Rāmeśvara: Śrīla Prabhupāda, for this GBC meeting, I understand one of topics will be to discuss some things about Back to Godhead. So I wasn't here when you gave your instructions. So I was wondering if you could give me some idea what you want done, so I can also think about how to improve the magazine. Something is wrong in the magazine?
Prabhupāda: That...
Rāmeśvara: A few things in this last issue.
Prabhupāda: The thing is that you should not change abruptly without any sanction.(?)
Rāmeśvara: In the past I have sometimes asked you that we wanted to try to follow your example when you were first writing Back to Godhead, offering solutions to problems that people are currently bothered by, making the magazine contemporary and so on, rather than just giving them philosophy, but making it so that it can relate to their...
Prabhupāda: But we... Based on philosophy. You cannot go beyond the philosophy. Philosophy must be there. It cannot be changed. But we have to... You cannot change the wine. That should be the... So therefore, while changing, you can consult.
Rāmeśvara: Yes.
Prabhupāda: That will be...
Rāmeśvara: Now, there has been a tendency that I have observed among the writers to try to use what they call outside information sources, like quoting scientists...
Prabhupāda: That, one cannot do it unless he is very expert in transcendental knowledge. This is not possible for kaniṣṭha-adhikārī.
Rāmeśvara: It's difficult to do.
Prabhupāda: Yes. He must be very expert. Therefore I want...
Rāmeśvara: Satsvarūpa.
Prabhupāda: Guidance.
Rāmeśvara: But the principle is all right if it is done properly.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Rāmeśvara: Because I have found that when these so-called authorities...
Prabhupāda: In my old Back to Godhead I discussed Gandhi, Churchill, Jhinna, but with reference to the philosophy. I criticized them on the basis of our philosophy.
Rāmeśvara: For example, Rūpānuga just wrote one article which we published, and in this article he was describing some work of some scientists in Europe. They were trying to prove by their experiments that life comes from life. So he was quoting them. He was describing their work, but the whole purpose was to get people to accept the Vedas, to show that even the scientist's conclusion is the same as the Vedas. Therefore the Vedas are authorized.
Prabhupāda: Hm. That is nice.
Rāmeśvara: So that idea, if it's done expertly, can be used...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Rāmeśvara: ...to convince people.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.
Rāmeśvara: Now, sometimes in our mantra page in the beginning of the magazine we have photographs of people who are not living in our temples but who have been induced to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa—sometimes parents of devotees...
Prabhupāda: So these things can be discussed. Of course, I could not read. Those who have pointed out the defects, so let them come and then discuss.
Rāmeśvara: Yes.