Guru of the Americans

Expressions researched:
"American guru" |"guru of the Americans"

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

His admission is that I am the guru of the Americans. I have no car.

Room Conversation -- July 5, 1972, London:

Sumati Morarjee: Government of India doesn't allow any import of car in India, otherwise (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: His, his admission is that I am the guru of the Americans. I have no car. (laughter)

Sumati Morarjee: I know. But if, how, you have to take either through the American embassy permission or government of India's permission is needed.

Devotee: Yes, but Prabhupāda is an alien registered as living in the United States, so he can take his personal car.

Prabhupāda: I am immigrant, I am immigrant, and I think I heard that one who has lived in America more than three years, he can take.

Sumati Morarjee: Yes, yes you can bring car.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is, that is the law, I think.

Sumati Morarjee: So you can find out all this from India office. Yes.

Devotee: Yeah, Gurudāsa can do that.

Sumati Morarjee: And then will give you in Indian High Commission all details.

Prabhupāda: Another, another is that we get some incense imported from Hong Kong.

Sumati Morarjee: I know. So what is that incense?

Devotee: Punks, punks.

Prabhupāda: Punks.

If the American guru has no car, he's walking on the street, that is disgrace for you. Is it not? (laughs) And they criticize, "Oh, what kind of guru you are, you are walking on the street? You are American guru?"

Room Conversation -- August 1, 1972, London:

Prabhupāda: Now you can arrange for the car?

Devotee: Yes. Ātreya Ṛṣi is going to be working on it, too, to raise funds.

Prabhupāda: So, at least two first-class car must go to India.

Devotee: Cadillac?

Prabhupāda: Any. They must recognize, "Here the American guru is going."

Devotee: Have to get Cadillac.

Prabhupāda: (laughter) If the American guru has no car, he's walking on the street, that is disgrace for you. Is it not? (laughs) And they criticize, "Oh, what kind of guru you are, you are walking on the street? You are American guru?"

Devotee: I was thinking if each devotee in the United States went out...

Prabhupāda: You write on the car, "The Spiritual Master of USA." (laughter) And people will see, "Oh, here is the spiritual..." (laughs)

Devotee: Should we do that? "Spiritual Master of USA"?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Why not? (laughter)

Devotee: If each of your devotees collected five dollars one day, that's $5,000, more, more than $5,000.

Prabhupāda: That you... And soon as you issue letter, that will come. It is not my (indistinct) And she will carry. Make arrangement with government so that next time when I go to India, I sit on the car. That's all.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Money is the strength all over, all over the world. America is prestigious—why? They have got money. So we, I have got American disciples. Why shall I not have money? If America, a guru of the Americans remains poor, it is contradictory.

Morning Walk -- February 21, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: He has not such quandary. (break) ...he'll come with us, work with us.

Acyutānanda: And if they think their maṭha will deteriorate, then Prabhupāda has offered...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Acyutānanda: ...to maintain the temples.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Let their men work. Whatever expenditure is required, we shall give. There is no disturbance. Money is power. That we have got.

Acyutānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: By the grace of...

Acyutānanda: Hṛdayānanda Mahārāja mentioned that before you went to America, Indians were not interested. And now you have come back with money, so they are willing to hear.

Prabhupāda: Money is the strength all over, all over the world. America is prestigious—why? They have got money. So we, I have got American disciples. Why shall I not have money? If America, a guru of the Americans remains poor, it is contradictory.

Acyutānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: It cannot be.

Acyutānanda: (break) ... Kṛṣṇa books, Gītā, Nectar of Devotion, Īśopaniṣad, Bhāgavatam volumes.

Yaśodānandana: This Nectar of Devotion is a big seller.

Acyutānanda: And the science..., Dāmodara Svarūpa's, everyone taking.

Yaśodānandana: Also the Īśopaniṣad.

Prabhupāda: What do they say about, after reading?

Acyutānanda: We... Well, we presented that "If anyone doesn't believe in God, you must show this book."

1972 Correspondence

I am very pleased if you can continue in this manner of American style. But if you do not, then I shall remain on the same level, then it is a great discredit to the Americans. But if I defeat my godbrothers, then I am worthy to be called the guru of the Americans. Even there is competition in spiritual life.

