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Local (Conversations 1977)

Conversations and Morning Walks

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 4, 1977, Bombay:

Trivikrama: So I'm enthusiastic to do this assignment with Caitya-guru. But one difficulty is the men that are behind in Taiwan and Hong Kong, there's only three men, or two men actually. And...

Prabhupāda: No local man is coming?

Trivikrama: Well, one local American, he's helping. But no Chinese. They're not interested. We tried to present a nice program. We did kīrtanas. I'm a little disappointed, but... But still, this program can go on. We can sell books. But one thing...

Prabhupāda: No, selling books is our propaganda. That is very good program.

Trivikrama: One thing... As far as being... We're shorthanded because I'm going to be coming back to India. I was thinking that because you instructed Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami to help me by sending two men... But actually he never really sent two men.

Prabhupāda: If there is no men, how can he do?

Trivikrama: But there's so many men now in New York. Now it's January. There's no more big book distribution, plus they're recruiting so many men.

Prabhupāda: So why they are not? It is simply lack of management. If there is no sufficient work, some men can go. Write. He is also GBC. Men should be equally distributed.

Room Conversation -- January 4, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No local man is coming?

Trivikrama: Well, one local American, he's helping. But no Chinese. They're not interested. We tried to present a nice program. We did kīrtanas. I'm a little disappointed, but... But still, this program can go on. We can sell books. But one thing...

Prabhupāda: No, selling books is our propaganda. That is very good program.

Trivikrama: One thing... As far as being... We're shorthanded because I'm going to be coming back to India. I was thinking that because you instructed Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami to help me by sending two men... But actually he never really sent two men.

Prabhupāda: If there is no men, how can he do?

Trivikrama: But there's so many men now in New York. Now it's January. There's no more big book distribution, plus they're recruiting so many men.

Prabhupāda: So why they are not? It is simply lack of management. If there is no sufficient work, some men can go. Write. He is also GBC. Men should be equally distributed.

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Everyone will be interested.

Jagadīśa: Yes. And stay for some time in one place, find some local people, train them up cooking...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes, that is good.

Jagadīśa: ...kīrtana, speaking, reading the books...

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. That is wanted.

Jagadīśa: ...and let them set up a small center in their house or purchase one storefront.

Prabhupāda: If one is convinced about this favorably, that is success. It doesn't matter what dress. Let him teach his family, and the neighborhood. Let them do their own business. It doesn't matter. That is... Let them understand Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa science. That is wanted. Do that program. Make that program. He is coming, Rāmeśvara. Take to it very seriously. (break) I can cycle even now. In our childhood... I had car, but my nephew was driving. I never drove. In 1925, I purchased one Buick car.

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

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.

Prabhupāda: Where?

Devotee (1): Because the Muslims are feeding the cows dried fish, and the milk is smelling like fish even. There's no grass for them to eat there in this Arabia, so they're feeding them dried fish, like in a soup. Hindus will not take the milk there even because of that.

Gurudāsa: So do you think I should organize this meeting with Chandra Swami also, taking some part in organizing? Or just meet him to get him to see you. Not any special, but I mean to say that he knows the situation. He can...

Prabhupāda: Or if he wants to see, he may come. He may find out.

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

Prabhupāda: That is not so good. If you make any picture, then you paint according to the people's, local people's feature. Kata catur anana, mani mani yāvat. Vidyāpati. You have heard the name of Vidyāpati? He was a great poet of Darbhanga.

Dr. Patel: Vṛndāvana?

Prabhupāda: No, no. Darbhanga, the entrance to Bengal from Bihar.

Dr. Patel: Darbhanga. Door to Bengal.

Prabhupāda: Hardwar. "Door to Hari." Dwar means gate.

Gurudāsa: Someone invited me last year to Hardwar for the Kumbha, and I said, "Why should I go to the door when I live in the house?" I was in Vṛndāvana.

Prabhupāda: We are not interested with the door. You are doormen, dvar-men. We are inmates. That Vidyāpati has sung, kata catur anana, mari mari yāvata. Catur anana means Brahma. They also die. And kata means "how many." (pause) So what is the amount of the bank that he transferred?

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

Prabhupāda: This we can bring a charge against them: "Prove that we wanted money."

Rāmeśvara: Yes, we are counter... We are fighting them. "...by writing to the District Attorney's"—those are the Justice Department Offices—"or contacting your local media." Then they give the addresses of people in New York and two addresses in Los Angeles who you should write to telling them about all the knowledge you have about all the abuses of Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then it says, "You should commence action for a legal deprogramming. If other families of Hare Kṛṣṇa victims would go to court to get a legal conservatorship or guardianship with an intended writ of habeas corpus..." Now, what this means is you go to the court, and you say "My dear judge, my son is in Hare Kṛṣṇa. He has been brainwashed." And you have a paper from a psychiatrist that says, "Yes, he is definitely acting in a robotlike way." Then the court will say, "All right, you're the parent. So we give you legal guardianship over the son."

Prabhupāda: No, we can place a counter psychiatrist and counter... Just like Cox's statement.

Rāmeśvara: There is one law in America where they don't even give you a chance to defend. They immediately give the parents the guardianship. Now, this law was written to protect old people, and they are cheating and using the law against us. Sometimes old people become senile, and, let's say, they'll do harmful things. They may give away their money. They may do things in a state of...

Room Conversation -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

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?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: He's going to Kumbha Mela first.

Jagadīśa: ...has business there to be...

Prabhupāda: You are not attending Kumbha Mela. You are going to Delhi from here.

Jagadīśa: I'm thinking about going to Kumbha Mela first, for a couple of days.

Prabhupāda: Anywhere, this is our main program. Print books as many as possible and distribute.

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

Prabhupāda: No, at least we shall try to make closed. And if people become localized, then this traffic will be little. Just like I am trying to organize the farm. If people do not come out of home, then this system will be obsolete. There will be no more department. They have created hundreds. They do not know how to manage it. For livelihood they have to go to Bombay, and therefore they require so many local trains. But if they localized, they can get their livelihood locally, there is no question of these all...

Rāmeśvara: In America this is becoming the number-one problem—unemployment.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They must be. Artificial employment. (train re-starts)

Rāmeśvara: People go to college in America; they can no longer get jobs. They spend so many years going to college getting their degree. So now they cannot find any jobs.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the position in America. And what to speak of this country. Therefore, after being educated they go to foreign countries. You'll find so many Indians in educational labs(?) in your country, because they don't get any suitable jobs. (break) ...their so many departments will be closed.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Gargamuni: And that Purī hotel was packed up with foreigners and with local people very nicely dressed. And this plot is just near the Purī hotel. So it's a nice area, and the breeze is wonderful, very nice breeze from the ocean. So if we build a nice multi-story, that breeze will be very healthy.

Prabhupāda: So...

Gargamuni: So I have to leave here tomorrow morning at 8:30 and meet with the man at around 9:30, 10:00, and he'll give me all the names and addresses, and he'll show me some other plots. Then, perhaps, if maybe you would like to see it the following day, we can drive there and show you the plot as soon as I get more information.

Rāmeśvara: Would you like to do that, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Hari-śauri: Have you been to Purī for a long time?

Prabhupāda: Oh, several times.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: The thing is if we start off, gradually, as the construction is going on, if there's a group of people that are working there, maybe some local people will join us too.

Gargamuni: Oh, yes. We'll get local men to join.

Rāmeśvara: So who will make that their...? That's the real question. Who will sit there?

Gargamuni: I'll stay. I'll stay. Important project.

Prabhupāda: Coconut tree can grow.

Gargamuni: Yes. And I think cashew. These cashews they also grow.

Prabhupāda: Cashew. And jao.

Gargamuni: What is Jao?

Prabhupāda: What is called, jao? This fiberlike bricks. That is grown very...

