Southeast Asia

Expressions researched:
"South East Asia" |"South-east Asia" |"Southeast Asia" |"Southeast Asian"

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with the GBC -- May 25, 1972, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So, fix up the zone.

Śyāmasundara: Well, we pretty much fixed it up, except...

Prabhupāda: So write, write. Take, take some paper. Here is paper. Here.

Śyāmasundara: I think that, that the Southeast Asia...

Prabhupāda: Take this, take this map. First of all find out the zone, what will be the zone.

Śyāmasundara: The Southeast Asia and Australia we'll join in one zone.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Śyāmasundara: The Southeast Asia and Australia if that were one zone, it would be alright.

Prabhupāda: Make it.

Śyāmasundara: It wouldn't be too difficult.

Prabhupāda: So write, write that. What one, two, three. What is the one zone, zone number one?

Śyāmasundara: Eastern U.S.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Śyāmasundara: Oh, you mean before?

Prabhupāda: No before, and now.

Śyāmasundara: Alright, Southeast Asia, Australia.

Prabhupāda: That is one?

Śyāmasundara: That is one yeah, if everyone is agreeable.

Prabhupāda: They agree, everyone will agree. It is not a question. (laughter) First of all make the zone. Whatever I'll say, he'll agree. That is not the problem. First of all make up zone.

Śyāmasundara: Alright.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee: Hong Kong, North and South Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, (indistinct), Australia, New Zealand, Fiji Islands, Samoa, and Tahiti.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Devotee: Tahiti.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) Make that one zone. Then next zone?

Devotee: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: First of all divide the whole world. It doesn't matter who goes where but...

Devotee: India, Pakistan, (indistinct discussion), Bangladesh, (indistinct) China. Then we have the Mediterranean zone.

Prabhupāda: China, China goes to the...

Devotee: Southeast Asia?

Śyāmasundara: Far east.

Prabhupāda: Where is Japan?

Devotee: It is more north.

Prabhupāda: No, no what is the name?

Devotee: And Korea...

Prabhupāda: What we are naming? Far east?

Devotee: One zone we'll call Japan, we'll call it far east.

Prabhupāda: So, China is nearer to Japan. Is it not?

Devotee: Well it's very big.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Devotee: China is very big. It could be even more because it touches...

Prabhupāda: China is big, but we have no center (indistinct).

Conversation with the GBC -- May 25, 1972, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: China, China goes to the...

Devotee: Southeast Asia?

Śyāmasundara: Far east.

Prabhupāda: Where is Japan?

Devotee: It is more north.

Prabhupāda: No, no what is the name?

Devotee: And Korea...

Prabhupāda: What we are naming? Far east?

Conversation with the GBC -- May 25, 1972, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Devotee: Hong Kong.

Prabhupāda: So Hong Kong under which zone?

Śyāmasundara: Well, it's very close to Manila and Manila is in part of Southeast Asia, Australia.

Prabhupāda: So Hong Kong is already zone?

Śyāmasundara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Śyāmasundara: Yes.

Conversation with the GBC -- May 25, 1972, Los Angeles:

Devotee: (indistinct-devotees entering and exiting room)

Devotee: Previously Hong Kong was part of Southeast Asia.

Prabhupāda: Now?

Devotee: Still. We linked China with Hong Kong and put it with Southeast Asia. Peking, Peking is much closer to Japan.

Prabhupāda: Divide the whole world into twelve parts. That is first.

Devotee: (indistinct-devotees converse in background for some time on map and countries)

Prabhupāda: Africa is one.

Conversation with the GBC -- May 25, 1972, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Twelve zones means?

Devotees: (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Whole world? Let me see. (reading) Southeast Asia, Australia, Japan, Korea, (indistinct), India, Central Asia, Mediterranean, Germany, Africa, South America, British Isles, Eastern Europe, Central Europe, Western Europe, (indistinct). So now you have to specifically mention Mediterranean means this. Similarly, all these center(?) should be specifically mentioned this.

Devotee: I was waiting till Śyāmasundara Prabhu came back.

Prabhupāda: Now so far division made by (indistinct), we are present. I'll represent him, that's all. And who else?

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Indonesian Scholar -- February 27, 1973, Jakarta:

Prabhupāda: But still it has to be expanded, has to be more explicitly ex..., advertised. So our point is this, that we are trying to spread this knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means that we are spreading the knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā. So this is a world-wide organization and you know something about us, about this movement. So this part of the world, this is Southeast Asia?

