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President (Conversations 1977)

Expressions researched:
"presidency" |"president" |"president's" |"presidential" |"presidents" |"presidentship"

Notes from the compiler:

  • VedaBase query: president or presidency or presidential or presidents or president's or presidentship not "temple president" not "president of the temple" not "temple presidents"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: And where is that boy gone that was in Hong Kong?

Trivikrama: He went to New York.

Prabhupāda: He is a Chinese man.

Trivikrama: He went also. Well, the president was Sevānanda, an American boy, his wife... It's a difficult part of the world, Prabhupāda. No one likes it.

Prabhupāda: Hong Kong.

Trivikrama: People don't take. Even in Taiwan, now we are Republic of China, but we had a nice center, but people just aren't interested very much.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: You got a copy, eh, Easy Journey to Other Planets?

Prabhupāda: It is very attractive.

Letter to Russian -- January 5, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: ...cannot kill them, repress any more. That is not possible. The other blacks will join.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: And it appears that even President Carter of America is more soft on the blacks now. He is more sympathetic. So if they get American support...

Prabhupāda: Nowadays you cannot be a suppressor of any particular foreigner. That is not possible.

Jagadīśa: Except the religious community.

Evening Darsana -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Jagadīśa: (reading letter) "Enclosed please find a clipping showing a press interview with California Governor Jerry Brown, who is a potential presidential candidate in the next election, asking the Hare Kṛṣṇa followers to help humanize conditions in the state mental institutes. He recognized that what is needed is for religious leaders to come in and to give these patients new life. And he recognized us as religious leaders. This is a great credit for us, and we immediately called the five biggest state institutes and got permission to visit their patients. We sent fifty devotees with gift-wrapped 'Krishnas' presents of prasāda, Bhagavad-gītās and Kṛṣṇa books, calendars, records, and so on. And all of the doctors were so appreciative that they invited us back to show movies, put on plays, and continue helping their patients."

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Aiye.

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: If Nixon is a Jew?

Dr. Patel: No, no. He's a Christian. No Jew can be, serve as the president of that country. Not only Jew but not only Catholic.

Trivikrama: Well, some Catholics. Kennedy was...

Dr. Patel: Only Kennedy was the first Catholic to be. Otherwise till Kennedy came, there was no Catholic ever elected. (break) Methodist. Even in material world, he was a fool the way he carried out... (laughing) But sir, one thing: about the freedom of America. I have my hat off that that man could be knocked off by ordinary paper reporter. That would not happen in any other country.

Room Conversation -- January 7, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: A friend of mine was telling together in the high school, and he married when he was a boy of eleven years a girl of nine. And he was sleeping when he was...

Prabhupāda: Even Dr. Rajendraprasad, he was married at eight years.

Dr. Patel: Eight years. Rajendraprasad, first president of India.

Prabhupāda: And the marriage party was waiting, and he was sleeping, and when the opportune moment came, "Get up! Get up! Now you have to sit down in the..."

Dr. Patel: I think Nehru married at the age of eighteen years.

Prabhupāda: He was up-to-date, English-returned. He was Gandhi's student.

Dr. Patel: These boys make love and marry. And we marry and make love. (laughs) This is the background of Indian womanhood, this religion. That keeps up the sacredness of the Hindu marriage.

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And they are democratic. It can pull down even a President like Nixon. So if they like, if the majority becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, they can make Kṛṣṇa conscious government. There is no, I mean to say, wonder in it. So anyway, because these youngsters in the Western countries, both in Europe and America, are taking... And the recent telegram we have received... Just see how many books we have sold. (aside:) Make it little less.

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

Hari-śauri: Yes, what you said this afternoon... Actually, I found out, one of the arguments that they're using... These deprogrammers, they're very clever. They've done a lot of research, because they're using that statement of Dr. Radhakrishnan's in the Bhagavad-gītā, where he says that man-manā bhava mad-bhakto, "Kṛṣṇa does not mean think of Him," they're using that against us to say that "This man Radhakrishnan was the president of India, and he says that the Bhagavad-gītā is not meant for thinking of Kṛṣṇa."

Prabhupāda: Just see how much great harm he has done.

Morning Walk -- January 9, 1977, Bombay:

Rāmeśvara: On one radio show they quoted from this Dr. Radhakrishnan that when you read Bhagavad-gītā you should not think that Kṛṣṇa is God. So then they say, "So even in India they reject this Hare Kṛṣṇa movement." They say "Look, this is the president of India. He is saying do not take Kṛṣṇa as God."

Prabhupāda: So even in your own country, the priest talks crazily. We should reply that. Why do you go to India? In your country, your countrymen take it.

Rāmeśvara: Jesus was crucified in his own country.

Dr. Patel: By his own men.

Prabhupāda: There is a Bengali proverb (Bengali). In a village, if a saintly person comes from outside, he is invited. And if a saintly person there is in the village, nobody cares for him.

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

Prabhupāda: Then I accept you. Then you accept Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa, or this Veda.(?) Then I accept you. So there is no fight. You accept Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa. We accept. That's all.

Hari-śauri: Another one was that even the president of India, Dr. Radhakrishnan, he commented in the Bhagavad-gītā that you should not worship Kṛṣṇa, that the Bhagavad-gītā is not for worshiping Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: That is..., that rascal, Radhakrishnan says. Vyāsadeva does not say. Arjuna does not say.

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

Hari-śauri: But he was the president of India.

Prabhupāda: President was therefore kicked out. māyā has kicked out on his face. (laughter) Who cares for Radhakrishnan? In India, who cares for Radhakrishnan? They worship Kṛṣṇa. So therefore they have urinated on the face of Radhakrishnan. Say like that, (laughter) that "Indian people have passed urine on his head, and they are worshiping Kṛṣṇa. This is Radhakrishnan." Tell him like that. "Who cares for Radhakrishnan?" Do you mean to say they have stopped worshiping Kṛṣṇa in so many millions of temples? That is the proof: they have passed urine on the face of Radhakrishnan. Is that all right?

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

Prabhupāda: We must. "No, you have taken Dr. Radhakrishnan authority. Has he commented on Bible? Why not? That is not even worth commenting on." You have to attack like that.

