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Landlord

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 8

SB 8.3.13, Purport:

Our bodies are given to us by the supreme proprietor. The living entity, who is also kṣetra jña, or the knower of the body, is not the body's only proprietor; the actual proprietor of the body is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the supreme kṣetra jña. For example, we may rent and occupy a house, but actually the owner of the house is the landlord. Similarly, we may be allotted a certain type of body as a facility with which to enjoy this material world, but the actual proprietor of the body is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Adi-lila

CC Adi 5.36, Purport:

The Supreme Personality of Godhead has all the tendencies that may be found in the living entity, for He is the chief living entity. Therefore it is natural that sometimes Lord Viṣṇu wants to fight. Just as He has the tendencies to create, to enjoy, to be a friend, to accept a mother and father, and so on, He also has the tendency to fight. Sometimes important landlords and kings keep wrestlers with whom they practice mock fighting, and Viṣṇu makes similar arrangements. The demons who fight with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the material world are sometimes His associates. When there is a scarcity of demons and the Lord wants to fight, He instigates some of His associates of Vaikuṇṭha to come and play as demons. When it is said that Śiśupāla merged into the body of Kṛṣṇa, it should be noted that in this case he was not Jaya or Vijaya: he was actually a demon.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 16.217, Purport:

The village of Saptagrāma is located on the Eastern Railway from Calcutta to Burdwan, and presently the railway station is called Triśabighā. In those days there was a large river there known as the Sarasvatī, and present-day Triśabighā is a great port. In 1592, the Pāṭhānas invaded, and due to a flooding of the Sarasvatī River in the year 1632, this great port was partially destroyed. It is said that in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Portuguese businessmen used to come aboard their ships. In those days, Saptagrāma, situated on the southern side of Bengal, was very rich and popular. The merchants, who were the principal residents, were called Saptagrāma suvarṇa-vaṇiks. There were very many rich people there, and Hiraṇya Majumadāra and Govardhana Majumadāra belonged to the kāyastha community. They also were very rich, so much so that it is mentioned in this verse that their annual income as landlords amounted to 1,200,000 rupees. In this connection, one may refer to Ādi-līlā (Chapter Eleven, verse 41), which describes Uddhāraṇa Datta, who also belonged to the Saptagrāmī suvarṇa-vaṇik community.

CC Madhya 20.18, Translation:

A man who was expert in palmistry was at that time staying with the landlord. Knowing about Sanātana, he whispered the following in the landlord's ear.

CC Madhya 20.19, Translation:

The palmist said, "This man Sanātana possesses eight gold coins." Hearing this, the landlord was very pleased and spoke the following to Sanātana Gosvāmī.

CC Madhya 20.20, Translation:

The landlord said, "I shall get you across that hilly tract at night with my own men. Now just cook for yourself and take your lunch."

CC Madhya 20.21, Translation:

Saying this, the landlord offered Sanātana grain to cook. Sanātana then went to the riverside and took his bath.

CC Madhya 20.23, Translation:

As a former minister for the Nawab, Sanātana could certainly understand diplomacy. He therefore thought, "Why is this landlord offering me such respect?" Thinking in this way, he questioned his servant, whose name was Īśāna.

CC Madhya 20.26, Translation:

Thereupon, Sanātana Gosvāmī took the seven gold coins in his hands and went to the landlord. Holding the gold coins before him, he spoke as follows.

CC Madhya 20.29, Translation:

Smiling, the landlord said, “Before you offered them, I already knew that there were eight gold coins in your servant's possession.

CC Madhya 20.33, Translation:

After this settlement was made, the landlord gave Sanātana Gosvāmī four watchmen to accompany him. They went through the forest path for the whole night and thus brought him over the hilly tract of land.

CC Madhya 24.330, Purport:

"One who is inquisitive to understand the highest goal and benefit of life must approach a bona fide spiritual master and surrender unto him." A serious disciple must be alert when selecting a bona fide spiritual master. He must be sure that the spiritual master can deliver all the transcendental necessities. The spiritual master must observe how inquisitive the disciple is and how eager he is to understand the transcendental subject matter. The spiritual master should study the disciple's inquisitiveness for no less than six months or a year. A spiritual master should not be very anxious to accept a disciple because of his material opulences. Sometimes a big businessman or landlord may approach a spiritual master for initiation. Those who are materially interested are called viṣayīs (karmīs), which indicates that they are very fond of sense gratification. Such viṣayīs sometimes approach a famous guru and ask to become a disciple just as a matter of fashion. Sometimes viṣayīs pose as disciples of a reputed spiritual master just to cover their activities and advertise themselves as advanced in spiritual knowledge.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Nectar of Devotion

Nectar of Devotion 18:

There are many similar instances in the history of India. Even very recently, about two hundred years ago or less, one big landlord known as Lāl Bābu, a Calcutta landholder, became a Vaiṣṇava and lived in Vṛndāvana. He was also begging from door to door, even at the homes of his political enemies. Begging involves being ready to be insulted by persons to whose home one has come. That is natural. But one has to tolerate such insults for the sake of Kṛṣṇa. The devotee of Kṛṣṇa can accept any position in the service of Kṛṣṇa.

Easy Journey to Other Planets

Easy Journey to Other Planets 2:

Those who are satisfied with temporary happiness, temporary life and temporary facilities are not intelligent according to Bhagavad-gītā (7.23). Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām: "One whose brain substance is very meager is interested in temporary things." That is the version of Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā. I am eternal, so why should I be interested in nonpermanent things? Who wants nonpermanent existence? No one wants it. If we are living in an apartment and the landlord asks us to vacate, we are sorry, but we are not sorry if we move to a better apartment. This then is our inclination. We do not wish to die, because we are eternal.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.1-11 -- Johannesburg, October 17, 1975:

The hand is created by God, or by Kṛṣṇa, through the agency of this material nature, and I am given the hand to use it for my purpose, for my eating, for my collecting. But actually it is not my hand. Otherwise, when this hand becomes paralyzed, I am claiming, "my hand"—I cannot use it because the power of the hand is withdrawn by the proprietor. Just like in a house, rented house, you are living. If the proprietor of the house, landlord, eject you, you cannot live there. You cannot use it. Similarly, we can use this body as long as the real proprietor of the body, Hṛṣīkeśa, allows me to stay here. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's name is Hṛṣīkeśa. And this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means that we have accepted the senses from Kṛṣṇa. It should be used for Kṛṣṇa. Instead of using it for Kṛṣṇa, we are using it for our sense gratification. This is our miserable condition of life. Just like you are living in a place for which you have to pay rent, but if you don't pay rent—you think that it is your property—then there is trouble. Similarly, Hṛṣīkeśa means the real proprietor is Kṛṣṇa. I have been given this property.

