Committee (Conversations)

Expressions researched:
"committee" |"committee's" |"committees"

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Meeting with Devotees -- June 9, 1969, New Vrindaban:

Hayagrīva: Well, factually he's in charge. Actually we very seldom have any disagreements on things.

Prabhupāda: All right. That's all right. Then you remain president. And let him become vice president. That will be all right? In case of your absence he will preside in the meeting. Will that be all right?

Hayagrīva: No, that's all right as long as I have final decision in certain matters, as to what to do with my vehicles, what to do with this and what to do with that.

Prabhupāda: No, you will hold meeting and decide in that meeting. If you form a committee, then whatever you do, something serious, you should consult the committee and do it.

Hayagrīva: Well, you make the final decision. You can have anybody you want in charge here. I just make a request, personal request, that I not stay here. That's all. So I mean you can put anybody you want in charge. What I have given of the place is yours. I don't even care to have it.

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) This is not a good proposal. Then where you want to stay?

Hayagrīva: I'd like to go to India. Well, maybe I could travel with you. That would be nice.

Prabhupāda: No. That is not good idea. You have started this New Vrindaban. You must finish it. So you must be in charge of this place. We have to do so many things. So...

Meeting with Devotees -- June 9, 1969, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: No. The committee. The majority decision will be...

Hayagrīva: That's democracy. That's democracy. That's no good.

Prabhupāda: Democracy? This is the age of...

Hayagrīva: I thought you said we should have enlightened monarchy.

Prabhupāda: No. Monarchy is out of date now. When you form a committee... But what can I say? If you disagree in that way, then... If you have to live together, you have to work together; if you disagree in that way, it will be a difficult job.

Meeting with Devotees -- June 9, 1969, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: He will be, for the time being, the superintendent of the society. He will go everywhere and see and report me what, how things are going on. And then we are going to make a central committee gradually. Everything will be done. Let us work very seriously and sincerely. Everything will come out.

Hayagrīva: So then Śyāma dāsī is our treasurer..., secretary.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And he is treasurer, Hṛṣīkeśa?

Hayagrīva: He's treasurer and temple commander.

Prabhupāda: No, what...? You president, she is secretary, and then? Treasurer?

Hayagrīva: He could be also vice president or temple... Well, there has to be a second charge, another person in charge.

Prabhupāda: That you select, who should be vice president.

Discussion about New Vrindaban Gurukula -- December 24, 1969, Boston:

Prabhupāda: ...form a committee from education in your...

Hayagrīva: They have to be taught reading, and for this they have primers.

Prabhupāda: Primary readings.

Hayagrīva: And this is all right to use?

Prabhupāda: Because we haven't got any books yet.

Hayagrīva: What about taking the primers and changing the names of the people to people like Satyabhāmā and give them spiritual names. Would that be nice?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- December 13, 1970, Indore:

Prabhupāda: What is the value of vote by asses? According to Vedic civilization, there was democracy but that democracy is selected committee. Just like in England there was Privy Council. So selected body of learned brāhmaṇas and sages, they were guiding the king, and the king himself was properly educated how to rule over, under religious principles. He was trained from the beginning of his life as prince. As the future heir of the throne, he was trained, and at the same time, he was guided by a council of learned sages and brāhmaṇas. They were looking over the activities of the king. As soon as there was some mistake they will see. And there are instances; whenever there was a bad king they were dethroned. Not for political purpose. He was dethroned but his son was on the... Just like Lord Rāmacandra did. Rāmacandra killed Rāvaṇa but He never occupied the kingdom. His brother Vibhīṣaṇa proved to be faithful. He was enthroned. From the same family. And that was the system. Even a king was wrong, he would be dethroned but from his family, either his son or brother, or somebody would occupy there. Not that "Because I have conquered you, therefore I shall sit down." No. There are many instances. And therefore India was ruling all over the world. The emperor was in India, and the kings of different states, their family was. So there was no rebellion. And in every state a king was trained in the same process, guided by committee of learned brāhmaṇa and sages.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Prof. Kotovsky -- June 22, 1971, Moscow:

Prabhupāda: The, the confusion, confusion has come into existence because in India in later days the son of a brāhmaṇa, without having the brahminical qualification, claimed to be brāhmaṇa, and others, out of superstition or traditional way, they were accepted as brāhmaṇa. Therefore the Indian social order has disrupted. But our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are picking up from everywhere brāhmaṇas, everywhere, because the world needs the brain of a brāhmaṇa. Just like here, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, although he was a monarch, he had a body of learned sages and brāhmaṇas to consult, advisory body. It is not that the monarchs were independent. In the history it is found that some of the monarchs were not in order. They were dethroned by the brahminical advisory committee. Although the brāhmaṇas, they did not take part in politics, but they would give advice to the monarch how to, I mean to say, execute the royal function. Just like not, not very old, very, say, about... What is the age of, I mean to say, Asoka? Say about thousands of years ago.

Prof. Kotovsky: As we call from our... In our terminology we call, in ancient and medieval India...

Prabhupāda: Med... Yes. In medieval India.

Conversation with Prof. Kotovsky -- June 22, 1971, Moscow:

Prabhupāda: Our predecessor ācārya, Rūpa Gosvāmī, he was finance minister in the Mohammedan government. He was. When he resigned, the Nawab was not very satisfied, that "I cannot relieve you because you are my right hand man. If you resign all of a sudden in this way, then I shall arrest you." There is a long history. So that's a fact. The brāhmaṇas were kept. So the advisory committee of the king... Now, as I was going to speak, Candragupta, Candragupta, just the lastest Hindu king, Candragupta... Candragupta is the age of Alexander the Great because at that time, during Candragupta's..., little before Candragupta, Alexander the Great from Greece, they went to India and conquered some portion. So this Candragupta, when he became emperor, he had his prime minister, Canakya. Perhaps you heard this name, Canak... Ca-na-kya.

Room Conversation -- August 15, 1971, London:

Prabhupāda: So in this way organize and distribute literature, and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa saṅkīrtana yajña. Then our mission will be successful. Accha, here, they are coming, so we shall make a committee, London building fund committee. In that committee, Mr. Arnold and his wife... (break) ...nicely and organize responsibly. So that can be done provided they have got their own men. Why he's not training the Africans? He should train.

Parivrājakācārya: He hasn't got very many Africans. I think only about two.

Prabhupāda: Then suspend that installation.

Parivrājakācārya: They haven't been making any devotees there.

Prabhupāda: Then there is no... (break) ...and if we conquer our eating then we can conquer our sleeping also. Nidrāhāra vihārakādi vijitau **. (break) Don't make fuss. If you are serious, then it is all right. Otherwise, you are young men. If you again give up sannyāsa or you try to marry, it will be scandalous for our society. Don't do that. If you are steady... But so far report is you are not very steady. Do you admit this or not?

Kulaśekhara: Yes. Prabhupāda.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- August 1, 1972, London:

Prabhupāda: So why not see earlier? Have you got any description?

Dhanañjaya: Well, we can't see it earlier because it belongs to the Methodist Church, and their committee members are meeting in another city, in Manchester, for a week. They have their..., a big congress meeting there. So they don't come back until the end of this week.

Devotee (1): So we can't see it while they're meeting?

Dhanañjaya: Well we could see it from the outside. Actually we went there one day, Mr. Allen(?) and (indistinct) and myself.

Prabhupāda: Well, what is the description?

Dhanañjaya: It's very nice. It's something like, ah, something like the size of this temple but bigger.

Devotee (2): Bigger than Los Angeles?

Dhanañjaya: And also it has a steeple.

Prabhupāda: Bigger, bigger. What is the price?

Room Conversation -- August 1, 1972, London:

Prabhupāda: That is the way of taking milk. And this masala, it does not taste good. In India, especially in Northern India, Punjab, they will take at night, milk, (indistinct). No other things. They, all business men, the Marwari society, they'll take food before evening and then again they work. Then after ten they will come home and take little milk and go rest. (pause) So foundation committee is being established in Bombay making her the president of the trust. Then Giriraja will have no difficulty.