Letter to Jayapataka -- Amsterdam 30 July, 1972:

If you make it a first-class temple, there will be no lack of visitors for preaching, you will never even have to leave that place for preaching. And if you serve nice prasadam, the whole of India will come. So stick to our principles very rigidly, and everyone will come to see these American Vaisnavas. I want that we shall excel the Caitanya Math. They have been struggling for the last 50 years, and we shall surpass them in two years. We are working two shifts of labor: that is American style of doing things. I am very pleased if you can continue in this manner of American style. But if you do not, then I shall remain on the same level, then it is a great discredit to the Americans. But if I defeat my godbrothers, then I am worthy to be called the guru of the Americans. Even there is competition in spiritual life.

Regarding funds, we are supplying for building purposes from here, but if there is emergency, then Giriraja can help. But for the present we are sending whenever you have requested. But your form of requesting has not been as we had arranged, therefore there has been delay. I told you at least two must sign, but in the last request from Bhavananda, even he did not sign, the letter was not even signed by one person! Try to be very careful in these matters at all times, we are doing very responsible work. And so far the maintenance, Calcutta is taking care, so there is no problem. Yes, you are correct, all membership and book collections shall be sent to Bombay, donations for maintenance may be kept there and spent locally, unless they are very sizeable, then they can go to Bombay.

Very soon you will be receiving many, many books. I shall instruct Giriraja to send you as many books as you shall require for selling there for raising fund for Mayapur project. I do not wish to send more funds from here, but we shall send you free of charge many books and the whole money collected from them may be spent in building.

If you do something wonderful at Mayapur that will be my credit and I can truly be called the guru of the Americans. But if you do not do anything there, then that will be a great discredit for me and I will not defeat my Godbrothers as I desire.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- London 1 August, 1972:

Practically you are the best man for giving them a good start. Now the Bangladesh business is postponed, and you have trained Yasodanandana Maharaja in leading the sankirtana party, so you will be free for a few weeks to help me in this way by taking one qualified engineer from Calcutta who has agreed to work with us and live with us without consideration of remuneration and go to Vrindaban and do some solid work. Kindly do the needful immediately and let me know. Gargamuni has collected funds for Vrindaban project very nicely, so if cooperatively you and Gargamuni Maharaja work together you can do something concrete, and this will please me very much. He will supply you with funds and you supervise the building work. In the same way that you have begun everything at Mayapur, just bring along one engineer and see that he is doing everything properly. That will relieve me of so much anxiety, as I want to display something very wonderful in Vrindaban, but as yet there is nothing to show.

I am very, very much pleased to hear about the progress in Mayapur, and this working with one hundred men both day and night is the American style. If you do something wonderful at Mayapur that will be my credit and I can truly be called the guru of the Americans. But if you do not do anything there, then that will be a great discredit for me and I will not defeat my Godbrothers as I desire. So practically I am depending completely upon you in both these cases to finish up the Mayapur business in grand style and to get a good start in Vrindaban. That will be very much to your credit.

Our credit will be when the people see our nice building rising daily, just like in Mayapur, with 100 men working day and night. That is the American style. If you want to honor me, you will do like this and then I can truly be called the guru of the Americans. Otherwise, it is simply a dishonor to me.

Letter to Acyutananda -- London 5 August, 1972:

So far the program with Cox and Kings Travel Agency, take the help of Visvambhara Goswami and others and create this program very enthusiastically, I am very much in favor of it. One thing is, there has not been very much substantial concrete work done in the last few months in Vrindaban in the matter of our new building there. So I have asked Tamala Krishna Goswami to come there with one engineer and begin the work vigorously. Now you give him all assistance and help me get started on this great project immediately. I shall be coming to India sometimes in October and I expect to see some tangible progress there in Vrindaban. That is our real business. If we are there so many months and we cannot do anything, simply eat and sleep and fight amongst ourselves, then where is our credit? Our credit will be when the people see our nice building rising daily, just like in Mayapur, with 100 men working day and night. That is the American style. If you want to honor me, you will do like this and then I can truly be called the guru of the Americans. Otherwise, it is simply a dishonor to me.

So far Yamuna is concerned, I never doubted once her impeccable character, simply I wanted to find out the actual position. There is a saying in Bengali, that whenever there is scandalous talk, there is something to it, so we must be careful always to avoid even what may be mistaken by others for scandalous situation. You know how the things are taken in India so be yourself very careful to always avoid these things and instruct others how to do it also. I am forwarding your reply to Lalitananda Bon Maharaja to ISKCON Press in New York for publishing in our BTG.