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Gargamuni: Yes. They are trying to imitate our Māyāpur project, but they have failed. Trying to make a community. And they are very much hated by the local people because they are not following any regulative principles. They drink, they smoke....

Prabhupāda: They drink?

Gargamuni: Oh, yes. It's just a bunch of hippies now who are there. That's a complete bluff.

Prabhupāda: The Aurobindo was a hippie. (laughter) He had that long hair, and he was victimized by that mother. She brought... She was young, and she brought money, and Aurobindo was killed. In the beginning he had some yogic practice, but since that mother came, woman can conquer any rascal. (laughs) So she also... She conquered, and then nobody was allowed to see him in his secluded meditation. Only this mother was allowed. She would supply food, supply... And nobody could see. And she would give darśana only one day in the year. He would not speak with anyone, and the disciples were advised, "Simply think of Aurobindo. You have nothing to do." That's it. So you have been there?

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Hm. Now you are seeing that there is possibility of preaching. And even if he cannot speak local language, still he'll be received.

Gargamuni: Yes. And all of our magazines, at least in Bengal, are being... (break)

Rāmeśvara: ...to organize the whole world to cheating, then, it seems, we can be given the intelligence to organize it for Lord Caitanya.

Prabhupāda: You can also cheat them. (chuckles) From māyā's way, bring then to Kṛṣṇa's way. That's all. That is also cheating. Tell them, "Yes, you live like this."

Gargamuni: In Assam there is excellent field.

Prabhupāda: Assam.

Gargamuni: Yes. They're all Vaiṣṇava. They worship Lord Caitanya.

Prabhupāda: Especially in Manipur.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: Yes. They had to do that because their economy was ruined. He had taken away... This man was crazy. He had taken away all the tariffs, so that foreign countries were supplying their products in Australia, and the local businessmen..., local manufacturers were going out of business. So many problems. And they're so proud of their modern culture, modern education and advancement, but they're being blackmailed by the Arabs. The Arab countries are considered very undeveloped, and the Western world is so proud how advanced they are, yet they are now being blackmailed by the Arabs for oil. So what is the use of their advancement? And now whatever the Arabs want, they have to do.

Prabhupāda: I think he is not returning. He's gone forever. Gargamuni: Who?

Hari-śauri: Devi-dhāma. Oh, no. He's back. He's back.

Gargamuni: Just now.

Prabhupāda: So what did he bring?

Rāmeśvara: So they have become completely dependent on oil.

Prabhupāda: Anything artificial, it will break. You cannot make a scheme of mental concoction. That will not endure. You take standard it will be beneficial. The whole world is in chaotic condition because they have so many artificial way of living.

Room Conversation -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Brahmānanda: So the only difficulty there is that we cannot make devotees from the local population.

Prabhupāda: Either Indian or African.

Brahmānanda: Yes, either one. So unless we get men from overseas, then for us to expand is very difficult. Just like for this Mombassa. We get this big house. Unless we have men to maintain it, then why should we take it?

Prabhupāda: But overseas, we have got enough men.

Brahmānanda: We only have twelve devotees there and two temples. It's very less.

Prabhupāda: You cannot export from America?

Rāmeśvara: Yes, we have to. We have to.

Prabhupāda: It is your missionary activities, American.

Brahmānanda: So far for the Africans, we're giving them prasādam and kīrtana. But anything more than that, we cannot expect. If we give them that, they are satisfied.

Prabhupāda: They're hearing kīrtana?

Room Conversation -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: Yes, but he and Tejas did most of the talking in the local language.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Satsvarūpa: The owners are in Calcutta. It finally traced out.

Rāmeśvara: Well, we found out that the government has now taken an interest in buying this property, all the properties on the beach. The government is looking for different excuses. Maybe someone violates his lease or he doesn't keep the property according to the lease. Somehow or other, the government wants to develop the land for hotel. So our idea is that there's two properties which are good for us. One of them the government is already committed to buying, and the other one the government is interested in buying but has not yet purchased. So for the first one we can approach the government officials directly.

Prabhupāda: No, then this Kartanai(?) can help.

Rāmeśvara: Yes. And their main interest is foreign exchange from the tourists. So if we offer them U.S. dollars to purchase the property, they may think, "Why should we waste our time developing when they will give us lakhs in U.S. dollars, and let them develop?"

Room Conversation with Film Producer about Krsna Lila -- January 22, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Guest (2): When you are giving a darśana... Yesterday we came to see you. That, these people, had to go to Bombay yesterday. But when a certain uttered that you have come here, we were astonished. They ran to my office, told me that "Guruji has come." "No, you are wrong." "No, you see. It is from our local newspaper." He's from Bengal. So he came for us and told me he would let us go and see. By five o'clock they had told him... "Let us go." We came here, and there's some people here I was talking to him. That engineer when Guruji tell that no rain, he was searching for the water, (indistinct) in that I was telling him that way. So Guruji when you are giving the light, wisdom, or making blessing that you become filled the superness. You surrender yourself.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is our propaganda.

Guest (2): The surrender to... So similarly, suppose I am a drunkard.

Prabhupāda: No, it is no disqualification.

Guest (2): Guruji, my argument is this.

Prabhupāda: Yes, Caitanya Mahāprabhu...

Guest (2): We are associated with the sādhus.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Conversation During Massage -- January 23, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: This past year Russia sponsored a war in Africa, Angola. Is it Africa or South America? It's Africa, Angola? The Russians sponsored one war. They supplied all the money, all the weapons, and they were victorious. They conquered a country through their local Communist party.

Prabhupāda: Which is?

Rāmeśvara: It's called Angola. And the Americans were trying to support the opposing side. But the public in America has got such a bad taste from Vietnam that they became what they call isolationists.

Prabhupāda: They have become hopelessly, what is called, unsuccessful in Vietnam.

Rāmeśvara: Yes. So they're very, very reluctant. So they withdrew public support, and the government had to withdraw, and the country was lost.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: America, it seems, is becoming very weak.

Prabhupāda: Means if they have got strength, if they have got strength they can attack Russia. I've said that. But they have no moral strength. Drunkard, illicit sex, they have no mental determination, cannot.

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Satsvarūpa: And in the beginning, when science began, modern science, the scientists would say something against the Bible that was different than the Bible. Then they would torture him. The church would torture him, this Galileo, big scien... So they point these things out, that the church is not tolerant.

Prabhupāda: That is not our point. We want to understand God through philosophy. "Through philosophy" means logic. Blind faith is not our business. (break) "...such date I have posted. You have got the literature. If you permit me, then I can show some of the books." Then our local representatives advise, "You go and see this gentleman." In this way contact him and leave some book with him, that "You first of all see. Then decide." Very honest business.

Satsvarūpa: Gargamuni suggests that I start with Indians. There are Indians all over the world.

Room Conversation -- January 29, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Just like here it happened, Hindi and English. That enviousness is always there. I have seen in Montreal. All the officers, they are speaking in French. They won't talk in English. Airport. Purposefully. And there was fight, regular fight between these French speaking and English speaking, riot. People are so foolish. So it is bilingual. In everything, English and French. If you put one notice, it must be in English and French, as here (chuckling) they in the provincial language, Oriya, and Hindi, state language, and English for outsiders-three languages. You'll see in the railway station the local language and the Hindi language and English. Actually people take advantage of the English language and little more from the Hindi. Local language nobody knows. Just like we do not know what is Oriya.

Hari-śauri: (laughing) The people who speak the local language can't read it. So the signs are useless. Anybody who is educated enough to read it can read...

Room Conversation -- January 29, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Satsvarūpa: How is all the money for construction for this temple supposed to come? By the local preaching by Gaura-Govinda or...

Prabhupāda: Somehow or other, it must come. He has promised that he will collect half.

Satsvarūpa: That's right. And whatever he collects, you said you would...

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Satsvarūpa: I heard that he was told whatever he collects you would match that or match half of it.

