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Library (Conversations)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Radio Interview -- March 12, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: But it is... Yes, for ten years. It is most impractical proposition. Therefore, as recommended, we have to follow the regulation as recommended in the scriptures. For the present age, this meditation. Now, last night we had saṅkīrtana in the public library... Where is that? Oakland. So all people immediately joined us as soon as we began to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Immediately there is effect and there is no rules and regulation that you have to do this or that. Simply join, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma... We had lectured in the YMCA Sunday School, little boys and children, they also joined with us. We performed this Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting in the park, the children, old men, young men, everyone joined. It is...

Interviewer: Do you have a temple here, Swami, or do you meet in libraries?

Prabhupāda: No, we have got a temple here. Actually it is Frederick Street, 518.

Interviewer: What does your temple look like?

Prabhupāda: It is temple, just there is Deity, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity and it's very, a place of sanctuary. If you go there you'll find immediately some impulse of spiritual idealism.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Prof. Kotovsky -- June 22, 1971, Moscow:

Prof. Kotovsky: It seems to me that in the Moscow and Leningrad libraries we have nearly all major texts of ancient Indian culture, beginning from Vedas, original text in Sanskrit. For instance, we have in Lenin Library nearly six or eight editions of...

Prabhupāda: (Aside:) You have not brought any books? Eh?

Prof. Kotovsky: ...Manu-smṛti.

Prabhupāda: You have not brought any books? Bhāgavata?

Prof. Kotovsky: Editions is there. Especially in Leningrad, you know, in Leningrad we have...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- July 18, 1971, Detroit:

Mohsin Hassan: Do you have any hope in the future that you, your movement, will involve printing a lot of books, making..., building schools for your children, for...?

Prabhupāda: Yes. We have got already many books. You have not seen?

Mohsin Hassan: Oh, yes. I have almost all of your printed, but I'm trying to (indistinct)... Ramakrishna, they have big library and bookstore, and this is where goes most of their income. I was wondering. And many..., they have so many scholars for this movement because they are for a variety of religions. And one argument I always receive from some teacher, they say this movement insists on the chanting and they are not trying to open all the other doors for other religions. And I have no answer to them.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Mohsin Hassan: They tell me that..., the Ramakrishna Mission, they offer all kinds variety of books about every religion.

Prabhupāda: We have got varieties of books.

Room Conversation -- July 20, 1971, New York:

Pratyatoṣa: They thought that might have higher priority than... It's a project, I wanted to set up a library of all of your tapes and make them available to everybody and preserve them, and have them all indexed.

Prabhupāda: Yes, I wanted a tape recorder.

Pratyatoṣa: Do you think this would fit your needs, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes, I wanted. I wanted to purchase one Stanberg.

Pratyatoṣa: Tanberg?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- August 15, 1971, London:

Śyāmasundara: Yes. He doesn't work here. He works over at the library, British Museum.

Prabhupāda: Where is that?

Śyāmasundara: Just down the street.

Prabhupāda: He takes them.

Śyāmasundara: I don't know. I guess he does. He's gone all day. Every day he's gone. He says it's too disturbing to work here, too crowded.

Prabhupāda: That may be.

Śyāmasundara: I think he's doing it by longhand, writing it out because he doesn't take a typewriter.

Prabhupāda: So make arrangement, whatever thoughts are coming I am giving you. Ārati is finished?

Śyāmasundara: In about two or three minutes. Five. You'll hear a conchshell.

Prabhupāda: Everywhere this class must be there, morning evening class. Either it is festival or temple. If you go on simply festival, you don't require to start many centers.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1972, Sydney:

Prabhupāda: Now this Macmillan's report is that ours selling more. Therefore, they have advanced to take up this enlarged edition. Otherwise, they are business. In the beginning they refused. They said, "No, no, we cannot publish so big volume. We can... If you minimize..." Therefore, we minimized it to four hundred pages.

Śyāmasundara: They made a study. They know what's going... They want all of your books. In the contract for Topmost Yoga and Easy Journey they have the option to take your next big book.

Devotee (3): In Harvard Library, your Bhagavad-gītā—they have many, many Bhagavad-gītās, about four hundred, many, and Bhagavad-gītā As It Is was taken out of late, since it's been in there, more than any other ones. They all have dust, and yours has been taken out. And Kṛṣṇa book was never in, I could never see it in, because it was always out, from the very first day it was in. In fact, when it was going into the library, the head of the department, he took it right away.

Prabhupāda: Another thing happened in Los Angeles. I wanted some quotation from a place of this Teachings of Lord Caitanya. So the man came, he said, "Swamiji, first of all I must buy this book. Either you accept or not accept our quotation, what price I shall pay?" I said, "Give me six dollars." Immediately he took this book. "Such a nice book I have never read. So either it is printed or not printed in our press, I must take this book." Actually, these ideas what we have explained in our books, they're unknown to the modern world. Unknown.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 19, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So, if there is no question of independence, then how, abruptly, he can begin from a certain species? You must explain wherefrom this species came into existence. Harer nāma harer nāma...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: There are so many books on Darwin's theory. Goes... In the library, if one goes there are hundreds of volumes of books on Darwin's theory.

Prabhupāda: They have accepted or protested?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Mostly they accept and there are some who are also very critical, what they're, what he's saying is really (indistinct) But those are very few. Mostly, most books are supporting.

Karandhara: Recently, there was an issue that some people wanted that the theory that God created the earth and the species to be taught in schools along with Darwin's theory.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation with Educationists -- July 11, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Ṭhākura, they belong to kṣatriya class. Brāhmaṇa... According to Vedic conception, there are four divisions: brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra. So next to brāhmaṇa is the kṣatriya. So this Ṭhākura title is given to the kṣatriyas, administrator class. Yes. (pause, Prabhupāda chants japa softly) So in your library you are keeping our books? No. All books?

Guest (2) (young British man): Well, not all of them. We don't have room to keep all.

Prabhupāda: Hm. (pause) So you have known something about our movement?

Guest (2): Yes.

Prabhupāda: You have also known?

Guest (1): No.

Prabhupāda: No?

Guest (1): No, I came as a Christian, not knowing anything. I still don't know really anything.

Prabhupāda: Our movement is to revive God consciousness. Just like a man is sleeping, and he has got some engagement, say, in the morning, at six o'clock. But still he's sleeping. So somebody is trying to awake him. "Get up, get up! You have got this engagement. You have..." Our movement is like that. The human society is sleeping. So we are just trying to awake them: "Get up. Get up. You have got this engagement." That is our business. It is not our manufactured business, but it is stated in the Vedic literature, uttiṣṭha jāgratā prāpta-varān nibodhata. "Now you be awakened." "Now" means "You have got this human form of life. You can now be awakened." In animal form of life there is no possibility.

Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor -- August 13, 1973, Paris:

Yogeśvara: Oh yes, you've seen the saṅkīrtana party?

Professor: No, I have not seen the temple, but I've seen, last time I was in New York, I saw, just in front of the library on the Fifth Avenue...

Yogeśvara: He has seen our saṅkīrtana.

Haṁsadūta: He saw us on the Forty-second Street.

Professor: Not on Forty-second Street.

Haṁsadūta: By the library.

Professor: Yes.

Guru-gaurāṅga: Forty-second and Fifth Avenue.

Prabhupāda: Forty-second Street...

Professor: Yes.

Prabhupāda: ...there is public library.

Professor: That was about Christmas time.

Yogeśvara: Christmas time.

Professor: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: Oh yes.

Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor, Dr. Suneson -- September 5, 1973, Stockholm:

Paramahaṁsa: He knows them. And both of these gentlemen have Śrīla Prabhupāda's literature in their universities, in their libraries.

Professor: Hm, hm.

Prabhupāda: This book is recommended in the Temple University as textbook.

Professor: Hm, hm. This one.

Prabhupāda: Nectar of Devotion. This is Caitanya-caritā..., I mean to say, Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Yes. "The summary study of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī's Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu."

Professor: Hm, hm? So it's the complete text?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Complete. You can read from any portion; you'll find so nice description. Anywhere from, you can read. Yes.

Professor: But original text is not given.

Prabhupāda: Then it will be very big volume. Therefore we have given summary study. But if time we get, we shall give the original text also.

Room Conversation with Banker -- September 21, 1973, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Gītā Press. Sit down, I am coming. (break) In the U.S., I understand, there are 75,000 libraries.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: But lot of the libraries in U.S. are running short of funds because the Nixon administration has withdrawn the support of the funds that they were giving to the various libraries.

Prabhupāda: State aid?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. They have withdrawn the aid.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: So now the libraries are complaining about the shortage of money.

Prabhupāda: (To Tamāla) Bring the other light. The second one, down. Yes. How is that. It is not in order? First one.

Room Conversation with Banker -- September 21, 1973, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is a good philosophy.

Banker: Therefore, then he started building libraries all over the country and everything else, besides his steel company. But this has been a big fight. It still is a big fight. Today you have the people who support welfare and those who oppose it.

Prabhupāda: No. We don't oppose wealth.

Banker: Welfare. Payment to people who don't work.

Prabhupāda: No, everyone should work. Our Vedic philosophy is that everyone must work. But there must be division of work. Just like in your body there are different parts. The head department, the arms department, the belly department, and the legs department. These are different parts. So all these departments must work for the total benefit of the body. That is our philosophy. Nobody should sit idle. But he must work according to his capacity. Brain must work for giving direction. Hand must work for giving protection. Belly must work for supplying food, energy. And leg must work for carrying the body. 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.

Room Conversation -- September 21, 1973, Bombay:

Gargamuni: In Calcutta we're approaching all of the libraries. At least twenty-five libraries have ordered your books, complete sets.

Prabhupāda: So you see, anywhere we can approach. I sold in Bombay all libraries, my previous Bhāgavatam.

Gargamuni: About Ten or twelve books, each bill is about five hundred rupees times twenty-five. That's a lot.

Prabhupāda: No, that is a respect, if the libraries and schools, colleges, they keep our books.

Gargamuni: Some of them are shocked. We went to the National Library in Calcutta. That's the largest library. They saw your books and they said, "Oh, he is doing this work?" They were so impressed. They had never seen Sanskrit or Bengali printed in foreign countries the way you have done in your books. They said, "This is fan..." There's no one else who is doing this in India, no one. Very impressed. And these men themselves are Sanskrit scholars. He immediately started to read. He said, "Oh, very nice." He said, "It is just right." So he was very enthusiastic. There are two boys. They spend the whole day just going to libraries.

Prabhupāda: That has been written by Professor Dayal, Dimock, that "Sanskrit scholars should get good opportunity, and nobody, I think, will deny Swamiji's scholarship." He has said that.

Morning Walk -- December 7, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: That is foolishness. Their hopes are being frustrated every moment; still, they are hoping. That is foolishness.

Prajāpati: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I once was distributing some of your literature to a library, and the librarian said, "If these are five thousand years old, where is the proof of this? Do we have the copies that were written down five thousand years ago?"

Prabhupāda: This is the proof. This is the proof. You see. But if you close your eyes... Just like if somebody says, "Now there is sunrise, light." And if he is in darkness, he says, "Where is the proof there is light?" So, "You please come out and see." So you read it and there will be proof.

Karandhara: Even if you don't accept it's five thousand years old, that doesn't diminish the value of the books.

Prabhupāda: Simply read it. There is no question of five thousand, ten thousand, old or new. Just see what is the knowledge there. Lokasyājānato vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām (SB 1.7.6). Because they are fools, for them this literature is made. Lokasyājānato vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām. (break) ...accept Bhāgavata, then their Darwin's theory is finished. Darwin's theory is finished.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 17, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: He was educated of his spiritual life in India. Twelve years here. Twelve years he was. And he lived in Jagannātha temple.

Dr. Patel: Yesterday I found out a very good article. I have preserved it for you. I have forgot to bring it. I'll bring it in the afternoon from Journal, how where he stayed and how he was in India in Himalayas. Some man has made a research. Some Russian scholar has made a research for forty years, in various places and found out from various libraries the all, the old records.

Prabhupāda: There was once a historian report that after crucification he did not die. He...

Dr. Patel: He was in samādhi.

Prabhupāda: He came in India and...

Dr. Patel: Lived somewhere in Kashmir. That is what I have in article. He lived for a very long time after crucifixion. In crucifixion he went in great samādhi, and when the cross was brought down, he came out of samādhi after three days. That is the resurrection.

Prabhupāda: He was... Yes.

Morning Walk -- April 20, 1974, Hyderabad:

Pañcadraviḍa: (break) ...them into all the schools.

Prabhupāda: Yes. School, college, library, enlightened gentlemen, businessmen, they have all accepted.

Pañcadraviḍa: This is how it would work. This is Akṣayānanda's work. He has been doing this for some months here now. He goes every day to all the different colleges and schools, and he speaks, and he shows them your books for their college libraries. He's been having a lot of programs like this. They always take the Bhagavad-gītā and Kṛṣṇa Books and Nectar of Devotion, like this.

Prabhupāda: Best thing is that "Why your president, he did not write a single Hindi book? He has got so many. He is a famous philosopher. Indian religion, Indian philosophy, and Bhagavad-gītā. Then... He has written so many books but not a single in Hindi."

Indian man (1): Dr. Radhakrishnan belongs to South India.

Prabhupāda: Yes, he is from Madras.

Room Conversation with Monsieur Mesman, Chief of Law House of Paris -- June 11, 1974, Paris:

Yogeśvara: Last year, you were received by the Mayor at Hotel De Ville.

Prabhupāda: No, but in America we have reception from highly scholarly people, university heads, like that. Our books are being read in universities, colleges, and they're accepted in big, big libraries. Not only accepted what is published, but they have forward order for all the publications that will come. Yes? Hmmm. (someone comes in with a plate of prasādam)

Pṛthu-putra: (explains about prasādam)

Prabhupāda: They have learned this preparation, these girls. We have taught them. We are strictly vegetarian. From grains, from milk and sugar, and just two three, things, we require, and we can prepare thousands of preparations out of that. From milk and grains and sugar... And? What else?

Pṛthu-putra: Fruit, vegetables.

Bhagavān: Fruits.

Prabhupāda: Fruits, vegetable, we can prepare thousands of preparations, very palatable. Some of them you can taste. Yes, take. Whatever you like, take.

Room Conversation with Professor Oliver La Combe Director of the Sorbonne University -- June 14, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: Ācchā. Śrī-bhāṣya, Bhagavad-gītā?

Professor La Combe: No. The Śrī-bhāṣya, the Brahma-sūtra bhāṣya. Unfortunately, it is out of print.

Prabhupāda: I see.

Professor La Combe: So one of you, I think...

Devotee: (indistinct)

Professor La Combe: You can read it in the library, but unfortunately, it is out of print. Yes. It is a complete translation of the first part you see. 850 pages with the text and notes.

Prabhupāda: Oh. I see. Just like we do text and transliteration?

Professor La Combe: The text is in nāgarī.

Bhagavān: There are synonyms in your translation? Do you give the synonym for the word?

Prabhupāda: Equivalent.

Room Conversations -- September 11, 1974, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (break) Caitanya-caritāmṛta and Bhāgavata is being accepted everywhere. Big, big libraries, universities. University, Bombay University. As far as possible (indistinct) all colleges. (break) There is no (indistinct) word meaning, word-to-word meaning (indistinct). When there is word... (break) You should be clear of all questions possible. Then you will be able to push very forcibly. You must be prepared to answer all the questions.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk Through the BBT Warehouse -- February 10, 1975, Los Angeles:

Rāmeśvara: These racks we purchased for storing the books that will be sent to the libraries and colleges. When Satsvarūpa Swami gets the orders, they are reserved over here, five hundred copies of each book, and then, when we run out, another five hundred copies goes in the rack. So that way, we always keep books. Even if we sell out, we always have books reserved for the libraries. Śruta-śravā manages our warehouse. (engine started)

Hṛdayānanda: Make it go up.

Prabhupāda: I first saw this machine in the Commonwealth Pier, Boston. (machine moving around, crashing sound)

Jayatīrtha: What are you doing, Śruta-śravā?

Rāmeśvara: Sometimes because of that roof you can't see what you're doing.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk Through the BBT Warehouse -- February 10, 1975, Los Angeles:

Rāmeśvara: These are offices. The first office is where Kirtirāja works. He is managing all the distribution for the libraries and colleges. Satsvarūpa's party sends in the orders, and they process them from here. They handle all the business from this part of the warehouse.

