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Cost (Conversations 1976 - 1977)

Expressions researched:
"cost" |"costing" |"costly" |"costs"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: cost or costs or costly or costing not "at any cost" not "at the cost of"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 3, 1976, Nellore:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says that he finds it very.... From reading your books it is very clear that Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very careful and strict to only eat prasādam cooked by proper persons.

Prabhupāda: No, purchase from Jagannātha temple. People would come to offer Him prasādam, so what is the cost of the prasādam, that was taken, and He purchased. Formerly, the system was, there was no hotel, but there were temples. You go and you can purchase very cheap price. I went with my father in my childhood in a place. My father would never take food at anyone's house or in the hotel. He will find out some temple and pay them and take prasādam. Still there are many temples. So I was about ten years old at that time, say, seventy years ago. So he paid two annas to the pūjārī and he gave us so much. It can be eaten by five, six men. Kicheri, vegetables, varieties. So much. Two annas.

Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Nellore:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Sea. Not here, where there is sea.

Yaśodānandana: The sea is just fourteen miles away.

Prabhupāda: Shallow water, when it is dried by the sunshine they get salt. Evaporation is done by sunshine, and they get the salt. Practically they get the salt without any cost, and whatever they get, money, they are satisfied.

Acyutānanda: Why is the sea salty? (break) Science can't.... They have no answer.

Mahāmṣa: Sweet water is falling, and it is becoming salty.

Prabhupāda: Salt means earth. Earth. So in the water there is earth. Bhumir āpaḥ. So within the water there is earth. And within the fire there is water. And within the air there is fire. Sukṣmaṁ to sthūla. From sky to land. These are the different transformation stages. (break) Nehru? Nehru. (break) Eat rice only?

Indian man: Yes, rice only. No capātis.

Morning Walk -- January 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They have to live here as devotee?

Jayapatāka: No.

Prabhupāda: No, let them manufacture. That will make him devotee.

Bhavānanda: On the right here, Śrīla Prabhupāda, is our nursery for our landscaping.

Prabhupāda: So this is nice. It is very.... It will be very nice to live in these rooms. What is the cost of this kattan?

Jayapatāka: Of?

Prabhupāda: What do we pay?

Jayapatāka: Bed, the small bed, about twenty-five, thirty rupees.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Jayapatāka: And the bigger ones, a full man size, about forty-five.

Prabhupāda: Very good. It is nice.

Morning Walk -- January 16, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Why you are spoiling space by making these arches? You could have used the whole place.

Jayapatāka: Having the arches, when they're all painted it will be very attractive.

Prabhupāda: (break) ...attractive, it is going to be very expensive.

Jayapatāka: Each arch cost only fifteen rupees.

Prabhupāda: All right. (break) ...will be written on the arches?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You can see down there how they have done.

Jayapatāka: They're putting a very nice stone. Rose quartz.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is that.... The stones and everything cost fifteen rupees?

Jayapatāka: Well...

Prabhupāda: (break) Vandalism, no? Then what is to be done? (break) ...big doors, why it is open? This should be open when car is going. Otherwise not.

Morning Walk -- January 17, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Jayapatāka: Since before, cows have become more healthy, and now people are appreciating very much.

Prabhupāda: What is the cause?

Jayapatāka: The cost?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The cause for the...

Jayapatāka: Oh, because of Pīppalāi's very careful service.

Prabhupāda: That's it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who is Pīppalāi?

Jayapatāka: This is Pīppalāi prabhu, here. He is from Mexico.

Prabhupāda: You have got experience?

Pīppalāi: No, I don't have experience.

Hariśauri: He was running the presses in New York.

Prabhupāda: So you like this?

Pīppalāi: Yes, very much so.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Morning Walk -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Yes, projector is necessary.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Projector would be big preaching. Our money comes from, for preaching program. There is already a fund for land purchase, whereas there is no such fund for something like this.

Prabhupāda: So it can be purchased...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Cost, they say.... It costs today.... A 16 millimeter projector with sound is about ten thousand rupees, new. I have a projector in America but I don't know.... I'm going to bring it, anyway, but it's not at all new. I'm not even sure...

Prabhupāda: So why new? Old is no useful?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Frankly I don't know if the projector.... This projector was donated by someone and we have no purpose for it. That's why I don't know about it's condition. I keep it in the bus.

Prabhupāda: So let who is coming, let him bring it.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1976, Mayapur:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You said that when you were very young you always used to calculate what was the cost of a ticket to Purī.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Every day I was seeing how to go to Jagannātha Purī and how to go to Vṛndāvana. At that time a fare was, for Vṛndāvana, four or five rupees, and similarly for Jagannātha Purī. So I was thinking, "When I shall go?" That's all. I took first opportunity to go to Jagannātha Purī after my examination, and in business connection when I went to Agra, then I first of all took the opportunity to go to Vṛndāvana from Agra. This was in 1925, and I visited Jagannātha Purī sometime in 1920. And '25 I went to Vṛndāvana. I remember, in those days I was sitting within the car, and there was some prasādam. One monkey entered and took away everything.

Morning Walk -- February 21, 1976, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Still, you keep profit, two, three rupees.

Yaśodānandana: Oh, yes, always. We always make sure of that.

Acyutānanda: When the Teachings of Lord Caitanya, small size, came, something happened, but it cost us from the BBT... How much does the Teachings of Lord Caitanya cost us?

Yaśodānandana: That's very expensive.

Acyutānanda: It's very expensive.

Yaśodānandana: That's about twenty-two rupees that we have to pay, and we cannot resell it for twenty-eight rupees.

Prabhupāda: No, no, no...

Acyutānanda: Twenty-two rupees, we shall pay.

Prabhupāda: We shall print. It will cost not more than ten to twelve rupees.

Morning Walk -- March 10, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Madhudviṣa Mahārāja will bring next year. Is it very expensive?

Guru-kṛpā: No, it's just...

Madhudviṣa: No, but the computer. You need one computer to run it.

Prabhupāda: Oh. So that is very costly.

Jayapatāka: Computers are very cheap nowadays.

Madhudviṣa: Yeah, it's very expensive. Actually the electricity would be very expensive, the bill, which would probably be paid by Mahatva(?). (laughs)

Prabhupāda: No, if it is very expensive, don't do it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Of course, an escalator is also expensive. If we're going to worry about expense, then... I think we should wait until we get that big building, the temple, because then, if you put it up there, it can be seen...

Madhudviṣa: In Calcutta.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even in Calcutta. But this is not very high. (break)

Devotee (1): ...ignorance, ignorance.

Prabhupāda: No, those who are inclined, they can become. Jnanam vijñānam āstikyam.

Morning Walk -- March 13, 1976, Mayapur:

Prabhupāda: Yes, invite them.

Rādhāvallabha: Madhudviṣa Mahārāja, if you can keep everyone from banging into those... They break very easily.

Prabhupāda: So why not make a small booklet of all these, thin paper, so that we can send.

Rādhāvallabha: We need very much also a permanent display building in Māyāpur. This exhibit cost almost four thousand dollars.

Prabhupāda: Yes, have immediately.

Rādhāvallabha: Jaya.

Prabhupāda: Immediately ask them to construct a house.

Ghanaśyāma: Make it like a museum.

Prabhupāda: Who is here from Māyāpur, in-charge? Nobody is here?

Yadubara: Jayapatāka went on parikrama.

Yaśodānandana: I think maybe that along with that commentary from the professor from the University of Mexico to send to Mrs. Indira Gandhi, if all of these quotations are sent, she will understand that you are being appreciated by everyone.

Prabhupāda: No, you can send all the quotations, not only one. (aside:) Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) ...very enlivening, encouraging, very good. And especially from the Western countries. All classes of academic leaders. It is very good.

Room Conversation -- April 20, 1976, Melbourne:

Carol Jarvis: If you want your thoughts to be passed on to other people, why do you sell the books and make money out of them?

Prabhupāda: Otherwise you'll not read it. If I give you free, then you'll think, "Ah, this is something nonsense. They are giving free."

Carol Jarvis: Not necessarily give them free, but perhaps sell them for a price that pays for the cost of producing them.

Prabhupāda: So when they pay for it.... When they pay for it, they will try to see "What these books are saying? Let me see." And if you get free, then you may keep it in your rack for hundreds of years. So that is not the.... But after all, we have to print these books, so who will pay for that? We have no money.

Carol Jarvis: Well, what happens to the rest of the money, though, that is collected in the streets?

Prabhupāda: We are increasing our movement. We are opening centers. We are printing more books. This is my books. I have made a Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. That is my will, and I have given my will that fifty percent of the collection should be spent for reprinting the books and fifty percent should be spent for spreading the movement. So there is no question of material profit.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: If it is possible.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It is sponsored by the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy, Swami Rama from the Himalayas.

Prabhupāda: Bogus. He's a bogus. Then don't take part.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: There's many.... It's costing fifteen dollars for people to get in.

Prabhupāda: So we are not going to give.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Most.... I have looked over the people who are speaking. Most of them are from this society. It seems what they've done, they've taken some of the big bhogīs in America like Satchidananda and others, and they've invited them to draw bigger crowds. So they're taking this opportunity for money. I think we'll probably sell books there, anyway.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I'm sure that our devotees will sell books.

Prabhupāda: Yes, you can have a book stall.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Hari-śauri: Oh, yes. They want you to sign it, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Guest (2): How much does one of these cost?

Guest (3): Could we have two?

Devotee (4): Sure.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I met one Christian in Florida. He once said that by hearing our philosophy he felt he became a life member.

Prabhupāda: What is the date? Twenty-third?

Hari-śauri: Twenty-third.

Guest (2): It's a good philosophy. I am really respect the Kṛṣṇa's for their discipline, because this is a great thing that people of the world need to learn, is to discipline your body, because we think that if you discipline your body, the spirit of God can dwell with you more.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- April 23, 1976, Melbourne:

Hari-śauri: They're just bringing one more copy. They want one each. No, they want one copy each of Īśopaniṣad. So he's just waiting. He would like you to sign that one also, if you could.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Why don't you read one of these? I think you'd be interested in some of the finer points in the philosophy.

Guest (2): How much would that be? We can't afford too...

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: It only costs four dollars.

Guest (2): We can't afford that. Something small.... Does it have a picture of him in there?

Hari-śauri: There's a picture of Prabhupāda in the back of that one, in the back. On the inside also there's just a few notes about him.

Prabhupāda: Paper is ripped. Another copy. (end)

Room Conversation -- May 4, 1976, Honolulu:

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Their goal is not so broad. They just want to control the...

Prabhupāda: That means the little children's policy. Children, just like imagining so many things, "I shall do that. I shall do." The potter's imagination. You know that? Potter's imagination? You do not know the story? One potter is selling earthen pots, and he is saying that "Now, these two paisā, it has cost me one paisā. I shall make one paisā profit. Then I can make such profit. I shall invest again. I shall make another profit, another profit. In this way I shall become millionaire. Then I shall marry, and my wife shall be very obedient. And if (s)he does not become obedient, I shall give him a kick like this." And he, what was.... One pot was there. He kicked that pot and broke. (laughter) It broke. "Oh, again I am poor man." So this is going on, imagination. Imagination.... "I shall become so great that I shall kick Kṛṣṇa's law," and whatever pot he had-broken. That's all. Rascals, simply rascals. If anyone thinks like that, that "I shall surpass the laws of nature," then he's madman. He's madman. So what is the use of dealing with madmen? And as soon as you challenge them that "Show us that you have surpassed the laws of nature," "Yes, we are trying. In future we shall do." That's all. This is their reply. So it is better to avoid such men. But if you peacefully you can introduce, "All right, you will do. You are wonderful men, so kindly if you read some pages of this, it is not very costly. You can keep. At leisure hour you can read," in this way, imploring, then they will be benefited. That much we can do to any rascal. He sādhavaḥ sakalam eva vihāya dūrāt caitanya-candra-caraṇe: "Oh, you are so nice. Therefore I am flattering you. I humbly obeisance. Kindly hear one thing. Keep some books. It is not very costly." Bas. This much you can do. And let them become puffed up by their false notions. But if they keep some books, sometimes they will read or their sons will read. That's all. Therefore I am stressing so much on books, that if the puffed-up rascals take some book and sometimes, if they read, he'll be benefited, perfectly benefited. So distribute these books anywhere possible. It doesn't matter where it is. The same process.

Room Conversation -- May 7, 1976, Honolulu:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We can sell, there is some set resale value. Then we can realize some money.

Prabhupāda: Yes, then it is alright.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They'll have value. There will be some money. We can request them to send some samples of the books that they will return to us. Then we can...

Prabhupāda: Find out cost. Some shopkeepers, stores. Some return. If we can get our cost price of the books.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We should get cost price.

Prabhupāda: Not should, but must as far as possible.

Guru-kṛpā: I've heard that in Russia the people are so eager to read imported literature that any literature appears they immediately buy it.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- May 29, 1976, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: Yes. They think it is very nice. Yes. This is called māyā. He's into suffering, but he thinks this is very nice. It is called prakri badni dasuni (indistinct). (Sanskrit) It is covered. Stool, worm. You take the stool worm from the stool and kick it aside, again it will go.... (laughing) "This is enjoyment. Why you are taking from me?" (laughing)

Hari-śauri: Like the cockroaches. If you make everything clean, they go away.

Devotee (3): In Washington all of the drunks, they go in there and stay in the prison, and it was costing the government a great amount of money. So they passed the law that they were not going to put the drunks in jail any more because it was costing them such a big expense. They all want to go to jail.

Hari-śauri: What about when someone goes to the hellish regions though? He actually suffers there?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Of course. But he thinks that "I am enjoying."

Hari-śauri: Oh. 'Cause after reading the descriptions in the Bhāgavatam, it seems it's pretty horrific.

Prabhupāda: Well, when one is accustomed, then he thinks it is enjoyment.

Morning Walk -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Rāmeśvara: They never saw anything like it.

Prabhupāda: Deal with them very nicely. We get publicity.

Rāmeśvara: It's very costly.

Prabhupāda: Never mind. Cost, Kṛṣṇa will send money.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This project here will cost, how much? About seventy...

Rāmeśvara: The actual project, without considering how much the devotees live on, forty thousand dollars.

Prabhupāda: Never mind.

Rāmeśvara: That's the budget for the project, not counting the devotee maintenance.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: More than that.

Prabhupāda: Never mind. You can you can raise that four times price.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So we don't mind the cost?

Prabhupāda: No.

Morning Walk -- June 4, 1976, Los Angeles:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That is our guru-dakṣiṇā.

Rāmeśvara: There is just one problem, Śrīla Prabhupāda. If the temple thinks that they are going to have to pay for the entire project, it is so costly that they don't want to pay so much. They cannot afford. That's why you originally...

Prabhupāda: If they cannot pay, we are not going to hang them. But the condition is this: They must pay.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Maybe for those who will not pay, we could do simple ones, just with the, a...

Prabhupāda: We do not say that "If you cannot pay, I will hang you." No. "Pay, try to pay." (static) In our Hyderabad scheme, we have taken three, four lakhs loan from you. And he has taken, Jayapatākā has taken, you know? Nobody has paid me. Till now. But there is promise they will pay.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that's good. At least the big temples, Rāmeśvara, in the beginning can certainly afford it.

Rāmeśvara: On a long-term basis.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, I won't even, for New York, I won't even take a loan.

Prabhupāda: No, we can forward loan if it is absolutely necessary.

Morning Walk -- June 7, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: So why do they not go and eat the rats? Then why these people do not go there and eat the sacred rats? Please go there and eat the sacred rats. (laughter) Because you are expert in eating animals, so go and eat the sacred rats. lndia is a good field, and clear their problems. You write one article and send them. It is a good opportunity for the animal eaters to go to India and eat the rats, sacred rats, and solve their problems. (laughter)

Mahendra: It won't even cost anything.

Prabhupāda: Yes, free. They can take them free.

Ṛṣabhadeva: They said one of the main reasons is because they are killing the snakes for the skin, the snakes that feed on the rats. They kill so many snakes to get the skin, therefore there's no way to control the rat population.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. It is saved for you. Go and take it.

Mahendra: They wear the snakes and eat the rats.

Prabhupāda: Snake will die of starvation. It is better. You go and eat.

Room Conversation -- June 10, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Bharadvāja: They will pay for the casting in Fiji?

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Bharadvāja: The Indians in Fiji will pay for the casting if we decide to cast in brass here?

Prabhupāda: Anyone will pay. (laughs) Kṛṣṇa will pay. What will be the cost, let me know. It will be paid by somebody.

Bharadvāja: I will have to investigate.

Kīrtanānanda: You will have it cast or you will cast it?

Bharadvāja: We'll have it cast here. Actually, one boy is working with me now from Hawaii...

Prabhupāda: But one thing, you can send one copy of this to Vṛndāvana to take casting cost there. They're also doing.

Bharadvāja: Estimate. Perhaps they'll be able to do it cheaper in India.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Bharadvāja: They'll definitely be able to do it cheaper in India.

