Audio
Tamala Krsna: ...about book sales and sells twelve to fifteen thousand rupees a month. It's very nice to see these foreign people coming to Vrndavana, having read your books, coming here. It's like a perfect fulfillment of your books. They're so much impressed with the subject matter that they want to see this Vrndavana. Especially if they have read Krsna book. To them Vrndavana is like a magical world.
Prabhupada: Hmm. Hindi book is selling nice.
Prabhupada: Four hundred, five hundred-no joke.
Prabhupada: He writes nice.
Prabhupada: No, who has written?
Bhavananda: Visala said... I was asking him last night. He said that the most difficult people for selling books to are the Bengalis when they come. They're the most difficult. But everyone else, they are more receptive.
Prabhupada: And Gitar Gan is taken, everyone who comes.
Prabhupada: Hmm. That Babaji was telling.
Prabhupada: He said that "In everyone's hand I see Gitar Gan."
Satadhanya: And they're anxious for the next issue.
Prabhupada: They have already published twenty thousand.
Prabhupada: Hmm. Everywhere. Two hundred men already subscribed. If we increase subscribers-many, many.
Prabhupada: Why not?
Prabhupada: Very good.
Bhavananda: Only one problem with Bhagavata subscription is theft in the mail. It's very difficult to get it..., for it to reach its destination.
Prabhupada: No, they make contact. For twelve rupees they'll get twelve copies.
Bhavananda: When they contact.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Bhavananda: That's good idea.
Bhavananda: Yes. They come to the temple few times a year, once a year. They'll get their copies and go.
Bhavananda: Or if someone's going on traveling saṅkirtana in that area-'cause we always know where they're going-they can take and deliver if they're going near. No problem. But the magazine is so attractive that the postal clerks, they cannot resist taking it home to their family. [laughs]
Prabhupada: You can get advertisement. But we don't want it.
Bhavananda: Oh!
Prabhupada: And we have a bookstall there. Make it like that.
Bhavananda: Oh, yes.
Prabhupada: For the last fifty years they could not...
Bhavananda: Make.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Bhavananda: Very nice.
Bhavananda: Right.
Bhavananda: ...when people come for darsana there's no covered area for them. They've been trying to construct for years and years. They've never been able to do. So you have to stand out. If it's raining, what do you do? There's no shelter.
Prabhupada: That means twelve thousand.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Prabhupada: No, more.
Prabhupada: So you can pay that way ten thousand month? Huh? Bhavananda?
Bhavananda: Yes. Oh, yes.
Prabhupada: Do it very conscientiously.
Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Whenever there is money, spend it. Is that idea all right?
Bhavananda: Yes. I always am for spending money for projects for Your Divine Grace. I especially like this idea of Yoga-pitha Bhaktivedanta Hall. Very nice. Isn't it, Tamala?
Tamala Krsna: Hmm. Yes. It's very nice idea, because people come to Mayapur, they don't only go to our ISKCON temple. Even when they go to other temples, they should have a good impression of Caitanya Mahaprabhu's movement.
Prabhupada: Everyone has got intelligence-more or less, that's all.
Prabhupada: No...
Bhavananda: We have no spiritual intelligence.
Prabhupada: Complete knowledge-Krsna. Aisvaryasya samagrasya [Visnu Purana 6.5.74]. Complete knowledge can be claimed by Krsna, even not by Narayana. Janmady asya yatah [SB 1.1.1]. Everything is coming. Vedaham. What is that verse? Vedaham sarvani mam ca veda na kascana? The kaviraja went to Pagala Baba? He has praised me very much.
Prabhupada: That is very difficult. [laughter] You have all taken meals?
Tamala Krsna: Yes, Srila Prabhupada. While we were taking, we were thinking that you were seeing us, and we were satisfied. We were thinking that the spiritual master is very much satisfied when he sees his disciples respecting bhagavata-prasadam. [break] ...pray, Srila Prabhupada, that you recover. You won't have to be bothered now by any more worries of any kind. You simply can translate and see all of the temples and the devotees. It will be very nice. You've never in all these years been able to be free of the worries and anxieties, but now you'll be able to be. Krsna may grant you some more years so you can just have nice time with all of your disciples, visiting all the Deities. [pause] Like to take a little rest now, Srila Prabhupada?