Lecture on BG 2.7-11 -- New York, March 2, 1966:

The proprietor of the senses is God. Just like we are sitting in this room. This room is allotted for our sitting under some consideration of rent or whatever it may be, but this room is not ours. That's a fact. We should not consider that "This is... I am the proprietor of the room." Although I am using it to my heart's desire, as I like, that is a different thing. But as soon as there is some misunderstanding or the landlord says, "Now you cannot room in this room. Vacate," I have to vacate. You see? Similarly, this is also just like room, this, our body. This body is given to us by God under certain condition, and as soon as God likes that "You should vacate from this body," I have to vacate. Nobody can allow us to stay here. And besides that... Just like my hand, my hand, this hand... Now, suppose if this hand is paralyzed... the power of this hand is so long, so long there is power from the Supreme.

Lecture on BG 2.20-25 -- Seattle, October 14, 1968:

Just like we signed one lease agreement. That Mr. Brown, he is acting as attorney on behalf of the landlord. So he has no responsibility. He is acting in landlord capacity or landlord consciousness. He is trying to save the interest of the landlord as far as possible. But if there is any mistake, the landlord will suffer or gain. He has nothing to do. Similarly, if we work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if there is something wrong... Because we can act two ways, wrongly or rightly. That's all. If we do rightly, it is all right. Even if we don't do it rightly, wrongly, still, it is right because the cause is the Supreme. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). The best, safest way of acting is to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or under the order of Kṛṣṇa. Or if somebody says "Where is Kṛṣṇa?" No. Kṛṣṇa is there.

Lecture on BG 2.62-72 -- Los Angeles, December 19, 1968:

Now here is the difference. Lord Śiva, he is the greatest of the demigods. He was also allured by Pārvatī, and as a result of that attraction, this boy Kārttikeya was born. That was the, what is called, conspiracy of the demigods, that unless one son is born out of the semina of Lord Śiva, it is impossible to conquer the demons. So Kārttikeya is considered the commander in chief of the demigods. But here, another example. Haridāsa Ṭhākura. Haridāsa Ṭhākura was young boy, about twenty, twenty-four years old, and he was chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and the landlord in that village, he was very much envious of Haridāsa Ṭhākura. He conspired and engaged one prostitute to defy him. So the prostitute agreed and at dead of night, with very beautiful dress and she was young, and tried to captivate Haridāsa Ṭhākura. But he was not captivated. That is the difference. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person, even an ordinary person, not in the level of Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā, he's never conquered by māyā. But one who is not fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, either he may be Lord Śiva or Lord Brahmā, he'll be conquered by māyā, what to speak of others. This is the position. Go on. "When Haridāsa Ṭhākura was a young devotee of the Lord..."

Lecture on BG 5.22-29 -- New York, August 31, 1966:

Now, that is actually fact. We come here as guest. Suppose I am Indian, you are American. We have come on this earth as guest for few years, say, for hundred years or fifty years; then we leave this place. So if I am the proprietor, why don't I take this place with me when I am going? No, I am not proprietor. So there is no question of tyāga, renunciation. And there is no question of bhoga or enjoyment. Because you are not proprietor. So you neither you can enjoy it, neither you can renounce it. So renunciation or enjoyment, both are illegal. Renunciation. Suppose we are sitting in this room. This room belongs to the landlord. Suppose I am vacating this room, and while vacating, while I am going from this room if I say to the landlord "Well Mr. such and such, I leave this place for you now." Now, what is this place? That place belonged to him. How we are leaving? So he'll laugh: "Oh, you were my guest, you were my tenant. How you can leave? It is mine." Similarly, if we say, "All right. I am giving up this, renouncing this enjoyment life,"... So either... We cannot either renounce or enjoy. Both are illegal. Simple thing is that we must know that as it is formulated here, that everything belongs to God.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- London, March 11, 1975:

In Bhagavad-gītā it is said, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata (BG 13.3). Everything is there. The kṣetra-jña means the possessor of this kṣetra, body, the owner or occupier. So you, me, and every one of us, we are occupying each, one body. But I have no business with your body, but Kṛṣṇa has got business with your body, my body, his body, everyone's body. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi. Just like a landlord. He has got many houses. The occupier is there, or apartment. He is concerned with that apartment or the house he is occupying, but the landlord has concern with so many houses. Similarly, this body, I am the occupier. God has given me this body, this machine, but proprietor is Lord, the Supreme Lord. Therefore both of us has got the concern with this body. Ātmā, Paramātmā. Soul, Supersoul.

Lecture on BG 8.12-13 -- New York, November 15, 1966:

That is the intelligence. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām (BG 7.23). Those who are satisfied with temporary happiness, temporary life, temporary facilities, they are not intelligent in their, according to Bhagavad-gītā. They are not intelligent. Antavat tu phalaṁ teṣāṁ tad bhavaty alpa-medhasām: "One whose brain substance is very small, they are interested in these temporary things." That is the version of Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā. Because I am permanent; I am eternal. Why shall I be interested in nonpermanent things? That, that is the intelligence. Who wants nonpermanent, I mean to say, existence? Nobody wants. Suppose you are living in a apartment, in an apartment, and the landlord asks you to vacate, or somehow or other, you have to vacate. You are sorry. Oh. But you'll not be sorry if you go to a better apartment.

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Bombay, September 25, 1973:

The Māyāvādī philosopher (says) that there is only one spirit. No, there are two. Kṛṣṇa says ca. Ca means another. "And as the living, individual living soul is the proprietor of this body—not proprietor, he is the occupier—similarly, I also, I have got interest in everybody." Just like a landlord. Landlord has got many houses. I may occupy one of the houses. So I have got only interest in that particular house where I am living. But the landlord has got interest in so many houses. So Kṛṣṇa has got interest not only in my body or your body. He has got interest in each and every body. Because He says, sarva-yoniṣu, "in every species of life."

Lecture on BG 13.1-2 -- Miami, February 25, 1975:

That is enquired here, kṣetraṁ kṣetra-jñaṁ ca. This body is kṣetra, field of activities. But the field worker is different. Therefore this is the enquiry. Kṣetraṁ kṣetra-jñam. We are taking care of this kṣetra, this body, but we do not take care of the occupier of the body or the owner of the body. There are two kṣetra-jña, you will find in this verse, two living entities. One is called the soul, and the other is called the Supersoul. In this body there are two souls. One is the occupier soul, and the other is the proprietor soul.

Proprietor soul... Just like in a house there are two kinds of persons: the occupier and the landlord. The landlord is actually the proprietor of the house, and the tenant is occupier. Similarly, there are two souls within this body. That is stated in the Vedic literature. Just like two birds on one tree. So the living entity, the individual soul, is there. He is also one bird. And the Supersoul, or God, is also there.