Prabhupāda: Hm, hm, hm. Gargamuni may go and organize in Dacca. That will be a great service. He was speaking of going to Dacca. That will be greater service.

Satsvarūpa: I thought they were going mostly for the library work.

Prabhupāda: Whatever... No, he says there is possible, that Gauḍīya Maṭha. If in Pakistan, in Bangladesh, if he can organize one center, it will be great triumph.

Satsvarūpa: Dacca.

Prabhupāda: Kīrtana and prasādam distribution. This is our preaching mainly. And if they hear little philosophy, that is very good. Otherwise simply kīrtana and prasādam distribution is sufficient. Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to do that. He was not speaking philosophy to everyone. Kīrtana and prasāda distribution.

Room Conversation -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Hm. And the girl can speak in the local language. She may also...

Yogeśvara: She can speak in the language. She'll be all right as long as she has some good association.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Yogeśvara: That means, perhaps, a gṛhastha couple, so that there's some girl for her to be with. (break)

Prabhupāda: ...not married. Better if she would have been married. So there is no candidate for marrying her?

Yogeśvara: Not in France. At one point she was expressing the desire to receive some training, and she even mentioned Los Angeles. But any center where she could receive training would be helpful. She's enthusiastic, but...

Prabhupāda: Yes. I know that she's enthusiastic.

Yogeśvara: She had... (break)

Prabhupāda: Preaching work is meant for the sannyāsīs, not for the married persons. Sannyāsī and brahmacārī, they go... (microphone rattling) Married couple also go... Generally it is meant for that. So if you have got sufficient men for preaching work, so you can make one center here and traveling...

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Oh, I think about 1928, long ago, because about twenty years ago there was centenary, hundred years. So the local produce was not exported. Everything was cheap in the village because you have to consume. Whatever is produced in the village you have to consume. And these Britishers, they introduced railway and drew everything in the village to the town. And they would not sell in the village because they would get good price in the city. Otherwise in the village, everything was very cheap, very, very cheap-milk, vegetables, rice, dāl, everything. And the Britishers, they had no food. They have got only the potato. In England what they produce? No food. So everything was exported. Their policy was to supply manufactured goods and take raw materials from India. So they supplied cotton goods. They saw that all Indians are using cotton cloth. Iron they introduced. They introduced railway line, all iron, the carriage, the wheel, the road. Everything was... In this way they became prosperous. And the Indian people, they saw... They were educated because they are fond of going to pilgrimage by walking. They would go... Suppose from here, Navadvīpa, one has to go to Vṛndāvana. He would make his will, because he does not know whether he'll come back or not. Long distance, thousand miles, you have to go by, on leg. They used to go. So they were advertised that "No. Now you'll have not to walk. The Company, they're making very easy going railway." So they received it, "Oh! (Hindi)" (laughs) But their idea was to draw all the raw materials from villages and send it to England.

Room Conversation -- February 18, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...that the government is actually... It is not the government, but there are various individuals within the government. In other words, it is not the entire government. Just like in this country it is much more of a dictatorial type government. In America what is happening is that because these deprogrammers... What they are doing is called lobbying. They go to Congress, they go to the House of Representatives. They have all of their members write letters to their local state senators, to the local House of Representatives...

Prabhupāda: Hm. They influence.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And then they get these local men to come together in groups and try to pass laws. So it's not simply that the... But there is more and more now a feeling amongst the government members towards..., favorable to the deprogrammers and against the cults on account of the cheating nature of the other cults. So there's definitely...

Prabhupāda: They should be.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. It's definitely... The sentiment is definitely against us and for the deprogrammers amongst government leaders. It's not in our favor. There's no doubt about it. The courts are definitely against us, and the government is also. It's serious.

Prabhupāda: So what can we do?

Room Conversation -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The real future, then, will be done if we can make many local people devotees.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That will be nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Because importing is impossible.

Prabhupāda: No, that is not possible.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Therefore this Māyāpur has great importance because we're making so many devotees.

Prabhupāda: Local.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When these boys grow up a little they can be sent all over India.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Yes. They can be trained up very nice, from the very beginning.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So that should be one of their programs here, saṅkīrtana parties with the young gurukula boys when they get to be twelve, thirteen.

Prabhupāda: Similarly, Vṛndāvana also can be done.

Evening Darsana -- February 24, 1977, Mayapura:

Jayatīrtha: No. We want to build a very nice temple and cultural center in London. The Indian community is very anxious for that actually. They're spread out, the Indians, in Wembley and South Hall and different areas. And they have a few very lousy local temples. But they know that we're the only ones who can build a very nice place, so they're interested in helping us build a very big place as close to the center of London as possible.

Prabhupāda: So you have got any place? No.

Jayatīrtha: Right now we're looking for land, and I brought this Raṇachora... Where's Raṇachora? Anyway, Raṇachora, he's architect and artist. He's going to work, hopefully, with Saurabha. Saurabha is anxious also for helping do some preliminary drawings.

Prabhupāda: No, unless you get land, how you can do?

Jayatīrtha: Well, we thought some things, have some drawings we'd showing...

Prabhupāda: But so far I know, it is very difficult to get vacant land.

Arrival of Devotees -- February 24, 1977, Mayapura:

Rāmeśvara: We had a ceremony for our new warehouse, opening up of the new warehouse, and they published one article in the papers in California. It circulates about almost fifty thousand, this local paper. It says, "Hare Kṛṣṇa publishing office opens. Culver City councilman Paul Jacobs, assisted by Hare Kṛṣṇa leaders, cut the ceremonial ribbon last week at the grand opening of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement's new office building in Culver City Business Park at 8500 Higuera Street. The new 30,000 square foot warehouse and office building will house the organization's publishing arm, the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, parentheses, BBT. BBT prints millions of dollars' worth of books every year and is the world's largest publisher and distributor of books on the culture, religion and philosophy of India."

Prabhupāda: Present this in the court.

Rāmeśvara: "It publishes it in eighteen languages..." But now we see it's twenty-three languages. Made a mistake. "...including Russian. The books are predominantly translations of Indian classics by the movement's founder and director, Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda."

Prabhupāda: But why "director" and not "ācārya"?

Room Conversation -- February 28, 1977, Mayapura:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What would be very nice, I think, is if gradually the local devotees can learn to play these things in Bengali. (kīrtana in background)

Prabhupāda: No. There is another possibility. You can simply play, and by microphone we can explain in Bengali.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Narration. That's best. What would be best, though, is if the local people also learned, so that in every temple there could be this kind of performance.

Prabhupāda: Any local language we can speak. They'll simply show their movement. Speaking somebody, he will show like that. In cinema they do that.

Hari-śauri: Sudāmā's men, they also know how to do that. They also know how to do mime. That Lohitākṣa used to do that.

Prabhupāda: That is the latest art. The same man can play in any country, and it is explained, different languages. How many men, they come?

Hari-śauri: I didn't see.

Room Conversation -- February 28, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: From local village?

Hari-śauri: Yes. It's very nice. Wonderful kīrtana. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...thousand.

Hari-śauri: Yes. It's picking up. It's becoming a little busy. There were one or two big parikrama parties came too. The photo display should be ready tomorrow also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Actually they say it is ready. Will you be looking at it this year?

Prabhupāda: Hm? (break) Pālikā has gone? No?

Hari-śauri: Yes. She left this afternoon.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Rangoon she's going to.

Hari-śauri: She should be back in four days.

Prabhupāda: In Rangoon we have got any place?

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

Pañcadraviḍa: Can I say one thing? I think we should say that to Śrīla Prabhupāda that this resolution regarding the women was also to establish schools for them to protect them from local laws, to establish schools where they can learn domestic arts.

Rāmeśvara: That's true.

Pañcadraviḍa: That was passed.