Prabhupada: Yes. What can I do? [laughs] [scratching sound] Whose hand it is? Whose hand?
Bhavananda: Satadhanya.
Satadhanya: Is it cold, Srila Prabhupada? Summertime it's good.
Prabhupada: Somebody's hand is warm, I want.
Prabhupada: Whose hand?
Prabhupada: Where is boada?[?]
[long pause-Srila Prabhupada is sleeping]
[break] ...of the different businesses of Vrindavan? Well, first of all he was getting money for traveling expenses. So I have written a letter to Mr. Bekkar, the manager of the Central Bank of India at Camac Street, informing him that henceforward the interest from the fixed deposits in the name of BBT should be stopped from giving it to Vrinda Book Company, and instead the money should be transferred by mail transfer to the Central Bank of India, Gwalior Tank Road, to BBT account. I gave all the details. That's one letter. Then furthermore, I also addressed a letter to the Punjab National Bank, Brabourne Road, informing them that the Rs. 500 should be stopped from being given to Shrimati Radharani De, because... I didn't mention this, but the reason is that she'll be getting one thousand rupees from Indian Overseas Bank. And I'm sending that letter...
Prabhupada: Oh... Has Indian Overseas arranged?
Tamala Krsna: Yes, Srila Prabhupada. Let me explain what I was going to say. The letter to Punjab Bank I have not sent to the bank. Rather, I have sent it to Giriraja and informed him that when the Indian Overseas Bank sends their first transfer of Rs. 1,000, then he may send the letter to Punjab Bank regarding Radharani De. In other words, when we first get it confirmed...
Prabhupada: Why not Punjab National Bank, as they are sending, let them send and ask Overseas five hundred?
Tamala Krsna: No, because we've already given them a scheme which accounts for everybody. Better to have the whole thing done in a very organized way from one bank, rather than a little here, a little from there. That is simply confusing. Besides that, the... It's just a lot simpler, you know, if we do it this way. That is my opinion, because we've already given a scheme to Indian Overseas. We've put fixed deposits worth a certain amount which bring one thousand rupees' interest. So now, if we have to tell them a whole new scheme, then it becomes confusion. It's easier simply to inform the Punjab Bank to discontinue sending the five hundred rupees.
Prabhupada: And unless they send, Overseas...
Tamala Krsna: No, no. I am not sending a letter to Punjab Bank. The letter is being sent to Giriraja with the clear instruction on cover letter, "Only send this letter to Punjab Bank after you have it confirmed that they have begun to dispatch Rs. 1,000 per month." The same way we did for Sulakshmana De. When we stopped sending it from here and we began sending from Bombay, we only told them to stop when it had begun to be sent from another bank. In other words, she'll get the money first from Indian Overseas before the other payment's stopped.
Prabhupada: So how she will get?
Prabhupada: How?
Prabhupada: Oh. So she is informed?
Tamala Krsna: Oh, yes. All of them are informed. Then I've also sent a letter to the Central Bank of India-again I'm not sending it to Central Bank; I've given it to Giriraja-that when they start to get the 250 rupees a month from Indian Overseas, then we will stop sending the 250 from Central Bank of India. In other words, everything will be done from one bank, right on our land. It's a lot easier to deal with it this way. It's much cleaner. Then... Let me see what else. I also sent a letter to M. M. De today. I requested him to please tell me what his bank account number is. I also... He's dealing with most of the business of Panchashil flat. According to Vrindavan Chandra, M.M. deals with these matters. Apparently he has a little more legal mind. Probably he's more intelligent. Anyway...
Prabhupada: No, who?
