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770527r2.vrn
Prabhupada: We have no other business. We want to see people live, eating very nicely nutritious food, keeping good health. But unnecessarily artificial things, bothering, that we don't want. Keep your health very nice, live for as many years as possible, and be Krsna conscious. Then, next life, you go back to home, back to Godhead, permanent life. Yad gatva na nivartante [Bg. 15.6]. This we want to give. There is no cheating. There is no politics, no personal ambition fulfilling. This is our mission. Try to convince them. There is not a little tinge of personal sense gratification. This is our... Now can you point out, any one of them, that "Here is the point, the personal sense gratification"? We are talking amongst ourselves, so if there is any flaw, you can point out. Can anyone? That "Here is the point, personal sense gratification"? There is no such things in Krsna consciousness. Tandera carana-sebi-bhakta-sane bas. Our only ambition is we live among devotees and execute the mission of our predecessors, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Krsna. This is our ambition.
We have got ambition, but this is our ambition, that live with devotees and execute the mission of our predecessor. This is our aim. Without ambition nobody can live. Self-interest, ambition, is everywhere. But self-interest is to execute the Krsna's desire. That they do not know. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. That they do not know. So you are Americans, and they are responding. You are responding means Americans responding. So do very carefully, and if one fourth of America becomes Vaisnava, the whole world will change. They are the leading nation. Krsna has given them all facilitygood land, good intelligence, good education, good facilities, good prestige. Is it not? They are fortunate. Janmaisvarya-sruta-sri [SB 1.8.26]. Everything is there. Take this opportunity. This is our ambition. I went to America with this ambition, that "If the American people will take this Krsna consciousness..." That is coming to be fulfilled. Now the Indians resident of America, they are also taking. That you... Who said?
Ramesvara: Yes. Actually even in Los Angeles, where there is a small settlement, the entire Indian population is supporting us. They have their own societies, Gujarat, Maharastran, but all of them have voted to endorse our Ratha-yatra and to support it with all their facilities.
Prabhupada: Yes, they'll do. Indians and Americans, they are well-to-do. In foreign countries, everywhere, I see, Indians, their position is better than in India. In your country also. Indians in foreign countries, they get more facilities. Personally also, I could not do here in India in spite of twenty-three years. And as soon as I went to America, all facilities came to me. Of course, it took some time. That takes some... Indian, the worst government and everything is crippled, crippled. People are hampered. And the government servant, they're simply wasting time and drawing big, big salary. This is India. Very precarious condition. Fighting, party, that party, that party. Because India's original culture is very, very strong, despite all these disadvantages, they are still standing, mass of people. Otherwise India's government is worthless. Hm? What do you think?
Ramesvara: It's obvious.
Prabhupada: Hm?
Ramesvara: It is obvious, what you are saying.
Prabhupada: When I left India, I promised "I'll never come here." I was reluctant to do anything here. You know that? No action do there. But still, I thought that "At least in Mayapura let me have my..." (laughs) At least Mayapura, that "There is Vaisnava, so many resident, in Mayapura, Vrndavana." I was... I promised that "I'll never come again, back again here." That was my promise. But Krsna wanted. That's all right. I was quite disgusted. Still I am disgusted. America giving permanent resident, these rascals will not give. What is wrong? In your country they also get permanent resident, outsiders?
Atreya Rsi: In my country there is also a reaction towards Indians. I had to come twice. Once I came the night before, and they would not give me visa at the entry.
Prabhupada: Accha?
Atreya Rsi: The Indian government.
Prabhupada: Indian. Indian?
Atreya Rsi: Yes, because so many Indians have not been granted visa in Iran, so they are now reciprocating like that, and I had to go back to Tehran to see the ambassador, who is our friend, getting visa and come back immediately.
Prabhupada: Just see.
Atreya Rsi: The government are just playing these games.
Prabhupada: Whimsical. Very, very difficult to deal with such unscrupulous government. But still, we have got open field all over the world.
Ramesvara: In America the book selling has now surpassed last year.