Devotee: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: They'll contribute. And if she canvasses, she can collect lakhs.

Devotee: But one thing is, if Giriraja takes advantage and begins preaching in her school daily... She's invited him, open invitation.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then it will be pleased.

Morning Walks -- October 1-3, 1972, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: (Sanskrit) He makes everything, but He is not attached. (break)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...how do you know that guru is qualified, spiritual master is qualified? Then I said everything is written in the śāstras, so we have to follow according to the injunctions written in the śāstras. So all the qualifications of a pure devotee, of a bona fide guru, is written there. Just like you are a professor of physics in the university. Before you came, you had some qualification, degree of doctors. And then there is a committee to decide you whether you are qualified for the post. So it is selected by a committee of members and then they interview and then they find out your qualifications. If they find that you are qualified for the post, so you are selected as a professor. It's like that in the spiritual field also. There are revealed scriptures and there everything is written what will be the qualification of a guru and then how to choose a bona fide one. So everything is written, you should follow the injunctions of the revealed scriptures accordingly.

Prabhupāda: Committee is his spiritual master, he orders that you do this.

Jayatīrtha: The test is to see how much one is actually following the orders of his spiritual master.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 19, 1973, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: When somebody does like that, people will give him Nobel prize.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is stated in the Bhāgavata: śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19). A big animal is being praised by dogs, and hogs, camel, monkeys. So they're getting Nobel Prize from dogs, hogs, camels. They're not getting Nobel Prize from any sane man. That is stated. Śva-viḍ. Śva means dog. Viḍ-varāha means the stool-eater, hog. Śva-viḍ-varāha uṣṭra. Uṣṭra means camel. And kharaḥ means ass. So they're being praised by these classes of animal. They're not human being. If anyone gives Nobel Prize to such rascals, that means the man, the committee, who is giving the Nobel Prize to him, they are composition of these animals, dogs, hogs, camel and ass. They are not human being. According to Bhāgavata. That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I think I have explained it.

Morning Walk -- December 8, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: They would give advice to the kings but never accept the post of a king.

Hṛdayānanda: So every kṣatriya had to have something to manage?

Prabhupāda: Yes. There was a regular advisory committee, privy council, composed of high learned brāhmaṇas and saintly persons.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I think people who say like this they are jealous.

Prabhupāda: Ha?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They are jealous of the other people who are coming up higher than them. So, seeing them, they are quite jealous.

Prabhupāda: Who?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: These so-called brāhmaṇas.

Prabhupāda: They must be jealous because if simply by taking birth in a brāhmaṇa family he can become brāhmaṇa and if somebody protests then he, he becomes jealous... (aside:) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 2, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: You were all the time in Allahabad. You must be knowing them from very close part.

Prabhupāda: No, he was my customer. I used to go to his home. And he was coming to my shop. Yes. He was my customer. When 1928 congress was there, I sent him one letter that "I want to become a delegate and go there." So immediately, "Yes, you come." So I went to Calcutta and I told his secretary that "Panditji has told me like this." "Yes, take this ticket." Yes. I became... So I was criticizing my friend because the delegate fee is one rupee and the reception committee fee at that time was twenty-five rupees. And still, they were in the last seat. And because at that time Motilal Nehru became president, the president, the province in which the president becomes, that provincial member occupies the first seat. So we occupied the first seat from Allahabad.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Tripurari -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: When you were with Maharishi? Come here.

Doug: I joined the Maharishi in 1969, and at that time I was living in Washington, D.C. And his national director came, gave a lecture, and they said that they needed some help because they didn't have a center there. So I organized the movement out of my parents' house. I had the center, and I established lectures at all the colleges and started the movement there. And later on, they finally sent some full-time teachers, and they established a center there. And then I started to be with Maharishi and his different courses and doing extensive meditations for long periods of time. And then eventually he formed a committee. This was in 1971-72. He started to form a college called M.I.U., Maharishi International University. And he started to invite educators, and he wanted to... And he also had this...

Prabhupāda: "M.I.U." means Maharishi...?

Doug: Maharishi International University. And so he started to formulate a curriculum. He was trying to present Vedic studies in Western terms. And so he formed this council of the executive called his executive council. It was called The 108. It didn't have 108 people, but this was what he called us.

Prabhupāda: One hundred...?

Doug: The 108. He called it The 108, but the official term was the executive council. And that's what I was with...

Prabhupāda: How many students are there?

Conversation with the GBC -- March 27, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Why? That's not... Debts are very wrong. (?)

Jayatīrtha: Either they owe BBT money or they owe bank money.

Prabhupāda: That is not good. Debts should be... No debts. If any temple wants to make debt, it must be sanctioned by the GBC committee.

Jayatīrtha: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Make it clear.

Jayatīrtha: That's nice.

Prabhupāda: Not that he whimsically, the president, and put the Society into debts, unless it is sanctioned.

Jayatīrtha: That's included in here, more or, more or less.

Prabhupāda: Make it clear: "They cannot create any debt."

Jayatīrtha: Just like to come to this festival has put everyone in debt.

Prabhupāda: That is risky. That is risky.

Conversation with the GBC -- March 27, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Functional, main functional responsibility is to go and see that the temple regular work is going on, the president is doing nicely, to check in this way. You can sit down in the class, in the..., and see how things are going on. That's it.

Jayatīrtha: That's it. Now, one point we've included that we haven't really done before is the idea of establishing committees and individual service...

Prabhupāda: Committee, I shall appoint also, if there is any need. Amongst the GBC, I shall pick up some members and make a committee for a particular...

Jayatīrtha: For example, we put down that there may be a regional committee.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Jayatīrtha: Just like in Europe, we have a regional committee for managing, I understand...

Prabhupāda: What is that regional co...?

Jayatīrtha: Isn't it Bhagavān, Haṁsadūta...?

Prabhupāda: Yes, I have said that Haṁsadūta, Bhagavān and Brahmānanda may...

Jayatīrtha: So it's a kind of regional committee for managing.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Conversation with the GBC -- March 27, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: That we can change also. For the time being, it is going on.

Atreya Ṛṣi: I think what Śrīla Prabhupāda has said to us is that if we have very close cooperation, the spirit of committee consultation always exists...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Atreya Ṛṣi: Like if Bhagavān dāsa is in U.S., then Satsvarūpa Mahārāja and Rūpānuga Prabhu will consult with him, like they always consult with each other.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Atreya Ṛṣi: They should always... And this spirit should go on amongst the twelve. Or if I'm in Tehran, and if there is a financial matter...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Don't bring politics. Then it will be ruined.

Conversation with the GBC -- March 27, 1975, Mayapur:

Atreya Ṛṣi: Not so much, necessarily, committees and formal...

Prabhupāda: So if a committee is necessary, it should be decided, first stage, decided by the GBC, and I'll give final sanction.

Jayatīrtha: For example, one committee that I would propose is in the United States, since we share so many similar problems and so many problems overlap...

Prabhupāda: So you... No, the GBC is already there. But that is... Committee is there, the whole committee. But for any special purpose, if committee is required...

Jayatīrtha: Another example of a kind of committee would be some projects. Say...

Prabhupāda: Project will be decided by the GBC.

Jayatīrtha: Say, the Gurukula, for example...

Prabhupāda: Now I have elected this committee in Europe because the German trouble is going on. When the German trouble is over, there is no need of committee. It is only for this particular purpose because there we have to defend court, we have to see... So two, three heads, not one head. One head may be puzzled. Committee means for special purposes. Otherwise, the standing committee, GBC, is already there.

Conversation with the GBC -- March 27, 1975, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Just like I appointed the committee to investigate...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bali Mardana.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So that committee is not standing. Yet similarly, a committee may be formed for some special circumstances, but otherwise the GBC committee is sufficient.

Jayatīrtha: The main point about that is that the GBC, we all meet together once a year...