Hari-śauri: If President Nixon had written a commentary on the Bible, no one in America would accept it. Then why should they accept Radhakrishnan's?

Prabhupāda: No, Radhakrishnan may say so, but who has accepted? You are, because you are a fool. Same argument, that people have passed urine on his face, and they are worshiping. They have not stopped Kṛṣṇa worshiping because Radhakrishnan has said, restriction. (?) Who cares for him? Vṛndāvana, there are five thousand temples. Every day thousands of people are coming. We have started Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma temple very recently, and thousands of men are coming. Who cares for Radhakrishnan?

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: Yes. The parents cheated again. They said, "Just see, blackmail."

Hari-śauri: That's how that charge came up.

Rāmeśvara: Yes. They lie and say, "This president, he said, 'If you do not give us this money, we will let your son die.' "

Prabhupāda: In a different way.

Rāmeśvara: Yes.

Gargamuni: He didn't write it, did he?

Rāmeśvara: No, it was on the telephone. But he has been charged by a Grand Jury of attempted extortion.

Room Conversation -- January 19, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: He! One man. If you argue in that way, many people, then there will be no answer. You should know the etiquette. How can I answer so many person at a time? So this infinite is explained, infiniteness. Kṛṣṇa says, māyā tatam idaṁ sarvam: "I am infinitely everywhere." māyā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtina (BG 9.4). Just like here in this room, do you think there is no government in this room? Do you think there is no government within this room?

Guest (1): Yes, I think there is some government.

Prabhupāda: There is. But that... It is not... There is no representative of government, but still, we are under the government. This is avyakta. The government is there, but it doesn't mean that the prime minister or the president is there. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa is everywhere, but He says, māyā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagat... (end)

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Faith you must have. Because you have no faith in authority, therefore you are dull.

Rāmeśvara: Because all their authorities have cheated them. The President has cheated them, the bankers have cheated them...

Prabhupāda: But they are not authorities. Authorities mean those who are in the paramparā system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2).

Rāmeśvara: Of course, in America they have no experience with saintly men. There has never been a saintly man in the history of America. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Gargamuni: They don't know the meaning of saintliness.

Room Conversation -- January 21, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Rāmeśvara: But they're making propaganda against this Transcendental Meditation also. The biggest Christian preacher in America—his name is Billy Graham—he is a good friend of former president Nixon and very wealthy. And he has stated publicly that this Transcendental Meditation... (break)

Prabhupāda: ...sees practically.

Gargamuni: These people, though, who follow these processes, they don't dedicate their lives. They follow it for two years, then they get married and they forget the whole thing. While they're students...

Prabhupāda: It is a hobby.

Room Conversation -- January 24, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: American government can finance to any point. The present president is religious temperament, so why not arrange a meeting with him?

Gargamuni: Yes.

Hari-śauri: And his wife is very inclined towards India.

Prabhupāda: His wife.

Hari-śauri: Yes. She worked here for several years.

Prabhupāda: No, no, his mother.

Hari-śauri: I think it was his wife.

Evening Conversation -- January 25, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: So who is going to do that? All these... All rogues and thieves, drunkards and fourth-class character, meat-eaters, they are the government. How you can expect good government for the benefit of the people? This is Kali-yuga. Unfortunately we have on the heads of government all men of the low-grade character. You... Your President?

Satsvarūpa: New President?

Prabhupāda: No, that Kennedy.

Satsvarūpa: Kennedy.

Prabhupāda: He was always associating with naked woman.

Evening Conversation -- January 25, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: Just see. And he is the President.

Satsvarūpa: Now Gargamuni says a new book has come out about Gandhi, telling things about Gandhi that are shocking.

Prabhupāda: Gandhi was actually very sexually inclined. In his autobiography he was written that when his father was dying, he was having sex with his wife. After finishing sex with his wife, then he came to see his dead father. He has admitted. And his association with his granddaughters, granddaughter-in-law, that is also this... A new book has come out?

Room Conversation -- January 26, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: So therefore these four animals have been mentioned: śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ (SB 2.3.19). And he is, this class of men, selecting a leader by vote, democracy. So this class man intelligence, just see. And what class of man he will select? And how we desire to be happy by such elected men who is elected by these dog, hog, camel and asses? Are there any intelligent? And you expect good government, peaceful state and... And the śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ. Therefore the others, they went to see the lion. So dog, hog, camel, ass will... "Oh, he's a lion." But what is a lion? It is also an animal, big animal. That's all. Similarly, the so-called president and leader and Gandhi, they are also another animal, big animal.

Room Conversation with Two Indian Guests -- January 27, 1977, Jagannatha Puri:

Prabhupāda: Yes. No. They knew that "We are not going. So long the nonviolence is there, we are safe." They were occasionally calling Gandhi and patting him: "Sir, why you are doing this? Let us compromise," because he knew that "So long nonviolence will continue, we are safe." But Subash Bose's protest was that "If you don't take to violence, then these people are never going." That was the difference of opinion between Subash Bose and... So when he was taking the Congress in hand, Gandhi became so angry that Subash Bose, being elected President, Gandhi did not attend the Congress. So other workers, he requested Subash Bose that "You resign. Otherwise Gandhi will not."(?) So he resigned. He done right. And then he thought that "Unless I go out of India, I cannot do anything."

Morning Walk -- January 29, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Which way? Which way? This way?

Satsvarūpa: In the Vedic culture, are people allowed to follow any other belief? In a society where there is Kṛṣṇa conscious king or president, say someone doesn't want to be a devotee. What happens to him?

Prabhupāda: Devotee... Unless one is devotee, he cannot become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Imaṁ rājarṣayo... Means at king, the same time...

Satsvarūpa: No. The king, if the king is a devotee, but one of the subjects says, "I still don't believe in Kṛṣṇa, but I want to live here also."