Prabhupāda: Then if they can do cheaper, why not cast there?

Bharadvāja: The transport.

Morning Walk -- June 14, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: No one is purchasing. Why? Suggested Bhagavān that "Why don't you purchase this land?" I see the same signboard is still going on (indistinct).

Ambarīṣa: Nobody wants to buy property on this street. It's very dangerous and rundown.

Prabhupāda: Similarly, in that quarter where we have got our temple, the same position. Therefore we got cheap. (laughs) Otherwise, it is very costly building.

Satsvarūpa: We did not even want to take you down there last year to see it. We thought it is out of the question. And you said, "There's nothing to be afraid of. Just hold kīrtana there."

Prabhupāda: Yes. People are coming. Yesterday many gentlemen. Gradually you purchase that side land.

Mādhavānanda: Śrīla Prabhupāda, we had so many people yesterday. We had about two hundred people in the temple room and three hundred people outside waiting in line for prasāda.

Satsvarūpa: They were all wandering around the grounds. It was very pleasant. So many people taking here and there, preaching.

Prabhupāda: That house is exactly suitable for our purpose in every way. It was Kṛṣṇa's desire.

Morning Walk -- June 15, 1976, Detroit:

Prabhupāda: Forty-eight cents?

Satsvarūpa: I don't know. Ambarīṣa? How much are cigarettes?

Ambarīṣa: I think they're seventy-five cents. They are very highly taxed.

Prabhupāda: Who cares for it? (laughter) Wine is highly taxed in India. When I was manager in Dr. Bose's laboratory, he was manufacturing alcohol(?) for medicinal purposes. The cost was one rupee eight annas per gallon. The government was levying duty. For medicinal purpose, five rupees per gallon, whereas purchasing liquor, fifty-eight. The government would take profit out of it, fifty-eight rupees.

Satsvarūpa: (indistinct) Fifth Canto (indistinct)

Prabhupāda: Today, there was description, there is description, the fight was so severe that the blood sprinkled up to the sun planet. So why not moon planet? Why they say sun planet? The sun is the nearest planet from the earth. So this calculation.... They say the sun planet is 93,000,000 miles away from earth? And if you add further 1,600,000 miles, it comes to about fifteen (50?) million miles. Fifteen (50?) million miles, they have calculated, go there by the sputnik at the rate of 13,000 miles per hour.

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1976, Toronto:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: In Calcutta, yes.

Prabhupāda: The state is in the management of official trustee. And this trustee in charge of the trust board men, they give us so much trouble and exploit the position for his personal profit. I have seen. Horrible. For instance, I can give you, if in some property there is some repair, it will cost you, say, one hundred rupees. And they'll give it to a contractor, and the contractor will present a bill, twelve hundred rupees. And he'll pass. And the contractor will be given, say, two hundred rupees, and balance he'll take. I have seen.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Stealing from the trust.

Prabhupāda: In this way he's.... The money's in his hand. If you want money for expenditure, so if I press you, you have need of money, so you do everything, give some back, get the money. You are in urgent need. Everywhere. All, whole world they have become dishonest. Even the high-court judges, magistrate, they are getting bribe.

Room Conversation -- June 24, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Kīrtanānanda: A little bit, not too much.

Prabhupāda: Detroit temple, it was, that building was constructed at a cost of two million dollars, say some fifty years, sixty years ago. And we purchased it at three hundred thousand dollars. So when they said that there is a nice house, so I told "Let me go immediately." So I went there and talked with the proprietor, so I liked it very much. It is a wonderful palace. So he asked $350,000. So I talked with him and asked some concession. Then I last bid again, "I'll give you cash, three hundred thousand." So he said "Yes, I accept." There was no money. (laughter) So the Bombay purchase, you know, it was simply speculation. So Kṛṣṇa is giving us. For a karmī, it is not possible, but Kṛṣṇa gives us all facilities. You have been in that palace, Detroit? Very, very nice. Perhaps the best in our society, huh?

Hari-śauri: Without a doubt.

Prabhupāda: London, that is also nice, but not as nice. The building is so strong, and the rooms are so palatial, big, big, rooms. One room of this size of the whole...

Room Conversation -- June 24, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Stone, marble. With golden work.

Hari-śauri: The bathrooms, even the soap dishes, are gold. The soap dishes, the toilet roll holder, everything is gold.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: Gold wall paper.

Prabhupāda: One floor is like this. Very costly house.

Dhṛṣṭadyumna: They told me that the prasādam room floor alone, three hundred thousand dollars to build. And you have gotten the whole thing.

Prabhupāda: Everywhere it is so beautiful, nice, strong, and quite suitable for our purpose. Everyone is living. Still, big, big three, four rooms, not yet utilized. And climate also is nice, at the present moment, huh?

Hari-śauri: Yes.

Prabhupāda: I think the same climate here.

Arrival Room Conversation -- July 2, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Vṛṣākapi: I have seen it.

Prabhupāda: Is it not?

Vṛṣākapi: It is the finest, the finest.

Prabhupāda: And we have got very cheap. One room will cost three hundred thousand, it is so costly. They said they spend about two millions dollars fifty years ago.

Vipina: Fifty years ago. That's ten, twenty million now.

Prabhupāda: But nobody was taking.

Narottama: Hot milk. And there is fruit, Śrīla Prabhupāda, there is fruit also.

Prabhupāda: Come on. Jaya. (pause) You take. That's all. What is this?

Devotee: Kiwi from New Zealand. (Prabhupāda is eating during the conversation)

Vipina: Those are Narottama's rasagullās over there. Narottama's rasagullā.

Hari-śauri: He's learned how to make Indian sweets very expertly. He was making them in Detroit.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Where he is going now?

Hari-śauri: Ready to arrange the luggage.

Vipina: This is real prasādam distribution.

Prabhupāda: Very nice.

Room Conversation -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: You have a bell system?

Rūpānuga: Yes, it rings, but you can't hear it in here. It rings in the back quarters.

Prabhupāda: The doors you have purchased?

Rūpānuga: Yes.

Prabhupāda: It is costly?

Devotee: Yes.

Rūpānuga: The other doors were not..., they could not even be locked nicely.

Prabhupāda: Very nice.

Vipina: We got matching doors all the way through your quarters.

Vṛṣākapi: We are hoping if you like it, you will stay here, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: I want to stay, but...

Rūpānuga: ...cannot. (to Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa:) On the other side, it works. This Washington temple actually is one of your oldest centers, but this is the first time you have been able to come when facilities were proper.

Prabhupāda: Indians are coming?

Rūpānuga: Yes.

Room Conversation -- July 10, 1976, New York:

Devotee (1): They're all cheaters.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here's another group called Arika.(?) This Arika(?) costs three thousand dollars, this process. They charge three thousand dollars for a ninety-day course.

Ādi-keśava: Part of their whole meditation is they have cocktail parties. They drink liquor and they have these therapy, and they charge him money to go to a cocktail party, they call it yoga.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Anyway, it's got a good article about us. You want to keep it to show guests who come the article?

Prabhupāda: (indistinct)

Hari-śauri: Anyone who reads that magazine will immediately become attracted to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there's no comparison.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's got the best article I've ever seen though, about us, in great detail. It really reports the details.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. This is also good article. (break) Hm! Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa, where is the key? Key? Distribute this prasādam.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You can see how he's cooking very..., he's the most expert I've ever seen, and he knows these special preparations. He can cook many varieties of kacuri. (end)

Evening Darsana -- July 11, 1976, New York:

Devotee (1): So many intelligent people, they are going to Transcendental Meditation simply because it's costing money. They want to pay. My sister, her husband, they are intelligent people, but they are simply...

Prabhupāda: So intelligent that they cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā. What kind of intelligence is that, the plain thing in the Bhagavad-gītā, they cannot...

Devotee (1): Very bad intelligence.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15).

Prabhupāda: Yes. So-called intelligent, they are not intelligent. They have lost their sense by the influence of māyā. Even big, big men, they say that Kṛṣṇa, this Kṛṣṇa is not God. "The God Kṛṣṇa is different" and so on, so on. Do they not say like that?

Indian man (3): I wanted to ask you a question. While talking to some of the European people, when we say that Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā that asked him to fight, kill his own relatives and friends and not to bother about the consequences of the action. Now this statement sometimes is difficult for people of the West to understand, where they say before you do any action you should know the consequences and then only take action...

Prabhupāda: That is the only statement in the Bhagavad-gītā? There is no other statement?

Indian man (3): There is, but...

Prabhupāda: So you have captured that only.

Comments on Bhagavad-gita Play -- July 12, 1976, New York:

Sudāmā: And here in New York is very much a theatrical city, entertainment, Broadway and... This theater we have here in our temple is situated in off-Broadway. Our theater downstairs is as high a standard in its interior as any other off-Broadway theater house.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There are two classes, Broadway and off-Broadway theater. Two different classifications. Broadway is very costly, big productions, very elaborate, and off-Broadway is more simple, but also very often there are good plays there. So this particular temple is located in an off-Broadway location. And actually it's very prestigious. We can advertise, and people will attend. They will definitely attend, and they'll even pay for the performances. We don't feel that we should charge yet, until the caliber of the performance is first class and until they have some full program. Because right now, just like this play only took about..., the dance only took about twenty-five minutes.

Prabhupāda: Altogether.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Unless they have something that is at least two hours, one and half, two hours, you cannot charge for. People will definitely pay.

Prabhupāda: Pay or not pay, doesn't matter. They should understand the meaning.(?)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Did you feel that the message of the Gītā came through?

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Yes.

Morning Walk -- July 12, 1976, New York:

Rāmeśvara: (break) ...came here, Bhāradvāja and myself went to Salt Lake City to visit the church of the Mormons. The Mormon religion is a branch of Christianity, and they own the whole city of Salt Lake City. It's the capital of Utaḥ, one of the United States states. So they control the whole city, and it is planned with the temple in the center of the city. Like our Māyāpur plan. And all around the streets are named after the temple. It is well planned. And in the temple square they have a visitor center, and it costs hundreds of millions of dollars, with dioramas and movies. They even have a little planetarium. It's all for recruiting people to join their religion. So we went there to study how they did it. Actually, it's all based on a crazy philosophy. They say that after Jesus Christ was crucified in Israel, he rose, and then the next stop he came to America.

Prabhupāda: Next...?

Rāmeśvara: Next he came to America. Because Jesus, they say, is the savior of the whole world, so why just Israel?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So when did he come to America?

Rāmeśvara: Immediately afterwards.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What did he do here?

Rāmeśvara: He gave another Bible teaching. Again he converted people to follow, to accept him as God. So this whole religion is based on his teachings when he came to America.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Except for them, who accepts such a thing? No one accepts that except the Mormons.

Rāmeśvara: They say that God orders every man to get married.

Hari-śauri: They are very strong on the principle of family life.

Prabhupāda: That is a good idea.

Morning Walk -- July 13, 1976, New York:

Bali-mardana: Still they are not utilizing it.

Ādi-keśava: No, it's still bent, it cracked open.

Bali-mardana: It cost them over sixty, seventy million dollars and they cannot use it.

Ādi-keśava: It cracked all the concrete in the sidewalk because it was bending back and forth.

Prabhupāda: Which way?

Devotee (1): Left.

Prabhupāda: They have no estimation, that "So far we can come, then we'll fall"?

Bali-mardana: It all depends upon the foundation.

Rādhāvallabha: In New York they can build them so high because the entire island of Manhattan is made out of rock, and there's never any earthquakes.

Bali-mardana: Not yet, anyway.

Jayādvaita: As far as I know, they think that they can make them bigger and bigger without any limit.

Devotee: Four hundred stories (break)

Prabhupāda: And fell down later on.

Room Conversation -- July 18, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: Oh, you did not stay there?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, still, it's so big. I estimated that through three to four hours there were thirty to forty thousand people that went in and out of that park.

Prabhupāda: Still they are eating?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're still eating. Every piece of burfi we sold cost one dollar.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just a piece of burfi...

Prabhupāda: Burfi?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, they were charging one dollar for one square.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) That is good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And they were paying. Watermelon, for one slice, half a dollar.

Prabhupāda: Fifty cents. (laughs)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fifty cents. The whole watermelon only cost one dollar. We got about thirty slices out of it. And books...

Prabhupāda: People, they are simple here. They are not, about money matters, so much attracted. They have got enough money. They don't care. They want it is good taste, that's all. And why they did not give prasādam to that boy who was crazy?

Room Conversation -- July 18, 1976, New York:

Prabhupāda: We call it in India, lemonade.

Hari-śauri: That was the original name, lemonade. Then all these new things, they changed all the names.

Bali-mardana: It's good for bringing up gas.

Prabhupāda: From my childhood I liked this lemonade. I think it was cost, in our childhood, three paisa.

Bali-mardana: Now I think in India it costs one rupee.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One rupee, twenty paisa. Of course, you get forty paisa back for the bottle, but it's between sixty-five and eighty paisa after you get your money back. When we were travelling in Bhopal, we traveled there in the months of May and June. It was very hot. We were drinking seven bottle a day, every hour. Every hour.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Lemonade.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Gargamuni and I, we had to stop. We'd call it Limka. In India it is called Limka.

Bali-mardana: When Westerners go to India, it is so hot the water just comes out, you know, sweat, all the time. Become dehydrated.

Hari-śauri: Apart from that, you can't drink the water in India, so you have to drink Limka or something. It's safer to drink the lemonade than it is to drink the water.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (end)

Room Conversation -- July 26, 1976, London:

Prabhupāda: Fifty thousand?

Bhagavān: Twenty-five thousand. The translators have been working day and night for the last two weeks to get everything ready. They are now in Italy. We are printing this book in Italy.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Cheaper?

Bhagavān: Very cheap. Very cheap. Including composition, the book cost $1.75.

Prabhupāda: Oh, very cheap.

Bhagavān: Sixty-four color pictures.

Prabhupāda: It is very nice.

Bhagavān: And Upadeśāmṛta, that is coming out in one week, twenty-five thousand copies.

Prabhupāda: Which book selling now?

Bhagavān: Which book are we selling right now? Gītā, and we'll have a quantity of this in about three weeks, and then we'll begin selling Bhāgavatam, and Īśopaniṣad, Easy Journey, Back to Godhead.

Prabhupāda: French language is understood practically all over Europe, especially France, Switzerland.

Conversation with George Harrison -- July 26, 1976, London:

Devotee (2): It's coming.

Prabhupāda: You like that preparation? Yes.

George Harrison: We used to have this with milk at Hrsikesa. Every day they'd leave outside of the door. It's good. Do you, Mukunda, break even with all the costs, running cost? Do you do okay with all this food, fruit and stuff?

Mukunda: Oh, yes. More than even. We have about thirteen hundred life members in the Indian community. And then when they come on the weekends they bring food, they bring these hundred pound donations, money in the box.

George Harrison: At one time you just had the Godhead and incense.

Mukunda: Yes, now it's all public support.

Jayatīrtha: We don't sell incense anymore.

Mukunda: And the books we just sell for very little; we hardly make any money on them at all.

Conversation with George Harrison -- July 26, 1976, London:

George Harrison: Was it a big house?

Hari-śauri: A very big mansion on the riverside.

George Harrison: Colonial house?

Prabhupāda: Not as big-four acres of land—but the building is very costly. One room will cost now three hundred thousand dollars. So nicely made.

Hari-śauri: They estimated it would cost about fifteen million to build such a house now.

George Harrison: Yes, they probably wouldn't even bother or be able to, at least. Is it an old house?

Hari-śauri: Fifty years old. It's very solid, though, very good condition as well.

Prabhupāda: And on the house on bottom, there is river. Not directly, but an offshoot of river. People come, rowing. A very nice situation, and because it is black quarter, nobody was purchasing. So I said that "For us, what is black or white? Purchase it." So we got very cheap. At that time I paid them hundred and fifty thousand, and (indistinct). So we purchased.

Conversation with George Harrison -- July 26, 1976, London:

Jayatīrtha: There's about a hundred, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Yes, then it is all right. And if there was no devotees, ten devotees, then how could we manage?

Jayatīrtha: We have about fifteen devotees that work full time on the grounds.

Prabhupāda: So what is the difficulty sprinkling water that quarter? It is costly?

Jayatīrtha: We'll try to sprinkle more, but there's a lack of water pressure.

Prabhupāda: No, pressure, by pump.

George Harrison: That's what we have, we had a little Honda pump, but you had to start it off. It's a gasoline engine, I think. And put one pipe into the lake and just pump out of the lake, and then you have a sprinkler on the other side. Makes a noise, though, that's the only thing. Makes a noise and gives off an exhaust.

Prabhupāda: A pump for, say, one hour, two hour.