Prabhupada: Accha?
Ramesvara: We are trying to double. So it is not yet doubled, but it has gone...
Prabhupada: Surplus.
Ramesvara: ...beyond last year.
Prabhupada: Oh. That's nice. It is going to be doubled.
Ramesvara: We are confident. By your words it will double.
Prabhupada: Yes. Be doubly blessed. Yes. I say, America is my fatherland. So New Vrindaban is developing? Be happy everywhere.
Kirtanananda: How can we be happy when you're not well?
Prabhupada: Hm? Hm?
Kirtanananda: We can't be happy if you're not well.
Prabhupada: I am always well.
Kirtanananda: Why can't you give us your old age?
Prabhupada: When I see that things are going on nicely, I am happy. What is this with this body? Body is body. We are not body.
Kirtanananda: Wasn't it Purudasa that gave his father his youth?
Prabhupada: Hm?
Ramesvara: Yayati. King Yayati traded his old age.
Kirtanananda: With his son. You can do that.
Prabhupada: (laughs) Who did?
Ramesvara: King Yayati.
Prabhupada: Ah. Yayati. No, why? You are my body. So you live on. There is no difference. Just like I am working, so my Guru Maharaja is there, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Physically he may not be, but in every action he is there. I think actually I have written that.
Tamala Krsna: Yeah, it's in the Bhagavatam, that "He who lives with him, he lives eternally. He who remembers his words lives eternally."
Prabhupada: So I am not going to die. Kirtir yasya sa jivati: "One who has done something substantial, he lives forever." He doesn't die. Even in our practical life... Of course, this is material, karma-phala. One has to accept another body according to his karma. But for devotee there is no such thing. He always accepts a body for serving Krsna. So there is no karma-phala. (pause)
Ramesvara: Last volume of Ninth Canto is at the printer.
Prabhupada: Hm?
Ramesvara: The last volume, it is already at the printer, being printed.
Prabhupada: Oh, Ninth.
Ramesvara: It will be here in about ten days. And the first volume of Tenth Canto, we have just received Chapter Four and Chapter Five, and the artists will be finished in two weeks.
Prabhupada: Another thing, the Hindi photographic pages, if you send to Los Angeles, the books can be printed there.
Ramesvara: Printed in America?
Prabhupada: Hm.
Ramesvara: What language? Hindi?
Prabhupada: The photographic pages...
Kirtanananda: For the photographic pages in the Hindi, the printing of the photography...
Prabhupada: Because Hindi composition is not possible there. So after composing here, if they send you the photography, finished copy, from that copy, whether you can print there?
Ramesvara: Oh, yes.
Prabhupada: I think you can work out.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Ramesvara: In America. The art pages?
Ramesvara: Everything? It will be more expensive because in India they print on cheap paper. If we use the same cheap paper, they'll still have to pay more because it has to be shipped back to India. But I can check.
Prabhupada: Yes. (pause) So?
Prabhupada: Hm? Kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. Adi 17.31]. Without condition, kirtana should go on. And that is the panacea of all troubles. Bhaktivinoda Thakura has given, jay sakal bipod, bhaktivinod bole, jakhon o-nam gai. This is a fact. If you always continue kirtana, there is no danger. You are above all danger. Our Kirtanananda Maharaja knows very well. He has no danger. He's sticking to that New Vrindaban program, improving, very good example. They eat first-class, nutritious food, and in Philadelphia also.
Prabhupada: Eh?
Prabhupada: Yes. First class. Satyabhama gave me...
Prabhupada: "Too thick. How shall I eat it?" Oh, it was so nice.
Tamala Krsna: Satyabhama gave Prabhupada this black capati. He thought, "So thick. How will I be able to eat it?"
Prabhupada: Very delicious and easily digested. They are living very happily. You had been there?
Ramesvara: No, I've just heard all the good reports.