Prabhupāda: What is this?

Hṛdayānanda: That's Māyāpur, Lord Caitanya's birthplace.

Gurudāsa: Yogapīṭha.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's family. "Book Digest." They publish our books?

Morning Walk Through the BBT Warehouse -- February 10, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: That's it. Yes, businessman never invests his own money. He does business with others' money. That is business. Just like I am doing. (laughter) I brought only forty rupees. That was also not spent. (laughter)

Rāmeśvara: This is our Golden Avatar studio where they record... They change your lectures into master tapes which can then be duplicated at high speed, and this is a complete library of all of your lectures.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Rāmeśvara: We keep it very carefully. It's very important. They are cataloging it according to title of book, so if someone wants to see what your Divine Grace has lectured on Bhagavad-gītā, they have one section on Bhagavad-gītā, and on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto...

Prabhupāda: They have got index book.

Rāmeśvara: Yes, they have index system.

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Morning Walk -- March 1, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: The overloaded.

Dhīra-kṛṣṇa: When we take your books on the library party to the professors at the universities... (fades out)

Śrutakīrti: This way? Śrīla Prabhupāda, Śrīla Prabhupāda... (break)

Prabhupāda: I am surprised how I have written so many, what to speak of them? (laughter) It is all Kṛṣṇa's mercy.

Dhīra-Kṛṣṇa: One professor the other day was trying to convince one of our boys that you were coming in the disciplic succession and were authorized to translate all these books.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is right.

Room Conversation with Tripurari -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: That was second stage. The first stage I used to publish and distribute as gṛhastha, I did not mind whether one page or not. I was distributing. So spending about four hundred, five hundred rupees, I did not care if one page or not, but I'll distribute. Then, when I retired, left home, I was publishing and distributing myself to get subscription. The subscription was very cheap, two rupees, four annas, I think, for the year. Two copies per month. Just like you published The Harmonist? Like that. Then I published Bhāgavatam. So I was going to libraries, school, colleges, and everyone was purchasing. My Bhāgavata was being purchased by your Congress Library. In Delhi they have got office. So there was standing order, eighteen copies of my book as soon as they are published. The head librarian in India, New Delhi, he gave me standing order. Dallas is very cold? No. Like this.

Room Conversation with Reporter -- March 9, 1975, London:

Prabhupāda: ...by high-class professors, universities, libraries. They are all accepting. You will be surprised to know that we are selling books, according to our Indian currency, twenty lakhs of rupees per month. Out of that, we are spending eight to ten lakhs for all our centers.

Reporter: You have centers all over the world?

Prabhupāda: Yes, all over the world. In Europe we have got so many centers. Here in London we have got two centers. Similarly, Paris, Germany, four centers. Then Sweden, one?

Haṁsadūta: Sweden and Denmark.

Prabhupāda: Denmark, Holland, and Rome, then Switzerland, Geneva. So we have got several branches here.

Conversation with Devotees -- April 12, 1975, Hyderabad:

Bhāgavata: They have big maṭha in Bhuvaneśvara.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Bhāgavata: In Bhuvaneśvara, they have big Ramakrishna maṭha. Vivekananda School, library, so much land, everything, very organized.

Prabhupāda: So we can do that. You have to convince people. There is no question of making competition with them. But you, you can preach your own philosophy anywhere.

Guest (3): With that happening with the people in Orissa...

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Guest (3): ...try to convince them: No, that is false and this is the way.

Prabhupāda: No, their Ramakrishna Mission allurement is that daridra-nārāyaṇa-seva and hospital. That is their only allurement. They have no program. Nobody is attracted by their philosophy. And what philosophy they have got? Never mind. We are not concerned with them.

Morning Walk -- May 9, 1975, Perth:

Amogha: That's why we take your books to the prisons. Sometimes we have a contest to see who can distribute the most books in three days. When they were deciding who would go with Madhudviṣa Swami to India, they had a contest to see who could distribute the most books and get the most laxmī at the same time. So they would collect much laxmī, then they would go out and give away books to the prisons and jails and hospitals. Cases of books. They put them in the libraries too. They agreed; otherwise they didn't get. They would ask them if they would use it, and they said yes. So in three days they distributed very, very many books.

Prabhupāda: Free?

Amogha: Yes. First they collected the money elsewhere, then they gave it away to the hospitals and prisons. One boy he collected in one day, he won the contest, he collected seven hundred and fifty dollars in one day. Australian dollars. That's almost one thousand U.S. dollars. I don't remember how many books, very, very many books he gave away also. Big books, hardbound books, Kṛṣṇa books, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Prabhupāda: So, you are trying to serve Kṛṣṇa very nicely. That is very good. These rascals are in ignorance and you are trying to enlighten them. Very good service. (break) After reading a book does anybody come and ask questions? Do they receive regularly letters and enquiries?

Morning Walk -- June 21, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Standing order?

Satsvarūpa: They're still getting them in public libraries in Detroit...

Prabhupāda: They have got standing order from Oxford University.

Satsvarūpa: You heard?

Prabhupāda: No, they have got, sent me the copy of the standing order.

Satsvarūpa: Oh, that's wonderful. They're getting letters from big professors at Cambridge and Oxford in praise of the books. They'll be very, very useful.

Bahulāśva: (break) ...professors are very impressed with your books, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Bahulāśva: All the professors are very impressed with your books.

Prabhupāda: Impressed?

Bahulāśva: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That is nice.

Morning Walk -- June 21, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: That is nice.

Satsvarūpa: We just got a review published in a magazine called Choice which is used... It's very important. It's used by all the libraries all over the country, and the review was excellent. They didn't say one bad thing. You should see that review.

Prabhupāda: Where? You have got that copy?

Rāmeśvara: We have copy. I can bring it in today.

Satsvarūpa: That one review does more work than we could do by traveling all over the country for a year. Because the librarians, when we go to them, they say, "Well, we usually order our books from this Choice magazine." But now we're in it. So...

Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa is helping us. Take advantage of it. (break) Vyāsadeva compiled Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for this purpose. Anartha upasamam sākṣād bhakti-yogam adhokṣaja. These lokasya ajānataḥ, people are suffering on account of ignorance, so to give them proper knowledge, he made this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. (break) Who can become more learned than Vyāsadeva? Therefore he is known as vidvān, the most, supreme learned. He made this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to help these rascals who are spoiling their life only in sense gratification. (break) Life is meant for tapasya. Tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyed (SB 5.5.1). They do not know that our existentional condition is impure. The question does not arise that "I do not wish to die.

Morning Walk -- June 21, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Dr. Judah, he wanted to see me earlier, no?

Bahulāśva: Yes, he'll be coming here probably on Tuesday or Wednesday. He's just coming from Boston. They had a big library convention there for the theological schools in the United States. So he had to go to speak at that, and then he'll be coming back.

Prabhupāda: Did he speak anything about Hare Kṛṣṇa?

Bahulāśva: He's always speaking about this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. (Prabhupāda chuckles) He gave one lecture just about two weeks ago. It was very very nice. I attended, and I was also speaking something.

Prabhupāda: No, he is serious about studying this movement.

Bahulāśva: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That is nice. Anyone who is serious, he will appreciate. (break)

Bahulāśva: ...that any intelligent person who hears this philosophy and reads your books, he'll have to accept.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- June 27, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: ...your American Congress Library they placed a standing order, eighteen books, whatever I published each book. So I have tried so many, what is called, GBC. They are not very expert to organize in India. So if you think you can do it... Now we have got sufficient place in Bombay. So if you take charge of this distribution of books not only in India but neighboring countries just like Hong Kong, Singapore, if you think you can do that, that will be nice. You have got experience, how to distribute books. So you think over. Now we have got very nice place in Bombay. We have got place for at least fifty men very comfortably. Is it not?

Brahmānanda: Oh, yes. And there's godowns and (indistinct) space, everything.

Prabhupāda: Everything, we have got enough facility. We are not going to rent anyone, anyway, any room. We shall utilize it for our purpose only, receiving guest, organizing this book sale. That is my idea.

Morning Walk -- June 27, 1975, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: You are capable. I know that. He is very capable. You know how to do business, yes. In India an educated man and big, big government officers, lawyers, they will purchase. We do not approach them. School, colleges, library, universities. After all, English language is still current in India. It is not stopped. So they will like to read their own literature in English. They made vigorous propaganda to replace English by Hindi. That has failed. That has failed. No gentleman cares to learn Hindi. (chuckles) At least I never cared. I know Hindi, not by diverting my attention, no. That is very important, no. Automatically whatever I learned, that's all. I am not in favor of that Hindi. Especially in South India, they are all... So by appointing some professional men also.

Morning Walk -- June 28, 1975, Denver:

Prabhupāda: The real doctor is he who can cure material disease. What do you think?

Satsvarūpa: You said Murāri Gupta was a doctor in both ways.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Satsvarūpa: (break) Prabhupāda, yesterday one of the library parties visited this Maharishi University which is an estate nearby. And it's very impressive they said. It's a big university, many buildings. But in the library they had no books of Vedic literature, so they took our books. And they said they are very glad to get them. They had nothing. Buildings, but no books.

Prabhupāda: University without books. (laughter) Very good university. Anyway, if they are taking our books, that is good. What he will have? He is also another bogus man. But you people want to be cheated by this yoga, meditation. Therefore he has been able to get some facility. Only a selected group has come to me. Otherwise, they do not understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Morning Walk -- June 30, 1975, Denver:

Prabhupāda: He has sold all?

Satsvarūpa: I think so. I never see it anywhere in any libraries.

Brahmānanda: He wanted to send some to America. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...by his propaganda, they are talking like that?

Brahmānanda: Well, one thing, there was one debate, and he was there, and our men were there too. And he was representing Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Prabhupāda: Who?

Brahmānanda: Swami Bon.

Prabhupāda: How?

Satsvarūpa: It was an interreligion meeting, and there were representatives from different Christian..., and he was there for Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But he didn't give any strong argument; he just presented it as if it were another way.

Prabhupāda: What is that way?

Satsvarūpa: Well, he said, he described it very... About Rādhā... That Lord Caitanya is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa combined.

Prabhupāda: That we say also.

Morning Walk -- June 30, 1975, Denver:

Prabhupāda: Picking up food. (break)

Satsvarūpa: ...got another report from that national library convention. They have a big sign that the artist has made and it says, "The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, the World's Largest Publisher and Distributor of Books in the Philosophy, Religion, and Culture of India." Has that on their booth. And many professors and librarians come. They have given out four hundred catalogues. Mostly they don't buy on the spot. They take this catalogue back to their library. And they're from all over the country. From every part of the country they go there.

Prabhupāda: So catalogues being distributed.

Satsvarūpa: Yes. They're taking them. Then they take them back and check them off. And the librarians are saying, as soon as they see our booth, they say, "Any books on India and yoga and meditation, there's a great demand for them. Many young people want to read about."

Prabhupāda: But we have got the largest number of books.

Morning Walk Excerpt -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:

Prabhupāda: Oh. (break) ...distribution he is right man.

Jayatīrtha: Yes. Sat's men are hand-picked. It takes a very special devotee to be able to speak with these professors intelligently.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break)

Jayatīrtha: At the library convention in San Francisco we had that booth there. So I went to see them and they appeared very professional with their suits and their wigs.

Brahmānanda: Successful?

Jayatīrtha: Yes. (end)

Morning Walk -- July 5, 1975, Chicago:

Ghanaśyāma (Bhakti-tīrtha): I've just come back from England, myself and another boy who was doing library work there. We went there after India, the festival. And so many very important schools all around the world, that are known all around the world are taking your books. Our last day was one of our most amazing days. We went to the Indian office library, the British government. Because they have colonized India, they have so many books on India. This was the largest library like that in Europe. And the librarian, he looked at our books and he says, "Yes, we should have all of these." So right on the spot he ordered standing orders, one copy of every book. That same day—this was just three days ago, two days ago—we went to the big...

Prabhupāda: That is Aldridge, Aldridge?

Ghanaśyāma: Yes. This was another one. Aldridge, yes. You have seen that letter? Yes.

Prabhupāda: No, I have not seen any letter.

Morning Walk -- July 18, 1975, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Well, money is everyone is getting. The dog is also getting. Sometimes dog is inheriting the property of his master. But that does not mean he is not a dog.

Paramahaṁsa: About one month ago there was a very big story in the newspapers about how this student who went to all the archives in the Washington D.C. library, and from known records he compiled enough information to construct an atom bomb. Did you hear about that?

Prabhupāda: No.

Paramahaṁsa: He became world famous. So they concluded that anyone who wanted to could get normal information from normal sources and theoretically construct an atom bomb. But they don't have the equipment, but they have the knowledge now. So they're proposing in that sense that any terrorist organization within the next five years will be able to invent their own atom bomb.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's a fact.

Morning Walk -- July 20, 1975, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Mm. (break) ...are exactly Indian. (break) They have good facilities on this lake.

Citsukhānanda: They have one church here, Prabhupāda. It is Mormon church. It is not too far from here. It is very gigantic, and it's on a hill. And every Sunday they get maybe five to six thousand guests because they have spent great money on a big complex. They have a library, museum and church. This is... We could also do this sometime, make one nice Indian temple. Thousands of visitors would come, even just tourists, from all over the world. They could probably come the same way. Ours would be much better, though.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Very good idea. (break) ...also very nice.

Bahulāśva: The lake?

Prabhupāda: Hm. Due to that lake. (break)

Bahulāśva: ...but no one can swim.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā?

Bahulāśva: That big lake in Chicago? No one can swim because of the pollution.

Prabhupāda: How they polluted, such a big lake?

Bahulāśva: By factories. Many factories are there.

Dharmādhyakṣa: They empty all their waste directly into the lake. All the fish are dying.

Prabhupāda: Here some fishy smell.

Morning Walk -- July 21, 1975, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: Very nice. This is the library? No.

Bahulāśva: No, just student union. Around three thousand dollars of books were sold yesterday.

Prabhupāda: Oh. And sweets?

Bahulāśva: Oh, around five thousand. (laughter) The tongue is most voracious.

Yadubara: I talked to one boy yesterday, Śrīla Prabhupāda, and he was there at the festival because he had found your books in the school library. And he said now he was saved.

Prabhupāda: Oh. (break) Kṛṣṇa dāsa, some scientists say that there is no life in the other planets, and some scientists said there may be. So who is correct?

Paramahaṁsa: Well, didn't the Yamadūtas... You stated in your lecture yesterday that the Yamadūtas said that what is truth is what is in the Vedas. So I assume from the Vedic knowledge that there is life on other planets. Logically speaking also.

Prabhupāda: Yes. How can you say there is no life?

Room Conversations -- July 26, 1975, Laguna Beach:

Prabhupāda: If you do not know actually what is God, then you will deny. Or if you deny, then present who is God, if you know. Then you will have to say, "I do not know what is God." So anyone who is trying to study religion and God, they should try to understand our philosophy, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Satsvarūpa: The professor says they have the Bhagavad-gītā in his college.

Prabhupāda: Oh. You have got this Bhagavad-gītā As It Is?

Professor: Yes, in the library.

Prabhupāda: You can...? You have read our this Bhagavad-gītā?

Professor: I have read it, yes.

Prabhupāda: According to Vedic understanding, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). You understand Sanskrit? No. Kṛṣṇa... there are description of the incarnations. There is name of Kṛṣṇa. Then it is summarized.

Morning Walk -- August 24, 1975, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: Ravindra Thakur?

Tejas: Ravindra Bhavan.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I sold my books here. When I was alone, I was selling books.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: You would go to different libraries and colleges?

Prabhupāda: Especially colleges and libraries. Everyone was taking.

Bhāgavata: Even the prime minister, Lal Bahadur Sastri, you gave him book.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He was good man.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: He was very religious. I think if he would have been there today we would have had no problem.

Prabhupāda: Very good. (Hindi) He could not solve his own problem. (break) ...court? No.

Tejas: This is Mundi House.

Prabhupāda: Mundi House means?

Tejas: Mahārāja of Mundi. Now it's a television studio.

Prabhupāda: Rajwari garden, they are serious about?

