was doing that business. So in my shop they..., visitors used to come there.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: That shop. (pause) Śrīla Prabhupāda, this morning Rāmeśvara Mahārāja and Hṛdayānanda Mahārāja spoke to me.
Prabhupāda: I have heard that. That's good idea.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: That's good idea? So Hṛdayānanda Swami and Kīrtanānanda Swami are going to Africa. And on the 9th they told me to send a telegram signed by you saying you are sick and you want Brahmānanda to come immediately. So then Kīrtanānanda Swami will personally bring Brahmānanda Swami to India. But they want him to become your permanent secretary again.
Prabhupāda: I have no objection.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: You have no objection. Okay. And Hṛdayānanda Swami is ready to manage Africa till the festival.
Prabhupāda: He was experienced, Brahmānanda, in Africa. Where is that Cyavana? He is gone?
Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: We don't want tenant. And it should be developed for that purpose, for developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Either here or outside India or anywhere, this principle should be followed. And this hodgepodge association, society, is not the... Let it be very pure. Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tārā. That one moon is sufficient. There is no need of millions of stars. Hm? What do you think? One moon gives light. So, in this way, if we can make one person really Kṛṣṇa conscious, then our mission is successful. What is the use of millions of stars twinkling? What is called? Twinkling? You should discuss all these things, but you... These two brothers should be, P. Bannerji and M. Bannerji... The address is there. You can write as secretary, "Dear Sir, I am instructed by His Divine Grace Prabhupāda to thank you for your postcard dated such and such. And we condole for your bereavement in the absence of your father late, Principal N. Bannerji. You know that your father was intimately related with Śrīla Prabhupāda, and he assisted him with some money, loan. Your father attempted to repay it, but he could not. Now, after his death, you are worthy sons..."
Jagadīśa: I'm getting behind, Śrīla Prabhupāda. "Now, after his death..."
Prabhupāda: "You are good sons behind him. You have observed the death ceremony very pompously."
Jagadīśa: "Death ceremony..."
Prabhupāda: "Of your father."
Jagadīśa: "Very pompously"?
Prabhupāda: "Pompously. And, why not repay the debts of your father so that he may live very peacefully in his next life? A line in reply will much oblige us. Yours sincerely." You sign, "Secretary to His Divine...," as you... This man (laughs) over there was a pākā thief, and his sons also.
Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Principal N. Bannerji.
Jagadīśa: "You know that your father was intimately related with Śrīla Prabhupāda, and he assisted him with..."
Prabhupāda: "And Prabhupāda assisted him."
Jagadīśa: Okay. "And Śrīla Prabhupāda assisted him with some money loan. Your father attempted to repay it, but he could not. Now, after his death, you are good sons behind him. You have observed the death ceremony very pompously. Why not repay the debts of your father so that he may live very peacefully in his next life? A line in reply will much oblige us. Yours sincerely, Secretary..."
Prabhupāda: Is that all right? Let us see how worthy sons they are. Everyone knows. They know. That Gauracandra Gosāi, Rādhā-Dāmodara, he knows. And I have got letters and everything... I... If I go to the court... And who is going to the court? I could have gone to the court, long, long ago. I never liked to go to the court. In my business life also, if somebody did not pay, I never go to the court. Bother... "To push good money after bad money." The money which is lost, and... And what about that money order?
Discussion on Deprogrammers -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:
Rāmeśvara: Brahmānanda.
Jagadīśa: To give him direction.
Prabhupāda: No, no, he's coming. Kīrtanānanda has gone.
Rāmeśvara: Kīrtanānanda has gone, but now they are a little confused what should be done next. They originally... The plan was that he was going to come here to be your secretary. So now they need some new instruction. So we thought Jagadīśa could call and invite him to come to America to preach.
Prabhupāda: That is better. That is better. To write some letters here, that is not so important. But if he can preach and he... At least, we are expecting... He's old sannyāsī. He knows how to preach. Let him do that.
Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:
Rāmeśvara: Altogether in Los Angeles, eight thousand. Plus Indians from San Francisco will come to this concert because she is very popular. Gopāla sent one devotee, Jagat-puruṣa, to manage the ticket selling.
Prabhupāda: Yes, he is expert.