Morning Walk -- January 31, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: "Gow, gow, gow, gow." (makes growling sounds) So what is that reception, dog's reception? Similarly, these intelligent men are intelligent amongst a class of men who are compared with dogs, hogs, camel and ass. They are not human being. If some man praises them that "You are so big. You are so big leader," he's also amongst this group. Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ. This is grave thing. Let understand it, that anyone who is godless, who has no idea what is God, he is a rascal. Immediately take him that he's a rascal. He may be prime minister, he may be president, he may be scientist, but we shall take him as rascal number one. This is our first understanding. Bokā. My Guru Mahārāja used to say, bokā. So at that time I was thinking, "Everyone is bokā?" (laughing) Guru Mahārāja says, "Everyone..." "Even Rabindranath Tagore, he is also bokā?" Later on I could under..., "Yes. Everyone is bokā."

Morning Walk -- February 2, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Bhagavad-gītā is not meant for the loafer class. It is meant for the rājarṣi. Unless the kings and big, big stalwart leaders understand this science, how they will lead? Because these leaders, they do not understand Bhagavad-gītā, they make their own plan. Therefore so much catastrophe, chaotic condition. It is meant for the rājarṣi. Big, big government officer, big, big kings, presidents, ministers. They should understand it. And government is making law, "No Bhagavad-gītā in the school, college," because they do not know the value. (break) ...Kali-yuga. "Kali-yuga, thank you very much." Dhanya kali-yuga teri līlā. (break) Thank you.

Room Conversation -- February 4, 1977, Calcutta:

Prabhupāda: No these things should be protested. They must publish. Answer.

Satsvarūpa: They had a nice statement in here by the president of Boston temple, Aja, Aja dāsa.

Prabhupāda: But the name Kṛṣṇa is there.

Satsvarūpa: Oh yes, everywhere. Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: (chuckling) That is our advertisement. What is the heading?

Satsvarūpa: "The Hare Kṛṣṇa Puzzle."

Room Conversation Varnasrama System Must Be Introduced -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Less intelligent. Yānti deva-vratā devān (BG 9.25). You will remain within this material world. That is Mother's kingdom. This external world is controlled by the Mother Durgā. She's in charge of this material world. So if you become a perfect devotee of Mother, you get all good chances in this material world but not eternal life. Within this material world wherever you go everything is limited, either you become Indra or Brahmā, or ant. Just like President Nixon, so long he was President he was doing everything as he liked, and now he's an ordinary man, (indistinct). This is Mother's kingdom. Is that Mr. Nixon the same Nixon when he was President? But same Nixon is he, but the atmosphere and the circumstance is the same? Does he not realize it? "How I was enjoying as President and what is my position. Everyone kicks on my face." Is that very good position?

Room Conversation -- February 14, 1977, Mayapura:

Satsvarūpa: "Indian Brain Research Association, Department of Biochemistry, University of Calcutta. Gentlemen: The Hare Kṛṣṇa kīrtana mantra used in meditation or chanting of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa has been practiced not only by the Vaiṣṇavas of India, but by most of the Hindus as a regular religious and social practice in Hindu families. Millions of Hindus practice with sublime devotion the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. We are not aware of any case where such practice has resulted in any detrimental effect to the health or mind of anyone. We can submit that the worshiping of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, as being practiced in West Bengal, India, does not differ from that of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra chanting of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. And as such, either of them cannot do any harm to the devotee or to the observer. Further we can add that the rhythmic dance and musical (Bengali:) svara in Hare Kṛṣṇa kīrtana mantra may have profound beneficial effect on a distorted human mind. These practices do not have any relation with brainwashing, although the word seems to carry no scientific meaning at all. Statement by Professor Ajit K. Mytee. Yours faithfully, J.J. Ghosh, President on behalf of the Indian Brain Research Association."

Prabhupāda: It is good certificate. And University of Calcutta. So you publish this.

Satsvarūpa: Śrīla Prabhupāda sent letters to Rāmeśvara and Ādi-keśava to put it in the newspaper.

Evening Darsana -- February 15, 1977, Mayapura:

Brahmānanda: With loudspeakers and... We were very ambitious. So the people, they'd never seen anything like this, and so they accepted it. But then after a while, they resented. If you become too much... Actually, the governments feel very threatened. That was one of the reasons why you were not permitted to land in Kenya, because it was so much advertised, they put banners across the main avenue and radio, TV announcement, posters. They saw this as a..., something that will eclipse their government, their own president. You were more famous. (Prabhupāda laughs) Therefore they tried to say, "No, I am more famous." So therefore they didn't want you to come.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So it's better in some cases to be a little cautious, low key. Better to go slowly sometimes than very...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Not become aggressive.

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

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

Prabhupāda: Where is New Varṣāṇā?

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

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "You have blasphemed our society and our president all over the papers." Oh, our movement has suffered. We can claim damages for sure. A perfect example, we had a man working for us in charge of our boiler room. So as soon as this case came out, he quit the job. He had been working in the building for thirty-four years. He quit the job because he did not want to be associated with our society due to the bad publicity. So in this way so many people, we can argue, have stopped coming to our temple. So many things we have suffered. Lawsuit.

Prabhupāda: Same position.

Evening Darsana -- February 19, 1977, Mayapura:

Satsvarūpa: A number of clippings. This is a headline, that a new president, Carter, pardons draft evaders.

Prabhupāda: Huh? Carter?

Satsvarūpa: Previously there were so many young men in America who evaded the draft during the Vietnam war, and the government was looking for them. But now the new President is saying, "Let us forget the past. I forgive all these draft evaders. Let them come out and be good citizens."

Acyutānanda: Because if they have another war, nobody will go and fight that war again. They will all leave America. So they want America to be very good now, so that everyone will love America and come back. Because if there's another war nobody will join the army. They'll just leave.

Prabhupāda: So why there is war? They cannot stop war?

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

Prabhupāda: No, the dignitaries, you said?

Gargamuni: Oh, yes, the general manager of Air India... In fact, the head of all the pilots of India himself landed the plane. He's the president of the whole pilots, eldestmost pilot.

Prabhupāda: Who is...?

Gargamuni: He said, "I must do this."

Prabhupāda: What is his name?

Gargamuni: I don't know his name.

Rāmeśvara: Hṛdayānanda and Pañcadraviḍa Swamis were preaching to this pilot for several hours. They went up to his cabin.