Prabhupāda: Yes. And form all, what is to be discussed, what you are going to do, future. Just like you can discuss the German affairs, and find out how to defend ourselves. Of course, it is in the hands of the lawyer. Still, we can suggest...

Jayatīrtha: Take, for another example, there's the ISKCON Food Relief Program. Now, last year we discussed this, but no one was given any specific responsibility for it, and nothing really has been... Some money has been collected, but nothing major has been done. My idea would be that if there were a committee, say, of two, three men formed who would conjointly discuss and work on these projects, such as this ISKCON Food Relief, then more would get done.

Room Conversation with Director of Research of the Dept. of Social Welfare -- May 21, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Indian society, the did not know how to drink tea even. In our childhood we have seen that Britishers started tea garden. There was no tea plants before Britishers. The Britishers saw the labor is very cheap, and they want to do business, they started. Just like they are doing in Africa. So many gardens, coffee and tea. So they started, and the tea was transferred to be sold in America. They were after business. So the... Now, so much tea, who will consume? The government started a tea sets committee. All the tea garden holders they would pay government. And road to road, street to street, their business was canvassing, preparing tea, very nice, palatable tea, and they advertising if you drink tea, then you will not feel very much hungry, and your malaria will go away and so on, so on. And people began to drink tea. Nice cup. I have seen it. Now they have got a taste. Now gradually now a sweeper also, early in the morning, is waiting in the tea shop to get a cup of tea.

Morning Walk -- July 1, 1975, Denver:

Prabhupāda: Why he stopped? (break) ...without car? (Brahmānanda laughs) (break) ...Nixon's home.

Brahmānanda: He has in Florida, Key Biscayne. He had two homes, one in Florida, one in California. But now he's staying in Florida. Recently he went to New York and testified before a committee. It's the first time that he has spoken publicly since his...

Prabhupāda: What is that committee?

Brahmānanda: They were investigating the Watergate.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Oh, he had to present himself.

Brahmānanda: Yes. It's the first time any ex-chief executive has ever testified.

Prabhupāda: So he is not out of danger.

Brahmānanda: Well, they're still investigating the whole thing.

Prabhupāda: But I heard that he made a condition that he will no more be bothered. On this condition, he agreed to resign. (break) ...India the trouble is dissention between Indira Gandhi and Jaya Prakash Nārāyaṇa. So that Jaya Prakash Nārāyaṇa is fasting, I have heard.

Room Conversation with the Rector, Professor Olivier and Professors of the University of Durban, Westville -- October 8, 1975, Durban:

Prabhupāda: Kīrtana?

Prof. Olivier: Might I just explain. I don't know whether we will have an audience. May I first of all say thank you very much for coming to the university. We are very honored also, sir, that you have been able to come, also that your guests have come, and that you have been able to come. Thank you very much for visiting the university. I unfortunately have a committee of my council meeting this afternoon, and the chairman is coming over shortly. So I will unfortunately not be able to attend your lecture. Thank you very much for coming. Some of you have been here before. We have this week a student break for a week before they start their examinations, so I do not know whether Professor Oosthuizen will have an audience at all. Maybe a few members of staff.

Professor: I told Mr. Bhoola when he asked me about the lecture, I told him that this would be a problem.

Prof. Olivier: Thank you very much for coming.

Prabhupāda: If there is no audience, what is the use of holding class?

Morning Walk -- Durban, October 13, 1975 :

Prabhupāda: In India it was unknown. They did not know. In our childhood we have seen that they did not know how to drink tea even.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Tea?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Nobody would drink tea, no family. We have seen it. And for drinking, for drinking tea, drinking wine, regular propaganda was done. There was a tea taxes committee. Men these foreigners, they began to grow tea in India in the beginning for exporting to Europe and America… Later on, they began to pay some tax to the government. That was known as "tea taxes committee." The tea taxes committee, in order to popularize drinking tea, they used to hold stall, just like here in park and public places, and they would prepare very tasty tea and distribute free.

Morning Walk -- November 8, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: This is all these speculators, rascals.

Dr. Patel: Who are the chief men in the temple committee of Jagannātha temple?

Prabhupāda: Government.

Dr. Patel: No, no.

Prabhupāda: Yes, government.

Dr. Patel: How can they be? Government, no. Temples are never controlled by government.

Prabhupāda: Although the king is there...

Yaśomatīnandana: The government of the king was controlling. Now the government is.

Dr. Patel: Which king?

Prabhupāda: The magistrate is the president of the maṭha.

Dr. Patel: Dvaraka temple was under control of Mahārāja of Baroda, but he appointed a committee of Vaiṣṇavas to control it. It was completely free. (break) (laughing) You have been very unkind to people.

Prabhupāda: He is a first-class Carvaka, he is.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Nellore:

Prabhupāda: There is good potency in South India.

Acyutānanda: Oh, yes, it is very promising.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) Jaya.

Mahāmṣa: He is secretary of our committee here and president of the Rotary Club in Nelore.

Prabhupāda: So your arrangement was very nice. Thank you. Hm. Where is that wrapper? These cottages are very nice.

Mahāmṣa: (break) His father is donating for Kṛṣṇa's Deity.

Prabhupāda: Oh. And who is donating for the temple?

Morning Walk -- January 8, 1976, Nellore:

Prabhupāda: That means they don't want expansion.

Mahāṁsa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So what kind of committee?

Mahāṁsa: But that also is a farce, because they spent thirteen lakhs of rupees for construction of a temple in New York.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: New York.

Mahāṁsa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So New York, we have got so many temples. Let them here.

Morning Walk -- January 8, 1976, Nellore:

Prabhupāda: What is their cult, this Tirupati committee?

Acyutānanda: Hinduism. Hinduism. Very.... No definition of that term now, Hinduism. Just like if we want to get on the radio, they'll say, "Well, there are so many minor sects. So if we give time for one, then everybody will want." But then, when we want some other aid, they say, "No, you're a majority group. We have to help the minority groups." So sometimes we are a minor sect and sometimes we are a majority.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) All fools, rascals, mūḍhas. (break) The Tirupati is a Vaiṣṇava temple, so they should encourage.... Vaisnavism means real religion. All other, bogus, cheating religions. That is.... Dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo atra (SB 1.1.2). Kaitava means cheating. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). They do not know that. What is this land?

Morning Walk -- January 8, 1976, Nellore:

Prabhupāda: Tirupati is establishing Gaṇeśa temple. That is against Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavān says that kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānā yajanty anya-devatāḥ (BG 7.20). The rascals who are very much lusty, lost their intelligence, they worship other demigods.

Acyutānanda: The Rāmānuja sannyāsīs have had all their authority taken away from them by these...

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Acyutānanda: All their authority in the temples has been taken away by the government committee.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Acyutānanda: Just ritualistically in the morning the sannyāsī comes and opens the door. He holds the key. We met him at Rangaji.

Prabhupāda: Rāmānujācārya sannyāsīs, they have no influence over them.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (break) ...to me that the actual purpose of this Tirupati government committee is eventually to do away with all religious function.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- March 10, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: ...telling that too much stricture on the gṛhasthas may cause some disturbance. Eh?

Madhudviṣa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So I think the gṛhastha themselves should form a small committee and define what they will do, instead of forcing something, because in this age, nobody can follow strictly all the stricture in the śāstras.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't think that we formulated anything for them to do.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Any of our resolutions, it doesn't say anything about what they should do. It simply says what should, how our society should be run, our temples. It doesn't state anything about how the gṛhasthas should live.

Prabhupāda: No... What? What, was your pro...?

Morning Walk -- March 10, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: So I think it may be further decided. Make a small committee of three or four gṛhasthas, and you define how you live.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, what about their relationship with the society? This point was to... I don't understand why that is being avoided. In other words, how they should live, that they should have a committee for, but the fact that the society cannot support them, that is not for them to decide. That is for the GBC to decide. That is my point.

Yaṣodānandana: I think that point, that's clear.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: As far as their living conditions, so let them have a committee.