Rāmeśvara: And we are trying to print one souvenir book also and take advertisements from local stores and shops. In this way we will also make money.
Prabhupāda: So you have to go back? (break)
Rāmeśvara: They want me to be there to make sure the concert is a success. And Satsvarūpa Mahārāja is coming for Kumbha Mela. So he's planning to stay on with you for the whole month of February and March as secretary.
Prabhupāda: Oh. And you are going to Vṛndāvana?
Room Conversation -- January 23, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:
Bhāgavata: Abhirāma is going tomorrow to Calcutta. On the way he will stop at Remuṇā.
Prabhupāda: Why?
Bhāgavata: He will inform them that you will come on which day. On the day, third or fourth of February, after this function is over, he will inform them that you are coming. Then night of the function I will go ahead and see that everything is...
Prabhupāda: That you arrange with the secretary. So Brahmānanda's going to America. For the time being he should go.
Gargamuni: Oh, yes, he said he will go for some time. He just told me. (break) You are famous for starting from nothing. (Prabhupāda laughs) In New York there was nothing, and you started.
Prabhupāda: Yes, nothing.
Room Conversation -- February 2, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:
Yugadharma: No they are making... They have twenty pairs made now, and I have bought them all. Also one who is interested is Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa?
Yugadharma: Yes. He has also has given $700 advanced order to Dhanañjaya also for San Francisco area.
Prabhupāda: Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa from...? Who was my secretary?
Satsvarūpa: Yes. He wants to help and come back a little.
Prabhupāda: Oh. Oh, that's nice.
Room Conversation -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:
Gargamuni: Yeah, most of the fights we have aren't personal. They're just difference of opinion.
Prabhupāda: No, that will go on. Then majority vote. Then it's decided. What can be done?
Gargamuni: No one has any personal animosity.
Hṛdayānanda: No. There's no more personal animosity. A chairman was elected, Kīrtanānanda Swami, and vice chairman, Jayatīrtha, and secretary, again Satsvarūpa.
Prabhupāda: That's nice. Who is chairman?
Hṛdayānanda: Kīrtanānanda Swami.
Prabhupāda: He's senior.
Hṛdayānanda: Yes.
Gargamuni: Is Gopāla here? No.
Hṛdayānanda: Yes. Everyone was present except Gargamuni.
Prabhupāda: And he was elected GBC, Svarūpa Dāmodara?
Room Conversation -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:
Rāmeśvara: Did you read your name?
Satsvarūpa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Twenty, yes.
Satsvarūpa: So this is the election of the officers: Kīrtanānanda Swami, chairman; Jayatīrtha, vice chairman; Satsvarūpa, secretary.
Prabhupāda: Kīrtanānanda, president, er, chairman. Eh?
Satsvarūpa: Chairman. Jayatīrtha, vice chairman. Satsvarūpa, secretary. And then, in that regard, we passed a resolution that the position of chairman can only be held one year consecutively, every year changed, whereas vice president, secretary, may be held three years consecutively.
Prabhupāda: Why? That should be also one year.
Satsvarūpa: Also one year.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Room Conversation -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:
Prabhupāda: Hm. That is the way. Amongst the same persons, one may get chance by selection, by majority vote. That is the way.
Hari-śauri: Democratic.
Prabhupāda: Yes. The persons are the same, twenty men. Now, by this selection of the majority persons, one becomes chairman for one year. Then everyone has the chance. That is the way. So that is... So secretaries and vice chairman also should be for one year.
Satsvarūpa: Then, in regard to these meetings, we passed this resolution, that... (break) ...that we pass will be brought before Your Divine Grace for approval. Then they can be posted on a bulletin board so devotees can see what they were. Then after all the days' meetings of the GBC are finished, then we'll have a meeting of the temple presidents. If, at their meeting, by a two-thirds majority vote, they suggest any amendments to the resolutions or make new resolutions, these will be sent back to the GBC, who will meet again and who will again vote...
Prabhupāda: "Send back" means not now? Not now?
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. During these days.
Satsvarūpa: Yes.
Haṁsadūta: Immediately.
Prabhupāda: "Send back" means where?