Satsvarūpa: Resolved: Tuṣṭa Kṛṣṇa's group in New Zealand and Siddha-svarūpānanda Swami in Hawaii should pay the same price for BBT books as the temples in the ISKCON, not less, as they are paying now. It is well known that these groups preach actively against ISKCON. In response, although we should point out their philosophic defects, we should not directly confront them but remain aloof from...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In other words, no fighting with them.

Prabhupāda: This is to give them chance. They are chanting. Some way or other, keep them alive.

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

Satsvarūpa: So today the presidents had their meeting and they went over all our resolutions. This year it went very smoothly. They finished their whole meeting in a couple of hours. The president of the meeting was Girirāja. And they made some amendments to our proposals. I don't think I have to read all of them. Some of them are just minor adjustments. But some of them are... One was... We read the other night that we would not do the Santa Claus dress any more for saṅkīrtana, but they changed that at their meeting. They felt that the publicity was not actually so detrimental around the world, and that the advantage for book distribution and collecting was very great. So they said, "Do it." And then we had our final meeting this afternoon, the GBC, to review their meeting, and we agreed this time with them. But we put an amendment on it that they could dress in Santa Claus or other costumes only after getting permission from the local authorities by permit to do that. So there wouldn't be illegal.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

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

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is all right.

Room Conversation First Day in Juhu Quarters -- March 30, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: It is difficult to make one devotee. That is... Manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). So if two, three men are there, that is sufficient for preaching also. You have to sit down any place and chant, and people will join. Local men. Not permanently, but at least to continue chanting.

Lokanātha: They do it. They are carrying Bengali books. They have pots for cooking prasādam. They have slide show.

Prabhupāda: But our Bhavānanda's preaching in Bengal was very encouraging.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Your preaching in Bengal was very encouraging.

Bhavānanda: My preaching?

Prabhupāda: In Bengali village.

Bhavānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Very encouraging. (end)

Room Conversation with Ratan Singh Rajda M.P. 'Nationalism and Cheating' -- April 15, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Write. What I am saying, write him and give him. This is the most important point.

Mr. Rajda: Are there any local problems still surviving?

Prabhupāda: Our local problem... Now, what about the municipality?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that's there.

Prabhupāda: Write. Why don't you write immediately?

Mr. Rajda: Just give me a note. Wherever I can help, I will definitely do it. There is complaint, if you... First of all, about this visa, which is very difficult to be removed, and now...

Prabhupāda: In a nice paper you note.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, I'm going to type it down, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Do it immediately. In the Bhāgavata it is said that one hasn't got to learn Bhāgavata, but if he simply says, "Yes, it is is very nice," he gets some good result. Similarly, our movement is such that if simply one appreciates, "Yes, it is good..." Your chief minister has accepted, Maharastra chief minister.

Room Conversation Meeting with Dr. Sharma (from Russia) -- April 17, 1977, Bombay:

Guest (2): If we include more Indians or associate for such type of people it will have a greater effect. When those people and the philosophy is Hare Kṛṣṇa, but...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Russia nobody knows that. In Russia, the local people, the people here are not famous in Russia. They are famous here in India.

Guest: As we have been understood, made to understand in Russia, India is represented by three persons: Nehru, Raj Kapoor, and Lata. That is wanted and propagated in all...

Dr. Sharma: But I do not want to bring in Raj Kapoor and Lata Mangeskar seriously acting in regard to Lord Kṛṣṇa. I think these people with the God's face, they could themselves very efficiently do these things, without the interference of these people. I think we have (indistinct) a drama, and educated the common man to understand that God, and at the same time depicting the life history of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Caitanya-līlā can be played very nicely.

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

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

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

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. And this place actually is the place where Govinda (indistinct)... At the time of this Govinda temple it was started from here initially, from this place. And the Govinda temple moved to Imphal later on. But the king started here. This is the beginning of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission to Manipur, started from here, this Vishnupur, and later on moved by the king to the capital. So it is some sort of a historical place...

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: ...where Caitanya Mahāprabhu's...

Prabhupāda: Just... So we are ready.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: And here is also...

Prabhupāda: When we go, we shall struggle all these place...

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: ...train up the local men as managers.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We have a big lake in Manipur. It is very big. And this is the biggest lake in Assam, in Manipur, and since it is surrounded by all hills, so when there is a lake it looks like a bowl, and you can see this lake just from this place. It is very near.

Prabhupāda: Very nice water?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Very beautiful, and there are many plants, the water plants, flowers, lilies and... And there are, surrounding area, a lot of sprouts and many... We have these tamāla trees on the hillside. It is hillside. And these big jackfruits trees, jackfruits, and pippalas, and...

Prabhupāda: Jackfruit is very nice, both unripe and ripened. The...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It is full of jackfruits, this Vishnupur.

Prabhupāda: ...jackfruit is very nutritious, very palatable, both ripe and unripe.

Morning Conversation -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. And that money should be reserved for their world propaganda, scientific. And this gurukula should be by local subscription, in this way. And settle up this by paying them also compensative, and begin immediately. And you acquire those lands immediately. They are ready to give. Take.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yeah, I'll write to those members in Manipur.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That "We want to take it and develop it immediately."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's still many rooms in this two towers which have not yet been sold. So that could also bring in money.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Mr. Thakur is coming today? No.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No. We didn't decide a date.

Prabhupāda: So you can say, "Any day you are welcome." So he talked sense.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Sense?

Prabhupāda: He said very sensible thing, no.

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

Prabhupāda: No, no. They have no eyes to see. Why these people are accepting Gītā? They are not Hindus. They are coming from Christian family, Jewish family, Muhammadan family. They could not present. They had no power to present Bhagavad-gītā as it is. They are simply puffed up. So we have to develop that institution that it is meant for. In South Africa I was in a college for lecturing. There was a Arya-samaj. He says that "You are presenting Gītā. It is for the Hindus." "No, this is for everything, everyone. When Kṛṣṇa says that dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13), does it mean for the Hindus? The Muhammadan kaumāra does not become yuvaka? Or the Muhammadan yuvaka does not become old man? So why do you say like that?" Mūḍhas. Therefore Bhagavad-gītā generally accepts anyone.

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ
prapadyante narādhamāḥ
māyayāpahṛta-jñānā
āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ
(BG 7.15)

We test like that. Anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he is a mūḍha, duṣkṛtina, narādhama. That is our general definition. How we do it? Kṛṣṇa says. That's all. Mūḍhas. So therefore it is required that people should be Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then everything is all right. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavati. Everyone, time will believe. So we can take up, we can immediately begin, but if local people cooperate, then we can do the rest.

Morning Talk -- April 25, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. Actually Paramānanda was telling me that, you know, he's made some very close friends amongst the farming people, not our own people. So every year he goes back to near New Vrindaban, 'cause he made friends with the local people there, and he spends a week with them, and Devakī-nandana also. So he says that now he helps them. Whenever he goes, he helps them with the farming because their sons are all starting to marry the girls from the city, and they're not so much inclined towards the farming work. So the father and mother, even though they're getting older, they have to more and more work because the children are not helping them.

Prabhupāda: The city girl, she does not wish to come.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. It's too... What should I say?

Prabhupāda: They are not faithful wives.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. They want the cinema and all of the other things. They don't want to work hard. Farm life means to work hard. You have to get out and milk the cows, so many things. They don't want to do this. They want to stay at home.

Prabhupāda: Stay home and read fiction and drink.

Morning Talk -- April 25, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: You just appoint one local cook. There are good cooks.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yeah.

Prabhupāda: That ḍāl, ruṭi and purina(?) chutney. If there is no vegetable, you can eat there nicely.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't think there'll be any problem at all for the fooding. Actually it seems to me it'll be a very good arrangement in everywhere. Simple but very nice.

Prabhupāda: If you can eat ḍāl, ruṭi with little Pudina chutney, that is sufficient.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: And at night little milk. Bas, complete food.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Good... He has some... He says they only have pure ghee there.