Lecture on BG 13.1-3 -- Durban, October 13, 1975:

So what is the distinction between these two persons? One is the occupier, and the other is the owner. He says, sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata: "In all different bodies I am the owner." The living entity is the occupier. Just like a big landlord. He has got many houses, and in each house or each apartment there are separate tenants, similarly these, everything, belongs to God. Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam (ISO 1). Everything belongs to God. Nothing belongs to us. But the same relationship—He is the owner; we are simply occupier. There are two persons interested in this body. One is the individual soul, living entity, and the other is the Supersoul, God. He is also within this body.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Paris, August 12, 1973:

Just like in this house we are occupier. The house is kṣetra, field of activities. The landlord is the owner and we are the occupier. Two kṣetrajñaḥ. This property is interest for two persons. One is the occupier and the other is the owner. Similarly, anywhere, any part of the world, anywhere you go, you will find these three things: One, the field of activities and the other two means one occupier and one owner. If one understands these three things and he can study everywhere these three things, then: kṣetra-kṣetrajñayor yad jñānam. This knowledge, to understand everywhere that there is a field of activity and two persons are interested in that field of activity... One is the owner, another is the occupier. If you study these three things only, then: taj-jñānaṁ jñānam. That is knowledge. Otherwise all rascals and fools, that's all. Mataṁ mama. (aside:) Don't sit like that.

Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Hyderabad, April 20, 1974:

Just like a landlord has got hundreds of house, and each house is occupied by one tenant, but the landlord is occupier of all the houses, similarly, in each body there are two living entities. One living entity is the soul, individual soul, and the other living entity is the Supreme Lord. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati (BG 18.61). He is situated, both of them are situated within this heart. Hṛd-deśe, it is pointed out. Now, you have got... you, everyone knows, from the heart the energy is distributed to the whole body, and as soon as the heart stops to work, no more body existing. Everyone will know. Therefore the heart is the office, sitting office, of both the soul and the Supersoul. Ātmā and Paramātmā.

Lecture on BG 13.6-7 -- Montreal, October 25, 1968:

This is more or less sāṅkhya philosophy, analysis of material elements. We are embodied in material elements. Kṛṣṇa is questioned by Arjuna, "What is this body and who is the owner of this body, and what is knowledge?" Kṛṣṇa has answered that "The soul is the owner of this body, and I also, I am also the owner of this body." The owner of this body, one individual soul and the Supersoul. Just like owner of this storefront. The tenant is in one sense an owner; at the same time the landlord is also owner. These points we have discussed. Now, Kṛṣṇa has also discussed that the knowledge by which we can understand the soul, the Supersoul, and the material embodiment, that is real knowledge.

Lecture on BG 13.23 -- Bombay, October 22, 1973:

So Paramātmā, there are two souls. Kṣetra-jña. Kṣetra, kṣetra-jña. The Arjuna's questions, I think, in this chapter. Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata (BG 13.3). Kṛṣṇa says that "I am also kṣetra-jña." The body is kṣetra, and the soul if kṣetra-jña, one who knows about the body. Just like you have got your body, I have got my body. And I know it is my body, you know it is your body. Just like your apartment, your living room. Similarly, there is another partner. That is Kṛṣṇa, Paramātmā. Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi. I can take care of my body. I am the owner of this body. But Kṛṣṇa is the owner of all bodies.

Just like the landlord and the tenant—the tenant is the occupier and the landlord is the owner—similarly, I am the occupier of this body, and Kṛṣṇa, Paramātmā, He is the owner of this body. This is knowledge. I am not the owner of this body. Therefore Kṛṣṇa's another name is Hṛṣīkeśa.

Lecture on BG 13.35 -- Geneva, June 6, 1974:

And you should know also that the there is another person. As you are a person, you are owner of this body, there is another person." Who is that? "That is I am." Kṛṣṇa says. Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi: "I am also owner of this body." Actually Kṛṣṇa is the owner of the body. Just like in a, in an apartment, there is the occupier and the landlord. So there are two men concerned. I do not know what is the system here. In India, there are two kinds of taxes, the occupier tax and the landlord's tax. Two kinds of taxes. So similarly, this body, I, the living entity, I am the occupier. I am not the owner. Although occupier is, to some extent, owner. But the real owner is the landlord.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.5.2 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1968:

That European gentleman... I forgot his name now. It is... There was a Bhagavad-gītā in his almirah. So my friend, Mr. Mullik, he, out of inquisitiveness, he was touching that book. He thought that "He is European Christian. Why he has kept this Bhagavad-gītā?" So he was seeing that Bhagavad-gītā. And that European gentleman, he thought that "I'm going, and this landlord may ask this book, because the Bhagavad-gītā belongs to the Hindus." He immediately said, "Dear Mr. Mullik, I can give any book you like, but I cannot give that Bhagavad-gītā. This is my life." Just see. I heard it in my own ear. So he replied, "No, Mr. such and such, I don't want your book. I was just seeing that how, why you have kept Bhagavad-gītā in your almirah?" "Oh, Bhagavad-gītā is my life."

Lecture on SB 1.8.48 -- Mayapura, October 28, 1974:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa claims, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi. Just as there are in cities, two taxes: occupier tax and owner's tax... Rented house, actually the house belongs to the landlord, but the tenant also claims, "This is my house." But finally the house belongs to the landlord. So Kṛṣṇa claims, kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. The same example: As a piece of land, some bighās of land, belongs to a certain person—he can claim, "This is my land"—similarly, other man can claim, "It is my land," other can claim, "My land," but all these lands belongs to the government. Similarly, I claim this is my body, you claim it is your body, he claims it is his body, but ultimately all bodies, becomes (belongs) to Kṛṣṇa. This is clear understanding. Where is the difficulty to understand that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa? Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam: (ISO 1) "Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa."

Lecture on SB 1.15.40 -- Los Angeles, December 18, 1973:

This is called moha, illusion. Janasya moho 'yam. Moha means illusion. This is illusion. What is this illusion? Ahaṁ mameti: (SB 5.5.8) "I am this body, and anything in relationship with this, it is mine." This is called moha, illusion. The body even does not belong to him, because the body is awarded by God according to your karma. Just like according to your payment, the landlord gives you an apartment. The apartment does not belong to you. That's a fact. If you pay $500 per week, you get very nice, good apartment. And if you pay $25, then you get another. Similarly, these different types of bodies we have got... Everyone we have got, different type. This is apartment. Actually, it is apartment because I am living within this body. I am not this body. That is the instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā. Dehino 'smin yathā dehe (BG 2.13). Asmin dehe, there is the dehī, the occupier, not proprietor. Occupier. Just like in any apartment, the occupier is somebody and the owner is somebody. Similarly, this is apartment, this body. I am the spirit soul, occupier. I have rented it according to the payment or according to karma.

