Bhaktivedanta Institute (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"bhaktivedanta institute"

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Ambarisa and Catholic Priest -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Ambarīṣa: Also in Boston there's a lady who may be donating a million-dollar farm to the Boston Temple. This is just a project that's a little bit..., that's just started, and she wants to donate her farm. So that is also going on, and also the temple is purchasing the building next door. I gave them some money for a down payment on it so they could buy the building next door to use it to house the people that are living in the restaurant and also for the Bhaktivedanta Institute, because I think the Bhaktivedanta Institute is going to be in Boston. Mādhava is there.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Boston is nice place for the Institute.

Room Conversation -- July 7, 1976, Baltimore:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The other morning Śrīla Prabhupāda was mentioning about the Institute, the Bhaktivedanta Institute. So is there anything else that your Divine Grace wants to?

Prabhupāda: Institute, you have got sufficient subject matter as I was describing, this original source of life and the planetary system, as you are going to make planetarium. Who can say about so many planets in the sky? Who has got sufficient knowledge? They cannot even give... They think that moon is the nearest planet, but we do not think like that. But still they are unable to give sufficient knowledge about the moon. It is not vacant, it cannot be vacant. We do not find any part of the world vacant. There is living entities.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- January 30, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Bhuvaneśvara, Jagannātha Purī. They are important places. So give him prasāda first, and then come.(?)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We had a meeting before I came here...

Prabhupāda: Ah, ah.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...in Washington with Rūpānuga Prabhu and the other scientists in our group for the Institute. So I have some papers to be signed by Your Divine Grace. So you'll read in the morning? Tomorrow?

Prabhupāda: Yes. We have started one institute, Bhaktivedanta Institute?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. And I want to show several aspects of our journal, Sa-vijñānam. We have almost completed the first volume.

Prabhupāda: They are publishing one paper, Sa-vijñānam. How do you like this name? Sa-vijñānam. This is picked up from Bhagavad-gītā. Jñānaṁ te 'haṁ sa-vijñānam idaṁ vakṣyāmy aśeṣataḥ. Sa-vijñānam (BG 7.2). Sa-vijñānam means according to science. So did you see...

Room Conversation -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: So here the big rascal is being praised by small rascal. That's all. But they're all rascals. We are seeing the praising group and the man who is praised—both of them are rascals. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). We don't give them any credit. They may be angry upon us that we do not give anyone credit. But that is our business. We take them all rascals. That our... Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā manorathenāsati dhāvataḥ (SB 5.18.12). (pause).

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We have formed this Bhaktivedanta Institute and we had a meeting in Washington.

Prabhupāda: Where is my spectacle? So now your, that immigration problem is solved.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Now, where you desire to keep a permanent office or a location of this Bhaktivedanta Institute?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We are trying to locate a place. Rūpānuga suggests that Washington...

Prabhupāda: Base.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Make them come, make them come. Treat them nicely. Give them good place. In this way increase the number of workers. Then people will, "Oh... They are not religious sentiments. They have got books, they have got scientists, they have got doctors." Is it not? And we can challenge them. "Come on, what is our education, let us test. We are prepared to talk with you like scientists." So you are all here now and... Organize in Bombay. Bombay, the center of Bhaktivedanta Institute.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: A few students came day before yesterday from Bombay University.

Prabhupāda: Let them come.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They wanted to study in Bhaktivedanta Institute.

Prabhupāda: Very good. Give them good place. We don't want tenants or... Turn the whole building into Bhaktivedanta Institute. And another building start. Yes. We have got enough place. I want that the intelligent man should come and learn this science. That is wanted.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And every time Rādhā-vallabha changes something, that should be stopped. He is very much inclined to change something. This practice should be stopped.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "3) There will be a BBT budget meeting every week in L.A. at which all Press expenditures will be discussed and approved by Rāmeśvara Mahārāja, and a monthly financial statement detailing the Press expenditures will be sent to all the trustees."

Prabhupāda: This unnecessary expenditures like Sanskrit department and art department, this should be curtailed. We require money for Bhaktivedanta Institute.

Discussions with Devotees and Conversation with Dr. Ghosh -- June 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. I suggested to Dr. Sharma that first of all we hold that conference in Vṛndāvana and come here. So we can announce some nice topics, so he can also speak. And we can invite some scholars. They can also speak. We can have open discussion, exchange of ideas and philosophy, so that we expose Kṛṣṇa consciousness on this scale. So Prabhupāda wants that Bhaktivedanta Institute is also here in Vṛndāvana along with the Bhaktivedanta Gurukula, an institute for higher studies, and there be one office in the gurukula building so that...