Room Conversation -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:
Prabhupāda: Then try to rectify. Then...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. That was our final conclusion.
Kīrtanānanda: We did not want to force him.
Prabhupāda: That's nice.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We wanted to encourage him, Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That's nice. No, we have got flaw in every... So it is better to try to rectify it. That's all.
Ātreya Ṛṣi: A new concept which came up more and more in this GBC meeting was the concept of more than one GBC secretary helping on the same subject. That is, some responsibilities have been assigned to be shared.
Prabhupāda: Yes, very good.
Ātreya Ṛṣi: So with this idea, I am sure the situation can be rectified even to the point of bringing Yogeśvara and his wife back.
Prabhupāda: That's nice.
Ātreya Ṛṣi: If there is cooperation between Jayatīrtha Prabhu and Bhagavān.
Prabhupāda: So that's a good idea. No, Jayatīrtha will be sent there.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.
Prabhupāda: So he'll be assistant secretary?
Satsvarūpa: No. What we resolved is that Bhagavān dāsa would stay in his present zone: France and Italy and Sweden and Amsterdam; but that as far as Jayatīrtha, he would visit Paris and New Māyāpur to assist with the financial problems there, and after some time...
Prabhupāda: Jayatīrtha and Ātreya Ṛṣi, both.
Room Conversation -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:
Prabhupāda: Yes. Ekala eka.(?) One man's conclusion is not good. Better consult with him. Then?
Satsvarūpa: Then for the division of the United States, for myself, for being editor of Back to Godhead, I would go to Los Angeles for that, Back to Godhead, but would also supervise the Northwest US zone, which includes Berkeley, California; Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, and the Dallas temple. Rāmeśvara Mahārāja would continue being the GBC for Los Angeles, San Diego, Laguna Beach, and Denver. Balavanta Prabhu would keep his same zone—Atlanta; the Tennessee farm; Gainesville and Miami, Florida; New Orleans and the Mississippi farm; and Houston, Texas. Rūpānuga would also keep his same zone—Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; Philadelphia; St. Louis; the St. Louis farm; Ottawa; and Montreal, Canada. Kīrtanānanda would keep his same zone—New Vrindaban, Buffalo, Toronto, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja was accepted as your permanent secretary, and therefore, for the vacancy created in his absence in New York, Pennsylvania farm, Boston, Puerto Rico...
Rāmeśvara: And Rādhā-Dāmodara.
Satsvarūpa: ...and the Rādhā-Dāmodara party, it was decided that he should keep the responsibility of being the GBC for that area. However, Ādi-keśava Mahārāja will act as special assistant to the GBC and take the on-the-spot responsibility.
Prabhupāda: That means he'll be trained up in his place. Is it not?
Room Conversation with GBC members -- March 2-3, 1977, Mayapura:
Prabhupāda: Yes. So we shall have farm project, so we should think... (break)
Satsvarūpa: You want to hear the rest of our resolutions, Śrīla Prabhupāda? We were about to read the preaching centers that were proposed by the different GBC members to be opened during the year. The GBC permission was given to the following GBC secretaries to open the following preaching centers in the next year. In the US, Balavanta dāsa to open centers, permission for Knoxville, Tennessee; Columbia, South Carolina; Gatlinburg, Tennessee. And he has already opened a preaching center in Charlotte, North Carolina, and wants to open another one in Nashville, Tennessee. Then the zone of Tamāla Kṛṣṇa dāsa Goswami and Ādi-keśava Mahārāja for the Rādhā-Dāmodara parties, the following preaching centers were just opened and now approved under the provisions and conditions as stated in the general resolution for preaching centers in another GBC's zone: Cincinnati, Ohio; Lexington, Kentucky; Louisville, Kentucky; Indianapolis, Indiana; Lafayette, Indiana; Terhow, Indiana; Kansas City; Durham, North Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; Memphis, Tennessee; Oklahoma City; El Paso, Texas; Madison, Wisconsin; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Peoria, Illinois; and Carbondale, Illinois.
Rāmeśvara: Every town and village.
Satsvarūpa: The following centers are opened out of New York Temple: New Haven, Connecticut; Long Island, New York; New Brunswick, New Jersey...
Prabhupāda: It is open?
