Mr. Dixon: Your Grace, do you keep in touch with the world through television or newspapers or the media?
Prabhupāda: Yes, many newspaper, many television men, they come. But we speak our philosophy plainly.
Mr. Dixon: Do you watch TV yourself?
Prabhupāda: No, we have no business. We don't wish to waste our time.
Mr. Dixon: Do you read newspapers?
Prabhupāda: No. What is newspaper? "This man is killed. This man has stolen. This politician has captured the government." So why shall I waste time?
Mr. Dixon: How do you become informed as to certain events? Is that...
Prabhupāda: We have got enough books to read, these books. If you read our books, in your whole lifetime you cannot finish it. And that is required to understand Kṛṣṇa. That is success of life. So why should.... Of course, we are in touch in the newspaper, but as much as it is required. We are in touch with the material world as much as it is required. We are interested in Kṛṣṇa. To help our Kṛṣṇa consciousness we may be in touch with the material world as much as possible. Just like we are riding car also, we are also using dictaphone, everything, but it is not for any ulterior purpose. It is for Kṛṣṇa's service. Just like we are writing books. This is Kṛṣṇa's service. People may understand about Kṛṣṇa, be benefited. This is our.... And in that way we are printing books, we are selling books, we are writing books.
Mr. Dixon: How many people are in the Kṛṣṇa movement in the world, about?
Prabhupāda: About ten to twelve thousand, directly dedicated. Otherwise millions, they are reading our books. They have sympathy. We are selling books very nicely, daily twenty thousand dollar minimum all over the world. In learned circle, big, big universities, professors, they are appreciating. We have many congratulations.
Mr. Dixon: And the funds that you derive from the books...
Prabhupāda: Book Trust. That is explained.
Mr. Dixon: ...are used within your congre..., within the people that live in...
Prabhupāda: Yes. I make a Book Trust. That is my will, that from all the collection of the books fifty percent for reprinting and fifty percent for expanding these temples, these buildings. In this way.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: We really don't require very much for our maintenance. As you can see, we live a very simple life.
Prabhupāda: Just like these boys, they are practiced to sit down. We have kept two chairs for the visitors. (laughter) We don't require. We can lie down on the floor. We can use only one or two cloths, that's all, throughout the whole year. We have no demands, only bare necessities. We don't smoke, don't drink. There is no expenditure. Don't go to cinema, don't read newspaper or ordinary magazines, nothing. We have got reading matter. Practically we are noncooperating.
Mr. Dixon: Practically?
Prabhupāda: Noncooperating.
Mr. Dixon: Noncooperating?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Practically.
Mr. Dixon: I don't understand that.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Because we are not engaged in so many of the superfluous or unnecessary...
Prabhupāda: Material amenities.