Lecture on SB 1.15.44 -- Los Angeles, December 22, 1973:

You construct a house with a hope that you shall live here, but if you are informed, "Oh, you are going to die tomorrow," will you take that responsibility, constructing, spending millions of dollars? "Oh, I am going to die?" That is natural. That is natural. So before making nice arrangement for our living condition, first of all make this condition sure that you are going to live actually, you will live comfortably. Is that guaranteed? No, that is not guaranteed. At any moment you will be kicked out. Any moment. So that is real problem. First of all make yourself assured that you will not be kicked out. Just like even we enter an apartment, we make so many agreement with the landlord, this condition, that condition. What is the idea? That I may not be kicked out, I may not be kicked out tomorrow. The landlord may say, "Get out." This is the agreement you make. So what is the agreement for your living condition?

Lecture on SB 1.16.12 -- Los Angeles, January 9, 1974:

Prabhupāda: So in this verse it is descriptive, different parts of the world. So the important word is here, vijitya jagṛhe balim. Balim, I do not know how it is said, "strength." Tax, tributes. The king, the emperor, would conquer a country and levy tax. Must give at least token. Doesn't matter even one pound or one dollar per year, but he must pay something, token. That means he agrees to become subordinate. Just like according to rent act, a poor man must pay something. It may be... In our country it is so... So that the landlord has the claim. Without rent, after some years it becomes his property.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Boston, December 22, 1969:

Even Svarūpa Dāmodara, His private secretary, he was very learned man, Vedantist. And next to his secretary, the six Gosvāmīs, Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, they were very, very important rich men of that time. Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī happened to be the son of a very big landlord, zamindar. That father's income was twelve hundred thousands of rupees in those days, five hundred years ago. And he was the only son of his father and uncle. So he did not like to enjoy the father's property, but he joined Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is known as Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī. Similarly, Rūpa-Sanātana Gosvāmī also joined. They were also very rich men, important men. And Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī... Jīva Gosvāmī, very learned scholar and philosopher. He was the nephew of Rūpa Gosvāmī. So they were all very important men of the society. They joined Caitanya Mahāprabhu to make life successful. So these examples we should take and make our life successful.

Lecture on SB 3.25.4 -- Bombay, November 4, 1974:

They are living entities. Cetanaś cetanānām. Cetanaś cetanānām, nityo nityānām. But they are different. In the Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, kṣetraḥ kṣetra-jñaḥ. Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata (BG 13.3). Kṣetra-jña means the proprietor of the kṣetra, this body. Body is called kṣetra. So I am proprietor. Not proprietor, I am occupier. Just like in a house, the tenant and the landlord. The landlord is the occupier, tenant, and the landlord is the proprietor. Similarly, we ātmās, we are simply occupier of this body. We are not proprietor. The proprietor is Paramātmā. Sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. So if the proprietor says that "Get out of this house," or some, by law... Similarly, when the Paramātmā says, "Now you have to leave this body," you have to leave this body. So this is Vedic knowledge.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6 -- Nellore, January 5, 1976:

So there was the king in Bengal at that time. He was known as Nawab Hussein Shah. Formerly he was a Mohammedan servant to a big Hindu landlord. So this boy servant committed some theft so the master punished him by striking with a cane. So the striking mark of the cane was there on his backside. So one day the Nawab's wife, Begam, saw the mark and inquired from her husband, "What is this mark?" So the Nawab described that in his childhood, when he was a servant of that Hindu gentleman, Buddhimanta Khan, he beat him with that cane and that mark is there. So the wife of the Nawab, Begum Sair(?), she requested that "You kill this man. Otherwise people will blaspheme you." The Nawab, however, declined. "No, no, this cannot... This is not possible. He was my master, just like my father. He chastised me. There was no fault." So the wife then requested, "At least make him a Mohammedan." So the Nawab, to satisfy his wife, he agreed, "Well, that is not very difficult task." So one day he called Buddhimanta Khan and sprinkled the water on his body.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6-15 -- San Francisco, September 12, 1968:

He's giving very nice example—kuñjara-śaucavat. Kuñjara means elephant. In your country you don't see elephant. We are... In India, we have seen. Not nowadays. Still, there are some, but fifty years before there were many elephants. Especially the zamindars, the landlords and the native princes, they used to keep so many elephants. They used to spend for it... To keep elephant means it is very expensive job. So elephant, there is a particular type of lake where elephants are allowed to take their bath. So if anyone has not seen it, the elephant will take bath very nicely, wash the body very nicely. And as soon as he come over the land, he takes some dust from the land and throws over the body again. Immediately. In that wet body he will cover the whole body with dust. So Parīkṣit Mahārāja is giving very nice example, kuñjara-śaucavat: just like cleansing the body of an elephant. It cleanses very nicely, that's all right, but as soon as come out of the water... We have to study all these things from nature. The elephant is so big, and it is supposed to be the biggest animal. And he has got great strength, but how fool he is, just see. Just after taking bath it will cover the whole body with dust.

Lecture on SB 6.1.31 -- Honolulu, May 30, 1976:

So actually we are claiming that "This is mine," but you have no right to claim it. You're dependent. Suppose if you live in a rented apartment, you cannot claim that this is your apartment. It belongs to the landlord. You're allowed to stay here under certain conditions. You're not proprietor. Similarly, this body is Kṛṣṇa's. What is this body? Bhūmir āpo analo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir.... (BG 7.4). It is constituted of these things: earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and ego. And Kṛṣṇa says, bhinna me prakṛti aṣṭadhā: "These are Mine, My things." You cannot create water. You cannot create earth. You cannot create fire. You cannot create ether. Nothing. So this body is pañcabhūta, five elements. So you have not created. Kṛṣṇa has created. So how it is your body? It is Kṛṣṇa's body. He has given you the concession that you can live. "You can live peacefully. You can enjoy the products which are given to you. I have given you food grains. I have given you fruits, flowers.