Conversation with George Harrison -- July 26, 1976, London:

George Harrison: We did too. You have to put your name on the list, public notice in the local papers, and if somebody wants to complain about it, then they have a chance to. And once it's been up there for a few days or a week or something, and if nobody's made any formal complaint for any reason, like maybe they've got one and want to bore a hole, and you may be (indistinct) there, so then you just go ahead. Then it's all approved, and then your names goes on the list someplace in the county surveyor's office. So you do have to go through a, you know, a couple of months of waiting. Just to, say, bore a hole to replenish, and you have to just pay for the cost to bore a hole and the pump. To lay out electricity to where the pump is. The pump is, you know, just in the ground, you can't even see it. You know, by that weeping willow tree?

Prabhupāda: So if you want to take little rest, we can arrange for that. Resting.

George Harrison: Rest?

Prabhupāda: Yes, for you.

George Harrison: No, no.

Jayatīrtha: I think, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you want to rest.

George Harrison: You take a rest.

Prabhupāda: I am taking rest now these twenty-four hours. I have no other business than to take rest. (laughter)

Jayatīrtha: Always resting at the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: That is real rest.

Radio Interview -- July 27, 1976, London:

Mike Robinson: I don't know. Cost a lot, wouldn't it. Is this worship that's taking place downstairs?

Harikeśa: Yes, go down and see.

Prabhupāda: You can see the Deity, yes, go and see.

Mike Robinson: Thank you very much, pleasure to meet you.

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much for your coming.

Devotees: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. (Mike Robinson leaves) (break)

Hari-śauri: Actually he was quite intelligent, he was asking good questions because he was following the conversation. He was better than most of the interviewers, anyway. You're very expert. (laughter) You capture them and then you guide what they're going to say. It's perfect.

Harikeśa: I was noticing that, that when you finish speaking with somebody, although he's bewildered, all of a sudden he understands, and he becomes amazed. I mean that happens with me also. It's just, it's the most fantastic technique. You're so patient.

Hari-śauri: Like that man from the Associated Press. You forced him to stay on those two analogies until he understood. For ten minutes you explained that, the car and the driver, until it finally got through to him. Then when he finally had some realization of it, then you again gave him another analogy about breaking the bricks in the prison. And again you forced him to stay on the same subject matter. And he..., you do it in such a way that they think that they're asking very good questions from their own intelligence. Actually, you've already captured them.

Harikeśa: It's like taming wild animals. The perfect animal trainer. (laughing)

Prabhupāda: He said that breaking the bricks is the business. I said the sooner you give up this, then you are happy. Karmīs, the karmīs want this, breaking the bricks. They think this is civilization. Brick, more brick, and bring more bricks and break it. That is civilization.

Arrival at Farm -- July 29, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Very good.

Bhagavān: Table is close enough?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, everything is comfortable. These stones are not available in India. Maybe very costly. Italian.

Bhagavān: This is from Portugal. The white is from Italy. They have put the different marbles together, very expert.

Prabhupāda: Combination.

Bhagavān: They have also made your Vyāsasana.

Prabhupāda: That one. So this side, marble is cheaper?

Bhagavān: Yes, it's very..., it's not expensive.

Prabhupāda: Oh. They have done very nice this furniture. We cannot expect this furniture in India. They may make, but it will be very costly. (coughs) You bring one spittoon.

Room Conversation -- August 2, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: Kuala-Lumpur? There is a big Buddhist temple I know, I went there.

Harikeśa: He said in a letter, he just wrote a letter to you that... You laid a cornerstone in some temple? About three, four years ago?

Prabhupāda: Kuala-Lumpur? Yes.

Harikeśa: It's finished. It cost a million dollars. And he says this man wants to give it to us.

Prabhupāda: Oh, something, that gentleman...

Harikeśa: It's a rather nice letter.

Prabhupāda: Written by him?

Harikeśa: No, this boy who was there. I'll bring him tomorrow.

Prabhupāda: So we can take it. Yes. This is nice idea. He has spent millions of dollars?

Harikeśa: One million on the temple.

Prabhupāda: Oh? How he got the money?

Harikeśa: I don't know.

Prabhupāda: Maybe he was rich man.

Hari-śauri: This was made in Penang.

Prabhupāda: Penang also I visited. I stayed with one Indian gentleman. His wife made very nice kacuri.

Room Conversation -- August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Hari-śauri: It's very good. There's just a real short one about the university in Kurukṣetra. It says, "Vedic Varsity for Kurukṣetra Soon." "The first Vedic university will come up soon at Kurukṣetra and will be affiliated to V.M. Cakravarty University. The proposed university is being set up by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, ISKCON, and will cost rupees two crore. Most of the funds will be provided by Mr. Alfred Ford, the nephew of the auto magnate Henry Ford. Mr. Ford, on becoming a disciple of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, founder of ISKCON, changed his name to Ambarīṣa dāsa. The Vedic university will offer courses leading to bhakti-śāstrī and sarvabhauma."

Prabhupāda: (break) ...new devotees joining?

Bhagavān: Yes. The last month we have about five new devotees.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Bhagavān: Including children, there are about hundred ninety altogether.

Prabhupāda: Hundred-ninety, two hundred.

Bhagavān: Almost two hundred. One family has joined yesterday.

Prabhupāda: Family?

Bhagavān: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Husband, wife and children?

Bhagavān: Two children. He's a builder and plumber.

Prabhupāda: Oh, you'll get help for construction work. He can teach others also. Live peacefully, happily, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, that's all.

Morning Walk and Room Conversation -- August 9, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: If by mixing something they can bring life, why not in the egg?

Hari-śauri: Yes, they can't even do it here.

Prabhupāda: Simply for... But you rascals you cannot understand how they are speaking rascaldom.

Hari-śauri: No, I can see now. I've been with you so long I can understand now.

Parivrājakācārya: They have sent this one ship to Mars at a cost of one billion dollars. They are making these tests.

Hari-śauri: Now there's a second one going around as well. That's Viking 1 that's on there now, and they have another one, Viking 2, that's designed to orbit.

Pradyumna: Vikings were names of pirates. Viking means pirates. Pirate's a thief. Vikings, they used to be thieves. They named their spaceship Viking. (laughs)

Prabhupāda: (break)...the idea going to the other planet? Colonization or what?

Pradyumna: One thing, they say, is security, that American and Russia are fighting. So it was a race to get to the moon because they think that from other planets they can control conditions on the earth. From another planet they can control weather or they can control different things.

Prabhupāda: Just see how bogus.

Morning Walk -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Oh. In India... India, two hundred rupees per month. And it has increased very recently. In 1930, we were paying servant twelve to fourteen rupees per month, and they were satisfied. With food, six rupees. And without food, twelve rupees, fourteen.

Nava-yauvana: That means it cost only six rupees per month for food.

Prabhupāda: Yes. In the hotel also they were charging six rupees. Means third-class hotel, not first class for cooking dāl, vegetables. Rice was, first-class rice, six rupees per month. Dāl, twelve annas for kg, flour, five annas for two and a half kgs. And from 1942, all of a sudden the price increased, artificially. Milk, two annas per kg. Now three rupees, four rupees. Ghee, first-class ghee, one rupee per kg. First-class ghee. (break) ...paying for the clerks thirty rupees per month. And head clerk, sixty rupees. Officers, hundred to two hundred rupees. High-court judges, four thousand rupees. High-court judges were highly paid.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Iran at that time was even cheaper, much cheaper. Because you had the British in India, you were...

Prabhupāda: Yes, when India was native state, they were cheaper. In India, this inflation was caused by Mr. Churchill. During the war he wanted men to join the fighting, so people were not coming. So artificially...

Morning Walk -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: The scientists also, they are talking, but there is no practical proof. Simply talking.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: That is how we can attract people, through action.

Prabhupāda: Āpani ācari prabhu jīvera śikṣāya. That is the way. (child chanting in background) Just see how he's chanting, this boy, his son, he's chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. This is not joke. (all chant japa) That building is costly, but we have left that building, we have come here. And this is costlier? Nature's way of... In the room, to make us comfortable you have to run on the fan? Here we are, don't require any fan. So what is the advantage?

Hari-śauri: Well, if it rains, then we'll go back inside.

Prabhupāda: And if your electricity fails, you'll go to hell. (laughter) This is no argument. That is obstinate rascal's argument. That one, they were eating yogurt. Everyone said, "Oh, very first-class, nice yogurt." Everyone was saying. So there was the obstinate rascal, he has to find out some fault. He said, "Yes, it is very nice, but if we keep it three days it will be bad." He's not thinking of the present, but he has to criticize it, that if you keep it three days it will become bad. That is all right, but what you are tasting now, talking of that. When there will be rain, you'll have to go in the room—this is no argument. This is obstinate rascaldom. We're talking of this. If accident and this and that, then in everywhere that will... That I've already replied, if there is electricity failure, then it is...

Hari-śauri: But we have to plan for the future.

Prabhupāda: Future you cannot plan. That is the foolishness. That is another obstinate rascaldom. Future is not in your hand. You cannot plan. That is going on. They are planning so many things for future, but it is being baffled. So many schemes, so many there are. Our, in India there is a planning commission, after independence. So whatever they did, all failure. All failure. And now it is chaos. That Guljanajana(?) Nanda you know? He was one of the prominent member of the planning commission. He was very important member in the central government, home member, planning commission, president and so on, so on. Nowadays he is loitering on the street, coming me to talk as ordinary man. You have seen? You were giving me massage on the roof and he was sitting?

Room Conversation -- August 12, 1976, Tehran:

Harikeśa: They have olive oil here.

Prabhupāda: No olive oil. Vaseline will be very cheap here. And you can, if you want to engage him, if he wants to do something, that Praṇava, let him supply nim leaves, dry, from Vṛndāvana. If he actually wants some money, let him do some business. Let him collect all nim leaves and give him twenty percent profit. Suppose he collects nim, collects and dry, and then packs it and dispatch. The cost of...

Ātreya Ṛṣi: The cost of dispatching, we give him twenty percent for him.

Prabhupāda: Some arrangement he may make some profit. Honest business. Not that by cheating get something. That is not good. If he wants money, let him take.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Have you had your massage, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: No, I'll come back and do.

Hari-śauri: We have to leave soon.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: We have to leave soon, in fifteen minutes.

Prabhupāda: Yes, you can go. Or you can leave ten minutes.

Arrival Conversation -- August 13, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Fifteen hundred on?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Ratha-yātrā in Ahmedabad. Now we are distributing these books for one rupee each or 1.50 in Vṛndāvana because now we've got the cost of printing down to sixty paisa...

Prabhupāda: Our Ratha-yātrā in New York was very successful.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, I saw in the New York Times. I went to the American Embassy in Delhi and I saw "East Meets West" that was the heading, and there were picture, and Daily News had it on the first page.

Hari-śauri: Middle page.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: First page.

Hari-śauri: Center pages.

Prabhupāda: Three chariots, very gorgeous.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's due to your causeless mercy this is spreading everywhere. There were hundreds of orders from libraries. Actually we cannot even keep up, there are so many orders coming. Every order has been dispatched, Śrīla Prabhupāda. There's not one order outstanding, but we are getting lot of correspondence, everything. And I spoke to Rāmeśvara two nights ago, he's shipping the books right away. Because we only got the sea. By Kṛṣṇa's grace, first our application for import of books was rejected. Then I went and met this very big man and preached to him. So now he's become a devotee and he said, "You just come to me. I'll give you in one day whatever you want."

Prabhupāda: Ācchā.

Morning Walk -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: One liter means?

Dr. Patel: Two pounds.

Prabhupāda: So we have got cows, they are supplying more than hundred pounds.

Indian: This cost is three thousand rupees, one cow. Four thousand. (Hindi) pure cows five thousand rupees.

Dr. Patel: They have brought some Holland bulls and Jersey cows and then Indian bulls, and brought some genetic researchers brought out a new hybrid.

Indian: It is very good cow, very good. Giving thirty to forty liters per day.

Hari-śauri: Those cows we have in the Pennsylvania farm, the two best ones, they're the two best pedigree cows in the whole of America. They have their pedigree traced back two hundred and fifty years to when the first cows came to America. Purebreds.

Prabhupāda: In our Philadelphia farm we are selling fifteen hundred dollars extra milk. Fifteen hundred dollars per month. So if cow is properly protected, it can supply immense milk.

Morning Walk -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Vedic university. So that is our plan. We have asked government to give us land.

Vāsughoṣa: We had a big article in the Times of India about it.

Prabhupāda: Provided government gives us land. (break) ...in Bombay. (Hindi) Palm trees, within the palm trees, such buildings will not have this advantage. I think in this quarter our, this land is the best. This Juhu and Birawallah(?) Scheme, this land is the best. Twenty-thousand square yards full of palm trees, and we have made this garden. This advantage is not available by everyone. They divided the property, this side five lakhs and the vacant side nine lakhs. Fourteen. So anyway, we took both the sides. Taking this side, five lakhs, now this one building is worth five lakhs. There are six buildings. Very high. And we have got six buildings.

Dr. Patel: I put up a foundation of my new house here, it has cost me only foundation sixty thousand. Only twenty-one square feet. Twenty-one hundred square feet. Foundation has cost (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: No, it is very costly. (Hindi) So let us go down. (the remainder, meeting with Mrs. Birla and friends, is in Hindi with a little English.) (end)

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

Prabhupāda: You can bring so many men and keep everyone in charge of such places, and it will develop. Money, there is no scarcity. But the difficulty is as soon as we establish, the immigration, "You go away." This is... What is this? You say the MLA and this Tarun Kanti." This is our difficulty. Otherwise there is no difficulty. We can take all the charge and develop them very nicely." So if one man is kept in charge, and after few months he's advised, "Go away," then all his training goes to hell and we have to spend another ten thousand rupees. This is the difficulty. What... We are not... Not a single case there is that we have taken any part in politics. So give us some facility. We can take charge of everything. Tell them that actually that is fact, that there is no scarcity of money. We can bring money from America and develop. There is no difficulty at all. The difficulty is the immigration department. You can say that "Prabhupāda has put this philosophy, andha..." What is that? Paṅgu. Andha-paṅgu-nyāya. Blind and... Depends on this... Blind and... I think you have already know. Blind man, lame man. One man is blind, another man is lame. Both of them are useless. But when they combine, the blind man takes the lame man on his shoulder, and the lame man gives direction to the blind man, "Go this way. Go this way." So he walks. So both of them are benefited. So America has got money but blind. And India has got culture but lame. So let us combine. Then things will be done very nice. Andha-paṅgu-nyāya. Just like I am the same man. I was finding difficulty to start this mission in India, very, very difficult. With great hardship I published three books. But as soon as I went America, the andha-paṅgu-nyāya became successful. So this is the the position. So instead of becoming envious from political... We have nothing to do with... To the Americans unnecessarily thinking that "CIA, CIA..." Let American money and India's culture combine together, and the whole world will be benefited. America has got enough money; they can spend. Either they give me as the price of my book or anything, money is there like anything. India has got culture. So Indian culture, Vedic culture, Bhagavad-gītā culture, pushed through American money, the whole world will be benefited. Convince them. It is not the question of India, America, here... It is a cultural movement for the benefit of the whole world. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma. (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126) It is cultural movement. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is aiming pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi. So Tarun Babu, you are such a devotee of Caitanya. Caitanya Mahāprabhu wants it. Pṛthivīte āche yata... Why don't you help us? Your family is devotee of Lord Caitanya, and this is spreading Caitanya's mission. You should give up everything and join this movement, if you are actually a devotee of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And Prabhupāda says that he knows at your heart you want that Caitanya's movement is spread all over the world, so far he has studied you. So let us join together. Why we should unnecessarily be biased, American and Indian and this way and that way. Let us join together and spread Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement all over the... They'll be happy. Everyone they'll be happy. Will be happy. It is such a nice... India will be glorified. America will be glorified." If we... You came here. You have got so much strength. If you work continually, the whole world will be... So those who are offering, take. Take those places. Let us begin. If anyone wants some property, we should take immediately. You said there is already building costing fifty thousand? So that's a property. So if they are offering, you take it and develop. These are historical places. Haridaspur is also historical, I think. Hm?

Jayapatākā: Yes.

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

Jayapatākā: It is up and down.

Prabhupāda: Up and down, now... Take it. When it goes up it does not come down, generally. So this is practical example. Two months ago you were purchasing two rupees—now two-eighty. So where is the value of the money?

Gargamuni: If we invest in books... Just like this little pamphlet I printed. It cost me fifty paisa. If we sell it in one month...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gargamuni: Then we will get fifty paisa profit. We will double our investment.

Prabhupāda: That was nicely... That was nicely printed. So in this way invest our books or land. We don't want to keep cash.

Jayapatākā: And if they want to keep branch or not, that is up to them. We can't give them any money. If they want to keep branch or not, that's up to them.

Prabhupāda: That should be up to them. If they keep branch we can take that. They'll go on.