Morning Walk -- March 21, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Does he want to do something or simply speculate?

Jayapatākā: He says that he wants to do something and so does some of his people.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Jayapatākā: But he has a committee. He has a society. One Mr. Bhattacarya, who is a lawyer, and this Śacīnandana, who is a clerk.

Prabhupāda: But that's all right. What they want to do?

Jayapatākā: But they never.... We never spoke to those people.

Prabhupāda: I have told him that "Whatever you want to give us, give us. If you cannot give us, give us in lease. You remain your proprietor, but give us in lease, and we develop it." But he has never replied that. What does he want to do?

Jayapatākā: Before he finalized once, he said he wanted to speak to you once more. But never was the thing actually discussed in detail with Your Divine Grace.

Prabhupāda: It was discussed. And he agreed, "Yes," but his man has different idea. So if you think that he's serious, we can go today sometime. How long it takes by car?

Morning Walk -- March 21, 1976, Mayapura:

Jayapatākā: He should have developed that place.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He simply talks of big, big words. In the beginning, Prabhupāda had no committee, nothing of the sort. That he'll not admit, that he has no power to do so. He's simply thinks that he's very confidential son of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. That's his.... (break) ...nobody has seen his chief disciple? He lives in Calcutta.

Jayapatākā: Yeah, he's not actually a bābājī. He's gṛhastha.

Prabhupāda: Oh, but he lives like a bābājī dress.

Jayapatākā: I don't know anyone lives by bābājī... He wears dhotī.

Prabhupāda: What is his name?

Jayapatākā: Śacīnandana.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Oh, Śacīnandana. So he.... I have seen several times.

Morning Walk -- April 13, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Local men.

Dr. Patel: All the big temples in India have got management committees, practically people from various parts. Our own Jagannātha Purī, I mean, this, our Dvārakā temple is managed by people from Bombay. Bombay, Delhi, and many other places. So they must have all...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Even one of our Indian men they stopped. Caitya-guru told me that when he went there they thought he was Westerner. They wouldn't let him in the second time he tried to go in.

Dr. Patel: This gentleman is coming before the judge of the Bombay high-court.

Guru dāsa: We can see the cakra on the top.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Guru dāsa: We can see the cakra on the top. It is the same.

Dr. Patel: (break) No, no, no, don't. It should have been taken out, not here but there. That was not for, but that was the government of India wanted to construct an office for customs here, and we objected, that "You can't do it in the sea area where we have to..., on the beach." So they broke it down. You know that small.... It will not be.

Prabhupāda: It can continue. It can continue.

Room Conversation -- May 4, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Chinese people, they are trying to raise their standard of civilization. Do they?

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Śrīla Prabhupāda, many.... Their philosophy is called dialectic materialism. They want to advance materially and they.... We have prepared one report of an interview with the president of a committee on United States and China relations. He's one of the leading experts in China. So after researching and studying all the educational, the libraries, all the different functions in China, we went and spoke with this gentleman.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: First we got a lot of information ourselves, so we'd be knowledgeable. We read for one month. We got.... We wrote away to all the councils, we got hundreds of books like this, special reports about China, we read them, and then we went to meet this man, because he is the most knowledgeable expert person on China in the United States. And we made up a report which we wanted to read to you, because it gives everything very nicely. It tells what China is doing now, and what our program can be for book distribution.

Prabhupāda: No, what is their aim? After studying all these books, what do you think? What is the aim of China? What is the objective they are making progress towards?

Room Conversation with Reporter -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: That I am not contemplating now. But there is no need of one person. As other things are managed, but by committee, so this can also be managed, and the committee may elect one person as chief. As, just like in the democracy there are senators and there is president, so it may be I may nominate or they can nominate.

Reporter: Do you feel are you in good health now? You look it.

Prabhupāda: Yes. After all, of course I am some eighty, eighty years old. And I complete eighty years next September. So the age is there, although I am feeling not aged by..., the effect of age must be there.

Room Conversation -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: You keep this. We shall have to show to the Indian government authorities.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: " 'Just as it has dealt with black marketers and smugglers, it is high time the government took immediate action to round up all those who claim supernatural powers.' While he was happy that Bangalore University has already established a committee to investigate miracles and superstitions, he cautioned them to be very careful, as even the scientists were not infallible."

Prabhupāda: How many scientists?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: They are also fallible, they can also make mistakes. "Experts Misled: For instance, investigators in universities in the West were known to be misled by tricksters who claimed para-psychological powers." Like ESP.

Prabhupāda: They invent some big, big words (laughter). Aparkalasvena-vargolas-double-wakundali-gondolais (gibberish). (laughter)

Interview with Professors O'Connell, Motilal and Shivaram -- June 18, 1976, Toronto:

Devotee: Well, the previous owner didn't want to sell it to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. They said they'd prefer to burn it down. (Prabhupāda laughs) One Indian gentleman who is a prominent businessman in Toronto purchased it in trust, saying that he was representing some Indian social group. So he purchased it in trust. Then the chairman of the committee of trustees who were in charge of selling the church noticed some tilaka on Viśvakarmā's face. He had a hat on so his śikhā wouldn't show. When he saw it was Hare Kṛṣṇa, he became very disturbed.

Viśvakarmā: He said, "Oh, no, the Hare Kṛṣṇas."

Prabhupāda: So they are not very favorable to the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. (laughs)

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: But what you have gained out of it, rascal? Now, there is no water. Bring water and become atheist. Why do you see: "When there will be water?" Bring water by scientific method. Why you are looking on the sky: "Whether there is any cloud."

Hari-śauri: Set up a drought committee.

Prabhupāda: They have done?

Bhagavān: In France there was a big drought, terrible drought. Many animals died. So the president of the country made a speech, and all he could say in his speech was that people should try to use less water. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Oh. There was another caricature, India. So there was some drought, the same. So there was some, what is called, representation: "And there is no water. We are suffering. This is the difficulty." "Yes, we are taking step, but next week you'll have television." Advancement, television. Because there was no television, so this is the advancement. Next week they have television. As if television will solve the problem. All mūḍhas, rascals, are very horrible condition. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. There is no other.

Arrival Conversation -- August 13, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: What is the political position here? (break)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: ...big celebration here starting tomorrow to the 18th. P. K. Savant, he came to see you last year, the president of Maharastra Pradesh Congress Committee, he was the chief guest. Mr. Pagay, another he is the minister from Maharastra, he's also coming. Very big program. It's being advertised all over Bombay. Prabhupāda: So raining stopped here? Driver: For three days stopped, sir. Otherwise, it was very heavy. Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's monsoon, it will still rain. Prabhupāda: Throughout whole Europe there is not a drop of water. Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. They're getting suffering now. Prabhupāda: All, no cloud.

Room Conversation About Mayapura Construction -- August 19, 1976, Hyderabad:

Jayapatākā: Now, just a few days ago, when I invited him for Janmāṣṭamī, then I asked him what the... He told me at that time... He said, "Now..." He had recently received a phone call from the Chief Secretary." You see? Now your favorite project is going to be spoiled." Then he went over to see the Chief Secretary. He showed him an article from the Rāja-Sabhā, how the member of Parliament had given this challenge that "Are these people CIA or this or that?" Then Mr. Choudhuri said, "Sir, I am not afraid." He said, "Why not?" "Because I have you, don't I?" Then the Chief said, "Yes. You have won me over. I believe in this project." Then he said that now the Chief Minister has agreed that the project be sanctioned. But he said that "I don't want to take the full brunt of the decision. Let the Nadia District Planning Committee take the decision."

Prabhupāda: Nadia?

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Stop now. Don't divert attention.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This is a letter from Śrī Ambarish Sarkar, General Secretary of the Nadia District Congress Committee. "I had an opportunity to visit the Śrī Māyāpur Chandrodaya Mandir on the 12th August, 1975. It is absolutely a religious institution. Jayapātāka Swami has devoted all of his efforts and endeavors to organize and propound the sacred name of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. I'm impressed by his charming manner and strength. Although it is a religious institution, this organization has performed many social services. Many poor and destitute families have had an opportunity to work and at the same time they have become worshipers of Lord Śrī Caitanya. To engage these workers, so many industrial centers have already been started, such as handloom cloth, printing, etc. I wish this organization, with its help of the local people, all success."

