Audio
Prabhupada: And this opening hospital, that is not Vedic civilization.
Prabhupada: That is Western idea. "Give him some relief." Modern.
Prabhupada: Because they do not know. Nowadays they make experiment.
Prabhupada: Hmm.
Prabhupada: No. You have read?
Prabhupada: You can read the book.
Prabhupada: Hmm. Keep it there.
[break] ...is a Bengali common word. It is said, chobda niye tanatani. Chobda, that is like a coconut. Coconut pulp is within, and it is covered with a hard... What is called?
Prabhupada: ...shell, and again covered with fiber.
Prabhupada: Yes. So these people are interested with the fiber, not with the pulp. So all these scholars of the modern education, they are chobda niye tanatani.
Prabhupada: But they are studying.
Prabhupada: ...objectionable.
Prabhupada: Yes. He advertised himself, he is all in all.
Prabhupada: Hmm. And neither he has mentioned his guru's name nor others' name, as if he is doing everything. His ambition is only... Yes. Not a single place, any other svamiji or svami, as if he is..., it is his idea, and he will supply money and everything, like that. And without any sanction of a committee he has come to pay whimsically. So everything is being done like that. There are so many discrepancies. You read it carefully. Similarly, everything is being done, through this Surabhi. Have you read any?
Prabhupada: He does not like to interfere with his guru. He is doing everything.
Prabhupada: Hmm?
Prabhupada: "His city"?
Prabhupada: What is that? "Asked..."?
Prabhupada: He can say that he has taken sannyasa for his popularization?[?]
[Surabhir Abhipalayantam enters, offers obeisances]
Did you publish this article with others' consultation or by whimsical joke?
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: It could be...
Prabhupada: This article...
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: Yes.
Prabhupada: Did you publish it by consulting your other colleagues, or whimsically you have published?
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: Well, it was in... I think he went to different newspapers, just like the Indian Express and this one, and they wanted to speak with him.
Prabhupada: So such an important article, there are so many discrepancies, and you have published without consulting others?
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: I haven't seen it.
Prabhupada: And your name is simply, "Swami..." There is no other name behind this plan? As if you are doing everything. You are maybe architect, but is that your plan?
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: Well, we had that... We had an interview in the... And I very clearly mentioned all these things.
Prabhupada: There is no mention of any other's name, even your guru's name. You are everything there. This is very bad. This is not at all satisfies. It is objectionable, very much objectionable. You have done a very wrong thing. Why did you not consult others before publishing?
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: Well, we went with four devotees there, and I mentioned all these things, but I don't know why he didn't...
Prabhupada: Where? There's no mention; as if you are doing everything.
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: The first thing he...
Prabhupada: This article shows that you are doing everything, and they are asking, "your city"? They have asked. Is that your city?
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: But they have concocted that, because this was not how the interview was...
Prabhupada: Concocted, no. It is published. You have published a very great objectionable article without consulting others. Now you should not do anything without consulting others. I cannot allow this.
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: My intention was only to...
Prabhupada: No intention. Simply your name, you are everything, that's all. This is motivated. You do not mention even your guru's name.
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: We gave him a paper with all the things they had to put in there, very particular...
Prabhupada: And they have deleted your guru's name and others' name, and they have intentionally said "your city," as if you are doing everything, you are giving money. How is this? You again protest that "I gave you. Why you have published this? Again you have..." Give them protest.
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: Yes, I will, Srila Prabhupada. I will immediately write them. Because I...
Prabhupada: And if you have given such article to others, immediately stop it.
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: No, we don't have in others. We just had an interview with them, and they put it all like this.
Prabhupada: How they can do?
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: I don't know.
Prabhupada: Where is that original article?
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: Yes. I have...
Prabhupada: Is there name, others' name, in your original article? Where is that original article?
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: Well, we have given them a booklet which...
Prabhupada: Again "booklet." You are publishing article. What is the use of booklet? Why they will take care of a booklet? Take articles and... They have given, asked you, "your city." Where is that article?
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: I can't explain it.
Prabhupada: "His city." Your city.
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: Yeah, I never said this to him. We didn't even talk about this.
Prabhupada: So how is that, without your saying, they are publishing?
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: He did it in the same way as Indian Express...
Prabhupada: Your photograph is there. That is also they have done? Or you have given your photograph?
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: They took a picture. I have only given them this picture and this picture.
Prabhupada: Not a single man's name is there. "The Swami," your photograph... Nothing.
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: We will go immediately. I will go today, immediately.
Prabhupada: But what is published, that is already damaged.
Prabhupada: Therefore they asked you, "your city," "his city," "will build a center, fantastic..."