Prabhupada: Very happily. That is life. Eat very sumptuously nutritious food. Chant Hare Krsna. Bas. What is this nonsense life, from five o'clock in the morning driving big, big trucks, "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."? Is that life? In Berkeley... Berkeley? Or where is that? Where are our temple only?
Ramesvara: Yes, Berkeley.
Prabhupada: So there is a road. Whenever you go, always trucks: "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoo, whoo, whoo..." The docks and ports filled up with all rubbish things. People are harassed. Is that life? And they are compensating by drinking, by illicit sex and meat-eating. Soul-killing civilization. Sita atapa bata barisana. You know this song? There is a song.
Prabhupada: Yes. Sing it. You know?
Adi-kesava: Not all the words.
Prabhupada: You know?
Jayapataka: Most of it.
Prabhupada: Sita atapa, bata barisana, e dina jamini jagi re, biphale sebinu, krpana durajana... Hm? What is that? Capala sukha-laba lagi' re.
Prabhupada: Ah. Bhaja... Sing it.
Atreya Rsi: Sing it.
Prabhupada: So why don't you teach this song? You repeat, and they will repeat, and they will...
Prabhupada: Very nice song. Very. Just applicable to the point, everywhere. Philosophical, practical.
Jayapataka: (sings) [break]
Prabhupada: ...introduce. Now I see so many times.
Ramesvara: Two million copies sold by the end of this year.
Prabhupada: At least they are under... Two million people know what is Krsna.
Prabhupada: Hm?
Tamala Krsna: If you read that book, you have to know something about Krsna. Every page is about Krsna, every word. One professor complained that the trouble with your books is that everywhere you talk about Krsna. Even when Krsna's name isn't there, you put it there. (laughter)
Prabhupada: Krsna phobia. And that is my idea. Let there be repeatedly the sounding, "Krsna, Krsna, Krsna." Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna Krsna he. They want to avoid it, and I don't allow.
Prabhupada: Yes. They say, "Why you are stressing so much on Krsna?" And that is the only business.
Ramesvara: At the end of this year we will have sold at least sixty-five million books on Krsna, magazines and books. By end of December, sixty-five million throughout the world, mostly in the last five years.
Ramesvara: Every year we are selling at least fifteen to twenty million books now, books and magazines.
Prabhupada: It will increase more. People will be inquisitive. Yes, everything there is. What is the wrong? We are talking of Krsna, and all of a sudden I collapse. Oh, that is the greatest profit. Greatest profit. Krsna tvadiya...
Prabhupada: Hm. Krsna tvadiya-pada-pankaja-panjarantam adyaiva visatu me manasa-raja-hamsah [MM 33], prana-prayana... Ordinary dying, kapha-pitta-vayu: "Ghara ghara ghar," choking and... But in the kirtana if we die, oh, it is so successfully... Injection, operation... Who needs it? That atmosphere death and krsna-kirtana death? Glorious death. Oxygen gas... (laughs) Dying and so much trouble. Never call. Please accept my request. Chant Hare Krsna, bas, and let me die peacefully. Never be disturbed, call doctorno. Chant Hare Krsna. Go on chanting. Chanting, hearing, chanting. You have got so much material. Read. Read something from this book. Ramesvara, you can read. It is your book.
Ramesvara: I'm simply your servant, by your grace, Prabhupada. This Chapter One of this second volume, "Kamsa Sends Akrura for Krsna." "Vrndavana was..." [break]
Prabhupada: As soon as this Indira Gandhi and her son disturbed Vrndavana people, within a week... Just see. This is practical. The poor, these babajis, they were going to beg, and by force, once, twice, injection. So immediately, after one week...
Ramesvara: For sterilization?
Prabhupada: Yes. This is practically... And I was surprised how such a abominable falldown came to Indira Gandhi. It is simply Krsna's hand. No politician fallen in such a way in the history. Finished business. Tan aham dvisatah kruran ksipamy ajasram asubhan yonisu [Bg. 16.19]. It is simply Krsna's hand. They are "This party, that party, that..." But to curb down Indira's power, it was simply by Krsna directly. Hm. Go on reading. [break] "Don't worry. I am here." This is Krsna. A boy, ten years boy, Krsna, He was, "Come on," challenging. This is Krsna. Go on.