Room Conversation with GBC members -- March 2-3, 1977, Mayapura:
Satsvarūpa: Then we switched onto other topics. There was a resolution that there will be no marriages of girls until they are sixteen years old, not before.
Pañcadraviḍa: What about the schools?
Gargamuni: That's for America.
Rāmeśvara: In America.
Satsvarūpa: In America. The next resolution is that each GBC member is advised to take a turn as Śrīla Prabhupāda's secretary and they should approach Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja for that assignment. Then another resolution: All devotees are expected to shave their heads once a month. If there is a necessity to keep hair, it shall not be longer than it would grow in one month. Next resolution: Individual GBC members are responsible for their presidents signing the oaths of allegiance to ISKCON and Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Pañcadraviḍa: Can I say one thing? I think we should say that to Śrīla Prabhupāda that this resolution regarding the women was also to establish schools for them to protect them from local laws, to establish schools where they can learn domestic arts.
Rāmeśvara: That's true.
Pañcadraviḍa: That was passed.
Satsvarūpa: Resolved: Tuṣṭa Kṛṣṇa's group in New Zealand and Siddha-svarūpānanda Swami in Hawaii should pay the same price for BBT books as the temples in the ISKCON, not less, as they are paying now. It is well known that these groups preach actively against ISKCON. In response, although we should point out their philosophic defects, we should not directly confront them but remain aloof from...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In other words, no fighting with them.
Prabhupāda: This is to give them chance. They are chanting. Some way or other, keep them alive.
Room Conversation -- March 24, 1977, Bombay:
Hṛdayānanda: Jaya Prabhupāda.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually this quote, this copy of the Times of India, if we could send it to all our life members...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is from Dr. K. K. Divyeshwar to the Secretary of Hare Kṛṣṇa Land, "Respected Śrī Gopāla Dāsajī. Haribol, Swamiji. Namaste to you, all the Gosvāmīs, and all the gop..." Ahem. "My heartfelt congratulations to venerable Śrīla Prabhupādajī with my most humble long stretch at his feet, who at this juncture has not shown any disturbance or upheaval from his side. Truly the great saint is nearer to God than we in many respects. His greatness and nearness to eternity makes me bow down for his blessings. May Lord Caitanya bless us and direct us towards the superior light and let us attain more and more wisdom to be with him for an eternal merger." It's a little bit impersonalist, I think. (laughter) "Haribol, Swamiji. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Rāma." (laughter) At least he's chanting the holy name. "Yours obediently, Dr. K. K..." Who is that?
Hṛdayānanda: Divyeshwar.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's to you, Gopāla. (laughter) Your preaching doesn't seem to be... Oh, this is from Shaktimati. Now we have her correct address.
Prabhupāda: Let other.
Room Conversation -- April 22, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Everyone engaged in some particular department, he must improve and... Then things will go on nice. Upendra is very neat.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He is.
Prabhupāda: If required, he can cook also. He knows how. I gave... In the beginning he was cooking. He was from very beginning. Good or bad, he was doing. Gaurasundara and his wife, they were our secretaries, and he was cooking in the San Francisco.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I remember that. Yeah, he ever has to cook, I can give massage if necessary.
Prabhupāda: (indistinct) was working as postman. (end)
Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 23, 1977, Bombay:
Prabhupāda: Yes. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Suppose you are living in that village. Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, "You become a guru here." Here. You haven't got to go out. Ei deśa, "where you are living." Just see how nice it is. Āmāra ājñāya: "By My order, you become a guru and deliver the people of this place." This is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's... So "I am not educated, I do not know. How I shall become?" No, you haven't got to bother. Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa: (CC Madhya 7.128) "Simply you repeat what Kṛṣṇa has said. You become guru." That's all. Everyone can do that. Gītā is there. You sit down in your place and preach Bhagavad-gītā and try to induce them to take it. You become guru. But these rascals, they are becoming guru and showing magic and so many jugglery, not Gītā (Hindi), and spoil the whole country. Anyway, whatever is done is done. Now Kṛṣṇa has sent you. You have got all arrangement. I am prepared. I am asking my secretary to make arrangement. Let us cooperate. It will be very nice. Mr. Dwivedi is very nice man.