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: It was a very good place. This Prabhākāra helped me. Ninety percent was... But if I did not leave, nobody could drive me, that was a fact. But I thought "Who is going to..., for litigation? She is the governor's wife, and she is pressing through collectors, through..." The manager who was in charge, he had some cinema house. So they had to renew the license, cinema house. And the collector pressed him that "Unless you arrange for this house, we are not going to renew your license." I thought, "Unnecessarily this man will be in trouble. I'll have to pay so many rupees, and she is governor's wife." And that lady came to me in Bombay several times. "You take my press. You have got so many publications." So I said "I can take your press. I have got money. But what shall I do with it? It is letter press. Now printing is done by offset." That press, Associated Press, is very good press. It was... They got so many government contracts. The whole telephone guides were printed there. But because it is letterset press, it is costly. The government got offset press, cheaper price. So that contract was cancelled. So for her nefarious activity she is punished. Her husband died. She has no more importance, and she was one of the trustees of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. So she was exempted. Now she's an ordinary woman. Press is not working.

Room Conversation -- August 21, 1976, Hyderabad:

Jayapatākā: You say she was kicked out from the trusteeship. She's not part of that any more.

Prabhupāda: Yes. The other trustees said that "You are simply spending. What you are doing?" After all, when she was wife of the governor she had some prestige. Otherwise... She invited me in that Juhu, she has got a house in Juhu. So I told her, "Yes, I can purchase your press. Fifty lakhs is not a very big amount for me, but what shall I do? We are printing offset." That is the cause... Because nowadays printing is done by offset press, she lost all business. People got big, big contract, they got cheaper and better quality. Why they should stick to that press? And government contract was taken from them, big, huge business they lost. Tata Press, they have got offset. Government transferred there. And that was her main support. It was a nice, good press. Practically best press in Bombay, Associated Press. But because it is letter press... Now to maintain the letter press is very costly.

Gargamuni: Yes. You have to get new type every year, and that is very costly.

Prabhupāda: Nowadays there is no need of letters, I mean to say...

Jayapatākā: Type.

Prabhupāda: Type. (break)

Gargamuni: ...on all the equipment.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Gargamuni: I don't know. After I went to San Francisco... They should be preserved. That was beginning. We could still use them.

Prabhupāda: Yes. I paid $150 I had collected. They wanted hundred dollars each or $125 each. So I went there, that I want two machines, but I have got $150 dollars only. So he wanted to throw away the machine. "All right, you take two machines." So I gave $150 and took away two machines. I think it is more costly. Eh?

Gargamuni: Yes, oh, yes. Those are heavy-duty machines. They were old, but they were good.

Prabhupāda: They were working nice. And the printer was that boy?

Gargamuni: Ranchor.

Prabhupāda: Ranchor. Spoiling so much paper.

Gargamuni: Yes, so much.

Prabhupāda: He brought $500 from his grandfather.

Room Conversation -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: It is impractical. Is it possible to import drinking water for so many people?

Prabhā Viṣṇu: No.

Prabhupāda: This is their utopian theory.

Prabhā Viṣṇu: They are thinking that man will conquer over nature. That's their ideal, that man will become God.

Maṇihāra: Just before I left England... They have so many cows in the south of England, they were grazing. But because it was so hot, the grass was not growing. It was becoming very dry, and no new grass was growing because there was no rain. So then they had to move all the cows to the north of England. Thousands upon thousands of cows, they have to move in big lorries to the north of England where there was some grass. And now in the north of England there is no grass, so they're going to have to move them to Scotland. It's costing so much money. And then the cows are going to become thin.

Prabhupāda: They are killing immaturely. Because they die, they cannot eat. They want to eat fresh, huh? The want to kill them alive. (pause) You want? So let us go down to the car. (end)

Room Conversation -- August 24, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: They can eat here. There is no insufficiency. Simply come and manage and eat, as many men as you come here. We shall bring everything. There is no scarcity of food here. Everyone is welcome to engage his full time for Kṛṣṇa's service. I am begging from the whole world, so there will be no scarcity. If somebody refuses other will (indistinct). My field is the whole world and I am a professional beggar. That's all.

Indian man: One feeling I have I must express before you, otherwise whom can I express those feelings. The books are very costly. They are very good, but very costly.

Prabhupāda: What's that?

Indian man: Books. They are very costly for Indians who are very poor.

Prabhupāda: When you are here, you can read all the books.

Indian man: I personally can do this sir, by coming here. But people would like to purchase these books, but they are very costly. If they can be printed in India...

Harikeśa: We're working on printing them in cheaper editions in India.

Indian man: That would be wonderful.

Prabhupāda: Yes, we are trying for that.

Room Conversation -- August 24, 1976, Hyderabad:

Gurukṛpā: Already this Bhāgavatam, First Volume has been printed in Delhi for about three times less cost.

Prabhupāda: So you are not getting that book?

Gurukṛpā: No, in Hyderabad we haven't gotten that.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Gurukṛpā: I don't know. I'm not in a management position. Mahāṁsa Mahārāja is ordering.

Prabhupāda: Get this cheap edition. You can order cheap edition. (break. Paṇḍita chants Śrī Īśopaniṣad and Gāyatrī. Prabhupāda speaks in Hindi, quoting Sanskrit ślokas.) (break)

Mahāṁsa: They will not part with even one thousand rupees. They're exactly what you described. And also these were the people who are with Śaṅkarācārya who came the first time when you had come here. They were with Śaṅkarācārya. And Hariprasad and some Marwaris were with our movement and these people were on the other side. So there was some conflict at that time. And Śaṅkarācārya came and you...

Prabhupāda: Śaṅkarācārya, he says that you are bhagavān.

Meeting With Member of Parliament, Mr. Krishna Modi -- August 31, 1976, Delhi:

Krishna Modi: That we will talk. That we will talk.

Prabhupāda: One cooperation is that we can bring immediately a small vans or buses so that we can go village to village, town to town. If I get government permit then... Because here the buses are very costly, and at the same time they are not very good. But foreign buses... India hasn't got to pay anything but simply let us have and work in India. This much facility wanted. Besides that, our men, they are coming, spending ten thousand rupees and after three months or six months, "Get out, get out, get out." And Indians are not joining. Indians are not so sacrificing. But these boys they have sacrificed everything. I am sure if some cooperation is coming from the government I can very soon change the face of India. But I am not getting any facilities. We have experimented in Bengal, and here also, he is also going, saṅkīrtana party. But he could not do it in a large scale for want of facilities. And in foreign countries these boys are so sacrificing spirit, as soon as we give him some program, immediately they make arrangement. Immediately. We are going village to village with books in buses. Hundreds of buses are working.

Room Conversation -- September 6, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Only for the Deity.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Others are just dāl, sabji, rice, cāpāṭi.

Prabhupāda: Everything. Everything calculated.

Akṣayānanda: I believe you, Prabhupāda. But to make it practical I want to see every item. The cost, the weight, and everything.

Prabhupāda: It is already calculated.

Akṣayānanda: Then I can do it. Then we can do it.

Prabhupāda: It is already calculated. I calculated not with a fool. With an experienced man.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: I have one other question regarding... We are going to observe very strict policies. Unless somebody is working he cannot stay in the temple. If some other tourist devotee comes from some other center, he can only stay for three days. But beyond that he should either pay or he should go and preach or do something else. What should we do with, like there's some sannyāsīs here, like Yaśodānandana Swami and his party. I hear they're going to stay for the whole month. They're already here since two weeks. They're occupying two rooms, everything. They're going to stay here till the end of the month.

Akṣayānanda: Get him to go and preach for Vṛndāvana.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The only reason I'm talking this is because now it's really tight. We can't take... They have air conditioned room...

Prabhupāda: Yes, they should go and preach and bring some collection.

Garden Conversation -- September 7, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Thank you. You can go and play. You cannot understand.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Go and play. "In London, George Harrison donated a big castle which is now called Bhaktivedanta Manor. We have purchased many buildings and converted them to temples from the sale of our books. What is wrong if a portion of Bhaktivedanta Book Trust sales are transferred to India for construction of temples? Fifty percent of Bhaktivedanta Book Trust income is spent for further publishing and the other fifty percent is spent to build temples all over the world. In fact, Blitz should appreciate this because Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda's books are bringing valuable overseas currency into the country without any cost to the Indian public. Point seven. Blitz: In Bombay they have put up a temple with a barbed fence around it. ISKCON There is no barbed wire around the temple. We invite Blitz to show us the barbed wire." There's no barbed wire. "Point eight. Blitz: Already rupees twelve lakhs have been spent on an unfinished temple in Vṛndāvana. ISKCON: Blitz does not know that the Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma temple in Vṛndāvana was completed and officially inaugurated by Dr. Chenna Reddy, governor of U.P., in April, 1975." They are saying the temple is still being made. "Point nine. Blitz: Their major center seems to be in Orissa, the land of princes and paupers. They have built a center close to an atomic energy commission complex. ISKCON: How foolish. Our major center is not in Orissa, but in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur in West Bengal. Māyāpur is the birthplace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, an incarnation of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. We are coming in Lord Caitanya's disciplic succession and therefore we want to develop Māyāpur and make this an international center. In Orissa, we do have two devotees living in three huts in Bhuvaneśvara. They are living on a piece of land that was donated by one of our life members from Calcutta. If at all it is near the Atomic Energy Commission, it is only by coincidence."

Prabhupāda: It was donated by the late governor and Central Minister. Nityananda Kananda. (?)

Room Conversation -- September 16, 1976, Vrndavana:

Haṁsadūta: And on the basis of this transporting of food, other industries grow. Like for instance packing. Sometimes the package costs more than the item which is being packaged.

Prabhupāda: Especially in your country. Packing is more important than the... They sent me some presentation in a huge package.

Haṁsadūta: Consequently those persons who are farmers, they become discouraged.

Prabhupāda: Now it has become a problem how to throw these packings.

Haṁsadūta: Yes, this is another problem.

Hari-śauri: Yes. Plastic they can't dispose of, glass.

Prabhupāda: Simply creating problems. Lavana haila ithe gatila jagya.(?) This modern civilization, they could not make any profit. They have created some problems, that's all. Very dangerous civilization.

Haṁsadūta: There was one writer, he wrote a book about the cities, these big modern cities. And he said that in the future the price of labor will become so enormous that to break down the old buildings in these cities which have been built to become obsolete, will be impossible. And the whole place will become swamp land by that. (end)

Press Interview -- October 16, 1976, Chandigarh:

Haṁsadūta: New York, Chicago.

Prabhupāda: New York, Chicago.

Hari-śauri: Toronto.

Prabhupāda: Toronto, Montreal, Paris, so many. So many temples. Very, very big temples. The cost is sometimes fifty lakhs, fifty-five lakhs each temple.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: New York is more than a million dollars, New York temple.

Interviewer: Do you have any proposal to spread this movement in Communist countries?

Prabhupāda: Yes, we have already gone. I have been in Moscow. This, my secretary, he has brought some order from them. They are also appreciating.

Interviewer: Now two priests of your temple in America have been arrested on certain charges as we read from the newspaper...

Prabhupāda: Well, the charges will be there. Gandhi was also charged, and was arrested. And that you cannot stop. That will go on in any movement. That is not any fault. Because the counter-charges are already there, everywhere. What is the American charges? I do not know. What is that?

Interviewer: That you have money from... Extortion of money from the devotees. Asking their parents to pay or some such thing.

Prabhupāda: Parents to pay. This is a farce.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: He must be eating meat.

Haṁsadūta: No, he said, "I was able to get frozen vegetables from the south of Russia. They freeze it and then they sell it," he said, "but it is very expensive, very costly." He was getting frozen.

Prabhupāda: That is also nasty. Frozen means nasty. I never take frozen. In the beginning I thought, "Oh, it is very nice, you can get fresh vegetable." But they are not at all fresh.

Haṁsadūta: No.

Prabhupāda: All rotten, rather the same vegetable, as we have got in India practice, we dry it and keep it. That is tasteful. In season time—suppose this season there is huge quantity of vegetable—so here the system is they cut into pieces during the season and dry it in the sun and keep it. And during out of season it is soaked in water, it revives the old taste, then you can cook. (Hindi or Bengali)

Devotee (1): Tastes as though it is different. The fresh vegetable the taste is very good.

Prabhupāda: Fresh vegetable must be, but still there is some taste. But this frozen it has no taste.

Room Conversation -- November 15, 1976, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: But then you cannot deny that it is not a temple.

Devotee: Yeah, that's true. Actually...

Prabhupāda: Best thing is this type temple.

Devotee: Like here. With three domes. Well see, it all depends on the cost. I have some cost estimates here that... We figured out it's somewhere between thirty and forty dollars per square foot to build.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Devotee: Now if we build a temple that's 6,500 square feet, quite a large size, that would come out to $260,000 and on down to 3,600 square feet which would be about $144,000. I've collected about $100,000 on my own and I have another person who promised somewhere between fifteen and twenty-five and by the time that three or four months have... Actually we couldn't build until about six or seven months anyways so by this time...

Prabhupāda: (indistinct) ...that Kṛṣṇa will (indistinct) money.

Room Conversation -- December 7, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Purchase one canopy instead of renting. We shall have to continue this program.

Mahāṁśa: Right now it will be difficult to purchase because we don't have enough money.

Prabhupāda: What is the money? How much?

Mahāṁśa: We don't have enough money. It will cost at least a thousand rupees or more, the whole thing, at least a thousand, maybe more. We don't have so much money right now.

Prabhupāda: So I'll pay you thousand. But... You pay me the rent, I'll pay you thousand. Yes. What is the rent per day?

Mahāṁśa: I'll get it free, without rent.

Prabhupāda: Then don't purchase.

Mahāṁśa: That member, he has a store. He gives...

Prabhupāda: So then what is the use of purchase? If you get free, no need of purchasing. So make this arrangement immediately. Then go and we shall go out. Is it clear? No. Not?

Mahāṁśa: Yes, it's light.

Press Conference -- December 16, 1976, Hyderabad:

Prabhupāda: There is no income tax. We are charity.

Guest (9): 75,000 daily, you said.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Because five to six lakhs daily collection. If I take minimum fifteen percent, what it comes to? Big, big authors, they get twenty-five percent.

Guest (9): But one gentleman... I think in this temple... Some of your books are, rather, prohibiting the cost.

Prabhupāda: Yes, this was meant for the outside. Because our countrymen, they are learned, they don't require. They are so learned, they don't require anybody. Therefore it is prohibited. Better they do not take it. Otherwise they will misinterpret. That's all. Their only business is misinterpret. Therefore the prohibited price.

Guest (9): There is something which is difficult to make them understand.

Prabhupāda: Therefore better they do not take it.

Guest (9): It's easy to go in the virgin soil.

Prabhupāda: That means they do not understand what is the meaning of śāstra. They want to interpret śāstra in their own way. That is the difficulty. Big, big person...

Room Conversation -- December 28, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Everything is becoming a farce. (pause) What is that?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: These are just some letters I'm sending with Rādhā-vallabha to Los Angeles.

Rādhā-vallabha: When we reprint the Kṛṣṇa Book trilogy this year, the hardbound, I was wondering, could we put more pictures in the second and third volumes? Not changing, but additional.

Prabhupāda: Why increase cost?

Rādhā-vallabha: I don't think it would be that much. The first volume has over sixty pictures and the second one only has thirty-two and the third only has twenty-four. Anyway, anything we do will increase the cost but not so significant. Few cents. We were thinking that the Kṛṣṇa Books were originally printed many many years ago and since then we have a lot of nice paintings of Kṛṣṇa's pastimes that we could put in.

Prabhupāda: If you can give without increasing price, there is no harm. Or for this cents. Let us.

Jagadīśa: Prasāda is ready.

Rādhā-vallabha: If it's only an insignificant increase then we'll put some in.

Prabhupāda: But you don't increase price.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. We're going to sell this for one rupee, fifty paisa.

Prabhupāda: (Hindi)

Indian: Yes. Prabhupāda, I am taking two books. (mixed Hindi and English)

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, we purposely did not have a spine here. We wanted to keep the cost low. You know you cannot get everything. If you want to keep the cost low, then you have to make some small sacrifice.

Prabhupāda: (yawns) We want first quality.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: But for Hindi books, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we find pricing is also very important. Because in Hindi and Bengali books, they cannot sell for more than a rupee or rupee, fifty. In English books...

Prabhupāda: So at what price you are selling?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This is costing us seventy-eight paisa. So BBT will sell it to the temples for eighty paisa, and the temples are free to sell it for one, one-fifty. So we're charging reasonable price, so we can go after quantity.

Prabhupāda: No, if it can be sold at two rupees, you spend little more. Yes.

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

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's not a mistake. We perfectly agreed. You told me so, that (Hindi).

Prabhupāda: What will be price for one lakh?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Of this? I think it will go around a velo(?), because the real book cost seventy-eight paisa; paper is about forty paisa. So paper, whether you buy one or one lakh, it's the same. Printing is about thirty-eight paisa. And out of thirty-eight paisa, plate-making and all will come to about ten paisa.