Prabhupāda: We're not only chanting, we are giving them work. We are trying to become self-sufficient, the same idea of Gandhi's village organization, so they may not come out from the village. They'll be satisfied, village economics. That we are doing.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Yogi Amrit Desai of Kripalu Ashram (PA USA) -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Girirāja: I know Mr. Bajoria in Calcutta, he told me that in the beginning the Indians would not purchase tea because they considered it was sinful, and the British had to make a big propaganda.

Prabhupāda: Yes, tea sets(?) committee. All the tea gardeners, all, they were mostly Britishers. They paid money for maintaining a department, tea sets(?) committee, and their only business was to make propaganda village to village how tea becomes popular. Similarly, drinking, meat-eating... And it became a fashion among the richer class to keep prostitutes, go to the garden weekend with prostitutes and wine, freely use them, intoxicated. It was a prestigious position to keep a prostitute. A rich man having a garden and one prostitute, they were... Anything in demand... I have seen it. Now I think, "How things are going on, that...?" You have seen that Mullik's house?

Girirāja: Yes.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: How you can expect good wishes from such persons? Very precarious condition. Your son, you take care. Now, as soon as you make a committee to take care of your son, then everything is finished. Is it not? The committee members will finish the son and the son's maintenance and everything. But that is going on. Formerly there was one monarch. He was acting according to the Vedic instruction. So he was responsible. And if there are many votes, by vote a government, a combination of plunderers, what they will take care of the people? It is impossible. Otherwise why there was need of dragging down Nixon? He was elected, wrong elected. Wrong must be. The people are wrong. They do not know who is the right man. Any rascal makes some intrigue, and he gets vote. And then they detect, "Oh, he's the wrong man." Again another is taken. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām (SB 7.5.30). And what is the guarantee that another man is right? Because the process is wrong.

Morning Discussion about Kumbhamela -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: There is a Māghmela committee. One magistrate is the head. A regular committee for managing this Mela.

Gurudāsa: We have contact with this committee.

Prabhupāda: And where is governor's camp from our?

Gurudāsa: I don't know exactly, but it's in the same island. I'll find out.

Prabhupāda: No, there is... Our governor is Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29).

Dr. Patel: All the Britishers were organizing this Mela, Kumbha.

Prabhupāda: No, in... They were taking... The committee... I said that, "We have committee?" This is British time. One magistrate is the head and assistants, so many.

Discussion on Deprogrammers -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Debit.

Hari-śauri: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: This is from an organization called "Committee Engaged in Freeing Minds." Freeing the mind. That is their name. And this is sent out all over the United States. It says, "Confidential. Not for publication."

Prabhupāda: (laughs) And it is out to the enemies.

Rāmeśvara: In capital letters it says, "HELP PUSH THE HARE KRSNA COURT ACTION. There are two legal cases in progress..."

Prabhupāda: Chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya Kṛṣṇa.

Discussion on Deprogrammers -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That means in the name of justice, injustice is going on.

Rāmeśvara: Yes. This law is unconstitutional. I mentioned that there is a group of lawyers who are now organizing a committee nationwide to defend us, and they're going to prove that this law should be changed.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the right cause. Yes.

Rāmeśvara: They're already working on that. So then they say, "If you can do this to your son, then it will get national news media into the scene, and then people will learn about Hare Kṛṣṇa in particular, and all the effects of destructive cults on our youth." Then it says, "We have a legal packet which contains advice on the procedure and techniques for legal deprogramming."

Prabhupāda: So nowhere they have mentioned my name. That is good. (laughter) Otherwise, I would have been the target. That was very dangerous.

Arrival of BBT Manager -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: That is very good.

Rāmeśvara: ...the biggest professors and theologians have organized now a nationwide committee to defend us.

Prabhupāda: Very good. This is Kṛṣṇa's mercy.

Rāmeśvara: And also the lawyers and psychologists are also organizing in their own fields nationwide committees just to defend us.

Prabhupāda: It is so much mercy from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa wanted all these things. Unless there is... Kṛṣṇa became important when He killed so many demons, not lying down on the lap of Mother Yaśodā. And while He was on the lap of Mother Yaśodā, from that day He began to kill. He began to kill. And there was attack. Therefore Kṛṣṇa became the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So even Kṛṣṇa was not exempted, what to speak of us. Prahlāda Mahārāja was not exempted. As soon as you speak of God, this opposition will come. Jesus Christ was crucified. So they are so kind they have not crucified me or my men. (laughs) Otherwise you have to expect all these things. Nityānanda Prabhu was personally injured. So these are the... Haridāsa Ṭhākura was beaten in twenty-two bazaars. This task is like that.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: They were trained by the first-class brāhmaṇas, saintly persons. They abided by their order. There was committee, advisory committee. Even at the time of his death, he's asking advice from the saintly..., "What is my duty?" That is king. He's not doing anything whimsically. And the first-class man should be first-class. Then second-class man, executive, kṣatriyas, they will force: "You must do it!" And then the third class, they should produce and carry out the order of the second class, king. And fourth class, they cannot do anything. Let them serve everyone, that's all, śūdras. They have no intelligence. But everyone is important, cooperatively. This is society. You require also legs; you require also heads. Simply heads will not help you. Head will give instruction, "Leg, please walk in this way." That's all, legs will move. He carries me. "Hands, give me protection." Immediately, "Yes!" A bad somebody(?) "Come on." Yes. Coming. "Belly, you produce food, sufficient, so that the legs, hands and brain, everyone will be provided with sufficient..." This way. This is society. All third-class, fourth-class men, simply going to the factory, and they are making laws. This is... What is called? Chaos. Chaotic society, no brain.

Room Conversation about BTG the Moon -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Well-to-do also. They are well-to-do.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Many of them, yes. They're all professionals. So he's finding that there's good receptivity amongst the Indians and students he's working with. And he's working, developing this farm. He's making his headquarters the farm in Pennsylvania, and then he goes out and goes to all these centers that he's established, and then every week he comes for a few days to the farm and works with Paramānanda. They formed a committee of management to do everything jointly. Paramānanda's the president, and others are there, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna's a sannyāsī, so he goes there and gives lectures. It's New Varṣāṇā, so they have an idea to develop it just like Varṣāṇā. There's a mountain there, so they want to build a temple on the mountain.

Prabhupāda: Where is New Varṣāṇā?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's Port Royal, Pennsylvania. The name is New Varṣāṇā.

Prabhupāda: Oh. That's nice.

Room Conversation with Adi-kesava Swami -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes. They have got money.

Ādi-keśava: They have big money. I can show you in this book. We made one chart of their organization.

Hari-śauri: Page fifteen, seventeen.

Ādi-keśava: It shows that they have a big organization. See, they have all these committees. And there's a lot of money involved. There are a lot of people with big money. Starting at the top, they've made a national organization. I know all these men. I've spoken to all these people. They're big demons, but they have a lot of money, so they're fighting us in all the different courts. But so far they have not taken it beyond the lower courts. When we take it to the higher courts we always win. For instance, just before I left, we took two cases to the Federal Court. Immediately we won. In one day they gave us the case. My case is in a very low court. If it goes to a high-court we will win. So we are wanting to do this, but that means again that if we were to do it, only certain lawyers can enter into the Federal Court. Not just any lawyer can argue there, because you have to have some...

Prabhupāda: So you have to pay. What can be done?

Ādi-keśava: So if you're willing to do that, I will do it.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Room Conversation with GBC members -- March 2-3, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: First of all you depute two or three GBCs to go there and see what is their program, how they'll utilize the money.

Jayatīrtha: A committee was formed to examine the situation in depth and to make a proposal exactly how the money would be utilized, and that committee consisted of... Who were the GBC men, Satsvarūpa?