Conversations -- May 17, 1977, Vrndavana:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They should be a little more businesslike. (background discussion) (break)
Prabhupāda: ...this Rādhā-Dāmodara temple.
Akṣayānanda: That would be nice.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Maybe tomorrow, if this Jayaśacīnandana goes the first time, I can go with him. I know Gauracānda a little bit, so I can, you know, just, as your secretary, send your greetings to him. He'll appreciate that.
Akṣayānanda: He'll appreciate.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think what I'll do is I'll go at the time when I know they're supposed to be making that offering. That way, I'll see if it's being done. Little... Five or... What time is that offering made? Noontime?
Devotee: Yeah, noon.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Twelve? (pause)
Prabhupāda: Then you can bring little prasādam just from there.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: From the plate that's offered to you?
Prabhupāda: Yes, some... (end)
Room Conversation -- June 17, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Nobody. Everyone admits.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, when you intended to go to America, everyone was advising, "Better not go. It is too dangerous for someone of your age. Do not go." Someone even said that you may not come back.
Prabhupāda: I thought all this. I went to USA not to come back. I left here hopeless. I did not want to come back. I went with determination that "If I do this job, I will survive." So Kṛṣṇa helped me. I never desired to come back. It was 197... Er, no, 1968. You all helped, so I called you: "I want to return back. There are so many secretaries."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, you called me from France.
Prabhupāda: London.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I was in Paris.
Prabhupāda: Yes, and you were Paris.
Room Conversation -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: When he's going to submit?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He said in two weeks he'd be returning to his committee, so I'm thinking about four or five days, around five.
Prabhupāda: Mention this.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, that'll be a good...
Prabhupāda: In the meantime, your notice to you can be submitted by him, that "This is..."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That is a good example. Yeah, I mean, I'm your personal secretary.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "So give me an entry visa(?)." Ridiculous.
Prabhupāda: This should be done very carefully. "He's acting as a secretary, so important, and he's serving."
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Could you please give a little..." And if they say, "Then why did you come as a tourist and not on an entry visa?" I'll say, "Because it's impossible even to get entry visa."
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Room Conversation With Son (Vrindavan De) -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:
Śatadhanya: That means we strictly adhere to the śāstra.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "In their view, controverted by most Western scholars..." Most Western scholars are in controversy with us about our view. "The basic Vedic documents form a constant theistic doctrine first presented to mankind five thousand years ago."
Prabhupāda: Just see. Such a good certificate.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Satsvarūpa, American-born personal secretary to Swami Bhaktivedanta, presents the official Hare Kṛṣṇa approach." They don't even identify you. They know who you are. You are so well known in these literary circles now that someone says, "Swami Bhaktivedanta." They don't have to say "Founder of ISKCON." They know already from your other books. "...presents the official Hare Kṛṣṇa approach in an articulate and highly serviceable introduction to this immense body of literature. The readings include the Īśopaniṣad, the Bhagavad-gītā and excerpts from Purāṇas, supplemented with a glossary and index. Preliminary essays detail the logic by which his group rejects both the academic experts and the rival approach of advaita-vedānta that Westerners know through the writings of Vivekananda and Radhakrishnan. This is a book long needed to balance out the monist theology that is but one aspect of Indian religious thought." In other words, this is one of the first books to present the Vaiṣṇava viewpoint, not simply the Māyāvādī viewpoint. He says, "It's well needed." That's all he's written.
Prabhupāda: Very appreciated. Very much appreciate.