Prabhupāda: That's it. Very nice.

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

Jayapatākā: Yes, we can give the book Teachings of Lord Caitanya, although the books in Bengali will be more suitable. But some English books will be... We are distributing about ten to fifteen big books a week and several thousand Bengali books. Everywhere we go, they are offering us a temple, but we are waiting to see what happens with the Gauḍīya Maṭha. The local secretary-president of the Gauḍīya Maṭha, they are going to see Govinda Mahārāja June 4th and tell them that they want to give the temple to us, because for forty years they haven't done anything. And then he said that if they refuse, then they'll go back and make a resolution that they should give it to us anyway.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they can give. It is Bangladesh law. It has nothing to do...

Jayapatākā: Also Tīrtha Mahārāja has given him a power of attorney from before. He said Tīrtha Mahārāja had tried to sell the temple several times to other people.

Prabhupāda: That I checked.

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

Jayapatākā: Yeah, there was some sanction given. That government kash(?) land, that land is supposed to be given to us. It has been recommended to be given to us. That order has come to the local land officer.

Prabhupāda: Where it is?

Jayapatākā: It's scattered all around. In that area that we wanted, nine hundred bighās, say about a hundred or about sixty bighās scattered, three bighā, two bighā. It is government kash land, so they recommended giving that to us. But because of the elections, that's not making progress.

Bhavānanda: We're getting lots of lemons.

Prabhupāda: Hm. What you are doing with them?

Bhavānanda: Nimbu pāni, and all the devotees get piece of lemon with their main meal. We have now... Everyone has gathered. All of the preaching parties have come back, and we've... They're all dispersing again on Friday. So when everyone is there, we have close to 275 residents.

Prabhupāda: Everyone is satisfied.

Conversation Pieces -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Local...

Yaśomatīnandana: Local citizens?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Local citizens.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Hindus, I do... The trustees appoint. And when trustees are going to retire, he should nominate his own person.

Jayatīrtha: We've included that in the closure of the will.

Jayapatākā: So the trustees should be managing on behalf of ISKCON.

Prabhupāda: So after making finally, we consult with that Mr. Sharma. He'll make some clarification. Gargamuni knows. He'll make it final.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's a trust lawyer. He specializes in this.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Then make it final. That's all.

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

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

Prabhupāda: No.

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

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

Jayapatākā: You are like the sun, Śrīla Prabhupāda. In front of you the darkness cannot remain. Everything is visible as it is. Your words remove all doubt.

Prabhupāda: Even... He's... Even a simple Vaiṣṇava, he also advocated, "Why you are keeping?"

Jayapatākā: Yeah. Kṛṣṇa dāsa Bābājī.

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

Prabhupāda: That means both of them are being conducted by higher authority. Anyway, if the local men, they pass resolution like that, that is very good.

Jayapatākā: They're thoroughly disgusted. They can see all of these things. When I told them of your losing... They're very determined.

Prabhupāda: If they... And if they call, we shall immediately...

Jayapatākā: The situation there is precarious. There are vast majority of Muhammadans. Constantly the Hindus are being..., not have any chance to worship or to have any strength or spiritual life.

Prabhupāda: There is no philosophy, no science, nothing at the temple. A small Deity, small.

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

Room Conversation -- June 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Bengal, local. Your Guru Mahārāja knew that you would do this, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hm. He foretold.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Time will come he will do."

Prabhupāda: That time I could not understand.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But he knew.

Prabhupāda: And in my horoscope there was written there, "After seventieth year this man will go outside India and establish so many temples."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Really?

Prabhupāda: I could not understand. "What is this, that I have to go outside India? That is not..." And Guru Mahārāja foretold. He told my Godbrothers, Śrīdhara Mahārāja and others, that "He'll do the needful when time comes. Nobody requires to help him." He told in 1935. And after all, this was true(?). Guru Mahārāja told. And in the beginning, first sight, he told, "You have to do this."

Conversation: 'How to Secure Brahmacaris' -- June 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: You bring students from all over the world. But according to our own selection. And if you make an ideal institution here, then the local men also will... The management is difficult. It is not so easy, that simply "I open my office here. I keep my bank here. I get my work." That is not management. Management is little difficult. Everyone is thinking, "Where to keep my leg? Where to keep my leg?" Nobody's thinking how to manage. The same thing, (Bengali). "Warning: Don't keep your head on the northern side." He says, "Oh, where is my head?" So I can give you suggestion. Now you... So Akṣayānanda has gone...

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: The motorcycle has gone to bring the manager.

Prabhupāda: He is coming?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Will the manager come now? What is your guarantee that he'll come now? You should call him.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: We have already called him. (background talking, Tamāla Kṛṣṇa)

Prabhupāda: This is another management: without knowing whether he's coming, motorcycle.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right, sending motorcycle.

Prabhupāda: This is management.

Conversation -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Mr. Myer: And then we must try to follow the local customs here. What happens when people come to the temple, they normally like to offer flowers, special pūjā. And it might mean that we require more pūjārīs, and also we need some more public relations because today there are not many people to conduct these guests around the..., visitors who came to worship.

Prabhupāda: No, they are different men. They are coming from different country.

Mr. Myer: That's true. So it's difficult for them to relieve.

Prabhupāda: And they are...

Mr. Myer: Local people, we have to have local people with more language and...

Prabhupāda: The local people... Some educated people come, they... Then it can be done.

Mr. Myer: 'Cause why...

Prabhupāda: But whatever they're doing, simply by training, that there may be some...

Conversation -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "We are sending our balance sheet for your inspection. Hope this meets you in good health. P.S. Book distribution is increasing two hundred percent this month, as desired." Oh, doubling it. They also wrote him that he has to double the book distribution. He says, "Local people are enthusiastic to distribute Prabhupāda's literature." He sent a very professional balance sheet, chartered accounts.

Prabhupāda: He can... You can see.

Mr. Myer: Yes, very nice.

Prabhupāda: These things you'll have to take.

Mr. Myer: He's not a (indistinct), so a very good manager...

Prabhupāda: He is the proper man.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This man is the biggest businessman in Lautoka, Fiji, and his brother is the mayor. And he became initiated disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda's, and personally he has organized a society there, collected all the funds and built a beautiful temple with Kṛṣṇa-Kāliya Deity.

Mr. Myer: That is where Yaśodā-nandana Mahārāja is going for the opening.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah.

Room Conversations -- July 7, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: The local, mean, senior sannyāsīs can do that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's what we were doing... I mean, formerly we were... The local GBC, sannyāsīs, were chanting on their beads, and they were writing to Your Divine Grace, and you were giving a spiritual name. So should that process be resumed, or should we...? I mean one thing is that it's said that the spiritual master takes on the... You know, he takes on the... He has to cleanse the disciple by... So we don't want that you should have to... Your health is not so good, so that should not be... That's why we've been asking everybody to wait. I just want to know if we should continue to wait some more time.

Prabhupāda: No, the senior sannyāsīs...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So they should continue to...

Prabhupāda: You can give me a list of sannyāsīs. I will mark who will...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay.

Prabhupāda: You can do. Kīrtanānanda can do. And our Satsvarūpa can do. So these three, you can give, begin.

Room Conversation -- July 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Mr. Myer: Hindi is good. Hindi, English. In fact, he's now very obvious data.(?) He's very well connected. He's known to local governor and people each end in Calcutta. In fact, (indistinct) recommended you to start a center there. But only, you see, that so many faiths people start believing in. He has been believing in Sai Baba sometime. So I was not wanting... But he'll change. It's just a matter of time.

Prabhupāda: The Sai Baba has been challenged in so many ways.