Room Conversation with Bill Faill (reporter) -- October 8, 1975, Durban:

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, it is very much growing. You will be surprised that we are selling these books... We have got about fifty books like this, and every library, college, professor, universities, they are very much appreciative of this, because there was no such literature existent. This is the new contribution to the world.

Faill: Now, this American, Alpert, he came to a state of God consciousness, but he was very, very heavy on drugs. This can't be right, taking a drug.

Prabhupāda: Alfred? Just speak.

Harikeśa: He was one of the associates of Timothy Leary.

Prabhupāda: Alfred Ford?

Harikeśa: No, no, no.

Prabhupāda: Then?

Harikeśa: What is his first name?

Faill: Alpert was his second name, and then he took on, you know, an Indian name.

Prabhupāda: Oh, then he is speaking of Alfred Ford.

Room Conversation with Professor Olivier -- October 10, 1975, Durban:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I was just in London a while back.

Prabhupāda: No, that letter is there?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I don't know if I have the one from Oxford. This is from Harvard. We just received this telegram from Los Angeles, Prabhupāda. "Amazing success from your library party—one hundred and fifty-two standing orders sold in just seventeen days of September in New England. Thirteen standing orders at Harvard. These books are very much being appreciated in America."

Prof. Olivier: These are for the sets.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes, a standing order of books even which haven't been published yet. Prabhupāda is translating on his dictaphone each night, throughout the hours of the night. And now about fifty books so far, many more to come.

Prabhupāda: The total number of books will be about eighty. Out of that, we have published about fifty. So the balance they are giving standing order, "As soon as published, you give..."

Morning Walk -- October 16, 1975, Johannesburg:

Harikeśa: We try to just make them Kṛṣṇa conscious, then it's automatic revolution.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Peaceful revolution. Other revolution will not stand. (break) (in car) ...perfect philosophy.

Harikeśa: Your method is also the perfect method, the books in the colleges and libraries, educated people and... Wonderful. Actually, you have set everything up to do this.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Everything is spoken by Kṛṣṇa. I am simply putting them for modern man's understanding. That's all.

Harikeśa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Because they cannot understand, they think, "Dogmatic." It is not dogmatic. Most scientific.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- March 8, 1976, Mayapur:

Siddha-svarūpa: I'm not giving away his books.

Prabhupāda: No, no, even if he gives away, this is not a fault, you see? Suppose there are... In South Africa many Indians are purchasing our books and giving to the library. So somebody will read it. So that is not a fault. If I purchase from you and give it, distribute it free to somebody else, that is not wrong thing.

Siddha-svarūpa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I don't think that there's any difference in philosophical understanding or anything. I think just the basic point that there's different ways of working, in a sense, and I won't...

Prabhupāda: So that should be adjusted, because we have to work. If we make differences amongst ourselves, then how work will...

Guru-kṛpā: I think, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that the difference is that we are willing to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness according to your instructions, but...

Prabhupāda: That should... That is the...

Morning Walk -- March 13, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: (break) ...now the visitors?

Rādhāvallabha: Just a few. Their sign just got up last night, so no one has seen the sign yet. Mostly devotees are coming to see it so far.

Madhudviṣa: (break) That's the library party.

Rādhāvallabha: In this place we're going to put a large board and put all your books on the board.

Rāmeśvara: (break) "...a standing order to begin with volume one of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, then please enter standing order to begin with volume one for Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." This is their standing order, the order they send us in the mail.

Prabhupāda: What is the...? (reading) "No work in all Indian literature is more quoted. Because none is better loved in the West than the Bhagavad-gītā. Translation of such work demands not only knowledge of Sanskrit but an inward sympathy with the theme and a verbal..." What is called?

Devotees: Artistry.

Morning Walk -- March 13, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: "Artistry. But the poem is a symphony in which God is seen in all things. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda is, of course, profoundly sympathetic to the theme. He brings to it a special interpretative insight. Here we have a powerful and persuasive presentation in the bhakti tradition of this dearly beloved poem. The Swami's introduction makes clear at once where he stands as a leading exponent of Kṛṣṇa consciousness." That is my actual...

Devotee (1): (break) ...not only have your books there in the New York Public Library, but the head librarian of that Oriental division did the review also.

Prabhupāda: "...government(?) of postgraduate college..." Oh, O.B.L. Kapoor. (break) "It is an exhaustive plan of original Sanskrit text in Devanāgarī, then a translation, English synonym... What practitioner of philosophy cannot but be attracted to this serious student and scholar of Sanskrit language and Hindu religion and philosophy? The viewpoint of a devotee cum scholar has the advantage of making the philosophy meaningful to any practical-minded person."

Morning Walk -- March 13, 1976, Mayapur:

Ghanaśyāma: At this school, Śrīla Prabhupāda, they ordered two orders. They were so favorable, for their Theology Department Library and also for the main library, because there were so many professors like this one who were favorable, they wanted your books to be very easily accessible.

Devotee (1): This is the largest professor in Sanskrit in the whole United States, from Harvard University.

Satsvarūpa: Most distinguished of all men.

Ghanaśyāma: He never writes reviews for anyone, Śrīla Prabhupāda, but he wrote for you. He just refuses. He hides himself, you know.

Prabhupāda: What? Tell me. What does he say?

Satsvarūpa: "I can recommend Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta as a source of rich insights for every serious student of consciousness."

Prabhupāda: Allen Ginsberg.

Morning Walk -- March 13, 1976, Mayapur:

Devotee (1): Then he ordered two standing orders for the library, and they took it. (break)

Prabhupāda: Oh, that Australian...? (break)

Satsvarūpa: "It is a work to be treasured. The opportunity to receive the profound teachings of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the West has been made possible by the devoted labor of Śrīla Prabhupāda. The clarity and precision of his commentaries on the text have rarely been equaled. No one of whatever faith or philosophical persuasion who reads this book with an open mind can fail to be both moved and impressed. The spirit of its message shines brightly from the pages."

Morning Walk -- March 15, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: What is the wrong in India?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: (break) ...reviews from big, big people in Delhi, that will be very helpful in Russia. Like the head of the Lok Sabha Research Library is giving a review on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and other Sanskrit scholars have also been approached, and they've all agreed to give reviews.

Prabhupāda: Take these reviews. You print.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Print those.

Morning Walk -- March 19, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: So who is taking care?

Satsvarūpa: Two of the library men who didn't come, just so they could go to this convention.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...therefore they search. And who goes to the airport? All respectable gentlemen, who can pay lump sum for air fare. So he's also searched out. That means there is no gentlemen. The airport security is searching through. Then in this world there is no gentleman, no honest men.

Haṁsadūta: Everyone is suspected.

Prabhupāda: All rascals. This is the position.

Hari-śauri: But when you go through, Śrīla Prabhupāda, everybody offers their respects.

Prabhupāda: They also sometimes show me the favor, but generally.... Sometimes they also search.

Morning Walk -- March 21, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Jayapatākā: They were going to give outright one piece of land. They just requested that.... Their idea was that they hoped there would be a, some place for studying Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura's books, one type of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura institute or library where people could.... All of his books would be collected, and his works...

Prabhupāda: Oh, that is a good idea. That we can do.

Jayapatākā: And some place for studying also.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Five bighās. That we can do. If they agree, then let them give us. We shall do.

Room Conversation -- May 4, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: So all these big, big men, let them have one set of books and study. It is not any expenditure for them, but if at their leisure hour they read some of the line—they are all intelligent men-they'll get ideas, what is this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So through the influence of father, just try to introduce our books to these big men. It is not.... They may keep them in library, and at leisure hour, if they simply glance over the line, oh, it will be great success.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: And their sons will also read it.

Prabhupāda: Their sons also will read.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Already my father has noticed in his travels that some of his friends, their sons have joined our movement now too.

Prabhupāda: Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhaḥ, lokas tad anuvartate (BG 3.21). If these big men of the world, they take it, "Oh, yes. Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is genuine," then naturally it will be followed by the others. So here is a good opportunity to contact big men of the world. So utilize it properly. You.... Both of you are intelligent. Very cautiously deal with them. They will understand that "Oh, these people are very honest men of character and high knowledge and God conscious." That will make our movement success.

Room Conversation -- May 4, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Chinese people, they are trying to raise their standard of civilization. Do they?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Śrīla Prabhupāda, many.... Their philosophy is called dialectic materialism. They want to advance materially and they.... We have prepared one report of an interview with the president of a committee on United States and China relations. He's one of the leading experts in China. So after researching and studying all the educational, the libraries, all the different functions in China, we went and spoke with this gentleman.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: First we got a lot of information ourselves, so we'd be knowledgeable. We read for one month. We got.... We wrote away to all the councils, we got hundreds of books like this, special reports about China, we read them, and then we went to meet this man, because he is the most knowledgeable expert person on China in the United States. And we made up a report which we wanted to read to you, because it gives everything very nicely. It tells what China is doing now, and what our program can be for book distribution.

Prabhupāda: No, what is their aim? After studying all these books, what do you think? What is the aim of China? What is the objective they are making progress towards?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Their aim is that everyone should be materially comfortable. There should be no...

Prabhupāda: In that case, they should, if they have got sense.... Just like in the whole world, these American people are materially comfortable. But why they are producing hippies now?

Room Conversation -- May 4, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Then? Then what is this? The rascals will not become old men? So what they have surpassed, laws of nature? What way? Simply making the teachers student and student teacher. Simply wasting time. Better you utilize your father's position, but for introducing our books to these high class men. Just you are trying to introduce books in the university libraries, similarly, you try to introduce these books to the high class. And that is not difficult. These men, they have got enough money. If they spend one thousand dollar for our books, that is nothing for them.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One of your disciples, Praghoṣa, he's the biggest book distributor, practically. Tripurāri trained him up. He is now starting a program of meeting with these executives and doing just this. He is working in New York, and he's developing a program like this.

Prabhupāda: Now in India also they are trying. Yaśomatī.... Yaśodānandana's report is that he approached one head librarian in Andhra Pradesh and...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Karnataka.

Prabhupāda: Karnataka. Karnataka province, educated province, Karnataka, South India, Karnataka, very educated. So he has immediately ordered thirty sets of books in different libraries. He has appreciated so much.

Room Conversation -- May 7, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: This is a fact. All rascal speculators, what value they have got?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Supposing there are many thousands of libraries in Russia and they are agreeable to placing say one of our books of each book in each of the libraries, but they are not willing to purchase all these books, but they are willing to give us some books in exchange, will we make this sacrifice? Because it will represent a loss of money?

Prabhupāda: No, if you can arrange for selling those (books) at any cost.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We can arrange to sell our books to them at any cost?

Prabhupāda: No, no, exchange.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We can sell, there is some set resale value. Then we can realize some money.

Prabhupāda: Yes, then it is alright.

Room Conversation -- May 7, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Yes, they have done very nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's the idea. If books like this can be introduced, I'm certain that every single Spanish embassy around the world will take a book like this for their library. And there's plenty of them, there's many nations.

Prabhupāda: Eventual standing order, in all the libraries. So they will take. And the get-up is so nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Beautiful. Yeah, that book is nice, the color is good.

Prabhupāda: This is printed in America also. American books.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Printed in...

Devotee: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: USA.

Morning Walk -- May 12, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: So why did you take embryo from the child? You make embryo. You cannot make even an egg which can be..., give a chicken. So to waste time with these rascals is very difficult.

Devotee (1): Such programs are minimized in the temple. Should there be a college program in each temple? Or should everyone just work along with the BBT Library Party? Should there be a college program?

Prabhupāda: No, it is useless to talk with them. If you can peacefully sell some books, that's all. Don't enter into very long arguments, because they are all rascals. They cannot understand. Better peacefully, as far as possible, sell some books. Dante nidhāya tṛṇakaṁ padayor nipatya kāku-śataṁ kṛtvā ca... This is the process. They cannot understand that because there is soul within the child, therefore child is becoming boy. As soon as there is no soul, the child does not become a boy. This simple philosophy they cannot understand, so what is their position? Now, this car is standing because there is no driver. Anyone can understand. Stand still. It will remain there for thousands of years unless a driver comes. Simple reason. But they are so rascal, they will not understand. So what is the use of talking with them? Simply waste of time.

Morning Walk -- June 9, 1976, Los Angeles:

Hari-śauri: He tries to cause a disturbance, though, whenever he can. I was told by one of the boys in the Library Party that he's prevented a lot of standing orders being taken by speaking with professors and condemning our movement.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Hari-śauri: He's still creating a disturbance.

Prabhupāda: Cancelling standing orders?

Hari-śauri: They've actually taken standing orders and then had them cancelled because of this man.

Rāmeśvara: Not so much.

Hari-śauri: Not so much, but he's doing it when he can. (break)

Rāmeśvara: ...surprised that you have written so many books. They cannot understand how you could write so much. They wonder whether you were a great Sanskrit scholar for many years, so they try to guess. They just can't imagine anyone writing so much.

Prabhupāda: We are exceeding all material authors except Vyāsadeva.

Morning Walk -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: In everywhere, every center.

Hṛdayānanda: Museum, library...

Rāmeśvara: Then, eventually, Bharadvāja wants to have big museum in the city, not necessarily in our building, because the building may not have enough space. Śrīla Prabhupāda, I think it will be more prestigious if we use the art paintings to be displayed in museums or art galleries.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: That way, wealthy, upper-class people will get a chance to appreciate. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...said that beef-eating is the cause of cancer.

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Which is correct?

Hṛdayānanda: Too much addicted. (Prabhupāda laughs)

Morning Walk -- June 13, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: There is hatred within. Artificially they have given equal rights. (break)

Devotee (4): ...because in bad neighborhood, (break) (continues onboard bus)

Prabhupāda: ...two vans.

Satsvarūpa: Besides this, well, we have so many more. Ghanaśyāma and the men in the library party, they have three vans, and then the men who finance their travels, they have two vans, so that's another five.

Prabhupāda: Along with this van, another van goes?

Satsvarūpa: Yes. And since we have this and the Deity worship, the collecting has increased and the book distribution, because now they're more regulated and it's not so difficult.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They have a kitchen in the back, Śrīla Prabhupāda. And a shower and toilet, a sink. It's complete.

Prabhupāda: Small house.

Garden Conversation -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Instead of so-called library, reception, you make doll room. These big, big rooms. All big glass case...

Mādhavānanda: Yes. They would like that very much.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Mādhavānanda: Because already this is like a historic museum.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Mādhavānanda: It's so beautiful.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So in big glass case.... One girl saw me in Los Angeles. No? Hawaii.

Conversation with Clergymen -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Hari-śauri: Oh, yes, that's what it's meant for.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Father, would you please accept one of our Bhagavad-gītās for your library?

Scheverman: Thank you very much. I cook once in a while, too, so I'm very interested in what the ingredients are for various kinds of food.

Hari-śauri: We can teach you how to cook very expertly.

Scheverman: Very good.

Devotee (1): Chick pea flour, butter and sugar, nuts, dried fruit.

Pālikā: They're very nice.

Scheverman: May I take it with me?

Pālikā: Oh, yes.

Scheverman: All right, thank you.

Prabhupāda: Take more also, give him one more.

Morning Walk -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Satsvarūpa: And their discussion is very blasphemous. This Dr. Dimmock, he's made much investigation on the Six Gosvāmīs, and he's read all manuscripts, and he's always going to India and studying Rūpa Gosvāmī and Lord Caitanya, but everything is extremely blasphemous that he writes. So in both ways, in their habits and whatever they write. The Library Party men, they become friendly to these professors, but only to use them more or less, that they'll accept our books, despite themselves.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that we must do. (break) ...policy is when we go to a, what is called, a bad character, we don't go to associate with him, but to give him our association. Therefore we must be strong and very pure, so that your association, they will be benefited. For the preachers, īśvare tad-adhīneṣu bāliśeṣu dviṣatsu, the four behavior. Īśvara, tad-adhīneṣu, devotees, bāliśeṣu, innocent, and dviṣatsu, those who are envious. So a devotee, those who are preachers, they, prema, loving God, making friendship with devotee, and those who are innocent, to deliver. And those who are envious, reject.

Conversation with Prof. Saligram and Dr. Sukla -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Dr. Sukla: And same thing with Bhāgavatam. We all know what a great book that is, and what I really appreciate about the whole thing is, number one, that there are no misprints in the book. So that's a great delight. Especially, for people who do not know Sanskrit, for them, there's no difference between the wheat and the germ that comes with it. The translations are very accurate. So it's real scholarship there. And people who were not aware of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they know that if the intellect is so powerful, the spirit must be powerful too. Our library, of course, has several copies, and our bookstore has almost all the...