Lecture on SB 6.1.47 -- Detroit, June 13, 1976:

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to establish this science. Our real mission is how the human society will be happy. That is the duty of all saintly persons. The, according to our paramparā system... Just like the Gosvāmīs, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī. They were very exalted personalities, minister in government. Still, they resigned from the service and joined Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement. That is the history. All the direct disciples of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they were very big personalities. Just like Rūpa, Sanātana. They were minister. Then Bhaṭṭa Raghunātha, Dāsa Raghunātha. Raghunātha Dāsa, he was coming, more than minister. His father and uncle were the biggest zamindar, landlord, in those times. And he was the only son of the father and the uncle. Huge estate, beautiful wife, everything—he left and joined this movement, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's. Similarly, Gopal Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, he also coming from a very aristocratic brāhmaṇa family in South India. And Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, the nephew of Rūpa Gosvāmī, in the learned circle, still, in Bengal, they say such a big scholar and philosophy, there was none, and nobody expects a similar philosopher and learned scholar in the future. He was such a big personality, Jīva Gosvāmī. Big, big Māyāvādīs, they were afraid of Jīva Gosvāmī's logic and argument to establish the Vaiṣṇava philosophy.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

Suppose you are a businessman. Formerly, in any part of the world... We have seen in your country, in my country. There are many old churches, old mosques, old temples. In India there are temples just like a fort. Acres of land occupying big, big temples. So who has constructed these temples? Must be rich men, businessmen, landlords, princely order. Why? Because they wanted to satisfy God. Either you manufacture, either you construct a church or temple or mosque, it does not matter. The idea behind is that he wanted that he has labored so hard, he has accumulated so much money, "Let me spend something for God." But at the present moment there are so many skyscrapers, but nobody is constructing a nice church. This is the result of godless civilization. The mentality is changed, that formerly they... This Bhāgavata-sūtra is saṁsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam (SB 1.2.13).

Lecture on SB 7.6.6 -- Vrndavana, December 8, 1975:

So Prahlāda Mahārāja is speaking of these ajitātmanaḥ, those rascals who cannot control the senses. First their business is sleep as much as possible—twelve hours, fourteen hours. In the Western countries sometimes sixteen hours or twenty-four hours. In the beginning, in that Second Avenue, 26, when our morning prayer was going on, at seven, not very early, and so many other tenants, half-naked... Mr. Judah was our landlord. "Mr. Judah, what is this going on? What is going on? Stop it. Stop it. Stop." So Mr. Judah used to say, "No, no, they'll not stop. I cannot say. You go to the police." So sometimes police were coming to stop us, but we did not stop. (laughter) So ajitātmanaḥ. Ajitātmanaḥ. Jitātmanaḥ... The human life is meant for gaining victory over the senses. "No, better be victimized by the senses"—this is modern civilization. Modern civilization means the more you become victimized by senses, you are advanced. So here, the ajitātmanaḥ, their first business is to eat voraciously and to sleep unlimitedly.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 21, 1972:

Sometimes in your country, they are surprised how we are living without furniture. Because without furniture, living is impossible. Sometimes in the beginning, when I was accommodated in some apartment, the landlord used to inquire, "Oh, where is your furniture?" So they do not know they don't require furniture. We can lie down anywhere. It doesn't matter whether in a nice apartment or on the, underneath a tree. That doesn't matter. So how these things happen? Unless one becomes little advanced, one has got little taste in devotional service, they cannot give up these material comforts. The Gosvāmīs are the best example. They were coming from very, very aristocratic family.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 1.15 -- Dallas, March 4, 1975:

Sanātana Gosvāmī established this Madana-mohana temple, and Rūpa Gosvāmī established that Govindajī's temple, and the Jīva Gosvāmī established Rādhā-Dāmodara temple. Gopal Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī established Rādhā-Rāmaṇa temple. In this way, in Vṛndāvana there are seven temples authorizedly established by the Gauḍīya-sampradāya, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's sampradāya. Later on, many big, big kings and zamindars, landlords, they also established many temples, big, big temples. And altogether, there are five thousand temples in a small city like Vṛndāvana, and thousands of men go to see the Deities in every temple almost every day, and especially during the four months Śravaṇa, Bhādra, Āśvina, Kārttika: July, in July, August, September, October. So Vṛndāvana is always crowded by many pilgrims, and anyone who goes there, immediately he feels spiritual consciousness, especially nowadays.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.14-20 -- New York, January 10, 1967:

And what is that instruction? The instruction is very simple: that you give up the service of this sense gratification. You just engage yourself to the service of Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You simply change the consciousness. Now your consciousness is absorbed in varieties of sense gratification. You stop this. You just apply your senses unto the service of the Supreme Lord. This is called devotional service, bhakti, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is simple process. Just we have to change. The activities are the same. Bhakti means sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). Nirmalam. Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate (CC Madhya 19.170). Hṛṣīka means senses, and hṛṣīkeśa means Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa is the master of your senses. Just like actually... Suppose this house. So we are now occupying this house. We are supposed to be the master of this house, but actually we are not the master of the house. The master is the landlord. But again, if you go further, the landlord is also not actually master. The master is the state. The supreme master is God. So we have to take shelter of the supreme master.

General Lectures

Lecture Excerpt -- Montreal, June 29, 1968:

Another example can be given. Just like this house, there are many apartments. So I am occupying this apartment, another tenant is occupying another apartment. But the landlord is occupier or the proprietor of all the apartments. That is the difference between ātmā and Paramātmā. I am proprietor of the things which has been offered to me by material nature, but God, or Paramātmā is the proprietor of everything. That is the difference. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Prakṛti, the material nature, is offering me as I want. She is supplying ingredients. If I want to be human being, then she supplies a similar body, and if I want to become a dog, she supplies similar body.

Lecture on Teachings of Lord Caitanya -- Bombay, March 17, 1971:

So, he was another big officer, governor, he also joined Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And these two brothers, Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī, they were ministers in the government of Hussain Shah, they also joined. And Raghunātha dasa Gosvāmī he was also a big zamindar, landlord, so he also joined. And a big scholar, he also from Madras side, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. And Jīva Gosvāmī, he was also a very big scholar. He happened to be from Bengal. In this way six Gosvāmīs, they were immediate disciples of Lord Caitanya and Lord Caitanya's instruction to them..., directly gave instruction to Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī and Rāmānanda Raya. So one of the Gosvāmīs, Sanātana Gosvāmī, the Caitanya Mahāprabhu is instructing at Benares. So his proposition was that some people, my neighborhood people or my dependents, government officers, they call me as a learned scholar, paṇḍita.