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

Rāmeśvara: This is very timely, because the President's mother, of United States, just came to India, and it's all over the American press how she was in the Peace Corps. So this book, the copy on the back cover, "A search for meaning carries a young American Peace Corps worker to ancient city in West Bengal..." There he meets you and finds out everything he ever wanted to know. It's very timely.

Gargamuni: Why don't you put the Jimmy Carter quote on it too?

Rādhā-vallabha: This is Satsvarūpa's book.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Buses arrived?

Evening Darsana -- February 25, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Yes, Sydney Deity.

Bali-mardana: This is... Balarāma here is the president of Melbourne, and he is also pūjārī.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma.

Bali-mardana: Balarāma dāsa.

Prabhupāda: This is Gaura-Nitāi.

Bali-mardana: Yeah. The standard is very high, I think.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Very nice. Thank you very much.

Conversation with Italian Woman with Translator -- February 28, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Jaya. Let her read our Italian Bhagavad-gītā, and wherever there is difficulty, she can ask me. Yes. You show her our Italian... She has seen? Italian? That will help her.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Pāñcajanya is the president of our Italian temple.

Prabhupāda: That will help her.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So she has any question she can write to Prabhupāda.

Translator: I told her she must read and study Bhagavad-gītā.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Study. And so long she is here, she can meet me and ask question.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- February 28, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: ...the varṇāśrama established, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra-division, scientific division of the society. Ideal state. Just like the legislative assembly. They should be composed of men with complete brahminical culture. And the ministers, president, they should be kṣatriya, and the productive, vaiśyas, and balance śūdra, worker. Unless an ideal class of men is on the top of the state to give advice—just like Britishers, they assemble Parliament—there cannot be any improvement to the human society. All nonsense and rascals, simply by votes go to be member of the Parliament. They assemble. What they know? What they'll do? The whole world is mismanaged because there is no brahminical culture.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- February 28, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: The state must be in favor of brahminical culture and cow protection. Then everything will be all right. So Manipur is small state. If they agree, the leaders of the... It is not politics. It is betterment of the situation. And without brahminical culture, all these third-class, fourth-class, loafer class, simply by votes hooks and crooks and becomes president, Nixon and so on. Where is the betterment? It will never be.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All bluffing.

Prabhupāda: All. So Manipur is a small state. If it is possible... Hm?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So I should ask some of them to...

Room Conversation -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:

Gargamuni: We have a letter from Jimmy Carter, of the President who received Bhagavad-gītā. So the people are very enthused to see that the President is reading Bhagavad-gītā. So we have sold many Bhagavad-gītās at the stall.

Prabhupāda: So your GBC meeting?

Hṛdayānanda: They're going quickly.

Prabhupāda: You were not present?

Gargamuni: No. I just came now.

Prabhupāda: When it is going to be held again?

Room Conversation 'GBC Resolutions' -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:

Satsvarūpa: So this is the election of the officers: Kīrtanānanda Swami, chairman; Jayatīrtha, vice chairman; Satsvarūpa, secretary.

Prabhupāda: Kīrtanānanda, president, er, chairman. Eh?

Satsvarūpa: Chairman. Jayatīrtha, vice chairman. Satsvarūpa, secretary. And then, in that regard, we passed a resolution that the position of chairman can only be held one year consecutively, every year changed, whereas vice president, secretary, may be held three years consecutively.

Prabhupāda: Why? That should be also one year.

Satsvarūpa: Also one year.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation 'GBC Resolutions' -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: "Send back" means where?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, that means that today, tomorrow and the next day, the GBC will meet. Then the following morning, the morning of the fourth, the presidents will meet and they will give any changes to the GBC, and on the afternoon of the fourth the GBC will consider all changes.

Prabhupāda: Decide. Decide.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And that will be the end of the meeting.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Then, if the GBC does not decide by the decision of the presidents' meeting, then I shall decide?

Room Conversation 'GBC Resolutions' -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:

Satsvarūpa: We also resolved what Tamāla Kṛṣṇa just said, our schedule. So that we don't meet overlong, we resolved that we should finish our meetings by the third of March. President's meeting on the morning of the fourth. The GBC final meeting on the afternoon of the fourth. Then other meetings scheduled were that in the evening of the fourth there should be a meeting of all the sannyāsīs, including, of course, the GBC sannyāsīs.

Prabhupāda: No, no, what is the resolution of the sannyāsī meeting?

Satsvarūpa: Well, the purpose would be that everyone actually take out an assignment that he will take for the year, not that independently a sannyāsī...

Room Conversation 'GBC Resolutions' -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:

Satsvarūpa: India was broadly divided, the same as it is now, of Gopāla Kṛṣṇa to do the north and west, Gargamuni Mahārāja to do the east-Calcutta, Māyāpur. And in that connection we resolved that Śatadhanya Mahārāja should take responsibility for being president of Calcutta and Panihati.

Prabhupāda: Why two?

Gargamuni: Panihati is very near to...

Prabhupāda: No, no, Panihati he can take, but why Calcutta?

Gargamuni: Because for maintenance sake, Panihati and Calcutta is the same place for collecting funds.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Room Conversation 'GBC Resolutions' -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: No, no, and our Abhirāma is doing in Calcutta.

Gargamuni: Well, actually he doesn't stay in Calcutta, and the...

Rāmeśvara: We were informed that he does not want to remain as president.

Prabhupāda: So that will be decided in the president's meeting?

Rāmeśvara: Better make a note, Satsvarūpa.

Hṛdayānanda: It was stated that most of the time he is not in Calcutta, and that the main purpose of Calcutta is to make life members, but this year he has not made a single life member.

Room Conversation 'GBC Resolutions' -- March 1, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Haṁsadūta: They all want to go, his men. And the temple is very badly in debt, and it has not had a proper president for a very long time.

Prabhupāda: This cannot be.

Hṛdayānanda: It was suggested that he can preach in the area.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Or collect.

Rāmeśvara: Anyway, for this reason...

Prabhupāda: No why don't you call him to study the whole situation?

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

Jayatīrtha: It was published in practically every newspaper in the world, a picture of Santa Claus being arrested by a policeman in America. We got a lot of questions. Also the President of the United States questioned one boy in a Santa Claus outfit.