Mr. Myer: I went one day. I was sitting. I watched him, and he said "Come with me," and... It was a while back. So like that, he's... But then when I told him about ISKCON he's definitely interested to know all about that. Because my eldest brother, he became a member first in Māyāpur about four or five years ago.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda said Sai Baba has been exposed in so many ways now.

Mr. Myer: Yes. Biggest problem with him is, see, that he has some sort of a charm over people. Mainly people who go to him, they want some miracles. People who want some...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation about Grhasthas -- July 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In India.

Prabhupāda: In India. No, world. It is a very important city. Export, import, local. Tremendous business possibility there. Many poor men goes and becomes very rich men. Bombay is very important center. You have to get a place by giving bribe, fifty thousand, sixty thousand, to stay there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They call that huṇḍi.

Prabhupāda: Not huṇḍi.

Bhakti-caru: Pagri.(?)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Pagri, I mean.

Prabhupāda: Pagri, yes. To get a place there... Bombay is so important that if you want to get a place you have to pay no less, fifty thousand, lakh of rupees to stand. Then do business. Very important. Anything you do, you must have land first of all to stand. Otherwise what you'll do? To stand in Bombay you have to pay lakh of... Don't you see—we drive away the tenants—how much we recompense. We pay compensation.

Room Conversation -- July 19, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I wasn't with you then.

Prabhupāda: And we reached Los Angeles, local time, about four o'clock.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You gain time. You gain a lot of time.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That means Paris to London took about five minutes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: New York to Paris?

Prabhupāda: No. Paris to... Because we started at twelve local time. And we reached Los Angeles...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: At four or five.

Prabhupāda: Four. The same thing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just like you go from India to New York, you leave India at, say, one or two in the morning, three o'clock in the morning, Delhi, and you reach New York three o'clock in the afternoon same day. Twelve hours. Actually you've been traveling twenty hours or more, but it's twelve hours only on the clock. It's a very nice experience. You feel like you've put something over on the material energy. It feels like you've gained something, gained time.

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

Prabhupāda: I have given so much for... Try to repay.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda wants you to engage the local people in farming that land. Can you do that?

Yaśomatīnandana: Well, we are doing it as...

Prabhupāda: Gradually.

Yaśomatīnandana: Gradually.

Prabhupāda: Gradually.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who's doing the cultivating now?

Yaśomatīnandana: We are doing it, and we are hiring it. Because if we just give them away, they will spoil it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, you can't do that.

Prabhupāda: No.

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

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.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Only thing is if we put some electricity there. But after this year's crop they're going to do it, because...

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.

Meeting With Governor of Tamil Nadu -- July 31, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One local kavirāja, Ayurvedic doctor.

Governor: I see. I invite you warmly to come to Madras. Stay at Raj Bhavan. And we have the best medical team of Madras government at your disposal. We have got the best doctors in whole South Asia. The physicians are the best government doctors. All two, three doctors, are at the top. People come from Malaysia.

Prabhupāda: Medical men.

Governor: Medical men. Our government hospital. Best people in the government hospital. Best physicians. Very good physicians.

Prabhupāda: Thank you very much. But I am not very inclined for medical treatment, their injection, operation. (laughs)

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

Prabhupāda: So maintain the branch by local devotee.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "Shree Lanka is definitely a first-class field for preaching, and we are being accepted by Sindhis, Gujaratis, Tamils, and Singhalese, Christians and Buddhists alike. All kinds of people are becoming attracted to the movement. It is very encouraging. Only the government policies are a nuisance. We now have twenty-five life members." Why can't he just go out and get a visa and go back in there? Just like we go out and come right back, why can't he come to..., get a visa and then go right back in?

Gargamuni: He can do it in two days.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: If he can do that, is that best?

Prabhupāda: That would be very nice. Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay. Because if he leaves now, whatever he's done will be lost. Those new men are not ready yet to do on their own.

Prabhupāda: He can come and go.

Room Conversation -- October 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Because they see that you're not that well, and they also know that you're so merciful. And you're also a local Brajabāsī in a way. Therefore they're always against any of us taking any participation. It's the funniest thing. I explained something to Girirāja. He's been dealing with so many legal things for so long that he's become like a lawyer, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Central Bank is very straightforward.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Um hm. Very good and straightforward.

Hari-śauri: These people here, because they're small-time and because you're such a good customer that they're scared that their reputation with the bigger bank will become spoiled if you take money out and don't deposit, they're very keen... It's a false prestige thing for themselves to try to keep your money in their bank. There's so much personal motivation there, and they're making us their servant.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This one Dr. Sharma wanted to open a Gurukula account. So they told him, "You have no authority whatsoever. Bhagatji has no authority, Akṣayānanda has no authority, Gopāla... Only Prabhupāda has authority." The funny thing about this, Śrīla Prabhupāda, is that according to our memorandum, they're not correct. Actually, according to the memorandum, two members of the Bureau can pass a resolution to open an account. But the most amazing thing is they don't accept the Bureau. They accept something called the Governing Body, which legally in India doesn't have any weight. And when I tried to explain to them that there's a memorandum and there's a Bureau, they said, "We don't accept it. Everything is Prabhupāda, and he's the chairman of the Governing Body." When I told this to Girirāja, Girirāja just laughed and said that...

Prabhupāda: If Girirāja can deal with these men, then let him do it immediately.

Room Conversation -- October 4, 1977, Vrndavana:

Girirāja: Because they will want our business, they'll be willing to go out of the way to satisfy us. And these local people, they say that if their higher authorities approve of these things, then they will be very happy to help us.

Prabhupāda: Make it clear. Organize gradually. Shift the money to other banks so they may not know. And that is the best policy.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's the best policy, Prabhupāda said.

Prabhupāda: No, immediately there is no more fixed deposit?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not immediately. Now the next ones will be in 1979 and 1981.

Prabhupāda: What is the advice?

Girirāja: Should we read it?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Girirāja: They just confirmed that they transferred the two amounts, and they gave the date, and they gave that it's transferred to the Central Bank in Bombay and the account number.

Room Conversation -- October 4, 1977, Vrndavana:

Haṁsadūta: Yes. It's now going to be composed. It will take a little time because outside of Ceylon no one speaks Singhalese, so we have to work with the local printers to get it composed.

Prabhupāda: Āp. Yes. (Hindi)

Bhagatji: (Hindi conversation)

Bali-mardana: Yes, the GBC men are coming.

Bhagatji: That place, I'm talking about that place, whether we should take it or not. Prabhupāda said...

Bali-mardana: I think Prabhupāda's... The GBC are coming here, so let them consider. Make a presentation. Gopāla is coming in a day or two. By tomorrow he should be coming. Because Prabhupāda, now it's too much for him to think about it now. Scratch with your nails.

Haṁsadūta: Prabhupāda, you've become so thin. You've become so thin. You have to become better.

Bhagatji: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) (pause) (break)

Room Conversation -- October 9, 1977, Vrndavana:

Girirāja: The local people? Well, they have not agreed. That's why we felt that we have to meet the chairman. Legally we have every right to transfer the fixed deposit wherever we like, and if the former chairman is with us, then they can't give any false excuses because he knows all the rules. Actually we're not asking for anything special. Otherwise we're... Probably the local people will try to avoid giving it up. But this is our right, and the chairman has to uphold our right as customers of the bank.

Prabhupāda: What is their plea here?

Girirāja: Local people? Well, they will say that there's no reason to transfer the fixed deposits.

Prabhupāda: We have reason.

Girirāja: Yes, we have reason. That is our choice. And the manager in Delhi already said that for our foreign remittances it would be much easier to bring it in Delhi.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 9, 1977, Vrndavana:

Rāmeśvara: It is very difficult to publish any books in Iran, but the princess is personally giving our first book to the Minister of Information and ordering him to give us permission to print. It's a Muslim country, so it's very difficult. But the royal family is ordering the ministry that censors all publications. They are ordering them to let us have permission to start publishing your books in the local language, Persian, or Parsi.