General Lecture -- (location & date unknown):

This nationality which is claimed so much valuable in the modern age, difference based on nationality, to test on this point, abhadrāṇi, this is most ignoble. We are eulogizing nationality so much, but actually, if you study these principles of nationality, it is most ignoble. Why? Because Īśopaniṣad says, Veda, that īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam: (ISO 1) "Everything belongs to God." How you are claiming that "It is our" or "It is mine"? Janasya moho 'yam ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). This is illusion. What is not yours, you are claiming, "It is mine." Just like this body. This is also not mine. The nature has given me this body according to my karma. Just like the landlord has given me this house to live, but it is not my house. This is a fact. So if I live in this house and later on claim, "Oh, this is my house," the whole trouble begins. Similarly, everything which we are utilizing for our comforts, for our livelihood, everything is given by God. This body is given by God, the maintenance also given by God. You are maintaining this body by eating fruits, flowers, grains, or even meat. But who is supplying? You cannot create all these things in your machine-made factories. Eko bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. He is supplying. This is God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation With John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and George Harrison -- September 11, 1969, London, At Tittenhurst:

Prabhupāda: There are many. They read. And in our childhood... Not childhood, we were young man at that time. So one Englishman was a tenant in Calcutta, my friend's house. So he was vacating the house. We went to take possession of that house, and he had many books, and there was a book, Bhagavad-gītā. So that, my friend, Mr. Mullick, he was a little astonished that "He is Englishman, he's Christian. How is that, he has got Bhagavad-gītā?" So he was touching that book, and that gentleman thought that "He is my landlord. He may like that book." So he immediately said, "Oh, Mr. Mullick, I cannot present that book to you. This is my life and soul." He said like that. So Bhagavad-gītā is accepted by scholarly section, by philosophers. So I think people should have one scripture, one God, one mantra, and one activity. One God, Kṛṣṇa. One scripture, Bhagavad-gītā. And one mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa. And one activity, to serve Kṛṣṇa. That's all. There will be peace. There will be actually peace all over the world. So I request you to, at least to understand this philosophy to your best knowledge. And if you think that is nice, you take up. You are also willing to give something to the world. So you try this. You have read our books, this Bhagavad-gītā As It Is? No.

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- December 13, 1970, Indore:

Prabhupāda: The emperor was in India, and the kings of different states, their family was. So there was no rebellion. And in every state a king was trained in the same process, guided by committee of learned brāhmaṇa and sages. How perfect this monarchy is. Monarchy... That Lord Collier studied that the Indian people like monarchy. Even these states, the so-called states... Now the Congress government has killed them; otherwise the Britishers were maintaining, necessary, and they were developed. Now see. The Indore was far better before. You can see from the buildings, from the whole city. It was very prosperous city. Still it is going on. So every state, the native prince, the Britishers maintained so many native prince. And because they maintained them, they were friends to the Britishers. They knew the policy, if you create zamindar, landlord. They created this aristocratic class to support them. So when Gandhi and other leaders started this movement all the princes and zamindars, they were in favor of British. Therefore it took so much time to transfer. And as a retaliation, the common people have bereft them of their kingdom. "No more kingdom because you always supported Britishers." It is a great politics.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Professors -- February 19, 1975, Caracas:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like a house. There are two persons, one is the tenant and the other is the landlord. The proprietor is the landlord, and the tenant is occupier. Actually that is self-realization, that I must know that "I am occupier of this body but I am not proprietor." The proprietor is God.

Garden Conversation -- June 25, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: ...is not knowledge. If the tenant thinks that "This apartment is mine, I am owner," then he is wrong. If he knows perfectly well that it belongs to the landlord, "I have given for use," then it is knowledge.

Garden Conversation -- June 25, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Evicted. At that time he knows the owner. (laughter) When he is kicked out. That is stated also in the Bhagavad-gītā. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). Those who are not believing in God, to them God will come one day as death, "Now believe Me. Get out!" Finished. All your pride finished. Your pride, your property, your family, your bank balance, your skyscraper building—all taken away. "Finished. Get out." This is God. Now understand God? To believe or not believe, God will come one day. He will take you, take your everything, and "Get out!" That is God. You believe or not believe. It doesn't matter. The same example, the tenant may not believe the landlord, but when the landlord will come with court's order, "Get out," then you have to go out. That's all. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that "Those who are not believer in God, to them I come as death and take away everything, finished." That one has to believe, "Yes, as sure as death." Then God is sure. You may challenge so long you have got little life for a few years, (laughter) but God will come and drive you away from your present pride, prestigious position, "Get out." So unless one is madman, he cannot say, "There is no God." Anyone who denies the existence of God, he is a madman.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: I have seen in New York. Many tenants, they leave their whole possession and go away. I have seen it. And for the landlord it becomes a problem, how to cleanse this. I have seen it. All table, chairs, bedding, scattered in this way, and they went away. I have seen it.

Morning Walk -- January 20, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: No, therefore everyone should grow seasonal grains. Everyone should take wheat. I think the number of men is more than the number of bricks. (break) ...rooms will be finished. They are not being finished. This? (break) ...Calcutta. So landlords became very perplexed. So one landlord asking, "You don't go. I shall reduce the rent." "Yes, that's all right, but your house is also not very good. There are so many rats." "All right, you can remain without rent." "And still, there are rats." "All right, I shall give you one cat so there will be no dis..." "Ah, who is going to keep a cat? I will require milk also to feed." "All right, I shall give you half kilo or one kilo milk also." "All right." So then he says, "Now no rent and one kilo milk, that's all right." This was in 1942.

Morning Walk -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: No, by Kṛṣṇa. Everything is Kṛṣṇa's property. You are thinking, "It is mine." Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. I am the proprietor of this body, but another body is there. He is the proprietor of all the bodies. Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata. The landlord, he's the proprietor. You are occupier, that's all.

Room Conversation with George Gullen, President of Wayne State University -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: First of all knowledge means kṣetra-kṣetrajña. The body is the field of activity. You are acting, I am also acting, everyone is acting—according to the body. But the actor is called kṣetrajña. Just like a cultivator is tilling the land, his own, and the tiller is cultivator. Similarly, this body is an analogy of this field, and we are tilling. So Kṛṣṇa says that "I am also one of the tillers." Just like the tenant and the landlord. In an apartment house, the tenant is occupier of a certain house, certain apartment, but the landlord is the owner of the whole house. So God says "I am also kṣetrajña—but for all the buildings." Everything that is there, all planets, all, everywhere. That is His all-pervasiveness. I am the proprietor of this body, owner of this body, but God is proprietor of all the bodies. In this way that is explained. Purport?

'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: That is criminal, he is to be punished. Unlawful detention. But they do not know the laws of nature, how it is working. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). The law of nature is working very silently, subtle. But they do not know. Ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate (BG 3.27). Rascal is so fool that he thinks that "I can do everything, whatever I like." Similarly, killing of animal. "Life is eternal," one can argue, "then what is wrong? Even I kill, the soul is alive." No, the same argument that this soul was to live in a particular type of body under the laws of nature, and you have checked, and he has to take again a similar body to fulfill the duration. Therefore you have done criminality. I have got lease for live in this room for certain period. If prior to the expiry of the lease, if the landlord drives me away, that is illegal. He will be punished.