Rāmeśvara: We felt that it would not seriously decrease the book distribution if we stopped this.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Then it is all right.

Rāmeśvara: That's the real thing. That's the key factor.

Prabhupāda: All right.

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

Prabhupāda: Very good.

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.

Room Conversation -- March 26, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: When you have to go?

Akṣayānanda: The boys can leave at 6:15.

Karttikeya Mahadevia: We have enough time one hour. And K. K. Dattrey and I are working together in one association for the psychic surgery. He is the president, I am the vice-president, so I know him very well, personally.

Prabhupāda: Cardiologist.

Karttikeya Mahadevia: Cardiologist. He was cardiologist to the president also. He is very well known. And he is utilizing yoga for reducing the blood pressure in the heart, āsana and all those things. He is very much interested in yogic philosophy also. Yoga, haṭha-yoga.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: God conscious? Is he God conscious?

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Where is it?

Guru dāsa: It is in Mount Abu. So they referred it to me. I went with the president of Delhi and I saw the house. And...

Prabhupāda: Mount Abu between Jaipur and Delhi?

Guru dāsa: Between Jaipur and Ahmedabad.

Prabhupāda: Ahmedabad. Yes, yes.

Guru dāsa: It is a very high hill station, very clean air. And the house is sixty-three rooms. It's a mansion. And one hundred acres.

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

Room Conversation -- April 2, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, Ādi-keśava Mahārāja has at least a couple hundred letters from people in groups in India, from Vṛndāvana, all over the country. I think I could send him a copy of this article and he could send a thank—you letter along with this article to each of them, thanking them for their help. They appreciate it, coming from America, that the president of the New York center himself wrote them.

Gargamuni: I just returned from Calcutta, and they are expecting you to arrive tomorrow morning by plane.

Prabhupāda: Where?

Gargamuni: In Calcutta.

Prabhupāda: Why?

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (reading:) "Why she was silent." This is from the Readers View column. "In the farewell talk she gave to the outgoing Communist Party members of Parliament, Mrs. Indira Gandhi is reported to have told them that she was to blame for the rout, but she does not mention what is common talk among people everywhere, and especially among the village folk: her connivance at the build-up of her son Sanjay Gandhi as the probable future prime minister of India. Mrs. Indira Gandhi's refusal throughout the last two years to face the facts about her son's inordinate ambitions has shocked most of her admirers. Could she not see that this get-rich-quick son of a mother who swore by Garibihato, as the person running the maruti,(?) was playing ducks and drakes with money taken in advance from motor agents for a people's car which has still to come on the road? Was she unaware that he was put next to the late president of India on the flagship of the Indian navy at the naval parade, though he has no position in the government of our country? And is it possible that she did not know of his interference from her own house in the exercise of executive authority in many matters of appointments? Did she not see newspaper reports of vast gatherings often paid for and brought to the pandals by her chief ministers to provide an audience and popular build-up for the Raj Kumar, as he came to be called? Those of us who knew her father are sanguined that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru could never have allowed himself to entertain a dynastic order."

Prabhupāda: He wanted.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: (reading) "When Mrs. Gandhi was elected president of the Congress we recall that her father first disapproved of the proposal made by S. K. Patila at a Bombay meeting. She also knows that she was elected to the high office of Prime Minister and not imposed from the top, as Sanjay Gandhi was sought to be imposed by the gestures eloquent enough for all the sundry to understand. We hope that she will accept her Himalayan blunders in the spirit of Gandhiji and she might persuade herself to retire to Vinod Bhave's āśrama and brood long enough to (indistinct) prior power to be (indistinct) to everybody."

Prabhupāda: (break) ...now by Kṛṣṇa's mercy only she is finished. Yes. Wonderfully finished. Without Kṛṣṇa's hand, it was impossible. We never expected. Samūla-chāṅṭā.(?) There is one word, samūla-chāṅṭā. Just like you cut one tree, this is one, but the root remains there: again the tree. Samūla-chāṅṭā means to get out the root, pluck out the tree with the root and throw it. So this woman has been done like that.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Anyone that is in power too long... There's a saying, "Power corrupts." Anyone who becomes too long in power becomes corrupted. That's why change is required. In America they have mandatory that the president can only hold for two terms position. Then he cannot again run.

Prabhupāda: Now so many charges are coming against her. (pause) Hm? She and her son are the destiny of India? A woman and a debauch? They can do whatever they like. It's a farce condition. That so-called democracy is nonsense demoncracy. And by this demoncracy, it can be done. A demon may be, if he can simply secure votes. What is the position? Without any training Formerly the destiny was by rājarṣi. Royal power, but ṛṣi, saintly person.

Morning Conversation -- April 11, 1977, Bombay:

Bhakti-caru: (break) "And is it possible that she did not know of his interference from her own house in exercise of executive authority in many matters appointments? Did she not see newspaper reports of vast gatherings often paid for and brought to her family by her chief minister to provide an audience and popular build-up for the Raj Kumar, as he came to be called. Those of us who knew her father are sanguined at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru could never have allowed himself to entertain a dynastic order. When Mrs. Gandhi was elected president of the Congress, we recall that her father first disapproved of the proposal made by S. K. Patila at a Bombay meeting." (break)

Prabhupāda: ...is to bring her in limelight again, Indira.

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

Prabhupāda: That is another thing, but they are cheating. That is a fact. How we have learnt it, that is another thing. But you are cheating. That's fact.

Devotee (4): Just like this President Carter, though, he's supposed to be a religious man and bringing so-called honesty into government, compared to the others.

Prabhupāda: That, everyone says.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And this, these space flight cheatings, this is for the purpose of giving a few men more tax money or fame. That's another reason for cheating, to get fame.

Conversation with Yadubara (after seeing film) -- April 17, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And then by flit(?) he will be killed. "No, no, sir, I am your countryman, I am countryman. I belong to the same nation." "Who cares for you, flies, cockroaches? Kill them. American flies, who cares for you?" "I was a staunch nationalist. Now I have become fly. Don't kill me." "Who cares for you?" Will they excuse American flies, American cockroaches? But dehāntara-prāpti. That you cannot avoid. Then where is your nationalism? Nation means one who has taken birth in that land. The cockroach, the flies, the animals, they also born in that land, but who cares for them? Dehāntara-prāpti. So you are great nationalist. But the body is changed. How can you save yourself, not become a cockroach? Because the body is changing. That is in other's hand, Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). By superior supervision. It is not your choice. Here is dehāntara-prāpti. "Make me president body." "No, no, that is not your choice. You have to accept what I will give you.