Rāmeśvara: The Indian GBC.

Jayatīrtha: Indian GBC. They were supposed to make a...

Prabhupāda: No, Indian GBC plus other GBC. Four or five men should study.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda's talking about the agricultural program.

Rāmeśvara: But this ties in.

Gargamuni: Agriculture minister.

Prabhupāda: Not only here, but everywhere. The farm project is sound project.

Room Conversation with GBC members -- March 2-3, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Satsvarūpa: Resolved: A committee be formed of Saurabha, Tamāla Kṛṣṇa, Rāmeśvara, Ātreya Ṛṣi, Jayapatākā, Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, and Gurukṛpā to research and give a report on all aspects of the Māyāpur projected construction, including its material feasibility, cash flow requirements. They will report their research to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: One very big paṇḍita is coming. He'll help us about the Sanskrit language, how to form this...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Planetarium.

Prabhupāda: ...planetarium.

Room Conversation with GBC members -- March 2-3, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Then people will be very much satisfied.

Satsvarūpa: Another resolution: A subcommittee be formed of the three GBCs for India as an ISKCON Food Relief Committee. They will make a proposal on how a food program will be conducted.

Rāmeśvara: That Prabhupāda said should have the Indian GBC and two others.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: He just said previously there should be five members.

Brahmānanda: No. He was talking about Hyderabad.

Rāmeśvara: Yeah, but this is that... This is in relation to that.

Satsvarūpa: GBC men wishing to send men to preach in Ātreya Ṛṣi's Mid-East zone should first consult with him.

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Room Conversation with GBC members -- March 2-3, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: All right.

Satsvarūpa: Resolved: All properties purchased, even those personally transacted by GBC members, should be cleared through the property committee. The property committee will add Rāmeśvara Mahārāja along with Jayatīrtha for the US.

Rāmeśvara: We were already on it. Both of us were on it.

Prabhupāda: And here?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What about in India, Prabhupāda wants to know.

Rāmeśvara: Tamāla Kṛṣṇa's already a member of the property committee, and he'll be in India unless Prabhupāda sends him.

Jayatīrtha: Should anyone else be added in India?

Prabhupāda: Property committee means the GBC and Tamāla Kṛṣṇa.

Room Conversation with GBC members -- March 2-3, 1977, Mayapura:

Rāmeśvara: No, that will be good. But, Prabhupāda, I think that also if Tamāla Kṛṣṇa can help supervise, perhaps, the spending of the money that we send for construction as part of property committee duties, at least he could check, 'cause he's also a BBT trustee, how it's being spent by Saurabha.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Should be checked. That's nice.

Satsvarūpa: We made a resolution regarding improvement for our GBC meeting that next year all the agenda topics should be submitted by the GBC man to the three GBC officers thirty days previous to the annual meeting. After analyzing the proposals, the officers will present a number of topics to different committees, who will present them at the meeting.

Hṛdayānanda: The purpose of that was to try to discuss things more before the meeting so the meeting can be done more quickly and efficiently.

Prabhupāda: Subject matter. This is for subject matter committee. Subject, committee of subject.

Room Conversation with GBC members -- March 2-3, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: All right.

Satsvarūpa: A legal committee of Balavanta, Ādi-keśava, and Rāmeśvara will investigate whether certain techniques are legal or illegal according to the laws. Then one of the popular means to distribute books is by women's party. A party of women will travel under the care of a man devotee. But in taking care of the women, we have noted that some of these parties have been preaching a false philosophy of the relationship of the man who's taking care of the women, and that philosophy is that the saṅkīrtana leader is the eternal husband and protector of the women in the party. We want that this philosophy should be rejected. If a man is taking care of a number of women in a saṅkīrtana party, he should be regarded as the son as well as a representative of the spiritual master, of Śrīla Prabhupāda, and not the husband of these women.

Prabhupāda: Husband, but why he does not marry them? (laughter)

Room Conversation with GBC members -- March 2-3, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is this for the festival? Could I be added to them? Is that all right, Śrīla Prabhupāda? I'd like to be added to that committee to help with the festival if that's all right with the GBC.

Gurukṛpā: Sure.

Satsvarūpa: Next year at the Māyāpur festival, separate but equal facilities will be arranged for the women. It was felt that they weren't equal this year, that perhaps next year the new building could be divided in half, that they could have the same type of facility but kept separate.

Prabhupāda: That's nice. Now we have got enough place.

Room Conversation with GBC members -- March 2-3, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Satsvarūpa: Many of these other points are very minor. Also the committee you requested was formed for investigating the Hyderabad farm, of the three Indian GBCs, Balavanta, and Hṛdayānanda Mahārāja to go after the festival. So are these resolutions in order, Śrīla Prabhupāda? These resolutions that we passed...?

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is all right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, we were wondering that one time when you were ill in Vṛndāvana you requested that the devotees in our temples around the world could chant kīrtana all the time, twenty-four hours, till you recovered your health. So the GBC was wondering whether we could request again for that.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt. This is the real remedy for any disease. Very good idea. So, finished?

Room Conversation -- March 24, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Now this Janata party headed by Morarji may take to this Indian culture, that will be the...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We were thinking, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that after a short time we should have a committee approach Mr. Desai, some of our devotees and prominent life members, for getting citizenship for at least fifty to a hundred of our men. He would be favorable.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest (1) (Indian man): He is pro-American, Desai.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā?

Guest (1): He is not pro-Russian.

Prabhupāda: So you have taken your prasādam?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda (Member of Parliament) -- March 27, 1977, Bombay:

Mr. Rajda: Correct. That's correct. Serious effort should be made. Only lip service will not help. That is correct. No, I fully agree, and we shall definitely apply our mind to that. I am connected with this or I came into contact with this movement when the Juhu temple was demolished, and at that time, under standing committee and ten set of demands.(?) Ah, yes. Then Girirāja and some friends had come to me for cooperation.

Prabhupāda: So you have given a great service. Now it is not only demolished, it is standing there.

Talk with Svarupa Damodara -- April 18, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: They have done already?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They want to donate this to ISKCON to build a temple, ISKCON Hare Kṛṣṇa temple.

Prabhupāda: So if you can pick up one person from family, then we can do immediately.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Actually they have a committee, and this land actually is meant for... It is already called, already reserved for temple purposes from the government of Manipur.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So they can actually... The members of the committee told me that this was within their power, so whatever they do is final. So that's...

Prabhupāda: Maybe, but for management if we have to send foreigners, there are so many difficulties. But if the local people are trained up to our philosophy and mode of life, then there is no difficulty.

Talk with Svarupa Damodara -- April 18, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: ...and see what can be done.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So I also suggested that, that Śrīla Prabhupāda, if he becomes healthy...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who's in control of the other place?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The other place is a committee.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They also want to give us the land?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We could take both pieces.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Seems like there's so many devotees there that it wouldn't be difficult to...

Prabhupāda: No.

Talk with Svarupa Damodara -- April 18, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, heat we can accept very well(?). What is that? He can accept in behalf. So if they are eager to give, so make a committee, Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, yourself, and some other Indian. You can take immediately.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Make a subcommittee, taking sensible... Three, four men, subcommittee. We can have it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Your idea is to have them give it over before we go there?

Prabhupāda: Why not? (Bengali) If somebody is giving, take it. Then you develop.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Can we write them like that?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yeah. I can write to these men. And they have told me that they'll convey this message, and just see what...

Prabhupāda: Immediately we can form three-, four-man committee, my name, your name, Gopāla, and some other people. In this way develop.

Conversations -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Hm. 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 swamiji or swami, 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 will be done like that. There are so many mistakes. You read it. Here. Similarly, everything is being done, it is Surabhī Mahārāja. Have you read already?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: He does not like to interfere with his guru. He is doing everything.

Conversations -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: 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. You, you published that article?

Patita-pāvana: What is that?

Prabhupāda: The Times of India?