Prabhupāda: All over the world they have given standing order. (laughter)

Dr. Sukla: Of course, it's very attractive to look at, another thing, the colors. So it's a beauty sight. But for some people...

Prabhupāda: In India, the list you have got? We have got standing order from all institution, universities, colleges, standing orders, "Send as soon as possible."

Evening Darsana -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We got it from the Library of Congress.

Prabhupāda: So God is great. Now we have to analyze what is the greatness. A man is supposed to be great when he is very rich. A man is supposed to be great when he is very wise, man of knowledge, strength, reputation. So item by item, you analyze and see, you'll see Kṛṣṇa is the greatest. By reasoning. Therefore He is God. They have been analyzed. You'll find in The Nectar of Devotion, the Gosvāmīs have analyzed the characteristics of Kṛṣṇa, and they found Him the greatest. So if God is great, and He is the greatest, then He is God. How can you deny it? At least, we can see in the Bhagavad-gītā, the little knowledge given by Kṛṣṇa, it is still standing as the greatest. Five thousand years past, nobody could give such a book of knowledge throughout the whole world. The Bhagavad-gītā is studied not only by the Indians and Hindus but by all scholars of the world. Even such persons who think that there is somebody greater than Kṛṣṇa, they also read Bhagavad-gītā and they recite from the Bhagavad-gītā. Even Śaṅkarācārya, the leader of the Māyāvādīs, he says Bhagavad-gītā kiñcid adhītā. Is it not? Does he not say?

Evening Darsana -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It's a very big library, many books.

Prabhupāda: They have all our books?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. Including the earlier Bhāgavatam, Śrīla Prabhupāda's earlier volumes from India; it's available there.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) You like our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement? You know how we have got New Vrindaban here in America? We are giving protection to the cows. In New Orleans, and what other places?

Vipina: Virginia, Rūpānuga's farm.

Interview and Conversation -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Actually that is the fact. We can live any condition. What he'll do?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We saw the first Back to Godhead magazine yesterday, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The first Back to Godhead copy of the magazine that you published from Calcutta in 1944. We found in the library.

Prabhupāda: Oh, '44 edition is here?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, Library of Congress.

Prabhupāda: How they collected?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, it has kept very nicely. Paper was... Quality was very good, printing and everything, from India, thinking... (laughs)

Prabhupāda: There are some mistakes also.

Interview and Conversation -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: It was published in the first-class place, and the first-class bookseller who was selling this, Tata Spingh(?), that was the most important bookseller in Calcutta.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Did you send copies to all the libraries?

Prabhupāda: No, they were doing everything. They might have sent to America like that.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We saw lots of Śrīla Prabhupāda's books, recent books, in that library. Library of Congress has those books.

Prabhupāda: Inside, inside the... Have you got the photograph of inside?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, it's photograph of Bhaktisiddhānta Prabhupāda...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.

Interview and Conversation -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: How did you get the information?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In the card catalogue. I think Pradyumna found it. Pradyumna, three, four, five of us went there to see the library. Actually we went to discuss that Sūrya-siddhānta and some of the astronomical calculations. We wanted to check in the library, but they didn't have anything. We found some.

Prabhupāda: Found?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I found one Bhāgavata-purāṇa, it was printed in sometime 1901. Their summary of Bhāgavatam, they also described the planetary system, earth first, then... No. Yes, earth, then sun, then moon, like that, in circles.

Prabhupāda: They are... Just see. Their all activities are in Arizona. That's all. That is disclosed yesterday. He has...

Rūpānuga: Exposed.

Prabhupāda: All bogus propaganda. They have now disclosed the same psychology, "No, I am not stealing." "Who is there in the room?" "No, no, I am not stealing." Where is the question of...? If somebody asks "Are you stealing," then this answer is... If somebody is asking, "Who is in that room?" he immediately answers, "No, no, I am not stealing."

Arrival Comments in Car to Temple -- July 9, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: In this street I think there is one library office...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, it's Fifty..., it's either Fifty-fifth or Fifty-third, and it's called, it's one of main sub-branches. Yes, it's a very well known one.

Prabhupāda: Free rent?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Free rent. Rent a safe deposit box for one year and we'll give you an extra six months free." But first you have to pay for one year. Chemical Bank. Huge buildings now everywhere.

Prabhupāda: This is Rockefeller?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, Prabhupāda, now everything looks like the Rockefeller Plaza. All of the buildings are built in that same style. Very opulent. Now every day I look out the window of our building and I think when it will come that we will have one of these buildings. It won't be long. You can see how big these are, Prabhupāda. This is Sixth Avenue.

Prabhupāda: So we are between Sixth Avenue and?

Morning Walk -- July 10, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: (break) He has told that we have got already a copy.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Your Bhāgavatam was here?

Hari-śauri: Where was that, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This library is the biggest library in the country. Forty-second street. You can go back up on Madison and Park. (break)

Rāmeśvara: ...carts all the way down.

Ādi-keśava: It's fifty-two blocks, so it's going to take us at least two hours.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Rāmeśvara: About two to three hours.

Hari-śauri: The parade, Ratha-yātrā.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Two hours. (break)

Prabhupāda: Lord Rāma's, what is this?

Hari-śauri: There's shop there with a sign of Lord Rāma's.

Morning Walk -- July 11, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: I spoke about this cosmic manifestation, where is Vaikuṇṭha, where is... This is a church?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Second Church of Christ Scientists.

Hari-śauri: Was it a Catholic church or..., where you went?

Rāmeśvara: The Library Party said that everywhere they go in India, they find that you went there first with your first three volumes of Bhāgavatam. Especially in New Delhi, they said. There's one institute which had fifty sets of your original first canto, so now they ordered fifty complete sets to complete the books they had. They said that all the major colleges had your original Bhāgavatams in India, first edition. So then they could understand that you were distributing books yourself.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: They became very enlivened, inspired.

Prabhupāda: In India the sannyāsīs beg, but I did not beg. I sold my Back to Godhead, books. I got income tax free...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You always gave literature.

Prabhupāda: I think this church.

Morning Walk -- July 11, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: And that is advertised means nobody's purchasing at this quarter, it is not very safe.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This quarter? No, this is the most prestigious. Fifth Avenue between Seventy-ninth Street and Thirty-fourth Street is the prime location. That's about as far north as you would want to go. Any further north uptown will not be nice, but this area here is very select. The best area is from Fifty-ninth Street to Thirty-fourth Street on Fifth Avenue, where all the shops are, the library. That area is very high class. This is Fifty-seventh Street, Fifty-fifth Street.

Rāmeśvara: Prabhupāda, if the spiritual master has a mission, is it proper for the disciple to think that he can take more than one..., he can take many births to help the mission of the spiritual master?

Prabhupāda: When the spiritual master goes there, somewhere, his nearest assistants, they automatically go there to assist him. When Kṛṣṇa comes the demigods also come to help Him. That is there in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. All these Yadus, Yadu family, they came from heaven. So before Kṛṣṇa's disappearance, by some trick they were all killed and they returned to their original place. It is nicely described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Just see, small house, this yellow. Still, in New York City.

Interview with Newsday Newspaper -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: India. The first copy is here, some copy?

Hari-śauri: The first copy is in the Library of Congress in Washington.

Interviewer: Your family, your blood family, are they Kṛṣṇa conscious as well?

Prabhupāda: Not very much. Therefore I had to leave them and create another family. (laughter)

Interviewer: How many children do you have.

Prabhupāda: I have got two daughters and two sons. My wife is also still living.

Interviewer: Is she Kṛṣṇa conscious?

Prabhupāda: Not very much. Naturally women are after worldly opulence.

Morning Walk -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But very vague, not dressed as devotees, strictly cultural.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Cultural. They should... Deity worship one of the items. Otherwise it is called bhāgavata and pañcarātra.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I felt that it should be done in a very modern American style but very cultural with Vedic subject matter. Then gradually they would appreciate it. As well as the library party. If the library party, Satsvarūpa is thinking to go all over the world now, if they go to Japan they are expecting a good reception in Japan, that will be another advantage if your books are accepted by the professors there. I thought that a cultural presentation...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: We have to somehow or another get the local people to join there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well that's the way, see they're not going to join as Hare Kṛṣṇas because of the bad publicity. They're not going to join like that. You have to have a different method.

Prabhupāda: What is this church, big church.

Interview with Religious Editor Of the Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: We are explaining this science in so many books. It is open to everyone.

Interviewer: That's quite a library.

Hari-śauri: This is just the beginning. And there's another forty volumes after this.

Interviewer: Are all of these translations that you've made Your Grace? I don't blame you for sleeping only four hours a night. I tell you, just to produce a half a dozen books in a lifetime is quite a job you know.

Prabhupāda: It is very difficult, but I have already produced eighty books.

Interviewer: Eighty? Eighty?

Prabhupāda: Eighty books.

Conversation After Interview with Religious Editor, Associated Press -- July 16, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: What is the subject matter?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: We discussed Jagadīśa Prabhu's request to primarily attend his engagement with Gurukula, and we also discussed Satsvarūpa Gosvāmī's desire to attend primarily Library Party.

Prabhupāda: It is good proposal.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: We discussed various difficulties that have been happening in Australia, and that Tamāla Kṛṣṇa should go there and help for..., just for visit, just to help. And then they will report to you.

Prabhupāda: What is Iran's business going on? I got some good report from Nandarāṇī that she is in contact with the Shah's daughter, princess. Is that a fact?

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Well, Nandarāṇī Prabhu is doing very well. She's got a Gurukula, a school for the Indian children, they are being well attended. Also Mahārāja, Parivrājakācārya Svāmī, he has been in touch with the Shah's daughter and he's been preaching to them.

Prabhupāda: Shah's son-in-law is interested, I have heard.

Morning Walk -- July 17, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: It is all Kṛṣṇa's mercy. You have seen the first copy? They have brought photograph from which library?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Congress Library in Washington. They found the original...

Prabhupāda: Yes. I do not know how they got my...

Rāmeśvara: Oh, your original, from India.

Prabhupāda: Yes, 1944, the first copy. I get them from selling. Perhaps they had been, American.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Very thick, it was a thick magazine.

Prabhupāda: In those days I was spending three hundred rupees per month.

Car Ride -- July 20, 1976, New York:

Ghanaśyāma: We were talking about the pictures, the paintings in the books. We were mentioning how professors liked the paintings and how sometimes they actually buy the books because of the nice paintings. Sometimes when we go back to see a professor or librarian a year later, we'll notice that they'll have a catalogue up on the bulletin board. Sometimes they'll take the cover of the jacket of the book and they'll put it on display. And now we're getting recognized when we go to some of the colleges. They say, "Oh, you're the man with the nice colorful books. We've seen your catalogue, we got one in the mail, we've seen your books, and they're very attractive books." And our men are getting known now that because we've been to most of the schools in America once, and they say "You're the men who don't leave until your books are in the library." Even if the school is closed, our men, now, they'll go to the professor's home and they'll get him out of bed to come to see the librarian or to write a notice or to call the librarian. So even if the school is closed, the books are still being placed, and when the students come the books are in the library. (break) (in car)

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Satsvarūpa: Is that what you want?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Gurudāsa Mahārāja can speak very nice.

Conversation at House of Ksirodakasayi dasa -- July 25, 1976, London:

Kṣīrodakaśāyī: So I said "We haven't got any education." Under the law of this country, if they have to remain here, they have to go up to sixteen years to the school.

Prabhupāda: No, education is good, but the association is...

Kṣīrodakaśāyī: No, they don't have any asso... They don't go anywhere. They don't eat anywhere. Even so many invitations come, either they go to the library or they go to the temple or this place. They have no friends, nothing else. They don't even take the water anywhere, even to my brother's house. They don't take anywhere.

Prabhupāda: Your brother is also here?

Kṣīrodakaśāyī: Yes, he's here. And he was not very good terms last eight years with me. But when I established this temple, by your grace, Prabhupāda, he has also realized it now that this is good. And my difference with him was that "You should give up this nonsense of drinking this, all these things." That was only..., nothing else, about money or anything. I say, "I cannot eat at your place unless you give up these things." I go there, don't eat anything.

Prabhupāda: Still, he drinks.

Conversation at House of Ksirodakasayi dasa -- July 25, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Still, he drinks.

Kṣīrodakaśāyī: Still he drinks. That is the fact. He doesn't eat meat, of course, but he says... He has got good business, plenty of money. I am poor materially, but my father, spiritual father, is so rich that I am getting money every day. Materially, I am poor, but I am so richer, you are giving so treasure... You see in our library there each and every of your book downstairs, and more we read, we say, well plenty money is... (break) ...from the temple. Life member comes there, sell the Gujarati magazine. I bought all magazines from Gujarati. Now second issue has not come. The same problem.

Prabhupāda: This is, have printed.

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Same size?

Bhagavān: Same size, same thickness, all the same as the Gītā. It's a whole library of books.

Hari-śauri: You doing a color scheme on the different color for each canto?

Bhagavān: Maybe not, maybe keep the same.

Prabhupāda: There will be three parts or two?

Bhagavān: Two parts.

Prabhupāda: So give Bhagavān prabhu nice prasādam. Our, the devotees only eat prasādam.

Bhagavān: My prasāda was sitting here. I'm sorry to hear that you are so sick. You are sick.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Should have, cough, to stop.(?) The coughing is continuing and practically no appetite, and palpitation of heart. Going up the step is.... So how under this condition I can travel? It is not...

Bhagavān: Very difficult

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bhagavān: So that...

Prabhupāda: That library, something?

Bhagavān: Yes.

Hari-śauri: The other thing is, though, that if you go to Paris, then it means you have to go up the steps to get into the airplane, not just in Paris.... At least in London you have to, and then again you have to do it in Paris, and then again you'll have to do it in Tehran.

Bhagavān: Yes, but he doesn't have to.... He can stay there for a while. He doesn't have to go to Tehran.

Hari-śauri: No, you can't fly direct to India from Paris.

Jayatīrtha: He has to stop somewhere along the way. Otherwise...

Bhagavān: We're hoping he'll rapidly recover.

Jayatīrtha: Well, Srila Prabhupāda is not expecting it at this point. Of course, we're all praying for it.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Jayatīrtha: I said we're all praying for your rapid recovery, but whether or not...

Prabhupāda: So why you did not come yesterday?

Bhagavān: I was putting together your Vyasasana. (laughs)

Room Conversation -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Bhūgarbha: Many scholars are appreciating more and more. And on the University of Edmonton, in Alberta, Canada, Dr. Radhakrishna, he was a linguist, professor of linguistics, he's a very pious man, and he is writing a book with some other professor in the Religion department on the comparative study of bhakti in the Indian tradition and the Hebrew tradition. And he's using your books as his only source for the Indian tradition. So he ordered not only one set of all the books, but two sets of all your books. Three sets actually. He ordered one set of Bhāgavatams for his own personal library, then he ordered two sets for the University library, one for the reference section and one for the general section. So he ordered three sets. And when his book comes out, in the back they have a bibliography section, references, he will give reference to all your books. He's writing..., he was writing this book about bhakti, and he said "What is a good definition of bhakti for the Indian tradition?" So I showed him Nectar of Devotion, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (Brs. 1.1.11). He said that is very good, and he wrote it down and put it in his book.

Prabhupāda: Till now, they took bhakti as a matter of sentiment. Religious science they did not know, all over the world.

Bhūgarbha: He said he's trying to show that by studying bhakti in Indian tradition and also in Hebrew tradition, he's...

Prabhupāda: Bhakti is not achieved by studying. Bhakti stage is achieved by practice. That is the special significance of our institution, that we are engaging our men in practicing. Therefore they are getting knowledge—not by reading.

Room Conversation -- July 31, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: In Bombay also I supplied to so many colleges. And the Public Library.

Bhūgarbha: That Royal Asiatic Society.

Prabhupāda: Āccha.

Bhūgarbha: In Bombay they purchase all the books. We had to do a little negotiation with them, but they purchased everything. Then the Calcutta Asiatic Society, they wrote us a letter, they said that "These books are the best," the letter came like that, "but that we have no funds to purchase, so can you please send us free of charge."