Prabhupada: It is most objectionable article. So you are doing things very, too independently. This is not very good. The impression will be that "Surabhi Swami has come to construct this city, his city," like that, as if everything doing, you are the all-and-all. That's... No other. And "the temple will be Krsna." Just show him, "the temple of Krsna." You do not know what is the temple will be? Clearly mentioned. They have also manufactured? They have manufactured? What is this?
Prabhupada: Just see. It is their manufacture?
Prabhupada: That is another thing. But it is not going to be Krsna's temple.
Prabhupada: And they have manufactured this?
Tamala Krsna: It says here, "The whole city is expected to... The temple... The planetarium will be ready in three years." But how is that possible to be built...? And that "The whole city will be done in ten years." Says here, "A Vedic city with fifty thousand brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras living around a Krsna temple in four concentric..."
Prabhupada: So they have criticized that "Your city, there will be forty...," "Aurobindo..." You have seen it?
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: No.
Prabhupada: Then.
Prabhupada: Yes. That is... It is very good farce. That is the... Yes.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Prabhupada: No.
Prabhupada: And your name is mentioned in every line, your photograph, as if you are doing everything.
Prabhupada: No.
Tamala Krsna: It appears just below this article. "ISKCON Branch in City from October, by a staff reporter. A branch of the Bhaktivedanta Institute, the center for advanced learning and research of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, ISKCON, based in Washington, D.C., is scheduled to be opened in October at Hare Krishna Land in Juhu. This was stated by Dr. Thoudam Damodara Singh in Bombay on Tuesday. Dr. Singh, who is in charge of the arrangements for the opening, told a press conference that the Institute presents in a modern format the higher sciences of the ancient Vedantic literatures. In Bombay, Dr. Singh said, the Institute will publish scientific articles, monographs and the journal 'Sa-vijnanam, Scientific Knowledge,' regularly." That's the whole article. Again Your Divine Grace's name is not mentioned. Of course, it says "Bhaktivedanta Institute," but still, it's not... Yeah, it was a very good opportunity that we could present our program, but somehow it [indistinct]. Where did they get these figures of "three years" and "ten years"? I mean, how could they have just concocted "three years" and "ten years" unless you told them?
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: I...
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: They fabricated. That's the whole thing.
Prabhupada: How they can fabricate in their own way? From...
[pause] Rather, they have criticized, that "This fantastic thing, it is going to be like Aurobindo's city, list of fifty thousand, 400 foreigners only." They are not taking it very seriously. Otherwise why he has remarked? Indirectly he has said, "This man is speaking like lunatic." They are not taking very seriously. That very remark shows that "It is going to be meet the same fate." So many fantastic ideas.
Prabhupada: Hmm?
Prabhupada: What is that?
Prabhupada: There Hare Krishna movement is nice.
Tamala Krsna: Yeah, it says that "The Hare Krishna movement is responsible for promoting knowledge of India and India's culture abroad." I mean, it is farce, because according to this article, we have to now come up with seventy crores of rupees and spend seventy crores in three years. So we cannot come up with seventy crores of rupees. Neither anyone could build that quickly. I mean, it's a farce. How could anyone build a temple of that proportion, a planetarium of that size, in three years' time. I mean, anybody who knows about building will know. We can't even build this building in three years.
Prabhupada: It will be rejected as fantastic. Therefore they, "Is it going to meet the same fate?"" [pause] You do not know what is the temple will be? You do not know?
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: Hmm?
Prabhupada: That temple, what will be the Deity, you do not know?
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: I mentioned... We gave them the paper with all the information on it.
Prabhupada: Eh?
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: They had been given a paper with all the names of the Deities on it.
Prabhupada: What is that Deity?
Prabhupada: Yes. These are... "Krsna."
Prabhupada: Eh?
Prabhupada: Everything is spoiled. They have given so much coverage, and everything has been farce. Because, don't mind, you wanted to become famous-that is the intention-therefore it has become a farce. The inner intention was that you want to be famous, frankly speaking. Therefore it has become farce. Everything ludicrous, farce. And "In three years they will build this temple and, and..." You have read that article?
Giriraja: No.
Prabhupada: Now immediately a board should be formed. You cannot do independently. That will not be allowed. Anything. In Bengali there is a word, pance mili kari kaja, hari jiti nahi laja: "If you do something, combined together five men, then whether you are defeated or you are victorious, there is nothing to be shameful." Hari duhkhi nahi lasa. So you are doing everything independent. You do not like to interfere with your business. You become angry. That should be stopped. You cannot be allowed. You'll be disastrous. It has no meaning.