Tamala Krsna: M. M. De. So in my letter to him I explained to him that... I enclosed a copy of the conveyance draft, and I requested him that as far as I was concerned, the draft was all right, but that he should check up with some of the other flat owners. If they have executed a similar conveyance, please inform me, and then we will do as they have done. I also told him that whatever taxes or other things which he pays should be paid in your name, and receipts should be gotten in your name, and copies of the receipts he can please send me for my records. And I also wrote to him that regarding the permanent electricity supply, if the four of them together pay half of the amount, then as soon as they send me the receipt, then I will send a check for the other half. Those were the points I wrote in the letter to him. What I'm going to do is, as soon as I get this amendment done which mentions about the misspending, not to misspend the money-squandering clause-then I will send a copy of that along with a letter, explaining to them how each one of them will be getting Rs. 250, and then after seven years, you know, the bigger amount. And then I will send them a copy of that squandering clause with that, saying, "But you should not squander this money. It must be invested in fixed deposits or government bonds. Otherwise your monthly pension will be stopped, and it will be given to Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity." I'm only going to do that after I get the amendment clause finished. So like that, everything was done, and I finished all of that business today. Also I wrote a letter to Dr. Ghosh, telling him that whatever money he advances we will match, again repeating our offer that we have two rooms ready. And I also mentioned to him how... He mentioned how he was a little disappointed with his discussions. I said that is not so surprising, because our gurukula is ultimately meant for spiritual education, not otherwise, and we're only going to give a little basic hygiene teaching. I said, "Mainly now you should take up this dispensary. We are very eager for that." And again I invited him to come here soon. And I gave him a report of your health. And I also sent a letter to Bank of America in Los Angeles for transferring six hundred dollars to Prabhavisnu in Nepal, because each month we have to give him that money so he can stay there and work there nicely. And then I did some other letters to Punjab Bank in Delhi to the head office, telling them that the interests... For now the interest from those fixed deposits we'll have credited to your account here. And once we have the first meeting of the Bhaktivedanta Charity Trust..., Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust, we'll open a bank account, probably in Mayapur or Swarup Ganj.
Prabhupada: Why not open the Charity Trust account in Delhi?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Tamala Krsna: Well, I would think that for operating it, it would be a lot more... My idea was that it would be better to have it in the Mayapur area itself, since it is primarily meant for spending... It is meant entirely for spending in Gauda-mandala-bhumi. My idea was that we would open the account in Gauda-mandala-bhumi area and give instruction to...
Prabhupada: Gauda [indistinct] area where?
Bhavananda: We have in Swarup Ganj and Navadvipa and Krishnanagar.
Bhavananda: Navadvipa is good banks.
Tamala Krsna: In Navadvipa. And give the standing instruction at that time to Parliament Street bank to transfer every month the interest. That was my idea. But for the time being we have to tell them what to do with the interest. So I thought instead of going to the botheration of opening new accounts at the Punjab Bank at Parliament Street, let them go on transferring it to your accounts here. And then, when we open the Charity Trust account, then I'll give them a fresh instruction.
Prabhupada: What...? The... In the Punjab National Bank, fixed deposits in the name of?
Prabhupada: Oh. So where they will be kept?
Tamala Krsna: The interest or the fixed deposits? The fixed deposits are in Delhi, and the interest, for now, for the next few months, I am instructing the bank to continue to transfer to the accounts here in Vrndavana that it's always been given to. Then when the Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust account is opened, I will issue a fresh instruction to the Parliament Street bank that the money, the interest money, should be transferred to that account in Navadvipa or wherever we open the account. My idea was simply that since the money is to be spent in Gauda-mandala-bhumi, then when we write checks out, etcetera, from that account, it's much easier to encash it rather than having to go to Delhi for encashment.
Prabhupada: Hmm. Which is better?
Prabhupada: Which is better?
Prabhupada: Hmm?
Tamala Krsna: Well, I think it's better for Gauda-mandala-bhumi. Because for general, we have ISKCON. For general, we have the... I'll explain, Srila Prabhupada. For general, the GBC has formed the Mayapur-Vrndavana Committee. That is more or less... Your original name of it was Mayapur-Vrndavana Trust. So we've formed a Mayapur-Vrndavana Committee made up of the following seven people: Jayapataka Maharaja, Gopala Krsna Prabhu, Giriraja, myself, Ramesvara, and Gurukrpa Maharaja and Atreya Rsi. So these seven meet, and they divide up the money that comes from all the interests of the fixed deposits in India, and they will recommend how that money should be spent. Once a year they will consider at Mayapur all the different requests from Bhubaneswar, from Mayapur, from Bombay, from Vrndavana-everywhere-and they will divide up the interest accordingly. So the Bhaktivedanta Charity Trust could be simply for the Gauda-mandala-bhumi area. That was my idea.
Prabhupada: Whichever suitable.
Prabhupada: Which is suitable.