Room Conversation -- August 2, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: And still, our landlord in 26 Second Avenue, if there is anything wrong in the apartment, he would personally do it. He could spare money to call a worker. He was alone. I don't think he had any dog, but he was always seeing the television, and when there was some complaint, he would come and work on it. He's landlord. And so many tenant, there is complaint always. Old house. That house was not very good, very old house.

Room Conversation -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Yes, but practically that is now their income. The more one gets the worshiping term longer, he gets more income. (laughs) The Deity has got very, very good income. All the temples in India... Just like I am trying to make some fund for Vṛndāvana and Māyāpur. Even no contribution comes, it will go on. The sevā-pūjā will not stop for want of money. So there will be no want of money. Still, I must make some provision, by the income the sevā-pūjā will go on. Contribution may come or not. That provision should be made. Now in Vṛndāvana Akṣayānanda is collecting in so many ways. Suppose nobody collects. That does not mean this temple will be closed. It must go on. So I am trying to make some provision from that bank interest. At least five to ten thousand rupees so that the Deity worship will not be stopped. That is the system in all Indian temples. It must go on, nitya-sevā. It must go on. These big, big temple in Vṛndāvana, they have got such arrangement. Otherwise how it is going on for five hundred, six hundred years? They have very good income. Govindajī has got eighteen thousand rupees monthly income. That is... He's the richest Deity in Vṛndāvana. And Raṅganātha is tenant of Govindajī. Land is taken from Govindajī, and Raṅganātha's temple is constructed. The Raṅganātha's temple management pays the rent. So Govindajī is the landlord and Raṅganāthajī is tenant. Raṅganāthajī is Rāmānuja-sampradāya, Govindajī is Gauḍīya-sampradāya. (laughter) So Rāmānuja-sampradāya is the tenant of Gauḍīya-sampradāya. (break) No, as many as we want. Why? (end)

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: No, no, you require permission of the landlord if he pays.

Room Conversation -- September 30, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: One boy, he was coming to me. In that hundred, about one hundred seventy-first street, all my things were stolen. My tape recorder, typewriter. Fortunately they did not touch my manuscript that I was typing, typing my books. So some money was stolen. Then one boy, he was coming to me, he told me, "Please come to my place." A loft. Bowery Street. I did not know the Bowery Street was not a good quarter. All bums and drunks. When I see there, one Jewish friend, he had electrical shop, he told me, "Swamiji, you have gone to Bowery Street? Oh, it is not your place." I did not know that it is full of drunkards. But they were lying down in front of my door, but they were very respectful. When I'd go, these drunkards comes and they respectfully give me ways. And they would lie down on urine and something like that, on water. Then the boy who took me there... He was Murray. His last title was Murray. And he was taking LSD. So since I went there he did not go to work. Otherwise, he was working and getting daily twenty-five dollars, in some dock he was working. Since I went, he stopped working, and I had to pay 125 dollars for the loft. One lady was the landlord. So I was going on. Some people were coming. That Mukunda began to come, his wife, and another black boy, half-black. Yeargen, Karlapati. I gave him name, Karlapati. He was coming. Then one day that boy Murray, he showed some crazy features. So I thought it is dangerous to live with him. So I approached Mukunda.

Room Conversation -- October 31, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Zamindari system.

Haṁsadūta: Zamindar.

Prabhupāda: Landlord.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Conversation -- June 23, 1977, Vrndavana:

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

Correspondence

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Brahmananda -- San Francisco 18 February, 1967:

Next thing is that when a man takes work in his own hand it is sure to be done. If you are serious about purchasing the house then do not depend on Mr. Payne take the work in your own hand. Just enter with Mr. Taylor in agreement of hire purchase system sale contract for any reasonable market price. We shall pay rent to the amount of $1000.00 per month and cash down $10,000.00. The repairing work may be done by Mr. Taylor as he is doing. So long his full money is not recovered we shall continue to remain as tenant and as soon as his full money is paid up the title automatically becomes conveyed to us. We have already engaged our Lawyer and Mr. Taylor has his Lawyer. Let them draw a hire-purchase-sale-contract on the above basis. It is not amortization but it is practically an agreement between the tenant and the Landlord. Let us remain as tenant and let Mr. Taylor remain as land lord. As Landlord he will have full right to evict us failing to pay the stipulated rent. So there is no risk on the part of Mr. Taylor and I hope the lawyer of Mr. Taylor will gladly accept these terms. Mr. Taylor will be profited by this, because he gets an immediate tenant and income up to 1000 dollars per month for a house which is lying vacant for so many years. And for us we get a house which is suitable for us. Convince Mr. Taylor like this and enter into such hire-purchase system-sale-contract. I think this is the best solution for both Mr. Taylor and ourselves. Try for this and quickly occupy the house without waiting for help from so called financiers. No sane financier will invest money on the complicated schemes drawn by Mr. Payne. It is simply utopian it will never be successful.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Dayananda -- Seattle 9 October, 1968:

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter and noted the contents. In reply, I may inform you that I have got very good appreciation for you and your good wife, Nandarani, as well as for Aniruddha. I can understand that Nandarani is little displeased with Aniruddha, but I think this is a family quarrel between brother and sister, and you may try to mitigate it. If it is not possible to mitigate, then I shall ask Aniruddha to leave and join the Sankirtana party, who are going very shortly in Los Angeles. I am sorry to learn that you have to remove for the present station, on account of displeasure of the landlord and the tenants. All right, Krishna will give us better opportunity. I am very pleased to learn that you have taken complete charge of the Los Angeles center, and do it very nicely, and if Aniruddha is a displeasure to Nandarani I will ask him to join the Sankirtana Party who are going there within 10 or 12 days. In the meantimes, if possible, you try to mitigate this misunderstanding of brother and sister.

Letter to Aniruddha -- Los Angeles 14 November, 1968:

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated Nov. 7, and I am very glad to know that you are working in San Francisco equally with the same enthusiasm as I saw you here when I was in Los Angeles last year. Perhaps you have heard it that for the time being we have no temple. The landlord in Hollywood Blvd. did not like our devotees to stay there, and he returned $450 so that we would move our articles there from the storefront. So the Deities are here in my apartment, so I do not know how we shall find out a suitable place. And when there is a nice suitable place for our temple, then I shall consider whether you are to come back. For the mean time, you work in San Francisco, and try to organize sales of our Back To Godhead as many as possible. I have not heard anything from Cidananda since a long time, and I hope he along with the other devotees are all well. I understand that on the average you are collecting $22 a day, so this is nice, just go on trying to increase.