Room Conversation Mayapura attack -- July 15, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Government published this. The Statesman, therefore, has not given any description.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I didn't notice. Here's a little news clipping. It's probably the same. You probably have seen this already. This is from Indian Express. "Why Krishna Mandir Men Fired Salvo." By a... "An attack on the devotees and destruction of the premises of ISKCON Māyāpur Chandrodaya Mandir, West Bengal, led to the shooting incident, according to Mr. Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Dāsa, Secretary, Bombay center of the organization. Mr. Dāsa, in his statement issued on Monday, said the news from their sources in Bengal stated that on July 8th about fifty miscreants were found encroaching on our agricultural field and stealing our crops. When a devotee requested them to stop, they became angry and beat him up, fracturing his skull. Nearly 250 supporters of the miscreants..." Notice how they're not going to use "Muslims." They say "miscreants." They don't say "Muslims." Probably the paper wants to avoid. This is a hot issue. No one wants to write "Hindu-Muslim." "Nearly 250 supporters of the miscreants armed with sticks and spears suddenly appeared from behind the bushes and all of them entered the temple area. Mr. Dāsa said the miscreants beat several more devotees, including the Gurukula school headmaster, whose both hands and skull were broken. They also stripped naked a female disciple. They cut off electrical connections, telephone lines and water pipes. The police did not come for two hours, and meanwhile the group destroyed the gate, broke windows and stole two bulls. According to ISKCON Secretary, as a final resort, one ran for a gun, appropriately licensed and registered with the government, and fired a shot in the air. As the group persisted, he fired again into the ground which injured eleven of the miscreants. All of those injured have been discharged from the hospital." They're not injured seriously at all. "Mr. Dāsa said the police advised the devotees to go to the Krishnanagar police station to report the incident, and when they did go there they were arrested. Two devotees in critical condition were also detained in the jail hospital. Asked why our men have been kept in jail, the police replied, 'As a precaution.' "
Prabhupāda: This report is already there.
Meeting With Governor of Tamil Nadu -- July 31, 1977, Vrndavana:
Governor: I am meeting the Home Minister tomorrow also. I will also talk to him, Charan Singh. The meeting is. He's mainly going.
Prabhupāda: Because every year I am losing five to six lakhs of rupees for their going, again coming. Just like he's acting my secretary. Now his visa is finished. He has to go, and again he has to come back. And that means ten thousand, more than ten thousand. So in this way so many workers are...
Governor: (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: So they will never do anything harm and never take part in politics.
Room Conversations Bangladesh Preaching/Prabhavisnu Articles by Hamsaduta -- August 11, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Very good. This is preaching.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "On the 28th and 29th of July we held Hare Kṛṣṇa festivals at one prominent hall and spoke on the origin of life and matter. The second evening this Dr. Kovoor showed up with seven or eight of his followers, all doctors and scientists of some sort. By your mercy and the mercy of the Lord-teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10)—the lecture which somehow emanated from my mouth was so brilliant that the audience, about one thousand people who were all aware of Dr. Kovoor's presence and sensed the intention of challenge in the air, unanimously applauded as we spoke the last sentence." They unanimously applauded. "I then asked for questions, but the Dr. Kovoor and his friends did not make a peep, while everyone waited in dead silence. It was clear that he was defeated, hands down. After I came off the stage, he was still sitting in the audience. I went to him and gave him my garland so he might not feel bad." So anyway, that's what happened there. He says, "Now we have exhausted all possibilities of extending our visas here. We were not able to meet the Prime Minister again, so he is very busy rewriting the constitution of this country. So I thought the most inexpensive move is to come to India, and then I could also see you and perhaps be visiting secretary for some time, then return again. Or I could go to Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, etc., in the Far East, Southeast Asia, and try to preach there, touring different cities to see the prospects."
Prabhupāda: That is very nice.
Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: As an atheist... He's an atheist.
Haṁsadūta: Yes.
Prabhupāda: His position is lost.
Haṁsadūta: Yes. It's quite lost. Everyone has been enlightened about his flimsy position.
Prabhupāda: (coughing) Our secretary, Kṛṣṇa? Secretary... Eh? I just forget his speak...(?)
Haṁsadūta: Tamāla Kṛṣṇa?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Haṁsadūta: I'll get Tamāla. (end)
Room Conversation -- October 11, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Parivrājakācārya: If we can only give them philosophy, they can do the...
Prabhupāda: Rāja. And if we turn them ṛṣi, then our mission is fulfilled. Very good. Now you have started your own business.
Ātreya Ṛṣi: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. With your blessing. The business is not important, but it is a medium for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. My secretary is already a devotee, and the other people are also becoming interested. The goal is to have a Kṛṣṇa conscious group working in the society.
Prabhupāda: Go very slowly. Never mind. You all young men. All right. Go on chanting. (break)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: What meeting is going on?