Prabhupāda: Plate is already made.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that's what I'm saying. No, I'm just saying by increased run how much can you save? So I imagine you save about three paisa, four paisa more per book. It's not enough to warrant extra investment. I have analyzed the difference between doing large print runs India and America. In America and Europe labor is very expensive. So to them, to stop the machine in between and start again, it's very expensive, so it makes a lot of difference. But in India labor is cheap. So for them to stop the machine in between and then start again, it's not so expensive. So the ceiling is not as great as the extra investment you have to put in. Therefore I'm not doing large run except where it's absolutely necessary.

Prabhupāda: No. Items which are selling, that we can do because...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Like Bhagavad-gītā we did one lakh.

Prabhupāda: ...to wait means that waste of time.

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

Prabhupāda: No no, let him say.

Trivikrama: Well, you know the book we have, six chapters.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Trivikrama: It costs seventy-five cents, U.S...

Prabhupāda: Seventy-five cents. So multiply it by six.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It comes to about six rupees.

Prabhupāda: It's costly. I think here it must be cheaper.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: There're very few... How many color illustrations in it?

Prabhupāda: Just take quotation. If you can, you print here.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And if it is for export, it will be even cheaper.

Prabhupāda: We can take quotation.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. How many color plates do you have? Hm, 298, 300. Well, we can take a quotation and see.

Prabhupāda: Here it must be cheaper.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: (clears throat) So, how business is going there?

Haṁsadūta: Well, there's no money, so not much can be done. The last two days there was no prasādam distribution in the evening, and so the last two days I was there, nobody came. The problem is that since Your Divine Grace left there, the same people would be cooking, these sweeper people. And now they don't want to cook anymore because they work all day, and they say, "We can't work all around the clock, twenty-four hours." So they stopped cooking. And together with no money... So the whole thing has just come to a stalemate. So now another problem is that the saṅkīrtana party which we sent out is also not... It came back yesterday, also not going on properly. I know this causes Your Divine Grace anxiety, but I just think I should speak frankly about how I feel about the situation. I think Mahāṁsa is a very nice devotee, but he does everything himself. He's always jumping over everything, and before it can be discussed, he's already done it. Just like he flew here. He flew here, and it costs a lot of money to fly from Hyderabad and back. It costs, I think, about five hundred rupees. And there's no need for doing things in that way. So I don't know exactly how to work with Mahāṁsa. It's not that I fight with him. I just don't know how to work out things so that it comes out in a practical way.

Prabhupāda: What is the use of investing money there? I have already given fifty thousand.

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

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Gurudāsa: But everyone is serving that already. That's another reason I thought that puṣpanna would be nice because it would be unique.

Prabhupāda: No, I have no objection. That is all right. But puri-śāk is better. Is it costly?

Gurudāsa: More costly, yes. And I told him to make a list for you to see, if you need it, why it's more costly. At any rate, he says... The cook has done research, our man, and says puri-śāk would be more costly.

Prabhupāda: But don't allow him to purchase.

Hari-śauri: Don't you have an Indian purchaser?

Prabhupāda: Who is purchasing?

Gurudāsa: No, he's not an Indian. He's one of our men.

Prabhupāda: Oh. That is another thing.

Gurudāsa: Our men are purchasing.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Then it is all right.

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

Gurudāsa: We're making soup at night, simple soup, and devotees like it 'cause it's not hurting their digestion. And I'm having some flat rice on hand for anyone who needs it. So, I'm trying to care for everything.

Prabhupāda: There is milk supply? No.

Gurudāsa: Yes. We have one man from Vṛndāvana who's bringing milk at 2.70 a kilo, a little costly, but Mela time, and they have to bring it from a far distance. Anyway, 2.70, kilo, cow's milk.

Prabhupāda: Cow's milk...

Hari-śauri: They say. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Cow's milk means buffalo with water.

Gurudāsa: With a little bit of the newspaper inside also.

Prabhupāda: Acchā.

Gurudāsa: For to put, to make it look like cream, they put newspaper also.

Hari-śauri: Make it thick. They grind paper. You have to strain it before you drink it.

Gurudāsa: But I... We tasted it. We came to the conjoint opinion that it was passable.

Prabhupāda: Less newspaper. (laughter) So why such milk should be taken, with newspaper?

Devotee (1): Śrīla Prabhupāda, in the Muslim countries, the Muslims, they feed the cows fish, dried fish. And the Hindus will not take the local milk there.

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

Prabhupāda: So it is promotion for the books. Whatever we do, it is promotion. That's all. And the main point is that it is not profitable, er profit concern, because you are not giving any royalty to the author. So where is his profit-making? Nobody's making profit—the author, the worker, everyone.

Trivikrama: That's a fact.

Prabhupāda: That's a fact. So all expenditure—promotion, that's all. The cost of paper, cost of printing, cost of promotion—finished everything. Make account like that. The income tax father will not touch it.

Hari-śauri: Everything we're doing is propaganda work, everything.

Prabhupāda: That's all. If still there is excess, give some bonus to the gṛhasthas bhaktas. They're family men. Let them have some expenditure.

Jagadīśa: Some wage.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Finished all... No account. So they admitted, both of them, "Yes, sir, that is... That can be done."

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So who will be the big ticket purchaser?

Rāmeśvara: Satsvarūpa. Oh. You mean in Los Angeles?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The Hindus.

Rāmeśvara: There are approximately eight thousand Hindus living in Los Angeles, and we have rented one auditorium that seats six thousand people. So if they only sell two thousand seats, it does not cost any money. It covers all the expenses. Anything over two thousand seats is profit for ISKCON.

Prabhupāda: So how many Indians are there?

Rāmeśvara: Altogether in Los Angeles, eight thousand. Plus Indians from San Francisco will come to this concert because she is very popular. Gopāla sent one devotee, Jagat-puruṣa, to manage the ticket selling.

Prabhupāda: Yes, he is expert.

Rāmeśvara: And we are trying to print one souvenir book also and take advertisements from local stores and shops. In this way we will also make money.

Prabhupāda: So you have to go back? (break)

Rāmeśvara: They want me to be there to make sure the concert is a success. And Satsvarūpa Mahārāja is coming for Kumbha Mela. So he's planning to stay on with you for the whole month of February and March as secretary.

Prabhupāda: Oh. And you are going to Vṛndāvana?

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Not only that, if he makes bill for the paper, then he has to pay sales tax.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Also the income tax will say, "Your sales were so high," so he doesn't want the paper account to come under that. So what I'm saying, Śrīla Prabhupāda... The demand for our books is there. And like BBT Los Angeles sells a Bhāgavatam to the temples for $3.50, and we are selling it for $1.45. And that includes our profit already. Our real cost is 90 cents, 95 cents. So we can expand our printing capacity here. As I discussed with you last week, there's one machine from England that Usa Printers wants to import. And if we give him a loan... It will be his machine. He'll give us documents, and he'll pay back interest every month. In two years he'll pay back the whole money plus interest, which will be higher than what the bank gives us.

Prabhupāda: Is that all right?

Rāmeśvara: What is the bank rate?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The bank rate's about 12%. We'll do higher than the bank rate.

Prabhupāda: No, no, no.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No.

Prabhupāda: Bank rate is not less than 16%.

Rāmeśvara: He is only offering 12% a year.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, he'll give us more than the bank rate. Whatever rate the bank lends at, we'll get more than that. That's understood.

Prabhupāda: He may mean... "More than bank rate" means bank allows to their customer not more than 10%. But if you take loan from bank...

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Hm. That's nice.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Also if we can give these Bhāgavatams for a dollar to America, they can import it from here also, and as I told Rāmeśvara Mahārāja, we can give a plastic cover plus two or three ribbons. Insured, it will cost nothing extra.

Prabhupāda: You decide for (indistinct) why not.

Rāmeśvara: We're going to discuss it at the Māyāpur festival with Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Swami, because he's in charge of distribution.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: He has to approve the quality.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The quality's only a little inferior.

Prabhupāda: I don't think India can make such quality.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: But the Gītā we did came very close, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: It may come to close, but not to... Then that's all right. If it is possible, we can...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Like Jayatīrtha wrote to me. He prefers the Indian Gītā to the American because it is economical.

Rāmeśvara: Because it is... Yes, because of the price.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. We all have to be realistic. The price...

Prabhupāda: Now Jayatīrtha is going first in selling, more than anyone.

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: She can do very good business. Is it not?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. First they were hesitating, Śrīla Prabhupāda. So what I did is I told Jayatīrtha that Australia has already ordered, so he said, "Okay, I'll order sixty thousand." I told Australia that "England's already ordered," so he said, "I'll order forty thousand." (chuckling) We had to get the thing started at once.

Prabhupāda: No, Australia, from India it is nearer, half-day(?).

Rāmeśvara: What is your printing cost on Bhagavad-gītā?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: About 11.50, eleven rupees, fifty paisa. But the export edition is going to be cheaper because when you export, you get a lot of duties, so...

Prabhupāda: Now, in export and exchange with paper, good paper.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We can import paper. The government will let us import paper for exporting without any problem. But I'm just saying that the export edition of Gītā is going to cost us about two rupees less than the Indian edition for Indian market because...

Prabhupāda: So why not import paper? It will be very nice.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Because on paper now there's high duty, but if it is for export, the government...

Prabhupāda: Then America can order from you also.

Room Conversation -- January 10, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And we are going to order few small extras. We're going to offer a few small extras like small ribbons with plastic cover.

Rāmeśvara: Has Prabhupāda told you how much profit you should make? Because in America you have always said it should be marked up one hundred percent. If a book costs us one dollar, we should sell to the temple at two dollars. So your book is costing over one dollar, and you are only selling it for $1.45.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, no. The Bhāgavatam's costing less. The Gītās we are selling for $1.50.

Rāmeśvara: Oh.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The Bhāgavatams... Also the freight from here is less. That's another feeling that we have. Prabhupāda told me England, Australia, Africa should get books from India, and America, Canada, from America.

Prabhupāda: There is no consideration of big profit. Simply we want big number, distribution. That's all.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Also this will increase our prestige as a movement.

Prabhupāda: Big number, as big as possible. My Guru Mahārāja, he had magazines in six languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Oriya, Assamese, and one Bengali daily. So if our men complained that "Such and such men are not giving their subscription, so, what we can do? Stop the supply?" Oh, he would become very angry. He asked them, "Are you commercial-hired fools? No! Supply free!" He used to say like that. He was asking, "Whether we shall stop supply? The subscription is not coming." So immediately he became angry: "Are you commercial-hired? If he's not giving price, supply him free." That was his policy. So less perfect or..., try to see how many numbers of books.

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Prabhupāda: We say... We say that, that we simply say, that "You change your consciousness."

Rāmeśvara: Not change your dress, but change your consciousness.

Prabhupāda: No, we never said. If you prefer that kind of dress, costly, you prefer it, but we are simplified.

Rāmeśvara: It's our choice.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: As a person becomes more purified, then he'll simplify himself anyway. And if he really cultivates a desire to...

Prabhupāda: Now, nowadays coat-pant is very costly. If you can spend your money, costly dress, we have no objection. Then you have to earn more; you have to work more. Therefore we are simplified.

Rāmeśvara: Ultimately, it is the best thing.

Prabhupāda: If they want to come in that dress, come in. If you want, come in.

Rāmeśvara: I have been studying this record business in the last month or two.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Rāmeśvara: I've been studying the record business in America. People spend more money on records than they do on books. In general people are buying more records than books.

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Give them some seat. Is there any carpet? Bring something.

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Rāmeśvara: We could have passed out prasāda for one million people if we had had enough money.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Earn money like that.

Rāmeśvara: It costs a lot of money.

Prabhupāda: Either produce food in the farm or earn money and purchase, but give prasādam.

Rāmeśvara: We saw it, that they know it was Kṛṣṇa prasāda, and they were standing up in the crowds, "Kṛṣṇa! Here!" and begging for it.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) So they have at least chanted "Kṛṣṇa." That is our profit.

Rāmeśvara: And everyone liked it. And we were giving it out for free. That they very much appreciated.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: Everyone else is taking their money, but when we give them prasāda for free, they very much appreciate it.

Prabhupāda: So do that. There is no need of accumulating money and pay income tax and botheration. Spend it. Always remain empty pocket.

Conversation on Train to Allahabad -- January 11, 1977, India:

Rāmeśvara: That was their argument.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. A famous man must be famous. He cannot be famous, famous. What you have done that you'll be famous? You are swine. You cannot be famous.

Rāmeśvara: They are subscribing to our newsletter. They somehow or other get our newsletter, and they read about our Māyāpur city costing so many lakhs and crores. So they became envious. That's all.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. That's all right. We are selling books. That is my book. I can spend in such a way.

Rāmeśvara: It was just envy.

Prabhupāda: Envy is envy. But it is my book. I am selling. So I can take the price anywhere. That is my right. You have nothing to say. You stop your men to purchase, that's all. Otherwise I'll sell anywhere and I shall spend anywhere. I have got the right.

Rāmeśvara: Normally they do not attack you.

Jagadīśa: We are voluntarily doing all this.

Rāmeśvara: We're voluntarily. But one of their main arguments is that before someone joins the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement he has great affection for his father, his mother, his brothers, his relatives. And after he joins the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement he has nothing to do with them anymore, and sometimes he even calls them demon.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is the fact.

Conversation and Instruction On New Movie -- January 13, 1977, Allahabad:

Rāmeśvara: If they think just poor people...

Prabhupāda: No.

Rāmeśvara: ...they'll not respect it as much.

Prabhupāda: Just like... The temples are maintained by all the people. All the big, big kings... So you show how kings of Cuttack, they constructed a temple of... A temple construction is costly affair. How Mahārāja Mansingha constructed the Vṛndāvana costly temples. That is everywhere.

Rāmeśvara: If this movie is made properly...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: ...I think we can even get it on television in America.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Everything done properly will be accepted. There is no problem.

Rāmeśvara: Our movies so far cannot be on television because they are too much Hare Kṛṣṇa propaganda. But if this is done in a way, they will not know that it is the Hare Kṛṣṇa propaganda, but it will be there anyway... It will be like a very scholarly, academic movie. And then they'll show it on television. They're eager. Because it's such a controversy about chanting and meditation, whether it is brainwashing or not, so if we make this movie, they'll put it on nationwide television.

Prabhupāda: And what you can do? You can show some temples or you can show some meeting of Bhāgavata recital. That's it, two things.

Conversation and Instruction On New Movie -- January 13, 1977, Allahabad:

Rāmeśvara: Their big propaganda is that "India is so poor and they are so stupid, they are giving all their money to the temple, so they are remaining poor, so what is the use of this religion?" That was the propaganda, that "Religion is the opiate of the people."

Prabhupāda: Yes, they do not... Therefore they are... The Indian rascals, they using this income of Bālaji for industry. They are bringing, that "The poor people, on account of their innocence, they are blindly, so..." Communist movement is against us because we are constructing costly temples, crores and rupees. This could have been utilized in industry. That is their protest. Temple construction was practically stopped in India. And I have again revived. Nobody was interested to construct temple anywhere within the recent at least hundred years or fifty years.

Hari-śauri: Only the Birlas.

Prabhupāda: Ah, only Birlas, yes.

Rāmeśvara: In America, if we collect money saying we are sending it to India, if we tell them we are sending it to build a temple in India, they will not give one penny. They think "India has too many temples. They need money for food, for technology."

Prabhupāda: So we can take money for food. That is also our program.

Room Conversation on 1976 Book Scores -- January 16, 1977, Calcutta:

Prabhupāda: No, no, this Back to Godhead.

Rāmeśvara: 750,000. It is averaging like that.

Prabhupāda: So the first attempt was only 20,000. I calculated. Anyway, Kṛṣṇa is giving us all facility. Let us utilize it to the best of our capacity. We have no other ambition. We want to see that everyone may accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead and be happy. This is our mission. We have no other ambition, not to make any cost-profit. But when we see that so many people are reading Kṛṣṇa book, that gives us very good encouragement. Otherwise what...? Two capatis we can get anywhere.

Rāmeśvara: We wrote in the newsletter to the Society that even though our movement is being attacked is so many ways, the best counterattack is through book distribution.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the best answer to this opposition. And when the case is there, put all the books before the judge: "Now you read and give your judgment. Don't... You are learned lordship. Please read these books and give your judgment. We have got already judgment from the scholars." Present like that. "But still, because in your court it is presented, so we pray that you give your judgment after understanding our method of brainwash." That will make him flat.

Room Conversation on 1976 Book Scores -- January 16, 1977, Calcutta:
Rāmeśvara: And we gave this proof, another proof that our movement is transcendental to all material obstacles and impediments, that this year in America there was spiraling inflation and unemployment, and the cost of living was therefore rising like anything, but our books, in defiance of all these material trends, were being printed in larger quantities, but the temples were paying less for the books than ever before. And even though all the major airports were closed for, a minimum, six months or more, the hardbound book distribution—we just looked at the numbers-actually increased by one hundred percent.