Prabhupāda: They have no funds? Asiatic?

Bhūgarbha: They say like that.

Prabhupāda: Maybe. Nowadays people are not interested in cultural societies. They are simply for belly. How to earn money, that's all. Śūdra mentality. The brāhmaṇa mentality is gone. In America also. People are not joining cultural classes of philosophy. Hayagrīva said that he has no job because nobody's taking English as literary study. Nobody's interested. They are taking to technology.

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

Prabhupāda: Holland and?

Woman devotee: Belgium. Parts of Belgium speaks Dutch, and the other half speak French. So in the Belgium, in the half that speaks Dutch, they are taking many Bhagavad-gītās. Appreciating it very much. And one library, the head of all the libraries, he has taken an interest in your books.

Prabhupāda: How's your father?

Woman devotee (2): Um, not as well as you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Woman devotee (2): He's not as well as yourself.

Prabhupāda: He's suffering?

Woman devotee (2): Very much.

Prabhupāda: What is the disease?

Woman devotee (2): He's looking after roses in his garden. Oh, um...

Prabhupāda: But your father is young man. What is his age?

Woman devotee (2): He's sixty years old.

Prabhupāda: Sixty is just like my son. Yes, twenty years difference, father and son. I am eighty, so anyone who is sixty must be like my son. Of course, my first son was born when I was twenty-four, but twenty years, there are many, father. And mother and son, twelve years, thirteen years difference, there are many. So you have come here. Very nice. Stay here.

Room Conversation -- August 4, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Hari-śauri: In Vṛndāvana you were just translating?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: The library party said that everywhere in Delhi they went, they found that you had already placed your three volumes of Bhāgavatam.

Prabhupāda: Yes. In American also. The Congress Library purchased nineteen sets.

Hari-śauri: Which library?

Prabhupāda: Congress Library.

Hari-śauri: Oh, Congress. The one in Washington? The Library of Congress?

Prabhupāda: Or there is a branch in India.

Room Conversation with Professor Francois Chenique -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: That is difficult to understand.

Yogeśvara: It was the full twelve cantos, but a very limited edition, and only available in library archives. No one has..., very few people have seen it.

Bhūgarbha: He feels that the French public is very demanding in questions of editing and writing, and he feels that the French that's used in our translations should not, he said, smell of English. Sometimes French translations seem like English written in French. He said those should be in perfect French, and that in the French language there's a need to make things more compact and condensed. He's wondering if we can condense them more than in English.

Prabhupāda: So one of us who knows French nicely, he can do that. But there is no difference. They are taking the ideas from English and translating.

Arrival Conversation -- August 13, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Three chariots, very gorgeous.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's due to your causeless mercy this is spreading everywhere. There were hundreds of orders from libraries. Actually we cannot even keep up, there are so many orders coming. Every order has been dispatched, Śrīla Prabhupāda. There's not one order outstanding, but we are getting lot of correspondence, everything. And I spoke to Rāmeśvara two nights ago, he's shipping the books right away. Because we only got the sea. By Kṛṣṇa's grace, first our application for import of books was rejected. Then I went and met this very big man and preached to him. So now he's become a devotee and he said, "You just come to me. I'll give you in one day whatever you want."

Prabhupāda: Ācchā.

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Jayapatākā: At one town, Beturhari, that, it is called Nakashiparathana. That's about thirty miles north of Māyāpur. One day in advance they advertised that we were coming and we were having a public showing of the cinema and Nitāi-Gaura ārati. And they had one maidan called Library Maidan. There was one, like, one stage there.

Prabhupāda: It is in West Bengal?

Jayapatākā: West Bengal.

Room Conversation -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: In Guntur you received order from?

Prabhā Viṣṇu: The State Regional Library. It's the most prestigious library in Andhra Pradesh. They took a complete order for all the books.

Gargamuni: Caitanya-caritāmṛta and Bhāgavatam.

Prabhā Viṣṇu: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Standing order.

Prabhā Viṣṇu: Yes, standing order. And Visakhapatnam university also, standing order for all the books. We'll probably go back to Guntur again, and I think we'll make some more orders there next week. But it was Saturday and some of the colleges were closed, so we couldn't see the professors.

Prabhupāda: Keep your health nice, because Indian climate sometimes does not suit. Eat simple things. Fruits, vegetables. Don't be miser in the matter of... But don't eat voraciously. Eat sufficiently, nutritious.

Room Conversation -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: How the books are being supplied? From Bombay?

Prabhā Viṣṇu: When we were working from Bombay, Bombay was sending them by rail. But now Gargamuni Swami, he has given us some books to supply immediately to the libraries, and then others that we can't... If we don't have enough to supply all the libraries, he's going to arrange for more to be sent. I think he wants to send a van, a vehicle around all the colleges to deliver the books.

Prabhupāda: He will make some good profit? (laughs) Never mind. If books are distributed, that is our satisfaction. Let anyone make some profit. We don't mind.

Hari-śauri: No, he wants to send one of our vehicles around. Yes?

Prabhupāda: Never mind. The books must reach there. That is my...

Prabhā Viṣṇu: One way or the other the books will get there.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That's all. Doesn't matter. We are not after profit.

Morning Walk -- August 23, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: Fittest means who does not get next a material body. He is fit. He is fit. Because as soon as you get a material body...

nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma
yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti
na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam
asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ
(SB 5.5.4)

They are mad, working day and night. Pramatta. And acting just adverse to his interest. So Ṛṣabhadeva says this is not good. You should know that he has already got a body for which he is suffering. Pritar yantra.(?) And again he is creating another body. By his karma he is creating another body. So as soon as you get a material body you'll have to suffer. Either you become a king or a dog. Because you have got this material body you have to suffer. Pritar yantra. So asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). This body will not exist. But still so long you'll exist in this body you'll suffer. But they have no brain how to solve this, although there is solution. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). So paropakāra. So as you have become our life member, try to broadcast the philosophy of Bhagavad-gītā. That is the meaning of membership. Everything is there. We have got so many books. At least, thoroughly study Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. Yes. Understand the philosophy of life. Apply in own life and try to spread among friends. In your bar library you talk so many things. Why not talk about this? Yes. (laughter) Paropakāra. That is paropakāra. Everyone is in darkness. Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know the goal of life. Simply by some false hope they are accepting this material thing, material life, as everything. Durāśayā bahir-artha-māninaḥ. External energy. This is the problem. Making plans to solve. No plan will solve this problem.

Meeting With Member of Parliament, Mr. Krishna Modi -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, in some respects I found them even lower than India. You'll be amazed... I visited all the leading libraries of Russia and Leningrad. Moscow University Library, all the big libraries. These libraries don't have any foreign exchange for ordering these books. They all want to order... They were begging me for free books. They said, "Why don't you give us a donation or exchange." They have a book exchange that if they give their books then we give our books. Each library gets such little foreign exchange allowance to buy books from abroad.

Prabhupāda: A taxi driver, he was asking some bhakshish.

Krishna Modi: In Russia.

Prabhupāda: And I was talking with Professor Katovsky. I asked him please call for a taxi. So he said, "Swamiji, it is Moscow." That means taxis are not available. Then he came down with me and from the gate he showed me, "You take this shortcut when you go to your hotel." He could not call a taxi. Taxis are not available. He said, "Oh, it is Moscow."

Meeting With Member of Parliament, Mr. Krishna Modi -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This is a letter from the biggest library in Russia to Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. They have ordered some books, and they want the remaining books but they wanted free, in exchange. But they don't have the money. They want all of Prabhupāda's books but they don't have the money so they want in exchange. This is from the biggest library in Russia.

Krishna Modi: Our economy is something good at this time.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Indian economy...

Krishna Modi: Indian economy is better. Income tax also they have got 67% more. Because they have reduced the rate.

Prabhupāda: What is the percentage?

Krishna Modi: Before that the percentage is 97 but last year, is 1976, in the March they have reduced the income tax from 97 to 65. 67.

Prabhupāda: In America it is 25.

Krishna Modi: No, not 25, that is 45... But there is a system in West Germany that if you earn more, the tax will be less. That is their system. If people will earn 200 crores, then the tax percentage will be lower. Lower.

Prabhupāda: That is good. That is good. The psychology is that if you earn more and government will tax more, then the impetus for earning more is cut.

Evening Darsana -- September 1, 1976, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: The one encouraging thing in this movement is that our books are being very much appreciated. In all universities, foreign and Indian, libraries, professors, learned scholars.

Indian man (3): Yes, they'll branch out and... It's a great service.

Prabhupāda: We are selling books to the extent of sixty thousand dollars daily. That is our only hope, that we shall not be financially in difficulty. People are taking our books very nicely. People are accepting our literature.

Room Conversation -- September 5, 1976, Vrndavana:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, Girirāja gave him that money to buy books for our library of our new temple, for the library...

Prabhupāda: So why should he take, why should he take the responsibility for purchasing if he's interested in Rādhā-kuṇḍa?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that's not right. He had his own money also. He just got a lot of money from his wife. Three, four hundred dollars he told me.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Money is not the strength for understanding Rādhārāṇī. If you have got some money, by the strength of money you'll understand Rādhārāṇī. That is another bogus thing. Rādhārāṇī...

Indian man: (Hindi conversation for some time)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Girirāja was asking me for the books.

Prabhupāda: Just see. The man who paid him, he was inquiring where are the books? (Hindi) That Mukunda, his class friend, he was doing that. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu rejected him. (Hindi) "He goes everywhere." (Hindi) We have got index in Caitanya-caritāmṛta. You can find out what is the meaning of... (Hindi) ...one who is rejected. (Hindi) (end)

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Interviewer: No, I've seen this. It is in the library. No, but still I have realization(?).

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Five hundred libraries in India have ordered these books in the last four months.

Interviewer: Must have. These are very good quality book, it is. Very good quality.

Prabhupāda: Give this one book from the...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, I brought it back. (break)

Prabhupāda: India's culture and knowledge are richer than any other culture. And that is being accepted. Yes. Real knowledge, real culture is in India. Unfortunately, we did not try in that way. We simply went to the foreign countries to beg, "Give us wheat, give us this, give us this, give us that." But if we give our culture, they will accept that India is still richer than any other. You can bring some of the press items, professor, learned scholars' opinions. Aiye. (pause) Where is Caitya-guru?

Haṁsadūta: He's out. (long pause)

Prabhupāda: Opinions of the big scholars.

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Prabhupāda: Because this is our means of income. Kindly give us some contribution, you take as many... (laughter)

Interviewer: I could only purchase one book. I cannot purchase four dozen books. Now you are here, I think you should present us one set so that we may read this.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We have a library here where everyone can come and read. Besides, five or six other, fifteen libraries in Chandigarh have all our books. You can visit either of those fifteen or the Hare Kṛṣṇa... (Guests talk at once)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Would any of you like to have any pictures of Guruji? or... (end)

Room Conversation with Dr. Theodore Kneupper -- November 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Dr. Kneupper: We have many of them in our library...

Prabhupāda: Yes. So there is knowledge. If people kindly take it everything will be solved. But they have stubbornly denied, "No God." And I am stubbornly fighting, "Yes, there is God." That is the... Now the whole America is combining to fight against me, opposition, that "This man is brainwashing, controlling the mind, and our children are kidnapped." They are bringing these charges against us. Just like you have come. Have I kidnapped you?

Dr. Kneupper: Oh, no.

Prabhupāda: But these rascals say that I have kidnapped their children.

Room Conversation -- November 15, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: We have got, not only in west outside India, in India, we have got standing order from all universities, libraries, and many other places. Complete standing order value is 40,000 rupees.

Mr. Saxena: This is one aspect, of course, appreciable, but another aspect is that of teaching. That should be...

Prabhupāda: Teaching is going on.

Mr. Saxena: I mean for teaching too. As far as books...

Prabhupāda: Seven centers, hundred centers.

Mr. Saxena: Yes, there should be centers too, could give right interpretation to all these things. Because interpretation means, everybody is not in contact with Sanskrit.

Jagadīśa: But in the books Śrīla Prabhupāda has given elaborate purports.

Prabhupāda: Word to word meaning. You have seen our books?

Mr. Saxena: I have not seen this.

Room Conversation on Farm Management -- December 10, 1976, Hyderabad:
Prabhupāda: Make very nice palatable prasādam. We shall spend for that. Why miserly? There is no need of miserly. You are going to earn money by agricultural produce, so how the money will be utilized? It will be utilized for Kṛṣṇa's purpose. By prasādam, by chanting, by drama, somehow or other bring them. That is our mission. Congregational chanting. Always festival, and we shall spend for that. Immediately arrange. If there is scarcity of money, I shall pay, but from... Bring them somehow or other. Tomorrow I want to see at least 500 men. Make arrangement like that. I came here to see that, not to sit down in a room peacefully. So there also we shall inform the meeting that we want to propagate this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement town to town, village to village, by attracting them with musical demonstration of saṅkīrtana, dramatic play, movie, prasādam. Somehow or other they should come to the temple, to the pandal and congregationally chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, hear Bhagavad-gītā, Bhāgavatam. For this purpose, whatever expenditure is required, that you should collect and spend. This is the scheme of Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. You must come here, question, understand, and vigorous propaganda should be inaugurated town to town, village to village. Those who are educated, to them distribution of literature. The school, college, library, institution, university, by scholarly presentation. That is wanted.
Room Conversation -- December 20, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is already there. What Kṛṣṇa says, you say.

Guest: No, that is all right. Not to go further. As an organization we want to know your views on those points.

Prabhupāda: Now what is the first point?

Jagadisa: "To collect all available materials and survey all institutions in India and abroad who are doing work based on Bhagavad-gītā so that we will have completely up to date library."

Prabhupāda: So I say what is the need of collecting? What Bhagavad-gītās you have got?

Guest: For information.

Prabhupāda: Information... Bhagavad-gītā, take information from Bhagavad-gītā. What others have said you have nothing to do.

Guest: Now for example, we should have literature on Gītā.

Prabhupāda: Then there will be no limit. There are so many, 600,000 interpretations. Then your life will be spend (indistinct) for collecting.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with C.I.D. Chief -- January 3, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, we have got judgment. You read those judgment, judges? We have got counterjudgements also.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Now, this is from Philadelphia, Judge Alfred Longo, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia decree was typical and included the following points: "Kṛṣṇa consciousness is recognized as an authentic religion. To broadcast the glories of God to all people, members of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness society can perform saṅkīrtana, a missionary activity including chanting, dancing, and playing cymbals and drums, the dissemination of the word of God through preaching and reading aloud from religious literature, the distribution of religious literature, sanctified food and flowers to the public, and the solicitation and acceptance of contribution. In performing saṅkīrtana devotees can go wherever people gather: streets, libraries and other public places." So we also had decisions... Eventually we win almost all cases.

Prabhupāda: And we have got good support from the scholarly section by big, big professors. Even one priest, Mr. Cox, he is forming an association to support this movement in Harvard University. So we have got supporters also.

Arrival of BBT Manager -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Especially newspapers. I have given the instruction. You are here, and you can arrange, three. I am reading the matter also like this. Read it. It is very simple.

Rāmeśvara: "Read worldwide Hare Kṛṣṇa literatures and be happy. Books by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. 1) Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Cantos 1-9, twenty-seven volumes, Rs..." (aside:) Not so many. Per volume. "Bhagavad-gītā As It Is; Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, seventeen volumes; Teachings of Lord Caitanya; The Nectar of Devotion; Śrī Īśopaniṣad; Easy Journey to Other Planets; Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, the Topmost Yoga System; Kṛṣṇa, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, three volumes; Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers; and so on. Recommended by learned scholars and professors all over the world. Available for reading from all university, college and public libraries of the world, and can be purchased."

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We can give the name of few leading bookstores in each city.

Prabhupāda: Not through bookstore. Only our...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

Prabhupāda: Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, and you can give that Calcutta agent, Vrnda Book... That's all.

Arrival of BBT Manager -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, we can say "sold to date." I tell people over four million copies sold.

Prabhupāda: No, no, that is not required. We are selling all worldwide. That is there.

Rāmeśvara: And also the American universities are using these books in their courses as required.

Prabhupāda: That we have said, "Available for reading from university, public libraries all over the world."

Jagadīśa: Before you said that we should put also a line that "These books are available in all major languages of the world."