Letter to Annapurna -- Los Angeles 5 December, 1968:

After long time, please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated Oct. 30, which has reached me after travelling over the whole world. It was addressed to Montreal, sent to Hollywood Blvd., then to Orange Drive and finally it has come to me. So it has taken so long time and I am very glad to learn that you are now in your father's country and feeling very nice. Mukunda and all the other devotees are trying their best to start a temple in London and a temple is already there by Krishna's Grace. The landlord has offered them the place free of rent until the house is disposed of so I think that they should try to influence the landlord to donate the building for our great cause. At least he should let us conduct our business there for the benefit of all of mankind. It is understood that the landlord belongs to the hippie group and he has purchased the house for hippie propaganda but now wishes to sell the house and property. If some concessional rate is offered then we can also try to purchase the property. So consult with your godbrothers and Gurudasa is the best man to tackle with this landlord and appeal to him to donate this house free for this great cause of spreading Krishna Consciousness. So again I thank you for your nice letter and the sentiments expressed therein and please keep me informed as to your well-being.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Kirtanananda -- Los Angeles 14 February, 1969:

Regarding your insurance policy, I do not wish to engage you in litigation; that is not a sannyasi's business. In India, since I left, people have grabbed my money up to many thousands of rupees. That Hitsaran took away 2000 Rs, the landlord has taken away more than 2000 Rs, but what can I do? If I go to litigation I will have to put myself in so many anxieties. It is better to forget. If peacefuly you can draw the money from your father that is all right. I do not know what kinds of devious means you want to use in this connection, but any means, if it does not put you into difficulties, will be acceptable.

Letter to Dayananda -- Hawaii 26 March, 1969:

And you took the risk of 400 or 500 dollars by renting the storefront in Hollywood Blvd. It was certainly very nice, and you were paying $350, but because you very sincerely desired to have a very very nice place, Krishna arranged in a different way. In the beginning we thought that we are losing a nice place, when the landlord wanted to kick out us, but now I can understand Krishna's desire was to give us a still better place, and so we have now got it. So it is not the place alone which is responsible for beautifying the temple; it is the devotees who are actually beautifying the temple. And as president you are in charge of the whole branch, so kindly try to maintain the present atmosphere, and try to improve it more and more, that is my request.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 5 August, 1969:

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of both of your letters, one dated July 31, 1969 and the other August 2, 1969. The letter of August 2nd appears to be a practical proposal. The calculations for the house are nice. But everything should be done very carefully. If the landlord allows you to take possession of the house on payment of $12,000 on the terms and conditions as stated by you, then you must enter the house immediately, and we take it for granted it is Krishna's offer. As far as you having to pay $6,000 down payment by October, from your calculation it appears that you shall be able to pay it. So in that case, the money paid by Giriraja may be deposited in a separate bank account for this purpose. If things go on according to your calculation, this opportunity must be taken; but I am always afraid of persons like Mr. Payne.

Letter to Govinda -- London 9 December, 1969:

Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you very much for your letter dated November 30, 1969. I have already acknowledged receipt of your very nice cloak, and yes, everything fits nicely. Regarding the Radha-Krishna Murtis, first of all, as you are searching out a permanent place, the best thing will be to install Them in that permanent place. It doesn't matter if it is on rent or purchased; but we must be confident that there will not be disturbance by some landlord on some flimsy grounds. In the meantime, you can construct a nice throne as you will see it on the pictures enclosed. I have got plans for going to Japan from Los Angeles, but in case I do not go, you shall be able to install the Deities. I shall send you the instructions how to do it, if this becomes necessary. In the meantime, just prepare the preliminary things.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Bhavananda -- Honolulu 16 May, 1972:

Why you have not mentioned Mayapur in your letter? Now the Building Fund is fixed up in Bombay, and all the Life Member collections and Building Fund collections must go there. Giriraja has written you one letter but you have not replied it. Life Member money cannot be spent for eating and sleeping. The landlord K. Prasad Singharoy has written me one letter complaining that there was a fight between our men and some outsiders, servant class men, and he says that it is disturbing to the whole area. Perhaps he's designing to eject us on these grounds. I shall be glad to hear from you what is the actual position.

Have Srimati and Malati gone there? If so, what are they doing there? They left Bombay on ground that they have not sufficient engagement, so if they have come to Calcutta, what engagement is allotted for them?

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Giriraja -- Los Angeles 8 May, 1973:

I think by the grace of Krsna you are getting some glimpse of hope to keep in possession the Hare Krsna land for our missionary activities. The laurel of victory will be if we can get the whole land at a monthly rent of 1000rs, as you have stated. To pay 1000rs rent per month means to keep a fixed deposit in the bank about 1 lac 70,000 and the bank pays 7 1/2% interest per anum and if we keep some fixed deposit in a private fund like Mafatlal or Birla at 12% then we have to deposit say a little more than 1 lac of rs. If we can construct a temple and building without permission of the landlord that will be our greatest triumph. If such a law is inaugurated then it is to be supposed that it is Krsna's plan.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Mukunda -- Bombay 2 May, 1974:

So the first telegram was replied by me and a copy of the letter is sent here. I have not replied to the second telegram. But according to the first telegram he was to repay the money, as he asked where he should deposit the money. But the second telegram showed he failed to acquire the money. Now he promises he will not return to London unless Hamsaduta goes away. How can I ask Hamsaduta to go away when he has improved the situation? From Puranjana's letter, Hamsaduta is ready to pay back the dues owed to the landlord at Bury Place. Under the circumstances, Hamsaduta must continue to act as GBC until Syamasundara settles up all monetary dues to the society and others.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Bombay 12 November, 1974:

Whenever you call me for coming there I shall come. Never quit the Frankfurt palace. It is very nicely situated, in a open place. The landlord is a good gentleman, so keep good relations with him and his wife.

The report that the newly published books are all selling like mad is very, very encouraging. Now publish more books. Make more translations. You have not yet published Bhagavatam and also Krsna Book Second Part. Is this translated or not? And what about "Leben Kommt Von Leben?" Are they also selling? I have never studied science, but I am challenging them. They may take me as crazy, but I am not crazy. I am right.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Giriraja -- Perth, Australia 10 May, 1975:

We have got many enemies, especially our tenants. Therefore, things should be very carefully done. Whether the tenants union is legally alright and whether by their united action, they can encroach upon the rights of the landlord. We wanted to build up a wall and the tenants, by force, have broken the wall. Does it mean that the tenants unit can encroach upon the landlord's right? Have you formed any advisory committee of the persons we selected? I think the advisory committee should not be more than ten persons, very important from the list. The other day, I saw Mahadevia's attitude not in our favor, but in favor of the tenants, being influenced by Acarya. These things should be considered very carefully. For the time being, we have stopped the wall construction, but it was not at all congenial that the tenants broke the wall illegally.

Page Title:Landlord
Compiler:Rishab, Mayapur
Created:20 of Feb, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=1, CC=11, OB=2, Lec=34, Con=16, Let=13
No. of Quotes:77