Prabhupāda: So they are going to do that?

Rāmeśvara: She is personally going to the minister and ordering him, "Now you give permission that this book be printed." Whatever... It is a monarchy. Whatever they want, it is arranged. So in this way they are helping us. She also came to Los Angeles temple for a visit and saw the doll museum. She liked that very, very much. She was very, very astonished at how devotional.

Prabhupāda: (aside:) Why not scratch hard?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Why not scratch with nail?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Whole area.

Room Conversation -- October 9, 1977, Vrndavana:

Rāmeśvara: Yes. It's only about five minutes from the Senate and the main Parliament buildings. Also the biggest museums are very nearby. Very good location. And one man has also joined, a local man who is very intelligent. And he has begun translating Bhagavad-gītā into Parsi. And in three months' time his translation of the entire Bhagavad-gītā will be completed.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Did he come recently to India with Ātreya Ṛṣi?

Rāmeśvara: That's a different man.

Prabhupāda: It will be locally published.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Locally published.

Rāmeśvara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Do like that. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi-grāma (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126).

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You are doing that, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: You are helping that.

Room Conversation -- October 10, 1977, Vrndavana:

Rāmeśvara: One local man that joined us, very intelligent man.

Prabhupāda: So they are looking after a bigger place?

Brahmānanda: They're looking after a bigger place?

Rāmeśvara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Very warm nowadays?

Rāmeśvara: During the day it is just like here-80, 85 degrees. In the early morning and in the evening sometimes a little chilly.

Prabhupāda: At night snowfall?

Room Conversation -- October 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Girirāja: I had a very wonderful meeting with the chairman of the bank. And he's ready to do anything to satisfy us and keep our business. So he said that he was going to get rid of the man who is on this counter, Mr. Gupta, and give us some more young, dynamic, cooperative person to be in charge over here. And we completed the formalities for transferring the fixed deposits to the main branch, and he assured me that it was a completely routine transaction and that if the local people tried to do anything to stop it, that he would himself personally see that it went through smoothly. So I gave them the certificates. It was not necessary to sign them. We just gave the certificates, and they gave us a receipt. And they're going to endorse the certificates. So they are payable from New Delhi instead of from Vṛndāvana, and then we can go and collect them. And the chairman also called the assistant general manager. He was also very nice and very sympathetic. So he's going to come on Saturday, and he's going to look into everything, all the difficulties here. And I said that he could bring his family and they could take prasādam. So they're all going to be coming on Saturday at about eleven o'clock. I had submitted a letter with eleven things that we wanted. You know, we want the hours to be regular, we wanted a new person here, we wanted our interest on time—just a list of different things. And he said that there's no problem, and they're just ready to do whatever we want. They gave the impression that they would dismiss any number of people here that were giving us trouble. But I said that I thought that the main person was this Mr. Gupta, and so they said they would replace him. It was very good. But still, even if there are improvements here, I think it's better to keep the fixed deposits in New Delhi.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Room Conversation -- October 12, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: Now there's eighty boys in the Gurukula, and they're all very bright-faced, chant very nicely. In the other temple that Lokanātha Swami had begun in Orissa, Bhadrak, there they also had a nice program during Janmāṣṭamī and Vyāsa-pūjā. I visited there. There it's in a small town, and it's about two hundred feet from the side of a small river. All the local people there are very favorable and very cooperative. So they help in all the functions.

Prabhupāda: Where is that place?

Jayapatākā: That's in Balasore district. It's about thirty miles south of Balasore. It's a three-hour bus ride from Bhuvaneśvara north. There's a Gaura-Gopāla Mandir there that was being managed by a disciple of Parvat Mahārāja, a disciple of Parvat Mahārāja. Lokanātha Swami had written to you that they wanted to donate the temple plus twenty-four bighās of land, and you had replied back that he should accept it. So he left three men there from his party and they registered the land in your name, including the mandira. At that place Lord Caitanya had visited on occasion, going back and forth between Bengal...

Prabhupāda: Baribhada? That place is called Baribhada?

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?

Room Conversation -- October 12, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: At first some of the devotees were disturbed, but after the Balarāma Appearance and Jhulan Pūrṇimā procession, that gave everyone new encouragement, because they saw how much the local people were appreciative of your work, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Everything will be settled up. Don't be disheartened. So when you left Māyāpur, things were in order? Hm?

Jayapatākā: When I left Māyāpur, everything was in order. Nitāicānd and Sarva-bhāvana Prabhu, as well as Pañca-ratna, are there. Actually one of our workers, he is filing his own case against thirteen Māyāpur villagers, because they had attacked him while he was riding on his bicycle. So that was the only disturbance that had happened in the past month. But he's doing a case against them, and the police said that they would prosecute against them for what they did. So because the people are of such a bad nature, they are continually making such mistakes. This is even getting the authorities against them.

Prabhupāda: Yes, they are guṇḍās. (laughter)

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Hari-śauri: This is Gaura-Nitāi here, and Kṛṣṇa-Kāliya is here at the front. This man here is that Bhaskaranya Swami, the local man. He came and chanted during the abhiṣeka. He stayed up until two in the morning with us, and he began chanting japa after that.

Rāmeśvara: This was the procession on the opening day. We marched the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deities all over the neighborhood, through the center of the town, and hundreds of people followed. There was a shenai band.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There is Vāsudeva. Rāmeśvara.

Rāmeśvara: This the was agni-hotra ceremony on the day the temple opened.

Hari-śauri: Just after this, there was a huge rainstorm. Very successful.

Rāmeśvara: And this is the altar, with Kṛṣṇa-Kāliya and the Nāga-patnīs.

Hari-śauri: Should Kṛṣṇa be dressed very, very opulently like this, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So, things are being arranged very nice?

Bhavānanda: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Everything is being arranged now. The district magistrate and local officials have all been invited personally this morning, and the guesthouse is being completely cleaned up and made nice. Prasādam is being arranged. Conference room is being decorated. The dining hall for their prasādam is all being arranged also.

Prabhupāda: At the present moment our ordinary prasādam is very much liked by...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: No, he approved. He was saying, "It is very nice." And our members also say. Tamāla Kṛṣṇa?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: You also said.

Room Conversation With Svarupa Damodara -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So Gupta is being transferred.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Gupta will no longer be in charge of this local office here. He's the person who has... Frankly speaking, Girirāja found him to be the one who is most harassing. They purposely have not brought him here this evening, I think. He's not here this evening. The chief man from Delhi could understand that this Mr. Gupta was creating a lot of difficulties.

Prabhupāda: And Dugal is here.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Dugal is here. So we're explaining to him everything, what we want, and they're agreeing to everything.

Prabhupāda: What Gupta said?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He doesn't say anything anymore, because he has been exposed as having harassed us and unnecessarily not giving the proper facilities. He cannot say anything. Dugal says that "Whatever I am told to do by the head office, I must do."

Prabhupāda: So, he is the head office man?

Room Conversation -- October 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) Jīvo vā māro vā. Because we are going to accept eternity, so appearance and disappearance of this body is no a very important thing. Nitya-līlā, eternal life—that is our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So, as early as possible. Take as far as possible our men. We can keep some assistant, local brāhmaṇa. If we keep one or two South Indian brāhmaṇas, they may take it that we are doing with cooperation. One or two can be kept.

Hari-śauri: Just one or two.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: South Indian brāhmaṇas.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Or local brāhmaṇas.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Local brāhmaṇas might be a lot easier. Once you get these South Indian brāhmaṇas, then they say there has to be twelve, fourteen, fifteen. But local brāhmaṇas, one or two would come. Probably there are some devotee brāhmaṇas that we can find.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Room Conversation -- October 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: You can get local brāhmaṇa to assist us. Perform the yajña little gorgeously, that's all. If you can distribute to the local brāhmaṇas, important, some (indistinct) silk cloth, and grains, and..., they will come. And let them cook themselves and take prasādam and do that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Hari-śauri: I think the local brāhmaṇas will be very pleased to be connected with the opening of such a big temple.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's better. Better to involve the local people. South Indian people will come, take money, and go back to South. No use.