Prabhupāda: That is not very important. "All over the world" means it is understood in all other languages. Otherwise how they are reading?

Rāmeśvara: In Europe when men go to the libraries, sometimes they don't speak English. So they're already taking standing orders for the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in French and other languages.

Prabhupāda: So make this immediately.

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Phone number.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, I have that. Telephone 617796. Now one question on pricing. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we are selling it to the libraries for forty-five rupees.

Prabhupāda: No, no. It is not the question of library. What is the general price?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The general price is...

Rāmeśvara: Lower.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No. The general price is higher. What's the U.S. registered price? They're just asking that... It comes about seventy rupees.

Prabhupāda: Don't make duplicity pricing.

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Why forty-five? We can reduce more even, do you think.(?)

Jagadīśa: (indistinct)

Rāmeśvara: He's already charging the libraries forty-five rupees.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: So we can't go below that...

Prabhupāda: No.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: ...because then they...

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Room Conversation -- January 20, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Indian boy: I want to read some books published by Swamiji. Can I get?

Prabhupāda: Yes, why not? You can have here. We have got forty standing orders from this city in different libraries, colleges. So you can take books from any library, or if you like you can purchase also.

Indian: From libraries?

Prabhupāda: Yes. So many libraries, they have ordered. There is a list in Orissan. (aside:) You can give me little, little sample... (break) ...for life that it is a dead body. A dead body. So what is the use of decorating a dead body? So if anyone accepts Christ actually and his instruction, then it proves that he has got a good soul. Otherwise what... He's dead body. That's a fact. If one accepts that Christ says, "Thou shall not kill. Thou shall not do this," if one is actually a person with soul, they must accept this. Otherwise where is the use? Dead body. The same thing, as we say, aprāṇasya hi dehasya maṇḍanaṁ loka-rañjanam. What is the use of decorating a dead body? A dead body means soul-less. When the soul is not there, it is called dead body. So even one has got the soul, but he does not act... They possesses the soul. Then it is dead body. So when we shall hear about the land? One program is suspended. That program is for constructing a house for me.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Nanda-kumāra: The Essene Gospel of John the Baptist. It was translated from the original Aramaic scrolls. And it's in the Vatican library, but the Vatican doesn't...

Gargamuni: I've met some vegetarian Christians. I met them in Los Angeles when I was there.

Nanda-kumāra: But in this... Jesus stated very strong. It is very strongly vegetarian.

Hari-śauri: Yes. It says in the Acts of the Apostles, actually, they stopped the Gentiles from taking anything with blood. They were told "No blood."

Gargamuni: I have met vegetarian Christians, and they say, "Thou shall not kill," so they don't kill anything, at least any animal.

Rāmeśvara: Very small minority.

Gargamuni: Yes. They're a very small group.

Rāmeśvara: No, they are killing their own babies in defiance of the Pope.

Prabhupāda: That's all. And eating the fetus. So civilized, advanced, scientists. (laughs) Just see. Ludicrous.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: The Aurobindo was a hippie. (laughter) He had that long hair, and he was victimized by that mother. She brought... She was young, and she brought money, and Aurobindo was killed. In the beginning he had some yogic practice, but since that mother came, woman can conquer any rascal. (laughs) So she also... She conquered, and then nobody was allowed to see him in his secluded meditation. Only this mother was allowed. She would supply food, supply... And nobody could see. And she would give darśana only one day in the year. He would not speak with anyone, and the disciples were advised, "Simply think of Aurobindo. You have nothing to do." That's it. So you have been there?

Gargamuni: I didn't go. But our library party, on their way to south, they stopped there because they thought maybe they could sell a standing order.

Prabhupāda: So they did not.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Gargamuni: In libraries they have no budget for religious books. They only want technical books.

Rāmeśvara: They're not interested in religion.

Gargamuni: But because our books are printed so nicely and coming from America, and they are seeing the foreign sādhus, oh, they become so, "Oh, yes, we must take." But actually they have no budget for any religious books.

Prabhupāda: That is good. The so-called religious books, they're presenting—all bogus hodge-podge. (laughter) Humbug imagination, that's all. There is no fact. Just like Ramakrishna Mission. What religion they have got? Anyone? This religion, that religion, Jainism, Sikhism, this "ism," no nothing. Simply bogus propaganda.

Gargamuni: All the libraries, they say, "We have too many religious books, too much religion."

Rāmeśvara: And the government is so much afraid of offending one religion, so they have become secular. But there only is one religion. There is only one religion.

Prabhupāda: Yes. One religion, this is sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66), to become surrendered to God. That is religion. And they're useless. That is our religion. We are teaching surrender to God, but they have no idea that there is God. They have forgotten that "There is God, and He can talk with me. I can talk with Him." They cannot believe all these things. "Even if God is there, He cannot talk. He has no mouth, He has no leg. Nirākāra, impersonal." This is their position.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: But then the best one is by Dr. Mukherjee, former Chief Justice. He writes that "This book is an intellectual, a cultural, and a spiritual landmark in this world. The beautiful printing and photographs evoke the spirit of the work. It is a book which should be in the library of every reader who values the essential glories of human life..."

Prabhupāda: This is the judgment of the Chief Justice. He's not ordinary man.

Rāmeśvara: "...and the ultimate destiny of this universe." Then there is that other quote. This is also very important, by the Deputy Director of the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

Gargamuni: That Subhramaniam.

Rāmeśvara: He's a big man. And this is the national government.

Gargamuni: No, the central. Lok Sabha is like the Parliament.

Prabhupāda: Lok Sabha is Parliament. Lok Sabha means Parliament.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: "This is a rare opportunity for people and leaders of every country, every race, and every community in the world to know and understand the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I would say that this encyclopedia of spiritual knowledge is more important and fundamental than the encyclopedia of any other branch of knowledge and should therefore find a rightful place not only in the public and private libraries, big and small, not only in educational and other institutions, but also in every household, and above all, in the hearts and minds of every man and woman."

Prabhupāda: And he is not ordinary man. He is...

Rāmeśvara: No. He is the Deputy of Lok Sabha Secretariat. You should write more... I have to go over this with you to get more descriptions of each place. Central Government.

Gargamuni: I have... Oh, right. I have the full reviews too.

Rāmeśvara: And like if it says Sardar Patel University, where is that?

Gargamuni: In Gujarat.

Rāmeśvara: I just have to add a few things.

Hari-śauri: Will you be going for a walk this morning, Śrīla Prabhupāda? It's quarter to seven. If you want to go now, we could go.

Prabhupāda: Hm. So let us go.

Room Conversation with Sannyasis -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: So I am anxious to receive report from Satsvarūpa Mahārāja.

Satsvarūpa: The library party?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Satsvarūpa: He's bringing... I have a map of all that they've done very recently. Right now they're in Germany.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. We have received one telegram from where? Poland.

Devotee (1): Poland University.(?)

Satsvarūpa: Harikeśa Mahārāja has programs in all those countries: Poland, Hungary...

Prabhupāda: He is very enthusiastic. (laughs)

Room Conversation -- January 24, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Satsvarūpa: Then, in years to come, like five years, ten years, twenty years, how will we be able to keep up our relationship with the universities that we have now? Now they think highly of us, that we've published these books, and they've written all these reviews that "This is a great contribution." We won't be able to... Well, they'll just have them in their libraries, and then we'll switch fields. We'll go to the common man.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Hm. Let them... If the university authorities agree to teach students...

Satsvarūpa: Text orders.

Prabhupāda: The text order. That will be nice.

Satsvarūpa: Yes I have some of those from the United States. Here is one. Twenty-two Bhagavad-gītās was ordered on December lst.

Prabhupāda: That will be nice. Let them introduce as text for studying by the students.

Satsvarūpa: That we can still push.

Prabhupāda: Yes. A new batch of students will come-new books will be sold. Text books.

Room Conversation -- January 24, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Every gentleman should have a valuable library of these. That we want. Then our preaching is successful.

Hari-śauri: Once people recognize the worth of spiritual literature, then they'll purchase. Just like they sell these Encyclopedia Brittanicas from house to house.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri:...on the basis, "You've got so many children. They need this knowledge and education for when they go to school." So they purchase whole volumes.

Prabhupāda: Introducing as study book in higher colleges, universities, text book, then it will be... What is the use, a so-called scholar having a Ṣaṭ-sandarbha? And this has been failure... Our one Godbrother, he did. Simply he printed. It was not sold, and then it was mishandled, distributed like anything.

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Go and take prasāda. Prasāde sarva-duḥkhānāṁ hānir asyopajāyate. Our propaganda is "Please come here, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and take prasāda." That's all. Is that very difficult task?

Guest (3) (Indian man): Whether the scriptures have real potency?

Prabhupāda: Yes. All scripture has got. And we are having our members' building and library, you can come and read. We are trying to give you all facility. You should take it and be perfect.

Guest (4) (Indian man): Bhagavad-gītā was a distinct... Before, Śaṅkarācārya had another, Bhagavad-gītā was distinctly personal, antaryāmī gurudeva.(?)

Prabhupāda: So you have no intelligence to understand it? What is that? The same verse. Read Bhagavad-gītā, Fourth Chapter.

Pradyumna: Fourth Chapter? Śrī bhagavān uvāca? Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam (BG 4.1).

Prabhupāda: Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam: (BG 4.1) "I spoke this Bhagavad-gītā to the sun-god." So Bhagavad-gītā was spoken when Śaṅkarācārya's father's father was not born. Now understand it? At least forty millions of years ago, at least. So how do you say that before? You read Bhagavad-gītā. Everything is there.

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: Bring all these books in the court. Sometimes in Calcutta, high-court judge was a big lawyer. In those days he was earning not less than one thousand rupees per day, say sixty, seventy years ago. That one thousand means thirty times nowadays. Thirty thousand a day. He was very big lawyer. He was offered a judgeship in the... "No, no, no. I don't call for it." He was earning. The judges were getting at that time four thousand per month, and he was earning one thousand daily. So why should he give...? (coughs) So all the judges were friends. So in one case he brought so many books for argument. So the judges were friends, so he very mildly criticized, "Oh, Mr. Ghosh, you have brought the whole library?" "Yes, my lord, just to teach you law." (laughs) This was the... He addressed, "Yes, my lord, just to teach you law. No, no, you do not know what is law. I'll teach you today good lesson." He criticized him, "Mr. Ghosh, you have brought the whole library?" "Yes, my lord, just to teach you law." This is a famous argument. So they cannot deny that "Why you have brought so many books to bother me?" No. "You have to hear. It may take twelve years to hear, but you have to hear. This is law."

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Puri:

Satsvarūpa: I'll write to New York and tell them the strategy.

Prabhupāda: Yes! Why not? You just consider, yourself. You are three GBCs. And give your opinion. This is my suggestion. The same suggestion as Dr. Rajaveri(?) Ghosh said, "Yes, my lord, I have brought the whole library to teach you law."

Gargamuni: And they can't take any decision against the books, because the scholars have already...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Scholars have supported. This is a fact.

Gargamuni: They have already supported.

Prabhupāda: That is also right.

Room Conversation -- January 29, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Hm, hm, hm. Gargamuni may go and organize in Dacca. That will be a great service. He was speaking of going to Dacca. That will be greater service.

Satsvarūpa: I thought they were going mostly for the library work.

Prabhupāda: Whatever... No, he says there is possible, that Gauḍīya Maṭha. If in Pakistan, in Bangladesh, if he can organize one center, it will be great triumph.

Satsvarūpa: Dacca.

Prabhupāda: Kīrtana and prasādam distribution. This is our preaching mainly. And if they hear little philosophy, that is very good. Otherwise simply kīrtana and prasādam distribution is sufficient. Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to do that. He was not speaking philosophy to everyone. Kīrtana and prasāda distribution. So our men can perform very nice kīrtana, and if they come to take little prasādam, that is preaching. You have to maintain this standard, that kīrtana must go on and prasādam should be distributed.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- January 30, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: From Sūrya-siddhānta he got the "Bhaktisiddhānta." He got this title Sūrya-siddhānta. So when he became Vaiṣṇava... A Vaiṣṇava he was as a Bhaktisiddhānta.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We saw some translations in English, Sūrya-siddhānta. That was in Library of Congress in Washington. But the translation there was very... Was not good. It was all wrong interpretations.

Prabhupāda: Who translated?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Some English authors, outsiders.

Prabhupāda: He was also astronomer?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I think he was from Germany. He knew something about Sanskrit, but translation was just like to criticize those Indian, old Indian astronomers. Something like, very..., not even using even respectful words, but offensive sometimes, so we didn't bother to go through those books.

Pradyumna: There's copy of Sūrya-siddhānta by Bhaktisiddhānta in London at India Office Library. They have a copy in Bengali.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In Bengali?

Pradyumna: Yes, they have original, these. But they do not let... They have a funny... You cannot copy the whole book with a xerox there. You only can see it and copy by hand. They won't let you do it. But there's a copy there, Samadhi Press.

Prabhupāda: It must be very old paper.

Room Conversation -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Hari-śauri: "Just to teach you law."

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes. There was big lawyer. In those days he was earning not less than thirty-thousand per month. Rajbery Ghosh, Doctor. He was Doctor. So in one case he brought so many books in the court, the judge remarked, "Well, Dr. Ghosh, You have brought the whole library?" "Yes, my lord, just to teach you law." (laughs) No, any statement we give, it has to be considered. They cannot neglect. So you can simply put these books, eighty-four books: "This is our statement. You read them. Then give your judgement." How do you think? Did you consult any lawyer?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. We're going to do it. It can be done.

Prabhupāda: "It is not brainwash. It is science. You have to know the science." And actually that is the fact. The court case is going on.

Morning Room Conversation -- February 16, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Now these books I have read, either Bengali or Hindi, they are well-written, very convincing. All our books are convincing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is a very handsome type of binding. It's called... I'm not sure who has done... I think the libraries do. It's called "permabound." It's your pocketbook edition but bound into a hard cover. Very handy book.

Prabhupāda: Recent publication?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't... I'm not... I don't think that actually the BBT did this binding. This is done by someone else, but somehow I managed... It was in my office, so I brought it with me. But it's very nice to get the small pocket-size book but with a hard cover. For traveling it's very handy. On the back it gives mention inside of..., what the binding is.

Prabhupāda: Where it is done?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In USA. "Permabound" it's called.

Hari-śauri: That's like that plastic cover-type stuff.

Prabhupāda: It is half-bound.

Room Conversations -- February 20, 1977, Mayapura:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh. We went a few days ago to Calcutta University to see the vice chancellor. Four of us went, the other two scientists and Ravīndra Svarūpa, and we talked with the inspector of schools, who came to visit here in Māyāpur about two months ago, and we discussed the possibility of getting affiliated in the Calcutta University, of giving some Ph.D. degrees in our philosophy. He indicated some ideas that it is possible, but he suggested that we must have a very good library.

Prabhupāda: That is the difficulty.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. They already said that two years ago.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They want us to buy so many nonsense books.

Prabhupāda: And nobody reads.

Arrival of Devotees -- February 24, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: How many standing orders?

Gargamuni: Well in Rangoon I went to the head of the Oriental Studies. They ordered all of Bhāgavatam. Then there's the National Library. They want. Then the National Trading Corporation wants to import our books and sell to the various libraries there. We met... We were only there four or five days, but we met so many people of different types of departments who want the books. Then in Bangkok I met the head of the Department of Philosophy. He ordered the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Then I met the head of Eastern Languages...

Prabhupāda: Did you go to our center, Bangkok?

Gargamuni: No. I didn't have the address. And I heard they were giving up the house because it is not... They have to...

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Room Conversation -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: And introduce books in the school, colleges, libraries, so nice books. There is no doubt about it. There is no such literature throughout the world.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Gradually some of the people are beginning to understand what you're up to, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Some of these big demons in America especially, they are beginning to understand that you are the most dangerous personality in the world to them.

Prabhupāda: To kill "demon-crazy," LSD. (laughs) Yes, that is my mission. That is Kṛṣṇa's mission, paritrāṇāya sādhūnāṁ vināśāya ca duṣkṛtām (BG 4.8), to kill all these demons, crazy demons. I have no such power; otherwise I would have killed them. Either establish Kṛṣṇa conscious government or kill them-bas, finish. I would have done that, violence.