Patita-pāvana: Pardon me, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: You published that article?

Patita-pāvana: The types?

Prabhupāda: Times of India.

Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 23, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I was present in that meeting.

Mr. Dwivedi: So I was in the working committee with Shrinivas Iyengar from the South and this Ganesh Shankar Vidyapati from Kanpur. Subhas Bapu used to be very plain. When we used to put certain question to Jawaharlal, then he would say, "If you don't believe in Gandhi's ahiṁsā, you get out. Who will follow him, eh? Where shall I get the crowd to hear me?"

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa condemned it, kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam: "You are trying to become nonviolent." And Gandhi became more than Kṛṣṇa, nonviolent. What is this nonsense? Kṛṣṇa chastised Arjuna, kutas tvā kaśmalam idaṁ viṣame samupasthitam, anārya-juṣṭam: "These things are spoken by the anāryas, not by the Aryans."

Morning Conversation -- April 23, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're starting to catch on to him now, and when they do it's going to be a big scandal because he really made it into the American..., all over the world, but especially in America. He even got into the Army. They were teaching Transcendental Meditation in the Army. Even in schools... He had it in public schools. He said, "It is not at all religious. It's science, and it should be taught. Just like you teach gymnastics, you should also teach this." So if this becomes exposed, oh... It'll also hurt us indirectly, but actually it'll be good for us. But naturally they'll think that "All of these groups are now bogus." He's very much accepted in the public mind. But now the Congressional committees are investigating him.

Prabhupāda: And ours is accepted.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Our is very accepted.

Prabhupāda: That's a great achievement.

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Girirāja: This morning you gave the hint that there might be envious persons coming to take away our properties, so in the GBC meeting we discussed this point, that... A committee of us six was made to resolve this. So basically what we did is we made a model trust deed which can be used for all of the Indian properties. There may be three trustees for each property. And the basic point of the trust deed is that the property rests with these trustees and that they have no right to sell or mortgage or dispose of the property in any way. That is the basic point. And then we have proposed three trustees for each of the properties. So...

Prabhupāda: But there will be finally the trustees. And there may be one advisory board to... Pick up some friends and make an advisory board. They are not final. Final is trustee. Anything to be done should be considered first of all by the advisory board, and then if it should be sanctioned by the trustees, then it can be done. So some friends, we can make an advisory...

GBC Meets with Srila Prabhupada -- May 28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Very good. So do it. His condition will take some time. He has agreed. Then he's gone to London.

Girirāja: Then for the bank accounts, the main fund is the ISKCON Māyāpur-Vṛndāvana fixed deposits and savings account. So we thought that the best thing would be to have a committee to oversee the spending of this money in terms of your desire. So we propose that the committee consist of Gurukṛpā Mahārāja, Rāmeśvara Mahārāja, Jayapatākā Mahārāja, Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami, Gopāla Kṛṣṇa and myself.

Prabhupāda: Very good. Approved.

Girirāja: This would represent Gurukṛpā, who's collecting also the money, and Rāmeśvara.

Prabhupāda: I think you are all competent. Very good selection. Do it.

Girirāja: Then the persons who sign the checks, they would do so according to the decision made by the...

Prabhupāda: Of this committee.

Srila Prabhupada Vigil -- May 28-29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. The same condition as it was. They have no life, dead body. Now it will deteriorate more and more. Tīrtha Mahārāja, envious, managing. And they will not give. So tit for tat. You can do that. Then that is very glorious. That is a different country, different law. Some way or other, if you get the sympathizer, then take it.

Jayapatākā: The local committee, they want to give. They're coming June 4th to see him. I said, "There's no use to see him."

Prabhupāda: No.

Jayapatākā: They said, "But we feel, etiquette, we should give him the chance. We'll tell him that 'You've not done anything forty years. You're not going to do anything. Why don't give it to Śrīla Prabhupāda of ISKCON? Let them develop,' 'cause we need the preaching. And if he denies, then we'll come back to Dacca, pass resolution and give it to ISKCON."

Prabhupāda: That's all. That is... That will be glorious. They are very mean-minded. All mean-minded class, they are assembled together. That's all.

Srila Prabhupada Vigil -- May 28-29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: Smallest. Even that, there's not regular bhoga or prasāda distribution, nothing. The people there, they came and asked me that "Why you don't establish, do some saṁskāra? You establish your mandira here." I said, "You tell the man here to give to us. Immediately I am putting one chada(?) on this nātha-mandira and distributing prasāda weekly, five hundred people." They surrounded, that man said, and practically everything less than physically grabbed him. They were yelling at him, "Why you are not giving?" Says, "If you don't do, then we'll make our own committee and give."

Prabhupāda: Yes. Do that. They are simply... They can do.

Jayapatākā: And everyone appreciates your work, Śrīla Prabhupāda. What you've done for Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava, no one has done.

Bhavānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda, that same group of GBC that met with you yesterday...

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Bhavānanda: The GBC men that met with you yesterday, they'd like to see you again. They have one more resolution.

Prabhupāda: All right.

Discussions -- June 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Girirāja: "...and will be managed by three committee members."

Prabhupāda: Hm, yes.

Discussions -- June 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Girirāja: "And Śrīdhara Goswami. The committee members who have herein been designated are appointed for life. In the event of the death or failure to act for any reason of any of the said committee members, a successor committee member or committee members may be appointed by the remaining committee members, provided that the new committee member is an initiated disciple and following strictly all the rules and regulations of ISKCON as detailed in the books of His Divine Grace..." Oh. "...detailed in my books, and provided that there are never less than three or more than five committee members acting at one time. 4. I have created, developed and organized the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, and as such, I hereby will that none of the immovable properties in India in the name of ISKCON shall ever be mortgaged, borrowed against..."

Prabhupāda: Why India? Everywhere. Everywhere.

Rāmeśvara: See, in America sometimes we will borrow against the temple to "fry the fish in its own oil." So we wanted to make this language just for India, that they can never even mortgage it or risk it in any way.

Prabhupāda: All right. But outside they can do?

Discussions -- June 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Don't do..., make trustees.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I mean the committee members of each property should be mentioned within this will.

Rāmeśvara: For all the properties outside the world, all over the world.

Prabhupāda: Hm. In-charge. In-charge committee.

Rāmeśvara: In the world.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda wants this will to be, you know, a very complete document.

Rāmeśvara: And then, as the time goes by and we buy new properties, we will have to add them to the will.

Prabhupāda: As far as possible, give protection.

Discussions -- June 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: With the consent of all the GBC.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, the point is "with the consent of the GBC committee members."

Prabhupāda: Better not to be sold.

Rāmeśvara: We have that. "In principle should never be sold, but if the need arises, they may be sold or mortgaged with the consent of the GBC."

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Committee members.

Prabhupāda: Outside India.

Discussions -- June 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Rāmeśvara: "But if the need arises, they may be sold or mortgaged with the consent of the GBC committee members who are listed as follows."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then you can say, "The properties and their committee members are listed as follows."

Rāmeśvara: Right. "The GBC committee members."

Jayapatākā: Not all of them. (background talking)

Girirāja: We can put the cities.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Girirāja is suggesting that there's no need to list the address or in details.

Prabhupāda: No.

Room Conversation -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: When he's going to submit?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He said in two weeks he'd be returning to his committee, so I'm thinking about four or five days, around five.

Prabhupāda: Mention this.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, that'll be a good...

Prabhupāda: In the meantime, your notice to you can be submitted by him, that "This is..."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That is a good example. Yeah, I mean, I'm your personal secretary.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Conversation -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Mr. Myer: Well, here the problem is that, you see... I'm just wondering what is the form of management, because it may happen that... I attended one committee meetings the other day when GBC was here from Bombay, and I was not able to find out that somebody who normally would take some action... There would have to be one person who has to be given some guidelines, and then he must take action. But then the trouble thing will be, if he has to go to a committee, it will only delay things. One can't really act in... In committees, see, there are different people. They have different opinion, and very little can be consensus of all the different ideas. So I think it's good to have a committee meeting where a man reports the problems, evaluation like, where we have a... I will attend a meeting in England, where... That is about twelve... Yatita Prabhu(?), he was conducting a meeting on a Sunday, and they were trying to take the stock of what had happened in the week and what was the budget for next week. That kind of a meeting is very... Because then there are some statistics. We have some performance of what happened and what we wish to do.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So make... You have to develop. You have to teach them how to do that.