Room Conversation -- October 14, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: So I am thinking now to lay down. (break) Meeting is going on here, and you have gone to Bhagatji?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, I haven't gone yet. I was in the conference for a little while. The scientists took prasādam at about 11:30. The conference was supposed to start at ten, but it didn't start till about nearly noon. And at the same time, Bhagatji has apparently arranged a program of prasādam and kīrtana at his house, and it was to be the same time when ordinarily the conference would have halted for lunch. So as the conference began two hours late, now that has upset things a little. Not very much. I was in the conference for a while and all the guests are there, scientists are there. Svarūpa Dāmodara Prabhu is giving a lecture. There weren't very many GBC or sannyāsīs there, but I think it was on account of the fact that the conference started so late today. There is another conference this afternoon, as far as I know. And then two more tomorrow and again the next day, and I'm pretty sure everybody will be attending. I found it very interesting. The only reason I left was that I wanted to know whether I should attend Bhagatji's lunch or not. He invited everyone and made big arrangement. But I'm your secretary, so I don't want to go unless it's proper to go.
Prabhupāda: How you have accepted invitation today?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The time it was fixed for was the lunch time of the conference. Another reason Bhagatji wanted to have it was that he just wanted to have it while everyone was here. But the main thing is that the lunch was supposed to coincide with the lunchtime of the conference. That's the main point. In other words, there was no conflict of the two.
Prabhupāda: Why did you not go there?
Room Conversation -- October 18, 1977, Vrndavana:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. There will be a round-table conference debate in Delhi. So all five will be there. Brahma-tīrtha, our geologist from Houston, he's going back, he told me, on 28th. So I decided to do on 27th. Also before that... Krishnamurti is the director general of television in New Delhi, and he's a good friend of our Dr. Khorana. Dr. Khorana is our life member in Delhi. So he also came to the conference on the last day. In fact, he brought the head of the All-India Medical Association also. So he told me that any day I come, any day we want, we can fix a date for a television appearance also. And since we are here, I also don't want to go far away from Vṛndāvana at this time. So in this process I'd like to go to Agra and Delhi and also possible Punjab areas, and I'd like to do some program and come back in Vṛndāvana. I don't want to go far away from Vṛndāvana at this stage. And in the process also we'd like to do some engagements. And then in about one or two months we'll work for Bombay. Bombay, I was told that three rooms are provided for the Institute. But we are at least four, and also we need a secretary for typing. So it seems to me that three rooms that are allotted for us will be not sufficient.
Prabhupāda: That's all.
Room Conversation -- October 29, 1977, Vrndavana:
Svarūpa Dāmodara: "First point: To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to the residents and the visitors of Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi. Second point: To propagate the consciousness of Kṛṣṇa, as it is revealed in Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and to propagate that Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself, as is revealed in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta and the Caitanya Bhāgavata. 3) To bring all the members of ā together nearer to Lord Caitanya and thus develop within humanity at large that each soul is a part and parcel of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. 4) To teach and encourage the saṅkīrtana movement of congregational chanting of the holy names of God given in the teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. 5) To erect temples, schools, colleges, universities, institutes of higher studies, hospitals and other buildings with or for the advancement of the objects of the Trust and to maintain, alter and improve the same, including existing buildings, and to furnish and equip the same. 6) In keeping with the spirit of the previous ācārya's vision of Gauḍīya-Mādhva sampradāya, to cement relations with all the sister temples of Gauḍīya-Mādhva sampradāya under one banner, to solidify preaching the message of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as desired by His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda and Śrīla Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda and all the previous ācāryas in this line. 7) With a view to achieving the aforementioned purposes and to publish and distribute periodicals, magazines, and other books and other items. 8) To do all such other things for the attainment of the objects of the Trust. 9) Trustee members are appointed lifetime. The members should always be seven. 10) A meeting once a year at Śrīdhāma Māyāpur during Gaura-Pūrṇimā. 11) There should be a chairman, a treasurer, and a secretary elected each year. 12) A quorum of at least five members." Finishes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So these are the points, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that we have... We expanded this. Your original simple point was to form a Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity for developing Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi. So we have expanded it into these points if they please Your Divine Grace. We took the ideas mostly from your original points in the..., when you formed the New York corporation, Śrīla Prabhupāda. We used those points and just changed them around a little bit. Today that Jagadish, I forget his name, that lawyer from Mathurā, he is coming, so I'm going to be meeting with him, and I'll give him these points and see if he can draft a document, proper document. I'd like to get a document done in time so that when we go to Māyāpur, and especially at Gaura-Pūrṇimā, we can have the first meeting. (break)
Bhavānanda: ...mantras nonstop, while he's preparing. (break)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Where is Vrindavan? I spoke with him for about two hours this afternoon, going over all of the points again, and, er, I explained everything to him. He said that he personally has very bad luck, very unlucky person. He said, "My only possible hope is my father."