Morning Talk -- April 18, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: But if he's not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he may rise up to that position by endeavor. Then he will fall down. And I have given this example, Nixon and Indira Gandhi. This is factual. To come to take the post of prime minister, to become the president, is not easy job. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa, great hardship. Similarly, the Māyāvādīs, they also undergo severe austerities to become one with the Supreme, impersonalists. Any... I have given the... Karmī, jñānī, yogi, politicians, and everyone—everyone has got some aim. Many rich men, they commit suicide. So this is possi... This is the ultimate result of nondevotee. He may rise up by endeavor to certain position as he imagined, "This is the best position." Just like we are also trying to occupy the best position, to become associate of Kṛṣṇa, to live with devotees. We have got also some aim, and the nondevotees, they have also got aim. But the devotees will never fall down, while the nondevotee will fall down.

Conversations -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It says, "The birthplace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the district Nadia, prepared under the direction of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda and by his disciples, His Holiness Surabhīr Abhipālayantam Swami, ISKCON Māyāpur Project architect and director of construction; His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami, ISKCON Māyāpur project president and Governing Body Commissioner; Śrī Patita Pāvana dāsa Brahmacārī, Bhakti Śāstrī, ISKCON Māyāpur; and the editors of Back to Godhead magazine, ISKCON Press, Los Angeles, California."

Prabhupāda: Perfect article.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Patita Pāvana..." And it says also, "...the editors of Back to Godhead magazine, ISKCON Press, Los Angeles, California."

Surabhīr Abhipālayantam: (indistinct)

Room Conversation -- April 19, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Again election, as if election will change their quality. They remain... Let them remain as rascal, and simply by election, in place of one rascal, another rascal will improve it. This is the... Let them remain rascal, but get vote. So that is... That is described in Bhāgavatam, śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19). The population is śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra, and they are giving vote—another big paśu. That's all. This is going on. This is democracy. The voters are paśu, and he is selecting another big paśu. This is going on. The rascals, they do not know, "If instead of a tiger, we select one lion, then what is the difference? Simply name. The tiger was president. Now the lion is the president." And both of them—animals. Where is the man, human being? This is going on. And because they are paśu, śva-viḍ-varāha, they are happy: "Now there is lion. Now the tiger is driven away.

Conversation with Patita-pavana -- April 20, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: If they understand.

Patita-pāvana: Yes. Both have received President's Award.

Prabhupāda: Yes. One who can understand that description in the Fifth Canto rightly, it is... There is no question of whether he's spiritually advanced or not. It is simply academic qualification.

Patita-pāvana: Yes, that is there.

Prabhupāda: Yes. It has nothing to do with spiritual understanding.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So why not let them come here now immediately.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

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

Mr. Dwivedi: I am leaving on the 25th night. Then, on... I am reaching there 26th night. On the 27th I have to attend the marriage of my younger brother's son. That will take about two days, to 27th and 28th. And then, then, till about the 3rd I am busy in the sense that our president of Abhesivasana(?), he expired recently. So he left two sons. They... They just need my little guidances in such matters, the young boys. Not young. Pretty old, but yet, because they, being the sons of a yajnirdatta(?), did not much look up to the work, now suddenly the responsibility has fallen over their heads. So... But after the 3rd or 4th, I am free.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's good, gives a little time for preparing.

Mr. Dwivedi: The weather at our headquarters is always pleasant. Summer, very pleasant. You'll gain in weight.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Morning Conversation -- April 23, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Killing affair should not be regarded, criminal affair.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No.

Prabhupāda: They can kill even the president. Because they are meat-eaters, there is no mercy. What is mercy, they do not know. Vinā paśu-ghnāt. Paśu-ghna. Mercilessly they kill animals, and they become accustomed to merciless...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: That is Muhammadans' theory. They can do merciless thing.

Second Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 24, 1977, Bombay:

Mr. Dwivedi: And he's his brother-in-law. I came with one request and also a suggestion, if that is appeal-able to Your Holiness. When I had been there in the night at home I has pondered a little, and I thought I am on very good terms with Mr. Jetthi, easily approachable for me. Even in spite of the ministerial crisis on the 22nd, he met me. On the 2lst evening I went to Vṛndāvana. So I saw the, our Mr. President, Akṣaya Mahārāja. He wanted me to stay. I said, "No, I am going away. I'm going with Mr. Jetthi for tomorrow." And I think if he is just a little free from government engagements, he would like to preside or inaugurate this function, and I would call it the inauguration of the Krishna Consciousness Society branch in the state of Madhya Pradesh and at this place. And therefore, as soon as I'll get permission from Your Holiness, I shall try to contact him tonight on telephone.

Prabhupāda: It is... I think it is a good proposal. If President comes, it must be very successful. It is very good chance.

Mr. Dwivedi: So if I have your permission, I'll do this.

Second Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 24, 1977, Bombay:

Mr. Dwivedi: Failing that... If, somehow or other, he's not free... Because time is short, and if Jetthi says yes, then I have to go to the Chief Minister, because on previous occasion I told him I wanted him on a particular function. He said, "You do this. Then get this straight. Otherwise the president of our league(?) becomes expensive, so the expenditure will go over the head of the state." He showed me the way. So then immediately after, he said, "Yes." Then I, right from Delhi itself, I made a telephone call to the Chief Minister, and I said, "Such and such appealing, Mr. Jetthi is going, and I want to be present in the matter, and I request you also that you please participate."

Prabhupāda: Now the Chief Minister...

Second Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 24, 1977, Bombay:

Mr. Dwivedi: I think... Today, 29th... 24th, 25th, 26th... On 30th.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So how can we book our tickets? Supposing Mr. Jetthi says that "I'll come on the 12th..." We don't know. He's the President of India. Supposing his calendar is only available that he can come by the 12th?