Mr. Myer: Quite right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But you had... But he had a reservation that before any change like this can be made, Akṣayānanda Mahārāja should also be acceptable to his proposal, because right now he's managing everything himself. So...

Prabhupāda: That... Whatever I'll say, he'll accept. There is no question of refusing.

Visit From Allopathic Doctor -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What arrangement is being made for the conference?

Bhavānanda: Śatadhanya Mahārāja and I have formed the welcoming committee, and we're going to greet all of the guests when they come. We're having... The guesthouse will be empty tonight and cleaned up and all arrangements made for their stay there. That's as much as I've been able to do to date, because I don't know what Svarūpa Dāmodara has done. That's all I'm able to find out. There was nothing done as far as that goes-greeting the people and seeing that their living arrangements are made. They've made a temporary kitchen over in the Gurukula building for cooking, and we're seeing that the prasādam is... We're going to go over the menu, that that is all nice and nicely served. I'm waiting for...

Prabhupāda: And what about the conference place?

Bhavānanda: The conference place is being cleaned up now.

Prabhupāda: Which room?

Bhavānanda: On the ground floor in the front, the conference room?

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Where is Hari-śauri?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Hari-śauri? He's bathing, Śrīla Prabhupāda. (break) ...comfortably, Śrīla Prabhupāda? Śrīla Prabhupāda? In order to finish the Bombay temple, we're making a... We're sending some money to them for completion. So we have a committee called the Māyāpur-Vṛndāvana committee. Persons on the committee are Jayapatākā Swami, Girirāja, Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, Ātreya Ṛṣi, Rāmeśvara Mahārāja, Gurukṛpā Mahārāja and myself. That committee was formed by the GBC last Māyāpur festival. So they decided that they would give a loan, because the BBT was a little short of money... The BBT sends the money to Bombay. So the BBT wants to loan some money from the Māyāpur-Vṛndāvana account in Los Angeles, and they'll pay it back with the same bank interest.

Prabhupāda: Make me centered.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Make a loan from Los Angeles to the BBT, and the BBT will repay it with the regular bank interest. Is that all right? Had you given power of attorney, now that the MV trust has approved it, Girirāja and I can sign on your behalf. See, we'll never sign on our own. We only sign after we get authority from the respective committee or from Your Divine Grace.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We're only mechanical signers.

Prabhupāda: Very good. Make the body centered.

Room Conversation -- October 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So all GBC left?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All GBC left? Some of them are here. Haṁsadūta is here, Hari-śauri, Svarūpa Dāmodara.

Hari-śauri: Pañca-draviḍa?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Pañca-draviḍa Swami.

Prabhupāda: So that committee formed?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That committee? Yes.

Prabhupāda: Charity...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We will be forming that. Make a little legal document.

Prabhupāda: First of all make it formal.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, I think it's better for Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi. Because for general, we have ISKCON. For general, we have the... I'll explain, Śrīla Prabhupāda. For general, the GBC has formed the Māyāpur-Vṛndāvana Committee. That is more or less... Your original name of it was Māyāpur-Vṛndāvana Trust. So we've formed a Māyāpur-Vṛndāvana Committee made up of the following seven people: Jayapatākā Mahārāja, Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Prabhu, Girirāja, myself, Rāmeśvara, and Gurukṛpā Mahārāja and Ātreya Ṛṣi. so these seven meet, and they divide up the money that comes from all the interest of the fixed deposits in India, and they will recommend how that money should be spent. Once a year they will consider at Māyāpur all the different requests from Bhuvaneśvara, from Māyāpur, from Bombay, from Vṛndāvana, everywhere, and they will divide up the interest accordingly. So the Bhaktivedanta Charity Trust could be simply for the Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi area. That was my idea.

Prabhupāda: Whichever suitable.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Which is suitable.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, I think the general is already covered by this Māyāpur-Vṛndāvana Trust committee. That's for all of India. And Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi is especially for encouraging the development of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism in that area-Śrīdhara Mahārāja's nātha-mandira, this Yoga-pīṭha Bhaktivedanta Hall. Different buildings. 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 Māyāpur area.

Prabhupāda: That we shall fix up, what to spend.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity trustees would fix that up?

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: All right.

Room Conversation -- October 30, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "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 Māyāpur-Vṛndāvana 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 by that Māyāpur-Vṛndāvana Trust committee. Because those are all ISKCON men.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Madhusūdana Mahārāja, Mādhava Mahārāja, they may decide for the Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust with the other five of us.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Prabhupada Vigil -- November 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Don't bother to come here, then.

Brahmānanda: But they treated you with much respect, though. They said that they had wanted Your Divine Grace to come because you are also a member of their steering committee. (indistinct) They also had a proposal to produce a series of different books, small books, pamphlets, forty, fifty pages, comprising selections from the Bhagavad-gītā. And these would be for specific types of persons. The books would be Bhagavad-gītā for students, Bhagavad-gītā for businessmen, Bhagavad-gītā for scientists, like that. So they want us to produce the book for the scientists, taking various quotes from Bhagavad-gītā with a short explanation of the verse. So I said one problem is that all the different groups who are assembled here will all have different interpretations of the verses. What about this? And they said, "No, no, we shouldn't interpret." I said, "Well, one reason that the young people are not taking up this Bhagavad-gītā is because they see that everyone is giving a different interpretation. Nobody is presenting it as it is, so they're confused." I was in Kashmir, I was speaking with some young boys. They were telling me they're confused by religion. They don't respect the paṇḍitas in the temples—they're all simply after money. They have no respect for religion, Hindu religion. So I mentioned this to all of them. They are all Māyāvādīs. And they argued with me. I presented arguments. They would not accept it.

Prabhupāda: They want to avoid criticism.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (laughs) They are going away. Now they are finished. One day... What they will talk? Who will hear?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They have nothing to talk. Prabhupāda, they said that you are on a coordinating committee. So they want a second person from our Society also to be on the coordinating committee, because you may not always be able to attend the meetings.

Prabhupāda: No.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We'll tell them, "No, Prabhupāda said only he alone should be on it."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (laughs) They'll like that.

Prabhupāda: I also do not want.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You want your name to be taken off?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, that's their idea, that they should have somebody. It's very implicating though. I'll tell you, I wouldn't put anybody on that committee, really. It's very implicating. As soon as you go to that coordinating meeting, you're obligated to give them all kinds of facilities. They have nothing that we want, factually speaking. They have nothing. They have not helped us. (to Brahmānanda:) No, they have not helped us. You're listening to what they say, but I know the facts. I know they haven't helped us.

Prabhupāda: Tactfully deal with them.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīmān Nārāyaṇa did nothing. Don't get involved with them, because you'll get so obligated. It's better to say that "Prabhupāda said that simply he will be on the coordinating committee. He doesn't want anybody else to be on for now." I'll say like that. For now, you don't want anybody else. You are present, so that you alone will be on it. I like that.

Brahmānanda: Don't take Prabhupāda's name off.

Prabhupāda: "And in the absence, we shall select another."

Room Conversation -- November 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What is the report?

Akṣayānanda: They have just... Śrī Nārāyaṇajī and Rāma-Kṛṣṇa Bajajī have just left. I just saw them off. They are very happy. All the members of the committee, of their committee, they made a prayer that Your Divine Grace would have long life and good health. And regarding their meeting, I simply put their... They had the loudspeaker outside. I just put it inside so no passerby can hear, and they just did their business and left. They had no problems.

Prabhupāda: What resolution they passed?

Akṣayānanda: I do not know. (Prabhupāda laughs)