Prabhupāda: So it is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. "You can do all kinds of opposition, but we shall go forward. The caravan will pass. You may bark." So take all these things as Kṛṣṇa's mercies and engage more enthusiastically. Why should we be defeated? Yuddhyasva mām anusmara (BG 8.7). Just remember Kṛṣṇa and fight. Bas. Fighting is... This material world is fighting. Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). The karṣati is struggle, but struggle for Kṛṣṇa. That is perfection. That's all.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Not big, but... Bombay.

Hari-śauri: Yes. That's the same, along the same lines at least.

Gargamuni: Shouldn't it be higher than the Purī temple or less?

Rāmeśvara: We can make it higher for not too much extra cost. The height is not that expensive. I was talking...

Gargamuni: Height should be... Because you can see Purī temple from the road ten miles away.

Rāmeśvara: It would be suitable, appropriate, if this temple was taller.

Prabhupāda: That can be done.

Gargamuni: 'Cause then it could be seen from miles away.

Hari-śauri: Bombay temple was restricted for height. Otherwise it was going to be higher.

Gargamuni: Because along the road, say about ten kilometers, they have a sign, "Look to your right, and you will see Purī in your sight." They have a sign, like a poem.

Prabhupāda: Where?

Gargamuni: Along the road. They say, "Look to your right, and you will see Lord Jagannātha temple in your sight." And sure enough, you see, coming up, about ten miles out of the city, that temple. So similarly if we have a very high temple it can be seen.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Yes, evergreen.

Gargamuni: I saw some there.

Prabhupāda: That is grown. And that tree is very costly here in India.

Gargamuni: Cashews are very costly.

Prabhupāda: When I was going to your country at Cochin, they loaded in the ship cashews, black pepper, and lobster, big, big cases. There are many American firms. They are export business. Lobster is very favorite food in USA. Although it is rotten, still, they take it.

Gargamuni: My father used to take at least once a week.

Prabhupāda: Lobster juice.

Gargamuni: Lobster and everything, the juice... He used to eat many lobster, King lobster.

Rāmeśvara: That's a big business. In the state of Maine, that is one of their main sources of income, lobster. Famous, Maine... That state...

Prabhupāda: They get lobster locally or...

Rāmeśvara: They fish. The waters...

Gargamuni: They farm them. It's become like farming. They raise them in scientific way now.

Prabhupāda: Like they grow chicken.

Gargamuni: Yes. It's all scientific.

Room Conversation -- January 20, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Gargamuni: You pass through... See, by this present boat it takes about ten days from Calcutta to Māyāpur. It takes a long time. And if there's no wind, they have to walk on the shore. And the boat is too small now for our program.

Prabhupāda: No, then you can take... What is the price?

Gargamuni: Well, I can only estimate. I have not gone deeply into it. But it will cost a few lakhs of rupees.

Prabhupāda: Few lakhs?

Gargamuni: Yeah. (Prabhupāda laughs) Well, it's a huge boat. But it can go on the sea. And we can do the whole coast of India. We can go all around the coast and do all the villages.

Prabhupāda: Why so much? Few lakhs?

Gargamuni: Well, it's a huge thing. It's made of solid teak wood. It's a huge thing.

Rāmeśvara: It's dangerous, going on the sea.

Gargamuni: No, not if you have proper navigation. And this sea is not so... It's not a rough sea.

Prabhupāda: Bay of Bengal is rough.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Our Hayagrīva is not getting any employment. Nobody's interested. "Eh. What is the use of higher mathematics, all this, these things? We have to earn money."

Rāmeśvara: Physics, computer technology, all these things are big.

Gargamuni: And they're prepared to spend lakhs. Some of these technical books cost more than a hundred rupees a volume.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They're charging.

Gargamuni: But they'll buy them.

Prabhupāda: What is the use of philosophizing? Even that Professor O'Connell? He came to me, that "Why don't you give some students?" Means he's going to be dismissed very soon. But he has no students.

Hari-śauri: He came and asked Prabhupāda why don't we send our men to the university for Ph.D's.

Prabhupāda: I could understand his position. Now he's going to be dismissed.

Rāmeśvara: No, it's a fact that people go to college in America, but they cannot get good jobs when they graduate. If they have not taken specialized training in engineering or something...

Prabhupāda: That is technical, technology.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: I think you even said that "This unemployment will destroy your country." You once said that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. At least, the black men will spoil everything if they are unemployed.

Rāmeśvara: He'll simply become a thief.

Prabhupāda: Thieves, rogues and plunderers. That's all.

Hari-śauri: Detroit has the highest murder rate in the world, 'cause all the city population is black.

Prabhupāda: Therefore we could purchase that palace which costs six million dollars fifty years ago. And we have got for three hundred thousand. Why? Nobody was purchasing. Who will go to purchase there? I took it. "Yes it is..." I offered him... He was asking 350,000. So I told him, "I'll pay you cash, all three hundred." He immediately agreed. (laughs) I should have offered him less. He would have agreed. Nobody was purchasing.

Hari-śauri: Yes, we could have got it for half...

Prabhupāda: So he immediately agreed. Anyway, that's a very nice place. You have seen?

Rāmeśvara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Very nice place, unique palace.

Room Conversation -- January 28, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Gargamuni: He wants... What is it? Five thousand per bighā. Something like that.

Prabhupāda: We can pay, utmost, one thousand five hundred, as we have paid.

Gargamuni: Well, land prices have gone up since then. I think now they're running eighteen hundred. That was in '71 we were paying fifteen hundred. But now we have to expect to pay, say, eighteen hundred. This land is valuable because it produces so much. That is why it is most costly. You get very good crops from our, this land.

Prabhupāda: No, that land I shall use, if I take it, for another gate, in and out. That is my idea.

Gargamuni: Oh, I see

Gurukṛpā: We are putting a road in front of this new building. There's a road in front of the new building.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Gurukṛpā: There must be some walkway.

Gargamuni: Just like where the wall is? There's one little road for walking. So similarly, in front of the long, this new building, will be one road for walking.

Prabhupāda: Then you have to break these houses.

Morning Walk -- February 2, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Gargamuni: Sometimes these professional people accuse us of living at the cost of others.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But you are so rascal that you do not know who should be maintained at your cost. Those who are learned scholars, those who can give you good direction, they should be allowed to live very comfortably, without any want. That is Vedic civilization. Brāhmaṇas... Dātavyam iti yad dānam. Give them charity. All the big, big kings, they used to give charity. Give them cows, give them ornament, give them money, give them gold. Brāhmaṇa-bhojana. Invite the brāhmaṇas, give them sumptuous food. They never said, daridra-bhojana, daridra-nārāyaṇa-bhojana. They never said. And there was no daridra, because the brāhmaṇa was there. There was no question of daridra. Why do you pay the lawyers? Why do you say that "These people are living at our cost"? They're charging big, big fees. Why do you pay?

Gurukṛpā: Thousands of dollars.

Prabhupāda: Why do you pay? One man is earning ten rupees a day, but when there is some case he is paying fifty rupees a day or fifty rupees per standing a lawyer. Why does he pay? No, you say to them that "We are brāhmaṇas. The more you pay us, you'll be benefited." What do they say? That "You are living at the cost of others"?

Gurukṛpā: Yes. We are taking from the society.

Conversation on Roof -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Bhavānanda: But now it's difficult to get.

Prabhupāda: Formerly they used to stock huge stock in Calcutta. Burma Sale. And new tin, if you exchange the container, then six annas less. Not very costly. Of course, in those days it was costly, taking consideration of the purchasing power of money. Four rupees, I remember, a few annas. My father did not like to purchase anything retail. For his daily necessity he'll purchase, he would purchase potato, one bag. So one bag means, maybe, one rupee, eight annas. (laughs) One anna per seer, kilo, I have purchased. Rice, fifteen mounds he will purchase. And what is the price? Three rupees, four annas. First-class rice. Coal, this coal, coke. Five annas per mound, purchase one cart load, fifteen mounds. The other day I was calculating. My father's income was, utmost, three hundred rupees per month in those days. And taking gold standard, my mother was purchasing gold from my cousin—he has gold shop-twenty rupees per tolā, first-class gold. Now it is six hundred rupees per tolā. (break) ...in those days thirty rupees per month. For thirty rupees, clerical staff, if you increase thirty times, how much it comes?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Nine hundred.

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: They're organized.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, they're highly organized. They have regular newsletters.

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Yes, one spoon more. Take. (break) Very strong opposition. (chuckling) This combination in your country is costly.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Peas, puffed rice and cucumber.

Prabhupāda: Puffed rice is costly!

Hari-śauri: I don't think... Not so...

Satsvarūpa: But you can't buy it nice and fresh. They buy it in a bag, like you say, three hundred years old. (Prabhupāda chuckles) Puffed rice is...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's not like here.

Satsvarūpa: Stale.

Hari-śauri: They've never seen it like this, in this form, anyway.

Prabhupāda: You can learn how to make puffed rice. It's not difficult.

Evening Darsana -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Hari-śauri: Na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsam.

Prabhupāda: Yes. "You, Me, and all these kings, they were existing—the individual. You, Me, and... They're existing now, and they'll continue to exist." So where there is oneness? All individual eternally, as aṁśa, aṁśī, this finger and the body. You can say this finger is my body, but finger is not the body, whole body. Finger is finger. Not that if Kṛṣṇa's body is eternal, the finger is also eternal. Not that today it is finger, tomorrow is whole body. That is defective, Māyāvāda philosophy. Finger always exists as finger. Kṛṣṇa is eternal, His finger is eternal, but the finger and the body is the same material. They're not different. They become different when they come to material world without touch of Kṛṣṇa. This finger is finger even it is cut, but it is useless. When this finger is cut and fallen in the ground it will be said, "finger of Swamiji or somebody." It is not anything... But because it is cut from the whole, it has no value. One screw from this machine is the same screw. But when it is separate from this machine, it has no value. But when you want to add to it—you go to purchase that screw—it will cost you five rupees. But without this machine, nobody cares for that screw. So our position is like that.

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

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. It will be very nice.

Ādi-keśava: Because otherwise it is costing so much money.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Immediately.

Ādi-keśava: One other thing that is sometimes arising is that when we are arguing the case in the court...

Prabhupāda: Why not get help from some Indian lawyer?

Ādi-keśava: Some are willing to help us. This one man Din Agnihotri from Southern University Law School, he helped us make the basis of the case. But most of the Indian lawyers, they will not help us.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Ādi-keśava: They are afraid of their own status. They are worried that... Because they work in those courts every day, and this is an unpopular issue, so they are afraid because their position is not so secure, so they will not help us in that way. They will come and talk to me and give some advice, but they don't want their name in the courtroom. So sometimes this is difficult, because we need expert lawyers, but these lawyers are atheists, so sometimes they argue with me. They say, "Why are you always trying to preach in the court when we are trying to present your case?" I said, "That is my business, and I am paying you." So sometimes they are arguing, "No, if you want to win this case, then we have to argue in this way." Just like when we were... They were questioning on the stand, and our one devotee was reading Bhagavad-gītā for the answers, and they were objecting, our lawyers, saying, "No, we shouldn't do this." But I was saying, "No, this is the way that they will see that we are genuine." In the end it proved it was right. The judge respected that.

Prabhupāda: Yes, we must argue from our books. Therefore I say without any lawyer. Keep one lawyer to present, but our arguments should be from the books.

Room Conversation With Artists and About BTG -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Brahmānanda: Is that the first chapter?

Prabhupāda: Paśu-ghna. Paśu-ghna, the animal-killer.

Rāmeśvara: If we increase the number of pictures, the cost of the book to us will be an additional, between five cents and ten cents, but in exchange for that cost increase, more paintings.

Prabhupāda: That is your consideration. But if you are going to add nice pictures, these words can be explained.

Rāmeśvara: Yes. Also, because in the Tenth Canto there are so many descriptions of Kṛṣṇa's activities, so Kṛṣṇa has sent more artists.

Prabhupāda: Now, I'll give description of the word, so you can utilize it for...

Rāmeśvara: (aside:) Do you understand?

Rādhā-vallabha: Like there may be description of someone that's fully surrendered to Kṛṣṇa, has no material desires. You have to figure out a way to illustrate it.

Rāmeśvara: Just like last month you showed me that calendar of how they have illustrated every verse of the Bhagavad-gītā. So they have a way of finding... Artists...

Prabhupāda: They're selling?

Evening Darsana -- February 26, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Sagara University. That is good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Thirty-two

Prabhupāda: Scholars and universities... He's also big scholar, archaeologist, very big scholar. (break) ...beginning it was not so heavy. It is heavy. So even it is double weight, at that time it would cost thirty rupees. Now thirty into thirty times, nine...

Hṛdayānanda: Nine hundred.

Prabhupāda: So according to that proportion it would have cost one thousand at the present moment, value. So why so much, four hundred dollars? Four hundred dollars means three thousand.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: See, the thing with this coin is that they did not mint very many copies.

Prabhupāda: That's another thing.

Brahmānanda: Becomes rare.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Therefore it becomes rare.

Devotee (2): We checked it, Mahārāja. There was four thousand of those minted in that year.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Four thousand.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Devotee (2): There were four thousand of these minted in the year when this one was minted.

Devotee (3): Rare.

Prabhupāda: Thank you.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Instead of going on Monday, we shall go on Wednesday.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that is fixed up now. I think Saurabha will be quite relieved. Śrīla Prabhupāda, the turn-out at the pandal has been quite good. Many good class of people have been coming. So Girirāja Prabhu and Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Prabhu are thinking to extend the pandal on about another week, because there is not any extra costs more than about a thousand rupees, since the main cost is in actually building it. So Bhavānanda Mahārāja and myself felt that they could continue the pandal, and you wouldn't have to attend. Perhaps on the last day, which would be very big again, next Sunday, you could come. But they could, the devotees themselves could speak as they....

Prabhupāda: I know that very nice. I want it may be possible for you.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Why it should be closed?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. You once told us in Delhi that if we could arrange to continue it throughout the year, that would be good.

Prabhupāda: You want to do that, then do it. I don't mind. Every week, you can... At least...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. That means that we will have to send out regular invitation every week on a regular program to our life members.

Prabhupāda: It is all right, you do it. We have got so much subject matter for speaking.

Room Conversation -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: All the Veda, all the students for four Vedas.

Guest (1): No, if it is a school, I can give it here in the library for research, because this will be a useful thing. They are not easily available, because published in '64. Originally it was published in 1906. After sixty years they are brought up the cheaper copy for edition by American collaboration. America has given the money. Therefore it is only costing forty rupees.

Girirāja: Are those printed here?

Guest (1): Printed here. Banarsidass, Lucknow or Kanpur. These are the Motilal Banarsidass-Delhi, Varanasi and Patna. And money was given by America(?).

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We read in the papers today that there is talk that Sanjay Gandhi and his mother may run from the country, because the government has launched many investigations into the malpractices of Sanjay Gandhi. So the government has ordered the security on all the borders to be very tight.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All the airports now they are making special security, especially to check any politicians who might try to escape the country, due to being investigated.

Guest (1): Their passports are also taken away. That's what I have heard.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They were, in themselves, the most exalted, and now they are treated as criminals.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: In the Times of India you saw that starlight or side light or something, about Indira Gandhi. In today's paper, Indira Gandhi had gone to a ten-day function at one of the African embassies. She went with her daughter-in-law, and nobody even noticed her. Only fifteen minutes after she left the function did the host realize that Indira Gandhi had come. She went to a party, she stayed there, and she left and the host did not know that "Indira Gandhi is here." That shows how material nature changes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It also shows that actually she had no value, because one who is actually great doesn't lose his value simply by losing an election.

Prabhupāda: Vidvān sarvatra pūjyate. Vidvatāṁ ca nṛpatyāṁ ca naiva tulyaṁ kadācana.(?) She is not a learned man. She occupied the royal seat. That honor was so long there, the royal seat. And who will be honor her?

Room Conversation -- April 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: We wanted some.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda said he wanted some hundred copies.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, those were the American. But now we are doing the Indian version, which is costing us 30 paisa each. So that we can give away to anyone who writes in. So I am going to send them. But he says many inquiries are pouring in. And when I was in Calcutta three weeks ago I saw him in his office. He showed me letters. They are coming from all over east India, from Orissa, from Cuttack, about our books. During the month of March, BBT India distributed over about fifty thousand pieces of books and magazines, to the temples, libraries, everything included. Fifty thousand pieces of books.

Prabhupāda: I have asked already Tamāla Kṛṣṇa. Can you give me a statement of the account?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. It's ready.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Hm, that's nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "15) Foreign temples will receive records for approximately 75 cents, while North American temples will pay one dollars. All profits made by the BBT for records will go to ISKCON Food Relief. Prices may increase if the costs rise. 16) Harikeśa Mahārāja will take responsibility to prepare the Māyāpur brochure. 17) The BBT Trustees for each division are responsible for setting priorities in each division." That means printing priorities. "18) The US BBT will experiment with importation of books from India as soon as..."