Scholar: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Southeast Asia. Why not combine it, join together, and scientifically preach this cult of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. People will be very glad to accept it.

Morning Walk At Cheviot Hills Golf Course -- May 15, 1973, Los Angeles:

Paramahaṁsa: In Newsweek Magazine-it's the largest magazine in the United States—there was an article about the degradation of Christianity, and they summarized it with a cartoon, a picture of the devil, you know māyā. This is their image of māyā. And he was causing earthquakes. There was a very large earthquake in South America. It killed many thousands of people. So they attribute this to māyā. And right next to them was a picture of Richard Nixon, because he is a very famous, you know... He presents himself as a follower of Christ. And he's bombing Southeast Asia.

Prabhupāda: "Thou shalt not kill."

Paramahaṁsa: Yeah. And the devil turned to Richard Nixon and said, "It's hell keeping up with Christians."

Conversation with Sridhara Maharaja -- June 27, 1973, Navadvipa:

Prabhupāda: South America. What part?

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: South America. South America, kon jaegaeta (?)

Bhavānanda: Australia and Southeast Asia also.

Prabhupāda: Argentina.

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: Argentina.

Devotee: And Japan. Japan.

Prabhupāda: Japan includes now...

Devotee: Western United States.

Prabhupāda: Western.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- May 16, 1975, Perth:

Paramahaṁsa: Some of the, there are some natives in Asia also, southeast Asia, that are black.

Prabhupāda: Arabia? No. Arabians are not black.

Paramahaṁsa: Not... Generally they're not so black. Indonesians are black.

Prabhupāda: No.

Śrutakīrti: Africa is about the only place other than some islands.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Africa is black.

Amogha: Aborigines here also.

Paramahaṁsa: They have black natives here also, Australia.

Prabhupāda: They are all descendant of the same.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Trivikrama Mahārāja?

Hari-śauri: I think he's rather keen on working in Southeast Asia still.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: He spoke to me this morning. He has to go back for some time to Southeast Asia, but he's willing to stay in India and travel between centers. He's a very nice sannyāsī, and I think it would be a very good idea.

Prabhupāda: Call him.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: He is giving a class right now, but he cannot go... He told me that he has to go to Southeast Asia first because he has books and everything.

Hari-śauri: He has two men there still. There's two men there still, and they have about two and a half thousand books still to distribute. He said one of the reasons he wanted to come was cause there's no center... (end)

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

Gargamuni: There was very good response. And they're all writing reviews on our books. They have never seen such a translation of Bhāgavatam, they said. They said, "We have only seen the summary study, but we have never seen such word-for-word study." So I'm planning a tour of all the Southeast Asian countries, in Hong Kong and all these areas, to do standing orders.

Prabhupāda: So, no new book?

Rāmeśvara: It is coming.

Rādhā-vallabha: It is coming with the truck. 9.1 is coming.

Gargamuni: We have a truckload of books, of new books that are coming for the standing orders in India.

Room Conversation 'GBC Resolutions' -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Satsvarūpa: Then Gurukṛpā Mahārāja retained responsibility in Hawaii and Japan and Hong Kong; Bali-mardana, responsibility for Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, the South Sea islands, and for book distribution in Southeast Asia.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He was the first to go there.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He invented Australia.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He invented Australia. (laughter)

Bali-mardana: It was only when your lotus feet touched Australia that it became worthwhile.

Prabhupāda: I was insisting, South Pacific organization.

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

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 Conversations Bangladesh Preaching/Prabhavisnu Articles by Hamsaduta -- August 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "On the 28th and 29th of July we held Hare Kṛṣṇa festivals at one prominent hall and spoke on the origin of life and matter. The second evening this Dr. Kovoor showed up with seven or eight of his followers, all doctors and scientists of some sort. By your mercy and the mercy of the Lord-teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10)—the lecture which somehow emanated from my mouth was so brilliant that the audience, about one thousand people who were all aware of Dr. Kovoor's presence and sensed the intention of challenge in the air, unanimously applauded as we spoke the last sentence." They unanimously applauded. "I then asked for questions, but the Dr. Kovoor and his friends did not make a peep, while everyone waited in dead silence. It was clear that he was defeated, hands down. After I came off the stage, he was still sitting in the audience. I went to him and gave him my garland so he might not feel bad." So anyway, that's what happened there. He says, "Now we have exhausted all possibilities of extending our visas here. We were not able to meet the Prime Minister again, so he is very busy rewriting the constitution of this country. So I thought the most inexpensive move is to come to India, and then I could also see you and perhaps be visiting secretary for some time, then return again. Or I could go to Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, etc., in the Far East, Southeast Asia, and try to preach there, touring different cities to see the prospects."