Prabhupāda: Local brāhmaṇa will be... Where is Bhavānanda?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bhavānanda? He's in... They'll check. Want to call Bhavānanda? He's with Dr. Ghosh.

Bhavānanda: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: So, what doctor says?

Room Conversation -- October 18, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: In India things are very unstable. Government changes and everything is in the air for some time. The local people of Panihati were very eager to have it developed, so it should not be difficult. They have repeatedly requested you... When there is public desire.

Prabhupāda: But unless we get authority...

Jayapatākā: We'll get the clear title. Otherwise we won't do anything.

Prabhupāda: We have to invent some word for... Act very cautiously. Who are present here now?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Girirāja dāsa, Jayapatākā Swami, Bhavānanda Goswami, Hari-śauri Prabhu, Bhagavān Prabhu and myself. We are all sitting around you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So, if you want, you can give me little fruit juice. Will that satisfy you? Hm? I have taken that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Complan.

Prabhupāda: No. If I take a little fruit juice.

Room Conversation -- October 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Mr. Asnani executed a power of attorney to Girirāja and myself for signing on your behalf. But our specimen signatures have to be notarized. So that, Girirāja is getting done by the same notary who notarized the power of attorney. Then Girirāja is sending me that document. Soon as he gets to Bombay, he'll have it done on Monday. Then he's sending it to me. Then I'll have the copy of the power of attorney plus the copy of the notarized signatures, and these two together I'll send with a letter to the bank to send the certificates here. When the certificates come here, then I'll present them to the local bank to make collection from the post office.

Guest (1): Yes, that is the...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's the system. It's going to take a little time. It will be matured. It may take a week or so more because we have to send from Bombay and then to Calcutta, then it has to come back here. Even if it takes an extra week, there's no great harm, I think. We'll try to have it done by the date, but I think it may take a few extra days.

Guest (1): No, even it takes more time, they will give you the tax for tax deduction.(?) (indistinct)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You can explain to Prabhupāda that the system we are doing is the correct system.

Guest (1): Because we cannot sign now.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No. But you should explain to him that you agree.

Prabhupāda: I can sign, but it will not be...

Room Conversation -- October 24, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Then we go direct from Dum Dum to Māyāpur. We don't even have to go into Calcutta. Is that all right? So do you agree, Śrīla Prabhupāda, with the idea then, that the sooner we transfer there, the better, to Māyāpur? As far as the kavirāja goes, let us see if we get a local man from Calcutta, failing which, Smara-hari plus one other devotee will go to Śrī Raṅgam, and from a very reliable kavirāja, in their presence, they will have it made. Smara-hari, you see, is from Gurukṛpā and Yaśodā-nandana's party, so he has got experience sitting and watching people making the silver onto the throne. He knows how to sit and watch not to get cheated.

Prabhupāda: No, the thing is the man who would prepare, he must be experienced. That is wanted. And sincere. Then it will work, either you prepare there or here. When our men...? (devotees talk among themselves softly about who should go to Śrī Raṅgam)

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Room Conversation -- October 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's saying we should also go to Rādhā-Dāmodara. Bhavānanda was saying we should start from there. As you started from there, so the parikrama start from there. First we will do parikrama of the Vṛndāvana area, local area. One day we can go... We can parikrama. It will take about three hours, the whole Vṛndāvana, you know, the local Vṛndāvana area?

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Then, another day, we can go to some of the temples and see the Deities by parikrama. And then, when we've done that successfully and you're feeling fit from it, we will attempt the mahā-parikrama. Is that a good program?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...plastic mṛdaṅga?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Plastic mṛdaṅga. Should we get some? He saw one in London. Do you want us to have plastic mṛdaṅgas for the parikrama?

Prabhupāda: No, just a sample.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

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

Guest (2): Jaya.

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

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

Prabhupāda: Yes, we have got enough place.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Some people were thinking that Vṛndāvana is not a good place for building that hall, but...

Prabhupāda: No, there is no immediate necessity. We have got already nice building.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Local kavirāja also said it will be very strong now.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: You can consult a local kavirāja? (break)

Prabhupāda: ...unless one is local.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, that means Vanamali. First of all let us see this man, if he can come or what he says. Otherwise we may call Vanamali.

Prabhupāda: And stick to him. Huh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, we should stick to somebody. We have to have a little faith in somebody. Accepting and rejecting is not so good. To reject so many different times. Vanamali won't do any harm. Whether how much good, that's another matter. He's not bad.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Sincere also.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Girirāja: Yes, it is hopeful. Then he has one local boy who has joined, Nepali, and he's a very nice boy. I mean, there's so much field for preaching. There's the royal family, then there's membership for the business community, and there's saṅkīrtana and book distribution for the general people, and then also there are many hippies there. So we could recruit devotees from amongst them.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The hippies seem to be still our best customers, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The hippies seem to be still very good customers. (Prabhupāda laughs)

Girirāja: That's because Prabhupāda's patita-pāvana. And the temple atmosphere is nice. It's mainly saṅkīrtana. There are no women there, so very good atmosphere. They have a nice program. They have a love feast program, and many people are coming. I think they can have two or three hundred people coming very soon. And the people are very simple and good natured. Everywhere we went, people would chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They recognized the devotees?

Room Conversation -- November 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Bhagatji: It contains many colleges outside Agra also. Just in Aligarh, in Mathurā, all are affiliated to Agra University. All other universities in UP are local universities, just like Allahabad, Benares, Lucknow.

Prabhupāda: This, our Bon Mahārāja's, that is also...

Bhagatji: Affiliated to Agra University, this quarter, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Some people came here to the temple from Manipur today, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Did you preach to them, Svarūpa Dāmodara?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. They are very impressed. They said they'll come many. They told me they're going to come in many numbers.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What about that temple in Manipur?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I was thinking that we can start...

Prabhupāda: Receive them nicely. The Manipuri is devotee. Receive them nicely.

Room Conversation -- November 7, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: In Malda district at Rāmakeli, where Lord Caitanya first met with Rūpa and Sanātana, there is a temple of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa that... Rūpa and Sanātana Gosvāmī used to worship those Deities. Bhaktisiddhānta Ṭhākura Prabhupāda has put a lotus feet of Mahāprabhu there. So we have gone there on two occasions for preaching, and they..., some local people came and said they would like us to take some..., to either take over management or somehow be connected with that because they felt that it required preaching there. They're very favorable at that place.

Prabhupāda: Purchase it.

Jayapatākā: When you say Gauḍa-maṇḍala-bhūmi, that means any of the līlā places of Lord Caitanya.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Not just Navadvīpa.

Prabhupāda: No. No, in Bengal.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What about in Jagannātha Purī?

Prabhupāda: That is another. That is Orissa.

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh. (pause) Most places you beg from the local place and subsist, otherwise purchase.

Jayapatāka: You are very famous, Śrīla Prabhupāda, wherever you go there will be crowds of people to have your darśana.

Prabhupāda: So they will see me, I have no objection. I want little milk from them, that's all. (pause) So far my presence is required (for) management, I think I have bequeathed, properly you can manage. Hm. It is to be admitted failure, the so-called medical treatment, failure. (pause)

Jayapatāka: I'll be back to say that you defy all medical laws. Sometimes you become very weak and sometimes you become immediately strong. (pause)

Girirāja: I think this is a good idea.

Prabhupāda: Who is this?

Page Title:Local (Conversations 1977)
Compiler:Mayapur, RupaManjari
Created:10 of Oct, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=82, Let=0
No. of Quotes:82