Prabhupāda: No, I request you all that you keep this building always busy with some conference, with some meeting, with some... It shouldn't remain vacant. And for expenditure, I shall arrange. There is no want.

Discussions with Devotees and Conversation with Dr. Ghosh -- June 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. So both of you are very intelligent boys. I want to see that you are always busy in these affairs. (Bengali) Bhaktivedanta Institute and Gurukula for Higher Studies. (Bengali) I want to see that you are always busy. Busy-ness. That will give me pleasure. Laziness I don't want. Personally I was never lazy. I did not like laziness.

Dr. Sharma: (indistinct) We create in our mind problems.

Prabhupāda: Because sometimes I become morose that I became lazy, so therefore, if I see you busy, this moroseness will reduce. When I see that you are working and the whole thing is busy, oh, that gives me pleasure.

Talk with Svarupa Damodara -- June 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Just like Tṛṇāvarta. He took away Kṛṣṇa as a small child. When he was up, He became as heavy as the mountain, and then he could not go up. Then he wanted to smash the child and throw it, but the child wrapped the neck of Tṛṇāvarta in such a way, he could not. The result was that he fell down and died. And the child was saved.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So in the same way Western civilization will fall down and die, and we will go on chanting.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: If we get some very leading scientists in the world on our side, at least few, let's say about three, that's enough.

Prabhupāda: So that I am asking to enroll as members of the Bhaktivedanta Institute.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That must have come from the United States.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We have got enough material to convince. We are not blind.

Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- June 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So do they accept?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yeah, and some Indians are on our side, specially this Indian Student's Association, and also there is an association called Indian Association for Greater Boston. The president and the secretary came to me, and they are supporting us.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So they're organizing these lectures, so we have a show on July 10th.

Prabhupāda: Make a great agitation. It will be done, if you work. (pause) A great challenge of the Bhaktivedanta Institute, for the whole world. Is it not?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, yes.

Room Conversation Gaurasundara, Dr. Kapoor -- July 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Now we are going to hold Bhaktivedanta Institute scientific meeting. What is that? Where is that paper? Bombay. Scientifically presenting, among the scientists.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's called "The First International Scientific Conference on 'Life Comes From Life,' sponsored by Bhaktivedanta Institute, Founder-Ācārya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda." Should I read this?

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Room Conversation Gaurasundara, Dr. Kapoor -- July 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) We are inviting.

Dr. Kapoor: Such enthusiasm because you are giving them transcendental injections.

Prabhupāda: This boy was stubborn atheist.

Dr. Kapoor: Svarūpa Dāmodara.

Prabhupāda: And he was walking with me on the seaside, and I was chastising him, kicking him, and refuting. (laughs) Now he has organized this Bhaktivedanta Institute.

Dr. Kapoor: He came to see me last time in connection with some journal, some new journal that he was going to bring out. What about that journal now?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sa-vijñānam.

Prabhupāda: Sa-vijñānam.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Actually he was speaking in general terms. This Professor Malsanda(?), he's the head of the physiology department in the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences. He's a very religious man. He's also a very well known scholar. He's medical doctor by profession. Also he belongs to many different scientific worldwide organizations, and he feels very strongly that we should have a center in Delhi for the Bhaktivedanta Institute.

Prabhupāda: So money is required.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So he didn't say anything specifically, but he said he would be very happy to help us in establishing a center there. He's very favorable to our philosophy, and he invited me to his own home, and we discussed at great length about the philosophy that we are trying to present in the scientific community, and he feels that it's very genuine and we should... They should help us to push forward.

Prabhupāda: So with this cooperation, this institution will be very prestigious. So if it is possible, organize. But don't overburden.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm. A good article.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I think they gave a very full coverage.

Prabhupāda: And very scientifically presented. And Bhaktivedanta Institute is advertised.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hm. Free of charge.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: It is a good article.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Jaya. Prabhupāda's mercy.

Prabhupāda: Now it will give thought that life is a different thing. It cannot be produced by material molecules. It is not possible. And Bhagavad-gītā they referred. And Bhaktivedanta Institute we have organized.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So it is good article.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Bhaktivedanta Institute is doing something scientifically to understand God consciousness. That is proof. And it is well advertised. And we shall go on proceeding like that more and more. So many scientists, foreign and local, they participated, discussed. It is not ordinary thing. Hm?

Guest (2): Jaya.

Prabhupāda: The importance of Bhaktivedanta Institute is there, not that theory molecule. Come on. We are challenging. Discuss like scientist, not like sentimentalists.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? It seems like we should... Next time we have a conference here, it should be done in the proper hall.

Prabhupāda: Yes, we have got enough place.