Tamala Krsna: Yes, I think that the general is already covered by this Mayapur-Vrndavana Trust committee. That's for all of India. And Gauda-mandala-bhumi is especially for encouraging the development of Gaudiya Vaisnavism in that area-Sridhara Maharaja's natha-mandira, this Yoga-pitha Bhaktivedanta Hall. Different buildings. Maybe someone has... Supposing one of your Godbrothers may have written some manuscript; he has no money. We can print some books for him so he can sell them, like that-works within the Mayapur area.
Prabhupada: That we shall fix up, what to spend.
Prabhupada: Hmm.
Prabhupada: All right.
Prabhupada: No. My point is that all this interest will go for charity.
Tamala Krsna: Yes. "All of the interest" means from all of the different fixed deposits or from these ten lakhs, sixty thousand? Just like we have... I'll give you an example. In Bombay we have that Mayapur-Vrndavana Trust fixed deposits in Bank of America. So those are big amount. So those fixed deposits and other fixed deposits, that money, I was thinking, would be decided upon by that Mayapur-Vrndavana Trust committee. Because those are all ISKCON men.
Prabhupada: That's all right.
Tamala Krsna: Madhusudana Maharaja, Madhava Maharaja, they may decide for the Bhaktivedanta Charity Trust with the other five of us.
Prabhupada: That's all right.
Prabhupada: All right.
Prabhupada: All right. [break] [indistinct]
Prabhupada: Yesterday I felt so... But this massage is always...
Tamala Krsna: Massage is always welcome. Perhaps this might be a nice time to call Jayadvaita and Pradyumna. Do you feel like speaking and hearing about Bhagavatam?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Prabhupada: No.
Jayadvaita: ...sent me an urgent telegram asking me to send the book manuscript and also to pick up another manuscript that he'd sent. So I went for... He told me to go for three days and not to come back to Vrndavana until it was done. But I went for one day. But I heard that I inconvenienced you because you couldn't translate that night. I'm sorry that I held up the work. [pause] That anthology book I think will come out very nicely.
Prabhupada: Eh?
Jayadvaita: That anthology book of different articles written by Your Divine Grace, I think that will come out very nicely. That's what Ramesvara was having me send him.
Prabhupada: Anthology?
Jayadvaita: It's a collection-Ramesvara mentioned it while you were here..., while he was here-a collection of different articles from Back to Godhead written by yourself. There's your conversation with Professor Kotovsky, and also from the old BTG you were publishing in India there's that article "Relevant Inquiries." That's very wonderful article. Your correspondence with Dr. Stahl, that's also there. And lectures from different places. When you first arrived in London there's a very wonderful lecture. So many wonderful articles that have been published over the years in BTG. But the real thing is Srimad-Bhagavatam.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Prabhupada: [Transl. Let me take. Sit me up.]
Satadhanya: Yes, Prabhupada. Do you like heavy cover?
Prabhupada: Hmm. [break]
Satadhanya: Which one?
Prabhupada: You can find out.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Prabhupada: [Transl. Will you go to Calcutta?]
Satadhanya:
"The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil amongst various species."
Prabhupada: Is it clear?
Prabhupada: Hmm.
Prabhupada: Matter is also energy. It is also energy. As energy, they are one. But have... They have differentiated in different... Is it clear?
Prabhupada: Stool is not required. [pause]
[Transl. In this way the cycle of elevation and degradation is going on. Among them, one who is fortunate, he, by the mercy of Krsna, enters into the kingdom of devotional service.]
[break]
Prabhupada: He thinks, but it... It is not the fact.
Prabhupada: The covering matter is inferior.
Devotee: How the Mayavadi thinks that he can..., that the material energy is false, when at every step he's baffled by the material energy?
Prabhupada: There is no other way. They cannot make a solution, so they must try to make a compromise.
Satadhanya: And they want to adjust it according to the time.
Prabhupada: It is not real in this sense: because the spirit is there, therefore it is there. Because there is consciousness, there is ignorance, covering. And if you stop this ignorance, then consciousness is there, pure.
Prabhupada: Yes. Yes. [break]
Prabhupada: He's a particular individual. In the body... Just like you are in this room. When you leave this room, the room becomes vacant, but there are innumerable other jivas.
Prabhupada: Particular.
Satadhanya: Who permeates that body.
Prabhupada: And we can experience. There are so many germs within the body.
Prabhupada: Yes. Not dead matter. They come out. As soon as the body is decomposed, they come out. You cannot say that the life-giving substance is gone. It is there. [break] ...this boy.