Prabhupāda: To guide him.
Room Conversation -- November 5, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: This thing? What is that?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Your signatures were fairly good. Some of them were very good. They remarked that the signature was strong... (break) I tried to make it as quick as possible. Now I have the receipts, and I will keep them locked in the almirah just like we did last time. And after about one week we'll be able to get the original documents after they've been registered. In the meantime, on Monday we're going to open up a bank account in the name of Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust in Punjab National Bank, New Delhi. Girirāja, who is the secretary of the Trust, and Bhavānanda Mahārāja, who are the treasurers, will open the account. So the interest from the fixed deposits will go directly into that account. Is that nice? That was your idea. And the bank will be happy that we're keeping the money in their bank. All of your plans are perfect, Śrīla Prabhupāda. And our perfection is simply to carry them out without changing in any way. You have such complete plans that we don't have to do anything new. We have to work our whole lifetime simply to carry out what you've planned. Even then we won't be able to complete everything. We'll have to trust to those who come after us to finish everything. So I'll just finish everything now with them, Śrīla Prabhupāda, and lock everything away, and then I'll come back. I don't want to leave Girirāja alone. It's nice to do everything together, two. I'll come right back afterwards. (break)
Prabhupāda: The Trust deed somebody may read.
Room Conversation -- November 10, 1977, Vrndavana:
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? I mean, just judging the symptoms, which is all that we can do, certain symptoms have certainly picked up. For instance, you're passing more urine, stool is coming naturally, and you're able to drink milk without getting any cough. These things were never there before.
Prabhupāda: Hm. That will continue.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So if the treatment is continuing, if the treatment is working, why not continue it under the guidance of this kavirāja for some time? His point is this. This is what I've seen, Śrīla Prabhupāda, being your secretary all these months, that whenever you took milk you would get cough. For the first time I see there's no cough coming. Another problem, you couldn't pass urine. Now there's double the amount of urine. Another thing, you couldn't pass stool. Now it comes normally. At least it comes without any artificial means. So the one thing that has not yet come is strength, and kavirāja is suggesting what you yourself had always said, "If I can drink milk, I will get stronger." So if the kavirāja's treatment... To my feeling it has worked. At least symptoms... The symptoms have been better under his treatment than any doctor so far.
Prabhupāda: That will work.
Room Conversation -- November 10, 1977, Vrndavana:
Prabhupāda: That will work.
Bhavānanda: It will work.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Also Śrīla Prabhupāda's resting better than before.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But the idea is that... According to him... I mean, obviously we're all conditioned, and... I mean, he's not claiming not to be a conditioned soul either, but according to him, going on this bullock cart is a suicide. He said within an hour or two hours, the bouncing and jumbling of the bullock cart will cause a heart attack. Just like you were having heart..., a little heart spasm the other day, just laying in bed two days ago. He says this going in a bullock cart, up and down, within one, two hours it can cause heart attack. So as his treatment has been better at least than any other doctor, and certain symptoms have improved, why are we giving up his advice? If you say his advice is wrong, then there's no comment, but all along, his advice seems to have been more accurate than any other doctors that we've had. I mean we who are closely around you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, your servants, secretary, our opinion of him is far superior than our opinion of any of these others. I see that he's able to take care of one symptom after another somewhat successfully. He's able to deal with these problems. He can deal with the problem of not enough urine...
Prabhupāda: That I know.
| Page Title: | Secretary (Conversations) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Radha Giridhari |
| Created: | 25 of May, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=88, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 88 |