Prabhupāda: Actually, in the beginning, for increasing the sale, Tamāla Kṛṣṇa gave the impetus. He was selling best in San Francisco. Then went from . . . What is that? We were printing in the beginning? What is that press called?
Rāmeśvara: ISKCON Press?
Prabhupāda: No, no. I purchased some hand press?
Rāmeśvara: Letterpress?
Prabhupāda: So that, it has got special name. I forget now. I purchased two presses, $150.
Hari-śauri: Mimeograph.
Prabhupāda: Mimeograph. Ha, ha, ha. So we were selling about five hundred copies, and gradually . . . But still, Tamāla Kṛṣṇa was selling almost major portion. Then I asked Brahmānanda that "Why not print?" So he took quotation from different printers, and Dai Nippon, we gave them, printing, this Teachings of Lord Caitanya. So he took quotation, ten cent per copy. But they want twenty thousand. So we were selling about one thousand, and it is a question of twenty thousand. So I consulted Tamāla in San Francisco. So he gave me some encourage. I asked Brahmānanda, "Yes, print twenty thousand." So (chuckles) from five hundred to twenty thousand—great jump. Somehow or other, it began like that. Now what we are printing per month?
Rāmeśvara: What? Hardbound books?
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 cāpāṭis we can get anywhere.
Rāmeśvara: We wrote in the newsletter to the Society that even though our movement is being attacked in 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.
Rāmeśvara: We gave this proof, another proof that our movement is transcendental to all material obstacles and impediments, that this year there was, in America, 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. Bās. 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.
Rāmeśvara: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Thank you. Work very hard for Kṛṣṇa, one life.
Rāmeśvara: You may like to see these, so I can leave them here?
Prabhupāda: I have heard it. Śruta. It is śuśruma.
Rāmeśvara: When these come out, I frame them on my wall.
Prabhupāda: Our method is iti śuśruma: "I have heard it." That's all.