Ramesvara: "He then appeared before Aristasura." [break]
Prabhupada: And He went forward still. Still there are demons amongst the (indistinct).
Ramesvara: "I will arrange to get those two boys here." [break]
Hrdayananda: ...Latin America just for facilitating book distribution and making new devotees. All important cities were open here.
Prabhupada: North America or South America?
Hrdayananda: South America.
Prabhupada: Hm. What is that?
Prabhupada: So you wanted to give.
Hrdayananda: Srimad-Bhagavatam. Jugupsitam dharma-krte 'nusasatah sva... [break]
Bhagavata: I wrote you one report about Orissa. So I'll be leaving in about ten days, twelve days to go to West. My visa will be expired in ten days. We'll begin our work. We'll see that all the books are translated into Orissan language and distributed throughout Orissa.
Prabhupada: That's all.
Jayatirtha: ...your book distribution every week.
Prabhupada: How many devotees?
Jayatirtha: We have about 120 devotees.
Prabhupada: Everyone happy?
Jayatirtha: Yes, they are quite happy, I think, Srila Prabhupada. Of course, they're very distressed to hear about your illness.
Prabhupada: I am not distressed. Body is.
Jayatirtha: Jaya.
Prabhupada: Book distribution increasing?
Jayatirtha: Yes, Srila Prabhupada, book distribution is increasing.
Ramesvara: In London they have already doubled what they did last year. Twice as much as last year in London.
Prabhupada: What about Bury Place?
Jayatirtha: Bury Place we're keeping. They're still trying to get us out, but we are keeping. I don't think that Krsna will leave until He wants to leave. (Prabhupada laughs) We just fixed up His Deity house and generally repaired the place. Now...
Prabhupada: Krsna is smiling. They are trying to drive Him. Krsna's smiling. That's all. Go on with your business.
Jayatirtha: Therefore you called Him Radha-London-Isvara.
Prabhupada: Our London, Bury Place, Deity is very beautiful, smiling.
Kirtanananda: There's a picture there, Prabhupada, on your altar.
Prabhupada: Hm. That is the first installed...
Jayatirtha: Yes. And the new place also, we're...
Prabhupada: Hm?
Jayatirtha: The new place we bought on Soho Street, we're making it into reading room and restaurant.
Prabhupada: New place?
Prabhupada: That I saw?
Jayatirtha: Yes, Srila Prabhupada. So in a few months that will be open with restaurant and reading room and so on.
Prabhupada: So you have taken my money last month?
Jayatirtha: No, Srila Prabhupada.
Prabhupada: No, no.
Jayatirtha: We did it without that money. The money is still there.
Prabhupada: So that place is also nice?
Jayatirtha: Yes.
Prabhupada: Very good.
Jayatirtha: Many people will come there.
Prabhupada: That is further improvement. I want to do in New York, everywhere. That Krsna's desire...
Jayatirtha: You've entered into almost every home in the world, Srila Prabhupada, as your books.
Prabhupada: That is a...
Jayatirtha: In every home you're staying.
Prabhupada: The Deity worship and Indian real culture you develop. That is our contribution. Nobody could do before me, in the Western countries, introduction of this Deity worship, sri-vigraharadhana-nitya-nana **, and large-scale distribution of Indian cultural traditions. This is a new contribution. Not bug-bhak(?). The Indians are realizing. All these rascal swamis, "bug-bhak,"(?) professional... Here there is Syamabhai?
Prabhupada: Syamabhai.
Prabhupada: She is always in London, constantly.
Prabhupada: But not a single disciple.
Jayatirtha: Since October we've made about thirty-five new devotees in London. We have one picture actually.
Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/conversations/1977/may/conversation_pieces/vrndavana/may/27/1977 Previous: Short Dissertations -- May 24-25, 1977, Vrndavana Next: Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana
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