Prabhupāda: What happened to that book, Dialectic Spiritualism?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Spiritual Dialectics?

Prabhupāda: Yes, Dialectic Spiritualism.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Dialectical Spiritualism. I think Harikeśa was working on that, wasn't he, when he was here...

Prabhupāda: No, no, it is finished. It was being edited by...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, okay, well, I'll write and ask.

Prabhupāda: ...Hayagrīva. But he is doing nothing and taking money.

Morning Talk -- April 18, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not possible. No one can do it.

Prabhupāda: He'll have insomnia, cannot sleep at night. What would have been the cost of the establishment? So many men are working.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What to speak of worldwide.

Prabhupāda: This is one only.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One of one hundred.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, it's not possible. Neither it's possible that... Just like yesterday Kṛṣṇa sends you a man who says, "Sir, I would like to translate your books into Russian." You did not go canvassing for Russian translator. Every single thing is coming... Kṛṣṇa is sending to you.

Prabhupāda: So take shelter of Kṛṣṇa's lotus feet. That is the only way. Then everything is all right.

Conversations -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The center of the planetarium will be the temple of Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: Just see. It is their manufacture?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "The planetarium and temple alone will be estimated to cost rupees seventy crores."

Prabhupāda: That is another thing. But it is not going to be Kṛṣṇa's temple.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, that's the point.

Prabhupāda: And they have manufactured this?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It says here, "The whole city is expected to... The temple... The planetarium will be ready in three years." But how is that possible to be built...? And that "The whole city will be done in ten years." Says here, "A Vedic city with fifty thousand brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras living around a Kṛṣṇa temple."

Prabhupāda: So they have criticized that "Your city, there will be forty...," "Aurobindo..." You have seen it?

Surabhīr Abhipālayantam: No.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Asked whether his city would not meet the same fate as Auroville..."

Prabhupāda: That...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "It was started nine years ago near Pondicherry with the same target of fifty thousand but has still a population of only four hundred, mostly foreigners." In other words, this is... The idea is that just as Auroville is a farce, any one of us, we're also farcical.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is... It is very good farce. That is the... Yes.

Room Conversation -- April 22, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: (in disbelief) Hm?!

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One hundred rupees a dozen they are being sold for, and they are being sent to the Gulf states, to the Arabs, and the Arabs are paying up to five hundred rupees a dozen for Alphonso mangoes. Fifty rupees per mango they are willing to pay. So the newspaper commented that "It may be that the poor people will not eat mango this year." Mangoes are so costly, over double the cost of last year.

Prabhupāda: Fifty rupees, twenty-five rupees per mango—who will pay?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Nobody. Of course, here in India they won't be so costly. The most costly ones are selling for one hundred rupees a dozen, so about eight rupees apiece. But then you can get lesser quality, and once the season is more in, then it will be available. But they are becoming increasingly costly. But isn't that an unheard of price? In your childhood I don't think they were that costly.

Prabhupāda: One rupee, dozen.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Phew! Good ones?

Prabhupāda: And later on, '53 or so, we saw, one rupee, half a dozen.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very cheap.

Morning Talk -- April 25, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: I think he wanted 150 rupees two ways.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Huh? Yes. So I say sixty, sixty-five rupees one way times three, because first class is three times the cost. So I'm giving him two hundred rupees per person, and he'll give me the receipt and change.

Prabhupāda: No, in the ticket there is price written. In the ticket.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In the ticket, yes. And he's also honest man. But I will check. (long pause)

Prabhupāda: The reservations should be four. Three opposite. Throughout the car also(?).

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, no, no, no. We're going to get two full compartments, four and four. No, we're not... Because I want both compartments full, because we have so much expensive luggage and machines, we could not let anybody else into our compartments, and they must be locked at every... That's understood. Rāmeśvara called you the other night, and we gave him the answers to our call. He said that Gurukṛpā Mahārāja was requesting that I write him a letter saying that they actually require the second $100,000 for construction.

Prabhupāda: No mail?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's no mail today because yesterday was Sunday. (long pause) (end)

Conversation with Vedic Astronomer -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So what to do? He has wasted so much money. He's not the proper man.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. Why not let us try to find out some man locally here in Bombay?

Prabhupāda: Very difficult. You can try.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I mean, there's just as good a chance he'll find him here as anywhere else. And it won't cost anything.

Prabhupāda: "Astronomer knowing the planetary system," you can advertise. "Expert astronomer who knows the planetary systems as described..."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "...in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam."

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, we can advertise. Instead of having somebody going all over India.

Prabhupāda: He assured that he has found out an expert. The other man did not come because he does not know.

Morning Conversation -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are taking part in the World Book Fair in Russia. The space is already booked.

Prabhupāda: That you have already told.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I wanted to ask you, should BBT America pay for our expenses in that Book Fair? It will cost about three thousand dollars. It's a very good preaching opportunity. They can pay?

Prabhupāda: No, half and half. You pay.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Half I pay... Half we pay, half they pay? Okay.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda said it was all right if you went to Māyāpur with that man, those Germans.

Prabhupāda: I have given the idea. Now how to put it into shape, that I... That I do not know.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's a man coming that Patita Uddhāraṇa invited?

Surabhīr Abhipālayantam: Yes. Tomorrow this man from Bangalore is coming.

Prabhupāda: So where his place has been fixed up?

Surabhīr Abhipālayantam: He can stay in one of the life membership rooms because he's alone. He doesn't have wife and that.

Prabhupāda: It doesn't matter.

Morning Conversation -- April 30, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Don't pay?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. My... I have told the temples that "BBT will give you as many books as you want, but once you sell, the cost must go to BBT and the profit goes to the temple." But sometimes the temples don't pay. So...

Prabhupāda: Why?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, they take it very easy, like they're doing in America also. So I wanted to stop sending them books or at least threaten them that I won't send them books.

Prabhupāda: No, if you have... Why threatening? You settle up with temples authorities.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay.

Prabhupāda: How is that, you do not...?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Like what Rāmeśvara does, Rāmeśvara Mahārāja, if temples don't pay, he says, "In all future orders you have to give cash in advance with every order."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- May 8, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Chanting.

Prabhupāda: Yes. But as soon as there is restriction, that means, "Don't do it." Otherwise naturally they have got sex desire. What is the use of giving shastric injunction? That means to control him. The meat-eating... So everyone has got tendency to eat meat, but why śāstra should agree? Restriction means stop. The government's opening liquor shop—so much restriction in a heavy duty. The government charges excise duty. The liquor is produced, utmost, one rupee, eight annas, per gallon. This I know. I know. And government charges excise duty, sixty rupees. So it becomes sixty-one rupees spoiled. Then they have got to make profit. Huge profit government... They haven't got to do anything. The liquor manufacturer, he has to maintain the establishment, and everything he has to do. But when the actual liquor comes, it is there. This is the working system. The excise inspector is there. So unless the... When he takes liquor out of stock, that excise inspector shall come. He has his own key, just like bank, such custody. So in this way... And you have to pay duty first. Suppose stock is there, liquor, hundred gallons, say, thousand gallons. If you want to take ten gallons, so the excise inspector will see whether you have paid duty for hundred gallons. Then you'll be allowed to. So government, for nothing, has... They make huge profit. This is Kali-yuga government. They think that "To condone these are very common practice. Let them be drunk. Let them drink." They encourage them. And government means big ministers, secretaries. They get the profit and divide amongst themselves. So who cares for public? Similarly cloth. What is the cost of one...? One rupee per pound. But if you weigh one cloth, what is the weight? Not even one pound. And they charge twenty rupees.

Short Dissertations -- May 24-25, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So he's saying that 'cause...

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jayapatākā's saying... He's translating what they were talking, that there's already a meter for electricity. This new meter is proposed simply for water, but the cost of water is so cheap, what is the need of a meter?

Jayapatākā: They're not making any claim for water. They say, "How much water you can use? It's a matter of a few paisa."

Prabhupāda: Last time the (indistinct) Goswami and Gurudāsa, the arrangement was to live without paying anything.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right.

Prabhupāda: To pay the electric charge. So he was paying about sixty-four rupees' electric charges. They were using hugely.

Short Dissertations -- May 24-25, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Because there was a wire that was not connected. Then the man came today, and he has connected, and he said, "Now you will have electricity."

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) (Hindi conversation)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So then we said, "All right, we also need water." He said, "For that, you will need a separate meter because they, Madana Mohana Goswami, does not want to pay your water costs." Then the man said, "Yes, we can put separate meter. It will take ten days to two weeks."

Guest (3): Oh, yes, you will do it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But it will take some time, they say.

Prabhupāda: So better to arrange.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Better to avoid?

Prabhupāda: No, no. Tap...

Guest (3): For the time being you have water from Kalachand. Give the man his time. He will give.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He will give.

Morning Conversation -- May 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This one on 26 Second Avenue must also be very cheap.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Our Ambarīṣa, he was very much eager. "Oh, don't mind. Take it. We shall arrange."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Cash.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Fifty years ago the cost was six million dollars, and we have purchased, only 300,000.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And the condition is not deteriorated.

Prabhupāda: Oh, it is very first class, palatial building. You have seen?

Gargamuni: No, Śrīla Prabhupāda. I've seen photos.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Deva-sādana, you gave the name.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You gave the name Deva-sādana.

Prabhupāda: Very, very nice. Better than our France palace.

Morning Conversation -- May 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Rāmeśvara: Jayatīrtha is now.

Prabhupāda: Jagadīśa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jagadīśa.

Prabhupāda: He made some profit. Actually the boat belonged to the house. Anyway, palace is palace. Very big, big rooms. Now it would have cost ten million dollars. And we have paid only three percent of ten million. Is it not? Three hundred thousand?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: Govardhana wants to have dolls on the outside grounds.

Prabhupāda: Do. Yes, very good. You do.

Rāmeśvara: 'Cause they have so much lands, so right outside the temple there'll be doll exhibits for all the tourists.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Conversation -- May 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Rāmeśvara: We'll have more than a plaque.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, that whole thing costs a thousand dollars, not a quarter of a million.

Prabhupāda: Doll exhibition you can have in this temple also. People will come to see.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Along the side?

Prabhupāda: Where is suitable.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually there's room up front where the water, the water fountain carrier, when you enter. There's a lot of open space there.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now you can go and take rest. Again you can come at one. What is the time now?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 9:20.

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda! (obeisances)

Prabhupāda: Make just this garland... (break) ...keep hair. Look very beautiful by keeping hair. What is that explanation?

Bhagavat: I was advised that because I was going to the European countries for preaching for some time, that...

Prabhupāda: But they, they, they...

Bhagavat: ...it would be required to keep these hairs.

Prabhupāda: ...owned victory with the court by keeping shaven hair.

Conversations -- May 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) (break) Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break) Begin. If we make Hindi plate, Los Angeles, and send it to...

Rāmeśvara: We could do it in Los Angeles, but it would be more costly. Gopāla says that the main concern with the Hindi books is keeping the cost as low as possible so it can be sold in India.

Prabhupāda: No, plate-making, we have got all machine, so it will be cheaper.

Rāmeśvara: The price that he is getting in India is very cheap. He says that he can do twenty pages a day, composing. He's got one place in Vṛndāvana that he uses and another place in Delhi. So if each place is doing one different book, two books can be done simultaneously at twenty pages every day.

Prabhupāda: Twenty pages and cost?

Rāmeśvara: It costs about a dollar a page.

Prabhupāda: Where? In...?

Rāmeśvara: In India. To compose.

Prabhupāda: And there?

Rāmeśvara: If we did it in America, it would not be less expensive. It might be even more expensive, because you have to order a special font for the Hindi alphabet. I've gone over this with Gopāla, and he says that so far, he is able to keep up with the translators. He is just now in Bombay, giving some more books in Hindi to the printer. Bhāgavatam 1.3 and Bhagavad-gītā in Hindi are going to the printer. And the translator is just still working on the first volume of Second Canto. As far as printing, this printer in Bombay called Usha is giving us very good service at a very low price. So it's a good place to print the books, the Hindi books. (pause) There's no question of buying equipment in India because it's too expensive for us to buy our own equipment.

Prabhupāda: No, that is...

Rāmeśvara: Plus it will not be repaired when it breaks.

Prabhupāda: That is very risky.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...in winter months, even though we keep it to a minimum, the oil bill runs about eight thousand dollars a month. It's very costly. Because one time we tried to turn it off, and it was very dangerous. They warned us never to do that again, because if the pipe freezes, the whole thing will explode. Therefore we have to always keep some steam coming so that it never freezes. We can't turn it off for ten hours and then turn it on again. We were thinking we could do that. That we may do in each room, but down in the boiler room we must keep the boiler going.

Prabhupāda: And in summer shut off.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yeah. We have... We hired a man. There was man working there for four years. They were paying six hundred dollars. So we kept him for the first year until... We had one man stay with him. We have one devotee, he's a plumber. He's very good man. And he learned from him everything about the boiler for one year. And then we let that man go, and we have our own man running it. And there has to be a man twenty-four hours a day, sitting with the boiler.

Prabhupāda: That means you have to change.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, we have a change. One man is expert. He knows how to run. The other men, they simply watch the gauges to see that... Because the gauges indicate that's everything's okay. If anything ever goes wrong, then they call that man. He's a maintenance man. He's very good.

Prabhupāda: So where do they supply oil?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oil? There are companies that sell you oil. I don't know what the rate is.

Prabhupāda: What is that oil? Petrol?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's crude... It's something like crude oil, I think. I'm not sure, Prabhupāda. They just call it oil.

Conversation -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: His father was a goldsmith, very humble position. Now they are the richest man. So Brahmānanda not required?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't think Brahmānanda will go. Too costly for him. They can't afford it. I'm glad that they're inviting Yaśodā-nandana Mahārāja. I think it may be too difficult for you to go there at this time, Śrīla Prabhupāda. You should stick to your principle that until you're completely... The only thing that can make you move out of Vṛndāvana is Śrī-Śrī-Rādhā-Rāsa-Vihārī.

Mr. Myer: In Bombay.

Prabhupāda: That.

Mr. Myer: That will be very big event.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: For Them you will do anything. 'Cause actually They have done everything for you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. You asked Them to stand there despite...

Mr. Myer: Yati Prabhu was telling me the entire story, how Śrīla Prabhupāda moved into his..., when it was not even completed, and all the devotees had to...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, recently?

Mr. Myer: Yes, I learned about some time back. I was watching big picture and all. There are also...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Mrs. Singol, she wrote a letter.

Prabhupāda: Doctor.

Room Conversation with Vrindavan De -- July 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Who can live in such house? Royal. Royal palace. We have 102 royal palaces. More than that. So even from economic point of view nobody is happier than us. Nobody is happier.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That New York building cost over one million dollars.

Prabhupāda: Yes. If you go I shall give you chance to see how my devotees are living happy in big, big houses. Big, big house. Do you think to possess a twelve-story house in New York is joke?

Vrindavan De: Even I cannot think of.

Prabhupāda: Is joke? We have got. In Detroit we have got a house which was constructed at the cost of six million dollars, fifty years ago. What is the price six million dollars?

Vrindavan De: Sixty lakhs.

Indian: Five lakhs forty thousand.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, no, no. Six million means five crores.

Indian: Five crores for...

Vrindavan De: No. One million is ten lakhs.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Six crores.

Prabhupāda: So that house we are possessing.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That is Kṛṣṇa's mercy. That you are feeling like that, humbleness, that is Kṛṣṇa's mercy.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "I have received your merciful letter, dated April 8th, in which you have instructed me to fashion Pañca-tattva vigraha for the Hawaii yātrā. You also revealed your desire to see photographs of the completed set of mūrtis for the Kṛṣṇa-Kāliya Mandir in Fiji. In regards to the Hawaii Deities, we have just now been able to begin the work, and it will be completed some time in the end of August. We have already received remuneration for fifty percent of the cost from Śrutakīrti dāsa. As far as the Kṛṣṇa-Kāliya temple vigrahas. I beg to inform you that they have been shipped two weeks ago along with two sets of dresses, one for the day and one for the night, for all of them. Enclosed please find a complete set of photographs of the Fiji mūrtis."

Prabhupāda: They're all superexcellent.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Without reading books they'll understand the philosophy. That is the advantage. Mass of people, without education, they will understand the philosophy.

Bhāgavatāśraya: It's like the circus.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "I have sent out an advertisement to all centers to encourage them to order Guru and Gaurāṅga Deities from us. We can deliver these to them in very short time and at a lower cost than the Jaipur craftsmen."

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "I hope that this meets with your approval."

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Very good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're not made of marble.

Prabhupāda: But as good as marble. They... Are they?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't know. I hope so.