Evening Darsana -- February 26, 1977, Mayapura:

Cāru: Śrīla Prabhupāda? This gentleman has just also taken two standing orders individually, and the Indian library party has just returned with thirty-two standing orders from Rajastan and two standing orders from North Bengal University.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Thirty-two? Thirty-two more standing orders.

Prabhupāda: From where?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Rajastan.

Hṛdayānanda: And North Bengal University.

Cāru: Took two standing orders today.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This man took two himself, Mr. Vajpay.

Prabhupāda: He has...?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Taken two standing orders.

Hṛdayānanda: For himself.

Cāru: For the university.

Prabhupāda: Sagara University. That is good.

Room Conversation with GBC members -- March 2-3, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Subject matter. This is for subject matter committee. Subject, committee of subject.

Satsvarūpa: Then today there was some new selection of assignments. One: That Jayapatākā Mahārāja be made acting GBC along with Gurukṛpā Mahārāja, both be co-GBC managers of Bengal and Orissa. And Gargamuni Mahārāja be GBC of the traveling party going to colleges and libraries for sales in India and Asia and the Mid-East. Gargamuni should first go to countries around Iran and evaluate his work... And his work will be evaluated, and if done nicely, then he can enter Iran also.

Gargamuni: I have to go to Iran in order to sell the vehicles. Where am I supposed to go? That's a stupid proposal. I wasn't here for that. (laughter) It's a stupid proposal.

Jagadīśa: That wasn't the main part of the proposal.

Gargamuni: Well, that clause is stupid.

Rāmeśvara: We can discuss that.

Satsvarūpa: But the general assignments are agreeable, is that Iran...

Gargamuni: Yes. We're going to have to go in.

Hṛdayānanda: So we can arrange it.

Prabhupāda: We have got very good encouragement from Budapest. You have read that letter. That means there is very good potency of our movement being accepted in communistic countries. Just read that letter.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Not only that. They are anxious to read from Indian literature. They know there is substance in these books. That they know.

Gargamuni: In some of the libraries where we left books, we have gone back, and the librarians have said that your books are very heavily read. They are taken out and read. We have gone back, because I wanted to find out, to see how many, and they said, "Oh, they are very popular. They are always being taken out." We asked some librarians. So they are definitely being used.

Śrīdhara: Tell him about that one vice-chancellor.

Gargamuni: Yeah, I did. I told him. Even your old Bhāgavatams, we looked in the back. One boy looked in the back where they have the check-outs, and they were heavily used for many years. At least thirty times they were taken out in last few years. The old Bhāgavatams. (break)

Prabhupāda: Now you have got science background, book background, knowledge background—everything is there strong. Make this movement... Art also. Art, literature, science, philosophy, religion, culture, character—everything, strong background. Let everyone come. You have to try to fashion this. Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati. If you have got Nārāyaṇa background, then what is the cause of being afraid?

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Ah, very good.

Gargamuni: "I am very proud to have the acquaintance of such a saintly devotees of ISKCON, who have such an addition of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in our library. I have also...."

Prabhupāda: So he will get order anywhere if you present this.

Gargamuni: Yes. "I have also found the Hindi book Īśopaniṣad to be of excellent quality. I am hoping that every sincere seeker of truth and higher knowledge will find repose in the books of Swami Bhaktivedanta." Signed, V. P. Singh, Professor and Head of the Department of Hindi, Benares Hindu University.

Prabhupāda: It is a very important document. It is written nicely.

Gargamuni: Oh, yes.

Prabhupāda: And print it. Wherever you go, you'll get order.

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: You have to print more copies, at least fifty thousand.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They are going to sell very quickly.

Gargamuni: Gopāla has only made soft cover, but the libraries won't take soft cover, so I have asked him to make hardbound also.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Do it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, in America, whatever we make, we always make hardbound for the libraries.

Gargamuni: Yeah, you have to. They won't take softbound.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In America everything we print, we also have to consider special printings for the libraries and standing orders.

Gargamuni: The man at the Sampurnanand Sanskrit Library at BHU, when he saw the Hindi Bhāgavatam, he said, "I will order fifty sets for our various sub-libraries." He said, "This is wonderful." Because the only Hindi Bhāgavatam is that Gītā Press, which is useless. There is no commentary, it is so unattractive.

Prabhupāda: Prepared by nondevotees. How you can expect? Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Without being devotee, who will understand Bhāgavatam? It is not so easy. Big, big paṇḍitas, they cannot understand Bhāgavatam even.

Room Conversation -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, those were the American. But now we are doing the Indian version, which is costing us 30 paisa each. So that we can give away to anyone who writes in. So I am going to send them. But he says many inquiries are pouring in. And when I was in Calcutta three weeks ago I saw him in his office. He showed me letters. They are coming from all over east India, from Orissa, from Cuttack, about our books. During the month of March, BBT India distributed over about fifty thousand pieces of books and magazines, to the temples, libraries, everything included. Fifty thousand pieces of books.

Prabhupāda: I have asked already Tamāla Kṛṣṇa. Can you give me a statement of the account?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. It's ready.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He is supposed to be bringing it to me tomorrow morning.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. It is being typed. It is all ready. I am showing you a complete statement of all the paper purchased, how it is used, a complete statement of every book printed in India, where it is distributed, what the balance is; complete inventory report, how much stock we have in hand, and books distributed in the month of March. We are producing these reports every month now. Everything. All the records are there.

Prabhupāda: No, but that bank manager wanted to come?

Room Conversation Meeting with Dr. Sharma (from Russia) -- April 17, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Sharma: That is international library of the RSSR. That is... Huliyansa(?) He's the director. I have seen that letter. With their office. They asked me to translate it. I translated that letter not long ago. And I passed it on, request. So I am aware of what they are doing, and I know what they do not do also. I not only feel the heartbeat of pulse of the people of India, but I feel the pulse of the heartbeat in Communist countries as well. I am very happy that I am here after having missed the name of Lord Nārāyaṇa for six years in Soviet Union, where the people chant only Lenin's name. It is being duly compensated (indistinct). You made this possible. I have gone through ten volumes of your book that you have written. They are really...

Prabhupāda: Which book? Bhāgavatam?

Guest (2): Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Prabhupāda: Oh, Caitanya...

Dr. Sharma: So I've been reading the commentary after commentary. I enjoyed them. It was full of honey and nectar and knowledge to people who are insignificant and idiots like me. (Prabhupāda laughs) I enjoyed it.

Prabhupāda: Guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana (CC Adi 7.71). Caitanya Mahāprabhu also presented Himself as idiot number one. He said to Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī. Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī asked Him that "You are a sannyāsī. You do not read Vedānta and You chant and dance. What is this?" So He answered, guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana. "My guru found Me a fool number one, so he has chastised Me, 'You rascal, You are fool, You cannot read Vedānta. You Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.' " So it is good that we remain as fools and idiot. Then we can make progress. And if we think, "Oh, I know everything," then finished. It is a good attitude. Guru more mūrkha dekhi' karila śāsana.

Room Conversation Meeting with Dr. Sharma (from Russia) -- April 17, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Sharma: Well, if only a book has got to be introduced into Soviet Union, it has got to be approved by the government. Otherwise it cannot go in for circulation. So they are listed (indistinct) ask somebody, Minister of India, Consulate of India, asked for this, or the Indian Embassy to do it in Moscow.

Prabhupāda: No. Just like the librarian. That library has ordered. So that will be discussed.

Dr. Sharma: But the Russians are very cunning people. They may order books from the ISKCON from here, to the Soviet Union, and it be will kept in the library, but no man could reach it. It will be kept only for a certain people only.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The scholars, for research scholars.

Dr. Sharma: Not only for research scholars. Only that type of research scholars who have got the favor of the government.

Guest (2): Even they worship Rāma, take the last name and they go to (indistinct) to understand what it is.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Conversation -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Gargamuni is working, library party. So at least fifty percent of the collection should be spent for this construction.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Gargamuni's library sales.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And any other party who are making book sale.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So what he does is he gets billed by Gopāla, and he pays his bill, Gargamuni.

Prabhupāda: So that means Gopāla will pay from the bill.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fifty percent.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Conversation -- May 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I did not know. I occupied. Otherwise nobody was taking.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: We can make a library.

Prabhupāda: And library means these negroes will go to read? They'll go for drinking.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In that area nobody will come to read.

Ādi-keśava: Any decent person would be afraid to come there.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: But...

Ādi-keśava: Only Śrīla Prabhupāda would go there 'cause he's only a courageous man.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Except for that fact that for our devotees to pilgrimage there...

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Other than that, you won't get outsiders to come in, though.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Yes. But it's a great... It's an important spot.

Prabhupāda: That is dangerous portion of New York City. Just after my house they were regularly drinking and... Negroes. I didn't care. Never they did any harm to me. Bowery Street. And still, I was there.

Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- June 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Book selling... We sell at least, say, I would say, something like about four hundred dollars worth of books every Sunday at the temple. Most of the people who came, they came because they bought your book, and we gave them an invitation to the feast. Everyone who has joined has bought your book first. That is their introduction to Kṛṣṇa consciousness—a book. Very few people come first to a temple. First thing they take and read your book. Then they become interested. The book goes into their home. (break) They can put these. Oh, yeah... Because they're libraries. I mean, they can buy the books. They can buy the books. The theology, arts... Nothing wrong with their buying, but probably they... From what I know, the general system is that you don't send salesmen into these communist countries. You send a brochure, and they buy through their agents. And this is unheard of, that someone sneaks into a country with all these books and preaches. He said sometimes his life is threatened.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He has to run out of the universities because finally, after a while, the officials get notified. They figure out who he is, and then they start chasing him. Then he had to run out.

Prabhupāda: Dangerous affair.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But after all, it is literary. They know we're not... It's not like a political spy.

Prabhupāda: All open secret.

Gurukula Inspection -- June 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Their comforts first. They have done very nice. (Hindi conversation) ...university, but producing hippies. (Hindi) Library in your... It is all nonsense. Who is going to read the books, big, big library? It is simply waste of time. Train them how to become self-controlled, how to become God conscious, how to become humble, obedient. This is required. And so-called education and last result is to become a hippie, what is the use? Simply waste of time. Education is meant for the first-class men. A kṛṣana does not require education. He should see how to plow, and he'll learn. This mistri does not require any... He should work with other mistri, and he'll learn. Architecture, this, that, so many... Why? Why waste your time? This nice building has been constructed by these laborers. They have got training by seeing, by practice. They did not require university education. Of course, guide is there. Of course... So these big, big universities, allowing everyone to come and join school, college—simply wasting time and unemployment. Unemployment. This is not required.

Letter from Yugoslavia--'Books!' -- June 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Just see how Kṛṣṇa...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Even more pleasing was my conversation with the chairman of the Comparative Literature program. He bought both standing orders for the department library, and he wants to speak with his colleagues, who are interested in India. He feels both or one of them..."

Prabhupāda: This will increase India's cultural program. And the government is not... You have to show to the government.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The day ended with a visit to the Philosophy Institute. The professors were in a meeting, and they did not want to speak with me, but finally I rather abruptly started showing them the books anyway." He burst into their meeting.

Prabhupāda: How much obstacles he had. His feature is not attractive, he speaks another language, and he presents the most tough subject. And still, Bhāgavata is going through. So many hard knocks.

Śatadhanya: It is the topmost mysticism.

Prabhupāda: You can write to Māyāpur. I think on the hill there are punar, punar navās.

Letter from Yugoslavia--'Books!' -- June 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Bulgaria?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not yet. No devotees have ever entered. "As we are so fallen and incompetent, we beg that you will keep guiding us and allowing us to continue to serve you. We remain always desperately begging for your mercy. Your selfish servant, Ghanaśyāma dāsa, BBT Library Party." You want to try and translate this evening, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: What should I do?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think you should translate for... (break)

Prabhupāda: Absolute. Paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It seems like for the first few years you were... Our movement was very much engaged in establishing our centers, but now it seems that we can concentrate on actually pushing forward the knowledge we have to give.

Prabhupāda: Centers were meant for that purpose, for giving knowledge, not for show, a church, a show. What is knowledge?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Now we have our centers established.

Room Conversation With Son (Vrindavan De) -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Atomic bomb.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. But not... Unlike the brahmāstra, it cannot be withdrawn. Once it's taken, it has to act. We've been studying the course of the sun daily now. We're reading that chapter. And Bhakti-prema Swami... There's a library in Vṛndāvana. All the books... Perhaps you know. It's over the Post Office in Loi Bazaar.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All the books from Rādhā-Dāmodara temple, those original texts, they're all there. So he's going to consult your Guru Mahārāja's book on... The astronomy book? What is the name of that book?

Prabhupāda: Sūrya-siddhānta.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We are going to consult some other texts to get the full picture.

Prabhupāda: And what is from Bhāgavata? The sun movement?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's just like there's a couple of things that we want to get very clear. Like it's described that one of the axles...

Prabhupāda: Uttarāyaṇa, dakṣiṇāyana. This Sumeru Mountain... So six months, northern side; six months, southern side.

Room Conversation With Son (Vrindavan De) -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: We take Kṛṣṇa's word. Na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante... (BG 7.15). (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very positive. He says, "One additional note. Our Library Party in America recently attended the annual convention of the largest organization of libraries." That's called the American Library Association. It's made up of all of the libraries in the US, and it's the most prestigious library association. "At this convention, the booth of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust won the first prize..."

Prabhupāda: Just see. This is our triumph.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "...for the most attractive booth. And a plaque was awarded to our representative, Śeṣa dāsa." He was called up in front of all of the gathering of librarians. They awarded him a plaque. "He had the booth arranged with a portable movie projector showing one of the ISKCON films. Incense was burning, Indian sweets were distributed, and all your books were displayed as well as tapes. So it was nice that such a big organization recognized Kṛṣṇa was all-attractive."

Prabhupāda: That's the kind of propaganda.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ (BG 7.4). Original ingredient is bhūmi, earth.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So there's no reason... It's pure. It's not a question that it's not pure.

Prabhupāda: No. Sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Another thing he says... The last point is that he saw... You know in New York they made those busts to be put in libraries, of Your Divine Grace? Some sculptures. Remember I showed you some photographs of...

Prabhupāda: Hm, hm, hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says he understood that busts of divine images of guru and Kṛṣṇa are not to be made. He says in New York you explained this point with reference to photographs that were used in Back to Godhead of your divine self that it was impersonal to cut off some portion of the complete worshipable form.

Prabhupāda: No, if it is not worshipable, if it is to be kept in library, that can be done.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. He says, "I beg to be excused for troubling Your Divine Grace on all these questions, which I always hesitate to do, but I took this liberty."

Prabhupāda: You are always allowed. Sad-dharma-pṛcchā. This is one of the duties of devotees. Sad-dharma-pṛcchā.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, that's all right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I haven't seen what this is yet. It's from Gargamuni Mahārāja. It's "To all India GBC and temple presidents: Dear Mahārājas and Prabhus, please accept my humble obeisances. Enclosed please find our newly established Encyclopedia of Vedic Knowledge program. This is the beginning of the major big book distribution program in India. Our library party has already received tremendous success in this program, and Śrīla Prabhupāda has greatly encouraged us to sell these all over India. The profit only amounts to Rs. 10 per book, but it will allow everyone to regularly read our books and refer to it as an authentic encyclopedia. Our aim is to replace this encyclopedia against all other encyclopedias, which are meant to take the people to the hellish planets. When our representatives come to your area, please be good enough to assist them in making possible that Śrīla Prabhupāda's books be distributed to leading educational, intellectual persons all over India." Here's what he's published, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It's called "The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Library Encyclopedia of Vedic Knowledge." I think I should read it to you, because it's got mostly words in it.

Prabhupāda: Read the covering.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: You can send one copy to Dr. Kapoor by post.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I'll tell Gargamuni. It will be more impressive coming from Bombay.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And one to Bon Mahārāja at Vaṁśī-vaṭa(?).