Prabhupada: Eh?
Prabhupada: That is right conclusion.
Bhavananda: None of us... As soon as we saw him, we didn't even like his looks.
Tamala Krsna: Then he should stay here if he doesn't want it. What will you do if, supposing after three days after the kaviraja leaves, suddenly Prabhupada's condition changes in such a way that it wasn't counted on. Then what will be done at that time? Then it means that this junior man suddenly becomes the..., diagnose, has to give diagnosis and treatment?
Tamala Krsna: If he can't stay here, then he should help to take Prabhupada to Mayapur. And actually that will make him very responsible, because then he'll see that Prabhupada is taking risk simply to be under his care. So that will make him feel even more obligated to take proper care of Srila Prabhupada even after going to Mayapur.
Prabhupada: This is the right conclusion.
Prabhupada: Bring. He does not agree, then?
Bhavananda: Agree to remain?
Prabhupada: Journey, what is the difficulty?
Prabhupada: Bhavananda?
Prabhupada: I am prepared also. How many hours it will take altogether?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Bhavananda: No. Four hours to Mayapur, 'cause we'll go slow.
Prabhupada: Ten hours?
Prabhupada: How ten hours?
Prabhupada: No, no. You are going to Delhi airport in three hours. Then?
Bhavananda: It always takes four hours.
Tamala Krsna: [to Bhavananda:] But that's four hours from the Calcutta temple, not from Dum Dum. No, I'm telling you, you don't have to go through Calcutta at all.
Bhavananda: It only takes half an hour to get to the airport, and we'll go slow.
Prabhupada: Four hours?
Tamala Krsna: Well, I'm arguing this point with Bhavananda Maharaja, but he insists that he knows, so I'm accepting his statement. Three to four hours.
Bhavananda: Because the road is...
Bhavananda: So if you go too fast, then it's too bumpy. If you go slow, then it's reasonable.
Prabhupada: So let us go. And keep me in the open air. [pause]
Tamala Krsna: The main thing is that we must present it to the kaviraja that we are depending upon his care. If you actually feel this kaviraja to be good and helpful, then we must present it in such a way that "We fully depend upon your treatment. Therefore, as you... We cannot depend on any other junior man, because there may be complications at any time. Therefore, when you feel Prabhupada is ready, you take us to Mayapur. And if your other business in Calcutta is so pressing, then take us now." And in that way he'll be forced to feel responsible, because he'll see that we are going on his account.
Prabhupada: Talk like that.
Prabhupada: Hmm?
Bhavananda: This man is competent.
Prabhupada: No, if we have program to go to Mayapur, he has got that distilled medicine in his dispensary.
Tamala Krsna: We can hold him, because, no doubt about it, the few extra days we gain will give you a little added strength. The main thing is that you should be feeling some positive effect from his treatments, because ultimately that is the real deciding factor. Our opinion of him.... He may be very nice looking, but if the medicine works, that is what counts.
Bhavananda: Of course, we don't know, but we're all feeling that you're feeling some effect. You told me the other night.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Tamala Krsna: It should be tangibly felt. It should be some actual, tangible result. You should have more strength, sitting up on your own or something of this kind. Then I'll believe that you're actually feeling better, Srila Prabhupada. Because otherwise, psychologically one may feel himself better, but then that should manifest in being able to sit up or something of that kind, turn around in bed on one's own.
Prabhupada: Do you think I am able to do that?
Prabhupada: Hmm.
Prabhupada: [Transl. Which one will be better?]
Prabhupada: [Transl. Hmm. Then I will sit up.]
Prabhupada: Now I cannot sit up independently.
Bhavananda: But that will only come from renewal of strength.
Bhavananda: And renewal of strength will only come from appetite, when you start eating.
Prabhupada: Eating only juice.
Prabhupada: [Transl. Then why don't you give me milk and barley?]
Bhavananda: Maybe after parikrama.
Prabhupada: [Transl. If you give too much at a time I can't drink.]
[break]
Prabhupada: How many plane go from Delhi?
Tamala Krsna: There's a... Delhi, there's two flights. One is in the morning, and the other one is in the evening. Morning flight is at about six-thirty in the morning, six-forty in the morning, and the evening flight is quite late, about eight o'clock at night. We would want to take the morning flight. [end]
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