Prabhupāda: They are being made from marble powder?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "It is no wonder that this transcendental treasure chest of spiritual texts have been described by many scholars as the first presentation of full encyclopedia of Vedic knowledge. This encyclopedia touches various subject matters relating to philosophy, religion, sociology and anthropology, literature and classics, political science, history and psychology. On the back side of this pamphlet an order blank to apply for a full encyclopedia published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust is given. Please fill in and return." (chuckles) Here's what he says, "The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Library of Vedic Knowledge can make a worthwhile gift to a friend of relative or may be kept in one's own home. Or one may contribute a set to a school, college, hospital library, reading room, temple, or for any other charitable purpose. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust is offering this encyclopedia on an easy installment basis by which one may receive published volumes every month without any extra cost." Sounds like they're getting a lot for free. (chuckles)

Prabhupāda: Organized very nice. Hm. "Gargamoney." (laughter)

Room Conversation-Recent Mail -- July 14, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Kindly fill in the form below to receive your first volumes." Then it says, "Name and age, date of purchase, address, city, state, country, type of business, phone, number of sets to be purchased." Number of sets to be purchased. It's very hopeful. "Whether encyclopedia is for personal use or other, please explain." 'Cause they're going to keep a file to see what people use it for. "Number of books to be received each year. Amount given as advance." He says, "At least fifty percent of the total cost can be given for the complete set as advance, and balance to be made in yearly installments. Signature of purchaser. Please note: The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust shall fulfill its obligation to supply all books to the purchaser as agreed upon and shall ship all books postage prepaid to any part of the world. Dated and signature of the salesman. Checks to be made out in the name of Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Bombay. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Library Encyclopedia of Vedic Knowledge, Founder-Ācārya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. Recommendations and appreciations by leading scholars of India on the BBT Library Encyclopedia of Vedic knowledge." He seems to have got a lot... I don't know how he did this. It says... These are different recommendations. It's from the Minister of Education, Government of Maharastra. Shrimati Patiba Patel. " 'I therefore wholeheartedly recommend this encyclopedia of our culture and all BBT publications to all educational institutions, schools, libraries and colleges concerned with the moral and cultural development of their students within the boundary of Maharastra and throughout the world.' " See, each one he has the word encyclopedia bold and underlined. "Ph.D. from Harvard University." All different big personalities. "The Mayor of Bombay. Padma Bhushan, Vice-Chancellor of Baroda University. Professor of Gujarati language, Gold Medal winner and author of 36 Gujarati books." Another man. "Award-winning Gold-medalist in Gujarati literature." "Award-winning author in Sindhi literature." All these people are giving their recommendations. "Award-winning author in Sindhi literature." "Head of the Department of Sanskrit at Bombay University." "Head of the Department of Sindhi in RC College, Bombay." Then he has a review by P. M. Joshi. "Dr. P. M. Joshi, past director of Archives and Historical Monuments, Maharastra government; past professor in charge of History, Bombay and Poona University." So many different titles. Then he has one from Prabhudas P. Patwaria, a governor of Tamil Nadu. And another one from the Deputy Director, Research of the Lok Sabha. Would you like to see some more things, Śrīla Prabhupāda? The next one looks... This next one is also from Gargamuni. It includes a letter, Śrīla Prabhupāda. "My dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, please accept my humble obeisances at your divine lotus feet. We fervently pray that Your Divine Grace continue to remain in this world because we need your personal guidance. Even when Lord Kṛṣṇa disappeared, Arjuna lost all strength temporarily."

Prabhupāda: I shall remain your personal guidance, physically present or not physically, as I am getting personal guidance from my Guru Mahārāja.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Wooden.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, brick building. Yes, Prabhupāda, brick building. It is brick.

Prabhupāda: In London mostly they are brick.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 'Cause of the cold climate. But the location is...

Prabhupāda: Very costly.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...very, very important. Just off Oxford Street.

Prabhupāda: The corner.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just off the corner, in the middle of the block.

Prabhupāda: They said that report following will come.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Report is coming. In the telegram that we received? Yeah, it said, "Report follows." I think some activity is good. Somehow I get the idea that you need to be more active. I know that you don't have any strength, but still, it seems to me unless you are active, you won't get your strength.

Prabhupāda: Hm. That's a fact.

Room Conversation -- July 27-28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We want bulk orders.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How much do they cost?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The BBT cost I'll tell you later.

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: These are all from your books, and this also advertises your books because on the back it's written, "Painting from..."

Prabhupāda: Such and such book.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I thought that by coming out with these Diwali cards, each temple will make an extra thirty, forty thousand per year, because the BBT will make about a lakh a year extra. It's new income. This is a little start.

Prabhupāda: Yaśomatīnandana will order that set. You can sell.

Room Conversation -- July 27-28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So both consulting, you can see.

Yaśomatīnandana: Oh, yes, I can sell. I think this will be very successful.

Prabhupāda: So far the printing is concerned, there is no question. First class. Very nice.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, this is costing the BBT only...

Prabhupāda: Whatever it costs, I don't mind. You make some profit. That's all.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, and actually, all these books that I'm now printing in Hindi, I'm all printing these from the profit of this export order. Even though I have...

Prabhupāda: So you have sent the export books?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I shipped 26,000 books this month. That's why I got delayed. We shipped 21,000 books to Australia and 11,000 to England.

Prabhupāda: Bhagavad-gītā is...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They've all gone. Plus, we shipped a big order to Africa, to Fiji...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Africa said they never got theirs.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: They got it, and I have a bill of lading. That was a completely bogus letter. I have all the evidence with me. Yes, I've got a bill of lading to show you. Fiji, Mauritius, they've all gone. Plus, I also wrote up a small catalog. This is a very cheap catalog, not like the American. A lot of people write to BBT for brochure or catalog. So this is costing us only about twenty-five paisa but advertises all your books.

Prabhupāda: Hindi?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's in English. Yes. Because a lot of people write to BBT to "Send us your catalog," and if we do a big one, American one, that's very expensive. We can't give it out free. So I wrote a small sixteen... This is for free distribution.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very nice. Yes, it serves the purpose.

Room Conversation -- July 27-28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And then they'll be happy there.

Prabhupāda: Weekly visitors. Two-rooms cottage.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: This will attract a lot of people.

Prabhupāda: And it will cost not more than fifteen thousand, two-room cottage.

Yaśomatīnandana: Now we will organize. Just now we had to rush everything.

Prabhupāda: No. No, no. Don't make it a rush.

Yaśomatīnandana: Because we had no facilities there.

Prabhupāda: No, you can prepare bricks. By brick... Make in such a way that we get local supplies.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda said we can make the bricks also.

Prabhupāda: Bricks and tiles... Local potter can make that round tile. Make a brick that... And you have got bamboo. Take local supply as far as possible.

Room Conversation -- July 27-28, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Government will help you.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Gujarat is very pious.

Prabhupāda: No. It is complete government.(?) Where is that book? Very nicely done.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Very nice.

Prabhupāda: Nobody can say it is Indian.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: You can't say it's printed in India. Actually even our export quality now is very good. Actually there's a plastic coating on the top.

Prabhupāda: You cannot imagine that India has published.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The First Canto Bhāgavatam which you printed in India were... Also we are keeping the cost low. This is very, very important. This whole book, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we've done within eight rupees, fifty paisa, which is quite reasonable. (end)

Room Conversations Bangladesh Preaching/Prabhavisnu Articles by Hamsaduta -- August 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fortunately we have no scarcity of money.

Prabhupāda: No. Why? Kṛṣṇa has no scarcity of money. Aiśvaryasya samagrasya. Why there is question of scarcity? Make scheme. You are all intelligent. So with how much foreign exchange you'll begin in Bangladesh?

Prabhaviṣṇu: Well, at the moment, Pañca-ratna Prabhu has gone to Bangladesh, and he's investigating in great detail the cost of printing. So when he gives his report, then we'll have a clear idea.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What my idea was, Śrīla Prabhupāda, was this: If he can print in Bangladesh, not only he can print for his own needs in Bangladesh, he can print for West Bengal. And Jayapatākā, instead of... We can pay him in foreign exchange from America, and Jayapatākā can pay the money for the books to the construction fund, which would have been coming from America anyway. In that way it will be very nice accounting.

Prabhupāda: So make that scheme. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Nepal is there Lloyd's Bank?

Prabhaviṣṇu: I don't know.

Room Conversation With Madhudvisa and others -- August 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Śrutakīrti: And the bigger ones, they will sell for twenty-five dollars.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: People buy them?

Śrutakīrti: Yes. This works. And these cost about two dollars to make and about twenty minutes to carve.

Prabhupāda: Beautiful.

Śrutakīrti: There's a little science. They dip in all different color wax.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It actually costs two dollars to make, though.

Śrutakīrti: The wax. The wax is about two dollars' worth of wax. So it's very profitable. Especially in Hawaii and Waikiki it will be very lucrative business.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How much you can make in one day, profit?

Śrutakīrti: Last year in Toronto they made seventy thousand dollars in two months, profit, during the Christmas season.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Where is the scarcity of money? (laughter)

Śrutakīrti: Also it is a very excellent business for householders in our movement.

Prabhupāda: You American boys, you know how to earn money. Now you have learned how to spend it for Kṛṣṇa. It is wonderful.

Room Conversation -- October 4, 1977, Vrndavana:

Haṁsadūta: She's becoming popular again.

Bhagatji: The question is about this dearness, these costly things, going, prices higher and higher.

Bali-mardana: Yes. The prices are going up, so the people are becoming dissatisfied with this Janata government.

Haṁsadūta: Just prior to her being arrested, a few days, she has publicly announced that "The government doesn't have the guts to arrest me." She said, "The government doesn't have the guts to arrest me." So this arresting her will make her more popular. She is very intelligent lady. And her little sister, this Shreemav Badranayiki, she was the prime minister of Shree Lanka. She is also coming back. These two women went to school together. They were in the same class.

Bhagatji: From Ceylon.

Haṁsadūta: Yes. It's an amazing coincidence. This woman prime minister of Śrī Lanka, she follows everything Indira does. When Indira Gandhi held elections, she also held elections. She lost; she lost. She's coming back; she's coming back. They're very friendly, two ladies running these two countries. Sometimes when preaching I tell the public, "What kind of country is this? The land of the rājarṣis and some lady is running the government."

Prabhupāda: Hm, don't touch politics.

Haṁsadūta: Oh, all right. We should stay clear of the government. They are too dangerous.

Prabhupāda: Cultural... We, our culture and philosophy. To be arrested is not new thing for politicians.

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Second. Second telegram.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All right. No. I haven't sent a second one yet. Should I do that? I could do it. It's not very costly. Two or three rupees. Might be a good precaution to take if we feel that he is needed here now.

Prabhupāda: Kavirāja's, his mentality I did not like.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Which one, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: He was charging five rupees, and because we have gone to him second time, he is charging...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Ten. Not only ten rupees, but so much money for the medicine.

Prabhupāda: How much?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fifty-five rupees just for sixteen little packets, doses of medicine. Two days' medicine, fifty-five rupees. Eighty-five rupees for two days' total. No. Seventy-five rupees for two days.

Prabhupāda: We are not hesitating to pay, but this mentality...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, exactly. The point is if that a man has this mentality, then how much can we trust him for medicine? It means he's dishonest man. He's becoming dishonest. Still, some husband must be there, you said. We should have a doctor's help. I still believe that. If possible. After all, we are not doctors.

Prabhupāda: No, we are taking the help of doctor, Āyurveda, by this yogendra-rasa.

Room Conversation -- October 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That jewelry, etcetera, Kīrtanānanda gave...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What about the...? I have them here.

Prabhupāda: Who gave? Kulādri?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Kulādri brought them. Silk.

Prabhupāda: Very, very costly thing.

Hari-śauri: Yes. That's an onyx jewelbox with emeralds and things in it. And eight thousand dollars' worth of checks.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Checks. These checks are from initiations I think, Śrīla Prabhupāda. They're guru-dakṣiṇā for initiations.

Hari-śauri: That big thing has some jewels in it.

Prabhupāda: Where Kulādri kept it?

Hari-śauri: He had them locked away, Śrīla Prabhupāda. He was waiting until Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja woke up, because at that time he was taking rest. Then he was going to give them.

Prabhupāda: Where is Kīrtanānanda?

Hari-śauri: He's in his room right now, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I think this can be given to the Deities.

Prabhupāda: It can be given everything.

Room Conversation -- October 9, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Vedic civilization is sarve sukhino bhavantu: "Everyone be happy." This is Vedic civilization. And this is the way, Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. The same house?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Iran? The same house?

Rāmeśvara: The same house that you stayed at last time.

Prabhupāda: Good house.

Rāmeśvara: Also in downtown they purchased one house which cost $170,000. And the brahmacārīs live on the top floor, and then the ground floor is the restaurant.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Didn't you see that house, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think you went there when there were still other people living there. You said that the man received you very properly?

Prabhupāda: Hm.

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

Brahmānanda: ...some Swahili books Cyavana Swami has produced. This is the Topmost Yoga. We had printed this a couple of years ago. This is a reprint. Ufahamawa(?) Kṛṣṇa. The money for this printing was donated to us by Harikeśa Swami, his German yātrā.

Hari-śauri: You printed in Africa?

Brahmānanda: Yes. This is a magazine, Rudiwawumungu(?) It means "Go back to God." Mungu(?) is "God." That says, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa."

Upendra: They have letters explaining what each of the..., beads means, tilaka, clothes, explanation down here, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Brahmānanda: To distribute these books Cyavana Swami is having African devotees distribute them. He is organizing them. Cyavana Swami is good at organizing the Africans. But we are not able to distribute them for what it cost to print.

Prabhupāda: It doesn't matter.

Room Conversation -- October 12, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: He said that he is praying that Kṛṣṇa will keep you here, 'cause without a pure devotee in the world then everything becomes dark. West Bengal Council for Child Welfare and the West Bengal Government Health Department Inspector came out and inspected our distribution. We have five centers where we distribute five days a week, Monday through Friday, the foodstuff. We eat another thing given by the government. We prepare that and offer it to the Deity and distribute that from our temple as well as from a nearby village. The local villagers help to distribute. Right now twelve hundred people are taking every day. So they were very satisfied with the arrangement. And one of the centers is Māyāpur village. They had been refusing to take, and he said, "You just change and put into another village. They're not the only poor people in the world. Any other village can take." They are very favorable to our program. They given us a full quota that daily 1,846 people can get food and they'll bear the costs of the grain and oil, etc.

Prabhupāda: What is this preparation?

Jayapatākā: It's wheat that's chipped. It's called bulgar wheat. It's wheat that's chipped into small pieces so that's it's... It's like oversized suji, about three times the size of suji, and that's just boiled and cooked with oil and some gur and spices. Or it can also be cooked with vegetables and spices. It's supposed to be nutritious, healthy, strength-giving food. Māyāpur Muslims tried to get the other Muslims in other villages not to take it because it was being given by us, but they said, "Why we shouldn't take? Just because you're giving them trouble doesn't mean we shouldn't take." So now they've all rebelled, and they're all taking now prasādam. He gave us address where we can get powdered milk possibly also.

Prabhupāda: It is mixed with powder milk?

Jayapatākā: What we have right now isn't mixed with powdered milk. We want to mix powdered milk with it, but this department ran out of powdered milk, so another department has it. This is... They give oil to cook it in, like halavā type, vegetable oil. It's like a cereal that they have in the West, in America and some places. Like dalya, they call in Western India.

Prabhupāda: They take it relishably?

Jayapatākā: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: What you have given?

Purī Mahārāja: Puri, halavā and gulabjamin. You have prepared very costly feast.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Because you are our most valuable guests. (break)

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) (kīrtana) (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This... At noontime you seemed to be getting a little taste. Did you have a little? You said gradually.

Prabhupāda: And now... Just now, I have no taste.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So I don't think there is any problem. I mean, what you ate today was more than I saw you eat in three months, Śrīla Prabhupāda. You ate a Love Feast today. So whenever we eat a Love Feast, we never have much appetite in the evening. Usually we simply chant.

Prabhupāda: So I am trying to drink a little fruit juice.

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. Three lakhs. One lakh for printing, three lakhs for the godown.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: (softly) No.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. You said that the godown would only cost three lakhs.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Three to four is the estimate. (to Prabhupāda:) So we are going to start work on the godown in November.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, that's nice. Now, as soon as our six Gujarati books are ready, we are starting this mail order campaign even for Gujarati books and for Hindi books. Actually by this mail order technique we will sell more books than we sell on the streets or in colleges. Just in two months I sold more Gītās...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How many?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Over a thousand ...than we did in two years of library party. And I'm expanding this to...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. They sell more. They have more than that, standing orders.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: What I'm saying it's very good. A thousand Gītās in two months is very good. Now I'm expanding this to the Bhāgavatam.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Unless you have good godown, it will be stolen and sold in the market at cheap price.

Page Title:Cost (Conversations 1976 - 1977)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, Mayapur
Created:15 of Feb, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=141, Let=0
No. of Quotes:141