Prabhupāda: No, you can conveniently book. We shall wait.

Kārttikeya: No, it is easily bookable, this... For this purpose you go to the Mr...., Central Manager. I know the man.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So my only point is, should we book any specific date until it from, here from Mr....?

Second Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 24, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: So I'll sit down. That is all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Okay.

Prabhupāda: So the most important thing is, if the President is coming, it will be very good starting.

Mr. Dwivedi: I can say I'm not conversant with your physical condition. That's my misfortune. Personally, though, I am very young before you, though I am running sixty-eight. I don't find any difficulty. I go anyway, standing, sitting, and I...

Prabhupāda: No, you are quite healthy.

Second Meeting with Mr. Dwivedi -- April 24, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Then how he manufactured this nonsense word? It is insulting. If I say, "Foolish Jetthi, President, rascal," so is it not insult? Similarly, if you say, daridra-nārāyaṇa, it is insult to Nārāyaṇa. But people are accepting daridra-nārāyaṇa. Just see how they are misled.

Indian man: They have not even proper knowledge, sir.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Indian man: They have not even proper knowledge.

Prabhupāda: No knowledge. All rascals.

Morning Talk -- April 25, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: And if the President comes, it will be very, very nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, that'll give good establishment of our program.

Prabhupāda: I can at least present. So, so many people are suffering for want of good leader throughout the whole world. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ (SB 7.5.31). They are in ignorance, and some rascals are leading them.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think it would make...

Prabhupāda: And spoiling the chance of human life. Nature's law will go on. If somebody becomes next life a dog... There is possibility. These political leaders are like that. They are not trained up. Just like these dogs at night, they are very busy. Nobody has appointed them.

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...

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

Prabhupāda: Do this seriously.

Jayapatākā: Because the secretary and the president of Gauḍīya Maṭha, Dacca, are coming June 4th to Calcutta, so it's better that I'm here to meet them to make sure that the... Because that's the best place that we've seen in whole Bangladesh. We've been offered places in Comilla, Chittagong, in Barisal. Everywhere we've been offered places, but that seems to be the best place. That's also Bhaktisiddhānta's place.

Prabhupāda: So why don't you see the donor of that place? I gave the address.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: To Prabhaviṣṇu.

Srila Prabhupada Vigil -- May 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) You just receive him very well.

Guest (2): Bombay temple ke... Girirāja.

Prabhupāda: He is the president.

Guest (3): (to Girirāja:) I am coming on llth June, so some day by will of the Supreme, I will be there.

Girirāja: You can stay with us if you like.

Guest (3): ...program I will come. (pause)

Prabhupāda: He is useless, tell(?).

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

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Jayapatākā: You told me.

Prabhupāda: And these ācārya and president, they are less than paid servant. They are afraid of.

Jayapatākā: Yeah, Tīrtha's brother and some...

Prabhupāda: That "Some way or other, we're keeping some position." And if Samvit kicked him out, then where is his position? That is another problem. This Rādhā-Govinda Mahārāja, what he can do if he's driven away? In this age he cannot have his own institution.

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

Prabhupāda: And in this age where he'll go? They are... "These politicians, these old men, they cannot do now. So give them some false position, that 'You are president, ācārya.' They will not rebel at least." And as soon as they do something against them, "We shall drive away: 'No, you cannot be president. Another president.' " That's all. They had no love for him, neither he has any love for them. It is simply official. This Samvit dāsa one, Samvit, also not very intelligent. Tīrtha Mahārāja's son, he wants to keep the property in his name and utilize it for his personal... That way... Preaching and preaching and..., they don't care for. And you said that there is some, still some strength amongst themselves.

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

Prabhupāda: No, he can, but he has no such plan. If he imposes his power as president, he can do that. But he's afraid. He cannot make any disciples... That is...

Jayapatākā: Saman Mahārāja. As ācārya, I think he makes disciple. He cannot any administrative... Administrative is Govinda Mahārāja. Something like that.

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...

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This boy is very nice. He graduated top honors from Princeton, president of his class.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He was the president of his class at Princeton University. When he graduated, he was top man in the school. In the Ivy League that school is as good as Harvard. He's an extraordinarily intelligent... I stayed with him for some time. He sleeps three or four hours, maximum, a day. He eats practically nothing. Very austere. Very, very austere. And humble, very humble. Very saintly person. But when he sells your books, he becomes completely different then. It's like Tripurāri. When Tripurāri is... Normally in the temple he's very humble, quiet. But when he's out there selling... He has a new system now. When he was here he told me. He goes to these spiritual fairs, where there's many thousands of people come to learn about spiritual subjects.

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

Prabhupāda: Hm!

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He also included a letter... You know the former president was Mr. Ford. So he got a letter from Mr. Ford. It says, "Dear Mr. Jacupko"—that's his karmī name—"I wish to thank you for sending me a copy of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. You were most kind to think of me, and I am deeply grateful for your friendship. With appreciation and best wishes, sincerely, Gerald R. Ford." It's got the US eagle on the letterhead.

Prabhupāda: You can use this letter.

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

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, he says that "I heard..." This is from ex-president Ford. There was some discussion that perhaps he would be a candidate in the 1980 Presidential election here. Anyway, he's an important man. Then he lists some of the people who have gotten your Bhagavad-gītā as well as other small book in Russian or other languages or prasādam. "Mr. Igor Orligalik, Deputy Director (gives list of many Eastern Bloc professors and directors) You see, he keeps a file on all these people, so if ever we go to these countries, we know which people got our books, and these are all highly placed people, very prominent people. Good work. One of these lunches is very expensive-$7.50 per person. (reads:) "Los Angeles World Affairs Council cordially invites you to attend a special luncheon discussion meeting with the USSR-USA Society Delegation to the Soviet Union." This is one such invitation that's put out by these people. Every one of these people who spoke there, all these delegates, he gave them Bhagavad-gītās, the Russian Easy Journey and a calendar. (break) (kīrtana)

Prabhupāda: ...slaughter, bigger slaughter. This is my practical experience. Father hates. (break) We saw lots of people.

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

Prabhupāda: So do they accept?