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (laughs) Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. "Śrīla Prabhupāda has taken on the monumental task of translating the essence of all Vedic..." I want to get to the... Here it comes. "All in all, the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust library Encyclopedia of Vedic Knowledge includes at least one hundred published volumes. Scholars from all over the world have described Śrīla Prabhupāda as a literary genius after reading his treasure chest of Vedic knowledge. And now for the first time this treasure chest of transcendental knowledge is unlocked for everyone to dive deep into the ocean of transcendental bliss upon reading these classics." These words are nectar.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "It is no wonder that this transcendental treasure chest of spiritual texts have been described by many scholars as the first presentation of full encyclopedia of Vedic knowledge. This encyclopedia touches various subject matters relating to philosophy, religion, sociology and anthropology, literature and classics, political science, history and psychology. On the back side of this pamphlet an order blank to apply for a full encyclopedia published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust is given. Please fill in and return." (chuckles) Here's what he says, "The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Library of Vedic Knowledge can make a worthwhile gift to a friend of relative or may be kept in one's own home. Or one may contribute a set to a school, college, hospital library, reading room, temple, or for any other charitable purpose. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust is offering this encyclopedia on an easy installment basis by which one may receive published volumes every month without any extra cost." Sounds like they're getting a lot for free. (chuckles)

Prabhupāda: Organized very nice. Hm. "Gargamoney." (laughter)

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes, that's a fact.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "I am constantly filling this into the minds of the members of the Library Party. We are now emphasizing your books as a library of Encyclopedia of Vedic Knowledge, and I am herewith enclosing reviews from the biggest Marathi, Gujarati, and Sindhi scholars."

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is very nice. He has done quite efficiently.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, there's another thing. This whole thing, these are new reviews I'm going to read to you.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "I also have other good news." He says, "The Andhra Pradesh government has sent a newsletter to all libraries in the state, requesting them to order our books, as they are approved by the state." Wow!

Prabhupāda: So you can do it from other provinces also.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So you can do it from other provinces also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Also, the Endowments Commission has also written to all the temples in Andhra Pradesh requesting them to purchase our books." Very important.

Prabhupāda: Vṛndāvana, minister is very favorable to us.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "In addition, the Gujarati government has requested all libraries in the state to purchase our books by way of newsletter."

Prabhupāda: Oh. Wonderful.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: May Kṛṣṇa bless him. You are doing very tremendous job.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Says, "First week, July, three of our men are opening a BBT Library office in Bangkok."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "They have a mission to develop this whole area, Southeast Asia, for book distribution." He sent a team of three men to develop Southeast Asia, and they've opened an office in Bangkok. "Their program includes: 1) government recognition of our books, 2) sales to universities and colleges, 3) acceptance of our books by leading scholars, and 4) sales of encyclopedias to Hindus. All of Southeast Asia will be developed for book distribution. We pray for your blessings in this..."

Prabhupāda: Yes, Kṛṣṇa's blessings are there upon you. He is dictating the organizing capacity. Do it very nicely.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Vedavyāsa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...Vyāsadeva is the basis of all education. " 'Later the saint Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja, in commenting upon the life of the great Mahāprabhu Śrī Caitanya, brought to the highest level of understanding these principles in his immortal Indian classic, Caitanya-caritāmṛta. It is good fortune of the world that these two spiritual works presented as the Encyclopedia of Indian Culture have been translated and commented upon in the style of a true scholar by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. Śrīla Prabhupāda, out of his obviously great desire to inject the world with his vast storehouse of learning, has translated precisely the rich Sanskrit and Bengali ślokas. He has given the transliteration, word-for-word meaning, purports, and each volume filled with full color illustrations by his disciples. I therefore wholeheartedly recommend this encyclopedia of our culture and all other Bhaktivedanta Book Trust publications to all educational institutions, schools, libraries, and colleges concerned with the moral and cultural development of their students within the boundary of Maharastra and throughout the world.' "

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here's one from the Mayor of Bombay, Murali S. Deora. He's the new mayor. " 'The good work of the members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness is well known to me. It is especially commendable that the founder-ācārya of the society, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, has been able to convince so many foreigners all about the simple purity of India's exalted philosophy-plain living and high thinking. Swamiji is a very highly respected Vedic scholar, and he has seen to it that his numerous disciples from all over India and the world stick to the actual disciplines required of students of our ancient philosophy. The growing cultural and educational center now under construction at Juhu...' " He refers it as the growing cultural and educational center. He's understood your purpose, Śrīla Prabhupāda. " '...is an object of deep interest and pride to myself and all fellow Bombay citizens. The members of Kṛṣṇa consciousness are always well mannered and cheerful due to the blessings of their benign Swamiji. Anyone who reads Śrīla Prabhupāda's clear translations and commentaries of well-known Sanskrit and Bengali literature can understand his secret of success. I do not think such accurate scholarly and clear expositions of Vedic culture can be found in English elsewhere. His Bhaktivedanta Book Trust publishing house has made sure that the immortal words of our classics have been presented in first-class style. Among the BBT publications, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Caitanya-caritāmṛta, comprising an encyclopedia of Vedic knowledge, are especially notable. I have examined volumes of these sets and recommend these sets not only for our municipal corporation libraries and municipal-funded libraries, but for all libraries of the world...' "

Prabhupāda: They are approaching municipal libraries?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. " 'But for all libraries of the world, wherever people have a sincere interest to go into the depths of Vedic philosophy.' Signed Murali S. Deora, Mayor of Bombay."

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Next, from the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay. This is from Dr. Ram Kanstanari(?) Chairman of the Department, Indian Institute of Technology, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences. " 'Sir: I am pleased to make the following comments concerning your beautiful and learned publications, Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta of Gosvāmī Kṛṣṇa Kavirāja and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, both written by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. I feel that these works are the result of Swami Prabhupāda's extraordinary commitment to the bhakti cult in the Indian tradition. Swami Prabhupāda's style and language are full of the flashes of his intuition. They clearly represent his realization that love for God and for mankind should be the foundation of all interpersonal relations. Kṛṣṇa is the symbol of this love. He is the Absolute in an incarnate form. Love for Kṛṣṇa therefore sung in all forms of devotion-laden language asserts man's empathy towards His entire creation. The Central Library of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, has already secured, on my recommendation, the above-mentioned works complete. These works are read by the faculty and students here, not only for their religious message but also for the unique interpretation they embody of the traditional cult of bhakti in India. The poetic and devotionalistic tenor of these works, I am sure, would make one realize the meaning of man's dependence on God. I have no hesitation to state that His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda has done an immortal service to the movement of devotionism and Hinduism in particular and in world religions in general, by so ably bringing out these works in beautiful English. Every library in the world that is engaged in promoting the welfare of the human self by turning it towards the supremacy of the divine spirit...' "

Prabhupāda: Everyone is recommending. All libraries.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What he is?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He is the Head of the Department of Sanskrit at the Bombay University. " 'The printing is really excellent and the general get-up highly attractive. I have nothing but the highest praise for this splendid publication. The BBT's encyclopedia would be a valuable asset to each school and college library as well as all general libraries throughout the world.' " These reviews are as good as your books, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...the notice of Caitanya-caritāmṛta. " 'His treatment of the verses through his transparent translations and purports show that his scholastic and spiritually realized grasp of the text is incomparable. It is his understanding of the goal of all knowledge, as shown by his skillful pen, that makes him rightfully the founder and ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. I am very very happy to see that many different types of libraries and institutions of the world are snapping up his encyclopedia.' "

Prabhupāda: So the Communist country they will be following.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: " 'Any educational center interested in giving a complete education to its pupils should follow the example set by the University of California, the British Library, the Oxford University, and the University of Bombay, among many others, who have ordered sets of the BBT's encyclopedia. As an Indian, I am proud of the vast accomplishments of my fellow countryman, Swami Prabhupāda.' "

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Maybe later on I can read some more of these to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. They are very ecstatic. Yeah. Later on I'll read more to you. We haven't even touched this section. This is the list.

Prabhupāda: So send Gargamuni many thanks for arranging in the libraries. Kṛṣṇa is blessing him. Organize in Bombay office very nicely, and arrange for printing enough stock. All money collected should be invested immediately. This is giving me new life, all these. Somebody is proposing to give us some dairy land? Dairy.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Śrī Kṛṣṇa caitanya rādhā kṛṣṇa nahe anya. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya wants that pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma. (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) And for Kṛṣṇa's grace. This new building, it may not divert attention from Deity worship.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In London, yes.

Prabhupāda: Library, restaurant, lecture. How many rooms are there?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, first of all there's a basement, which is the restaurant area. That restaurant area is, say, four times the size of this room.

Prabhupāda: Four times?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Three to four. Not so high. And it's not straight. It's shaped little bit of an L shape from what I recall.

Prabhupāda: You have seen it?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, I went in.

Room Conversation Gaurasundara, Dr. Kapoor -- July 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: In one week. So unimaginable.

Dr. Kapoor: I don't think any other publisher...

Prabhupāda: No, we are the first publisher in the world. That is already recognized.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: At that recent library convention in the United States, four hundred publishers in America participated, every major publisher. And our booth was awarded the first place amongst all of the publishers' booths.

Dr. Kapoor: Where? In the quality of printing or amount of sales?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, generally they give it based on different factors. The quality of the printing, the sales, and the booth appearance, presentation.

Dr. Kapoor: This is solid work.

Prabhupāda: Now we are going to hold Bhaktivedanta Institute scientific meeting. What is that? Where is that paper? Bombay. Scientifically presenting, among the scientists.

Room Conversation -- July 27-28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It advertises all your books. Plus, Śrīla Prabhupāda, I had signed a contract with the biggest mail-order house in India, called Mail Order Sales. And this week their full-page advertisement on the Bhagavad-gītā is reaching 25,000 households. Their ad wasn't ready, but they are sending it to me in few days. It's a very beautiful ad. They have a monthly newspaper called Mail Order News, and that they've given a whole page. But they pay for it. We give them a straight commission on sales. Just like in America you have Book of the Month Club and selling books by mail. This is very big. Plus we are now doing the Bhaktivedanta Encyclopedia of Vedic Knowledge. We are preparing a brochure just like this. This is a Brittanica Encyclopedia advertisement. So we're going to have your nineteen or twenty Bhāgavatams here. The artists are working on it and this is going to be sent to about thirty thousand households. These are just for households, not libraries or anyone, just as selling to businessmen and executives.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who's going to do this?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Mail Order Sales. It's a company that specializes in mail orders. This will be very good.

Prabhupāda: Everything you do, it is... Now, utilize. So one book has come only.

Room Conversation -- July 27-28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Other things you can do, but you... This your only main business. Now do it very pleasingly so that you can... So whatever you have done, it is very pleasing.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Also we are now going to have big distributors who are ready to take on our books, and we're going to have them distribute our Hindi, Gujarati books all over India. Plus, you know, those railway stands? We're going to come out with a plastic, small bag type, with six pockets in it, and it's going to say, "Bhaktivedanta Yoga Library." We're going to have Beyond Birth and Death, Perfection of Yoga, in Hindi, and in Gujarati areas, Gujarati books. We'll have a complete selection of yoga books. I've been speaking to many distributors, and yoga books are very popular in India. I was also thinking, I have this book all ready, The Scientific Basis of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. I wanted to change the name to The Scientific Basis of Bhakti-yoga in Hindi. Just by replacing "Kṛṣṇa Consciousness" with "Bhakti-yoga," the appeal will broaden because people are buying books just...

Prabhupāda: You can.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Can I do it?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Meeting With Governor of Tamil Nadu -- July 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Gītā propaganda, there are many persons. But if you don't mind, all these men, they do not understand what is real meaning of Gītā.

Governor: Once, three men that come here, back in Madras. So I arranged with our government libraries to have all your books in our libraries there.

Prabhupāda: Thank you. Gītā should be accepted as it is. It should not be interpreted. Then there will be no benefit. And that has become... (Hindi) Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). That is Gītā. It is not meant for the loafer class. It is meant for the rājarṣis. Rājarṣayo viduḥ.

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: A very nice statue was made of you, and it's being placed in many libraries and museums. People donate it. Members pay for it to be donated to libraries and schools. It's a bust of Your Divine Grace. It's very heavy. It's made of bronze.

Hari-śauri: Can you see it there, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Can you see it? Shall I sit you up?

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's a cādara you wear on a cold morning. Very ecstatic pose. It's made of metal. (taps it)

Prabhupāda: Strong?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And this says, "His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Author of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Nectar of Devotion, Nectar of Instruction, Back to Godhead Magazine, Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness." This is placed in prominent museums and libraries. There's four different models. This is solid wood, and this will be a bronze plaque, and this is made of bronze, metal. You can feel it. Nice?

Prabhupāda: Very nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think it's very beautiful. Very artistic. Very feeling... It shows a tremendous amount of feeling. It also advertises all of your books, so they place it in libraries. Libraries like to have it because you're a very..., most prominent author. People usually have a book display.

Prabhupāda: Very nice.

Visit From Allopathic Doctor -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: They pay that.

Harikeśa: We've made on the covers the same gold stamp as in the American books, on this cover, and on the side also, for the libraries, because we are selling standing orders in German also. And here's Second Canto, Third Part, with Śrī-Śrī-Rādhā-Madana-mohana from Germany, from the Schloss.

Jayatīrtha: These Deities are superexcellent Deities.

Harikeśa: The pūjārī, he will not leave the temple under any circumstances, Aṣṭaratha dāsa. No matter what, he will not leave the temple. I tried to force him to come to London to see you. He said he cannot do it.

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Room Conversation -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? We got a telegram from Nṛsiṁha-Caitanya. You know, he's the boy who does library distribution? Should I read it to you?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Over a thousand ...than we did in two years of library party. And I'm expanding this to...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. They sell more. They have more than that, standing orders.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: What I'm saying it's very good. A thousand Gītās in two months is very good. Now I'm expanding this to the Bhāgavatam.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Unless you have good godown, it will be stolen and sold in the market at cheap price.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. A good godown is very, very necessary, so we're starting work on it right away. And in three to four months it will be completed.

Bhavānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda? Can you turn onto your back again so I can do your other leg and your arms?

Prabhupāda: Hm. You can turn me any way. Deal with the Home Minister's letter very carefully.

Room Conversation -- October 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So seven thousand you can give, contribution. In that way...

Vrindavan De: Whatever the amount I may take, I can pay back by 10th or 15th April, positively.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He'll get 43,200 by the 7th of November.

Vrindavan De: Because we have got an order from the National Library of Calcutta worth one lakh. So...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So supply him half the order to begin with.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Why not do that?

Vrindavan De: It is on our confirmation, because the money is the main criterion.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You'll have the money by the 7th of the month.

Vrindavan De: I don't have any such big amount. But if you...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, no. The postal receipts. But some of the money is to Sulaksmana De, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Some of this money...

Prabhupāda: No, all the money he can take.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You got one letter, Śrīla Prabhupāda, from the BBT Library Party in America. I won't read it all, but just to sum it up... That Readings in Vedic Literature by Satsvarūpa Mahārāja, that book, remember, that I read some parts of to you? Readings in Vedic Literature Satsvarūpa wrote? It's a short book? That book is becoming very much accepted in university courses. Many, many classes are using it as a textbook, which means that automatically thirty to fifty copies are purchased at a time. And all over the country now, as the Library Party travels, at each college one or two courses use this book now each semester. It's a regular textbook now. Now that they've introduced the study guide to the Bhagavad-gītā, they expect the Bhagavad-gītā will also become a regular textbook more and more. Actually this is a... The Library Party reports that this is a great future for these books, is that gradually all of these books will be accepted as textbooks, and they will be made mandatory reading in college courses, which means there will be huge sales year after year. Another thing which they're beginning to sell very widely, Śrīla Prabhupāda... See, first the Library Party went to every university in America over the last four years and sold standing orders of the Bhāgavatam and Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Now they're going back this year and starting to sell textbooks, text orders. They've done standing orders, now they're going to the same colleges and they're approaching the professors and saying, "Here's a book for your class as a textbook," which means that the teacher orders thirty copies at a time. So they're beginning to do this now. And they're also beginning to sell the movies. Yadubara's movies are being taken. In each school one or two people are renting these films or purchasing these films as well as slide shows. This is called audio-visual media. The Library Party is starting to sell a lot of the movies and the slide shows as well as tape cassettes. Music courses, for example, want to order tape cassettes of Your Divine Grace singing bhajanas and playing the harmonium as part of a course in Indian music, for example.

Prabhupāda: How many of you are going to Māyāpur with me?

Page Title:Library (Conversations)
Compiler:Mayapur
Created:10 of Oct, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=169, Let=0
No. of Quotes:169