[pause] [someone enters and offers obeisance.]
What is that?
Prabhupada: What is this? Not in our letterhead?
Tamala Krsna: It says, "The birthplace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the district Nadia, prepared under the direction of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and by his disciples, His Holiness Surabhir Abhipalayantam Swami, ISKCON Mayapur Project architect and director of construction; His Holiness Jayapataka Swami, ISKCON Mayapur project president and Governing Body Commissioner; Sri Patita Pavana dasa Brahmacari, Bhakti Sastri, ISKCON Mayapur; and the editors of Back to Godhead magazine, ISKCON Press, Los Angeles, California."
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: [indistinct] four articles.
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: It was taken from Back to Godhead.
Prabhupada: Hmm?
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: Nitai did.
Prabhupada: Who wrote?
Tamala Krsna: Nitai. This is an article previously published in Back to Godhead, written by Nitai a couple years ago. "Part Two: A General Description of ISKCON's Spiritual City in Mayapur. A Short History of ISKCON Mayapur." It gives a description of their history. "When the first American devotees of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, ISKCON, heard in 1970 from the Society's Founder-Acarya, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada..."
Prabhupada: Everywhere there is founder-acarya's name, but not a single line...
Prabhupada: So they have purposefully avoided, and given your name?
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: I all the time insisted on this, that it has to be written down...
Prabhupada: Your photograph and your name and nothing else.
Tamala Krsna: I mean, one point is this: When you hold a press conference, you don't give them a fifty-page booklet and expect that they're going to read any of it. They're not going to read any of it. When you hold a press conference you give one sheet, and on that sheet everything is there in order of importance. Nobody ever gives this in a press conference. This is a book.
Prabhupada: No, no...
Prabhupada: No, no. No, no. Why it is mentioned that Surabhi Swami is everything. How they have picked up your name and your photograph as everything?
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: Well, I usually have to go these places with Patita Pavana. And the man, he wanted to see me the night before, so I went to Times of India, and I just...
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: I don't know. So I came on invitation, and then I just sat down to explain all the things that were written in the book.
Prabhupada: I don't think there is any name mentioned, presented, in these articles.
Prabhupada: No.
Prabhupada: So how you came in front?
Surabhir Abhipalayantam: Well, Patita, he was explaining about the project we were doing in Bombay. He was setting it up and working on it.
Prabhupada: But Patita's is not there. Your name is there. Your photograph.
Tamala Krsna: Even on the project in Bombay your name is in front cover, and not Prabhupada's name. Now, why should your name become prominent in regard to the Bombay project? Now, you said he was describing what we were doing in Bombay, so therefore he wanted to meet you. So why should he want to...? If anybody describes about this Bombay project, they should want to meet Prabhupada.
[pause] There's nothing objectionable in this report, but they're not going to use this report.
Prabhupada: Hmm?
Prabhupada: No, no, that is not... It is written, "The Founder-Acarya," written clearly.
Prabhupada: But how is that, they have avoided everything else? "Surabhi Swami is doing. It is his city." They're asking, "his city." And where is such incidence that any project, without mentioning the project makers, the architect's name. Where is that incidence, that "Here is the architect, architect, architect"? Nobody finds.
Tamala Krsna: You look at any project in Bombay that's coming up, or anywhere in India. They'll always mention who is going to use the building or who is..., who paid for it. Hardly ever... If anything, the architect's name is mentioned in one line, "designed by so and so." But the architect never holds the press conference. That's another... I mean, I never heard of an architect holding a press conference. Neither I have ever heard the architect doing so many of the other things which the architect is doing. That, I think, is the essential thing. Neither Bhavananda Maharaja is mentioned in here.
Prabhupada: Anyway, you form immediately joint committee. You cannot do independently. That is not possible. Whatever is done is done. Now, henceforward, you should be guarded.
Prabhupada: The Times of India?
Prabhupada: You published that article?
Prabhupada: Times of India.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Prabhupada: Eh?
Prabhupada: So what kind of interview, that Saurabha is everything? Architect? Architect is everything?
Patita-pavana: This is a great mistake. Surabhi Maharaja did not want that. He specifically said, and we also told him, "You must put this: 'Founder-Acarya His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.' " He said it definitely, I said it, and I wrote it down. And I wrote it down, I think, two places for him. And then it was also written down on our release, "disciples of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada."
Prabhupada: So how is that, nobody's name is there, only Saurabha's? And they have mentioned, "his city."
Prabhupada: Therefore I say you have done independently, whimsically. This is... This is to be stopped. You are acting too independent.
|
|