Prabhupāda: That is very nice.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Bali-mardana -- Bombay 4 November, 1970:

It is for your daring and active nature that I have chosen you to represent me as GBC man for the southeast Asia zone, and I can see from your latest words that my choice has not been wrong. I think that Singapore and Hong Kong are English-speaking places so that you will not find much difficulty there. So just open two nice centers immediately and that will link-up our chain of centers around the world.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Amogha -- Bombay 25 December, 1971:

We are presently trying for a very nice house here in Bombay, to make our India headquarters in a very rich quarter of Bombay. In February we shall go with full party to Mayapur for holding festival for Lord Caitanya's Appearance Day.

If Bali Mardan is not very much present in his zone of South East Asia, then how will things be managed? Do you know if he is planning to return to his zone responsibilities? Another thing, how are our books being distributed? I want that our books and magazines be profusely distributed all over the world, and I am very pleased to hear that you have sold so many in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and other places in Asia. So go on in this way distributing books in Djakarta, that is solid work. If we simply sell many books, then our all success is guaranteed. You may inform me your progress there regularly and I shall always be pleased to hear from you.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Hanuman, Amogha -- Bombay 4 January, 1972:

I have read the translation of the pamphlet published for distribution in Djakarta. It is very nicely done. And I have also appreciated the photos showing you distributing Prasadam and performing Kirtana. Southeast Asia is a very good field for our activities, so you should continue vigorously in the same way you have been. So far your request for a couple to come and teach school in Djakarta, from here in India there are no available men as we have got the very big tasks of developing Mayapur and Vrindaban. Best thing will be that you write to Bali Mardan in New York and ask him that he should arrange for a mature householder couple to come from the U.S. Since the principal is offering kindly this chance to us, we must take it, so please inform Bali Mardan that someone should go.

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Los Angeles 16 May, 1972:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated May 9, 1972, and I have noted the contents. By now you have received our request for you to become the GBC man for South-east Asia, South Pacific zone. If you like, you may take up this post and travel extensively through that zone and do something wonderful there. I think Sudama Vipra Maharaja and one assistant have gone to Manila in the Philippine Islands and their report is very encouraging. So I shall be very anxious to hear your reply in this connection.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Bombay 18 November, 1975:

Regarding your coming to India and travelling with me, oh yes, you are welcome. It is very good that you have been observing Catur-masya. I have already sent through Brahmananda Swami a telegram approving your travel program. That's very nice that you will travel to the Southeast Asian countries, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong and also China. That is very nice.

Regarding the Gaura-Nitai Deities, yes, they can be installed, but let me see the photographs first. That is very good that you are growing your own flowers at the Melbourne mandir. This is very important.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Sri K. C. Kapur -- Mayapur 31 January, 1976:

I shall be going to Vrindaban. Vrindaban and Kanpur are not far from each other, so it will be most convenient for me to come. From Vrindaban I am tentatively scheduled to go to Manipur, so I am thinking to stop in Kanpur on the way. In the meantime I am sending Sri Gopala Krishna das Adhikari, ISKCON's Zonal Secretary for India and Southeast Asia, to see the land.

Letter to Sridhara -- Los Angeles 4 June, 1976:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated May 25, 1976, and I have noted the contents carefully.

I was very pleased to note that you are willing to go to China as we have just printed a Chinese Bhagavad-gita. I am most eager to see this distributed throughout Southeast Asia to as many Chinese speaking people as possible. For this reason I am sending Trivikrama Maharaja to Hong Kong immediately, and he will be followed by two of the big book distributers on the Radha-Damodara TSKP, being sent by Tamala Krsna Goswami. I wish that you will meet Trivikrama Swami in Hong Kong and combinedly organize distribution of the Chinese Gita profusely. It will be a great triumph. After all, one third of the world is Chinese speaking, and they are also human, they have a very old culture, so why shouldn't they be benefited by Lord Caitanya's movement.

Letter to Trivikrama -- Bombay 23 December, 1976:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated Dec. 9, 1976.

Your description of how you are distributing Bhagavad-gita is very nice. Follow that principle. There is no need of sannyasa dress. Organize this system all over Southeast Asia and distribute as many books as possible. I think that in Taiwan the Chinese people are very friendly to the Americans.