Room Conversation – June 26, 1975, Los Angeles

First of all books, then loan

Prabhupada: I think it is locked.

[break] …but if you keep account, that means you have paid.

Ramesvara: Yes.

Prabhupada: Then you will have to sign, that you will receive payment by checks.

Ramesvara: I will have to sign that I...?

Prabhupada: This payment Book Trust has paid...

Ramesvara: Yes.

Prabhupada: ...to me...

Ramesvara: Yes.

Prabhupada: ...but that is my money, not your money.

Ramesvara: Yes.

Prabhupada: I am paying you.

Ramesvara: Yes.

Prabhupada: It has been simply sent through you.

Ramesvara: Transfer.

Prabhupada: Transfer. But actually Book Trust is not paying to me.

Ramesvara: No, no.

Prabhupada: So under the circum…, what is the account?

Ramesvara: What is...?

Prabhupada: That you are debiting, that "paid to A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami."

Ramesvara: I have written it as a transfer, because Your Divine Grace told me you were going to give me these, uh, certified checks.

Prabhupada: Oh.

Ramesvara: I can do it another way. If you do not want to deposit the checks with us, I will write it as a donation to some project in India. Whatever the money will be used for, I can simply make it a donation.

Prabhupada: Donation, that's all right. But you are not donating; you are taking payment.

Ramesvara: Only if you want. [laughs]

Prabhupada: No. You give me a statement, if not many months, at least in this month: what is the receipt and how it is spent and what is the balance.

Ramesvara: For this account in India?

Prabhupada: No, no. Every month you will give me a statement...

Ramesvara: Of BBT?

Prabhupada: Yes. "So much received, so much spent."

Ramesvara: Oh, yes. I can do that.

Prabhupada: Ah.

Ramesvara: Every month.

Prabhupada: Every month.

Ramesvara: No problem.

Prabhupada: Ah.

Ramesvara: I am doing that already, and sending a full report to Bhagavan and Hamsaduta each month.

Prabhupada: So you can give me one copy.

Ramesvara: Yes. I never did before because I didn't want to...

Prabhupada: All right.

Ramesvara: ...disturb you with the details.

Prabhupada: Hmm. No. Details important. [aside:] Give me this. Now I will be able to also keep a record, so you can, for transfer, receive the check.

Ramesvara: Yes.

Prabhupada: Is that all right?

Ramesvara: Yes.

Prabhupada: I am giving in favor of BBT...

Ramesvara: Yes.

Prabhupada: ...and you will...

Ramesvara: We are acting like your bank.

Prabhupada: Huh?

Ramesvara: We are, BBT, is acting like your bank.

Prabhupada: Yes, that's right. That will be all right. [sound of zipper and papers] My pen lost, here. [sound of writing]

Ramesvara: Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: Hmm?

Ramesvara: I have one question about Gurukrpa Svami's laksmi that he collects.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Ramesvara: Each month he is paying to Dai Nippon his entire collection. [break] …in English.

Prabhupada: English, all kinds of books. As soon as you go, I will, I will make a separate go-down, and I shall engage a paid canvasser to go to school, college, library. Our men are not doing anything.

Ramesvara: No.

Prabhupada: Hmm. As here our men are working, there is no sufficient men, or they are not working. Otherwise there is tremendous market.

Ramesvara: Hmm.

Prabhupada: I did it, personally. When I was alone, I was selling this Bhagavata. All the school, college, I was very…, with great delight they were taking, at that time. I have got standing order of the American Embassy, eighteen copies of each book as soon as it is published, the same standing order. But these people are not doing, no doubt. Indian management is very...

Ramesvara: So for the time being it…, the money will not be used for the construction in Mayapur. It will be used to print books.

Prabhupada: Mayapur, they have already taken one-half lakh from me.

Ramesvara: Now Gopal Krsna in India requested that BBT give him a loan of $160,000.

Prabhupada: When?

Ramesvara: In India, just this, during the Mayapur festival, he requested a loan from US BBT for $160,000, which would be used to construct the second residence building.

Prabhupada: So how he will pay back?

Ramesvara: His plan was that the American temples would purchase rooms, and over a period of four or five years they would pay that money back. So is that still approved by you, by Your Divine Grace?

Prabhupada: Yes. I have no objection.

Ramesvara: The only thing is that we will have to delay the loan, because for the next three months all our money will be used to print these seventeen books.

Prabhupada: First of all books, then loan. Our…, we cannot hold up printing. That is not possible. This you must always keep in view. We are not going to… The surplus money we are going to build, not that at the cost of stopping printing. You must always keep it. When you require money for printing, there is no question of loan or temple-building. This should be our... [break] [japa]

So Krsna has given you very nice engagement, husband and wife, very well. [japa] [break] [end]