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

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

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

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

Conversation with Surendra Kumar and O.B.L. Kapoor -- June 26, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: He was a principal somewhere?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This boy was the top of his class in Yale University. He's the president of the class, top man in the entire graduating class. (continues reading letter describing preaching activities and book distribution in Communist Yugoslavia) Sometimes my life is being threatened or sought after by the authorities. Still..."

Prabhupāda: It is very dangerous work.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "Still Lord Caitanya always gives me protection..." (continues reading letter)

Surendra Kumar: Wonderful.

Conversation with Bhakti-caitanya Swami-New GBC -- June 30, 1977, Vrindaban:

Trivikrama: The one thing in my mind is that... I've been in Delhi a little while. I see that such a good pla... We could. Seems like if he was there also, somehow if we had... If we had Delhi as well as the whole... And you say Punjab. If that also included Delhi, I think we could manage, because the boy who's a president, he's a neophyte devotee, and aside from that, there's so many big men who've been our members for years. They want to help, but no one is cultivating them. Caitya-guru, er, Bhakti-caitanya and myself, we went to see a man yesterday, and they were so respectful. They've seen our movement in the foreign countries, and they've been our member five or six years, but no one is there who is capable of drawing them. So he was also... Because he knows the language and he... It was my feeling is... Because Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, he's always in Bombay, he doesn't... Not always, but he couldn't take as much interest in the Delhi affairs.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, there's a couple of points. I discussed this with them. One thing is that your idea was that Trivikrama Mahārāja should go with Bhakti-caitanya to Punjab. So bringing up Delhi now doesn't solve anything, 'cause Trivikrama is already in Delhi. Whether Bhakti-caitanya Mahārāja is eventually in charge of Delhi or Gopāla Kṛṣṇa is in charge of Delhi, in any case the real point is that Prabhupāda advised that he wanted you to go to Chandigarh 'cause that's where we want to develop.

Prabhupāda: So if you cannot combinedly manage the Delhi...

Room Conversation -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Then do it like that. That is guḍākeśa. This practice you'll never be able to.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually I wanted to do this when we were in Bombay. I was going to write all of the presidents. At that time you advised me that we should wait until something, you know...

Prabhupāda: It is very important to select the names. He is doing alone. "He told me."

Conversation -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Whatever may be...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Mr. Myer was saying that he..., that Akṣayānanda Mahārāja can remain as the president, and he can do preaching work. They need a good preacher here. And let him do all the management.

Prabhupāda: That will be done.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Let Akṣayānanda concentrate on preaching to the people who come here, making members, you know, classes...

Mr. Myer: Yeah, at the moment the quality of our programs is very poor.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So let him...

Room Conversation with Devotees -- July 1, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Anyway...

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: As soon as he came in the door, I said, "Where is this coming from?" He said, "It's coming from Ramesh." I said, "That's all right, but where did Ramesh get it from?" He said, "I don't know." He's the vice president.

Prabhupāda: All right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I have tried. I can go myself to Seth.

Prabhupāda: So you should know that here are so many rascals. When you say something to one rascal, just inject him that "We... I want this. Have you understood? Because you are a rascal." Otherwise you won't get.

Room Conversation with Mr. Myer -- July 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Can be saved. So why not let him do and let us see practically? If some money is saved, it is very... So you remain as president. How he manages, how he saves, you see. What do you think?

Akṣayānanda: Yes. First-class.

Prabhupāda: So is that all right?

Mr. Myer: Really, the fact is that the excess of expenditure is only (indistinct) thousand. So what... There are two positions we have to take. One is to increase the revenue, and one is also to curb our expenditure. These are two ways.

Prabhupāda: What is that? Come here.

Room Conversation with Mr. Myer -- July 2, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Let him do. We are prepared to cooperate with him. We can give him good advice. We are not going to become prime minister. We have no such policy. Neither president. We kick all these. We have no time even. Even they offer, we'll not take. We are not interested in this. But for the welfare of the whole human society we can give them good advice if you like. That is our duty. Actually the legislative assembly should be filled up with men like us, Parliament, to give advice. But all loafer class, bhangis, cāmāras, they are filling up.

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

Prabhupāda: In New York. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Paramānanda's the president of the farm, and he's the sannyāsī there. And he's also in charge of the Rādhā-Dāmodara office. While Tripurāri Mahārāja travels in the field, he heads up the office. And the office is in a city right near the farm. So he goes half the week to the farm, half the week to the office to manage. Remember I mentioned, Dhṛṣṭadyumna's brother is an architect. So they're planning the farm for building it. It's called a model community. They're going to make it New Varṣāṇā Model Community. Everything will be planned out ahead of time—where the cows will be living—from the point of Vedic conception. It won't be hodgepodge.

Room Conversation -- July 17, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Indira Gandhi, finished. President Nixon, finished. They do not see, these big, big stalwart men of the world. They can be finished in one second. Prahlāda Mahārāja said that "I have seen my father, such a powerful man, finished. What benediction I shall ask, this material world? Don't allure me. Better engage me as the servant of Your servant." Anything, any opulence. Now nobody utters the name of Indira Gandhi. Every... Every day the people or newspaper filled up with Indira Gandhi. That the Russian minister, Krushchev? Nobody knows where he is.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's unknown now.

Prabhupāda: They said he is living privately.

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

Prabhupāda: No.

Gaurasundara: Ratha-yātrā. Yes. In Honolulu. This is near the ocean.

Prabhupāda: President, what is the name?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Er, Śrutakīrti.

Prabhupāda: He is doing nice? He has...

Gaurasundara: Some business.

Prabhupāda: Only one car?

Gaurasundara: Yes, yes.

Prabhupāda: So you also joined?

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

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Empty promises. It says (reading from an article by Dr. Kovoor, president of the Shree Lanka branch of the Rationalist Society), "Even babies are born with a set of genetically determined behavior patterns known as instincts, but with no knowledge. Knowledge has to be put into the brain of a child through the five senses. If a child is born bereft of the five senses, it will grow like a vegetable, without a mind."

Prabhupāda: So why a child is bereft of senses and why the others not? Who controls it?

Room Conversation -- October 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: I'll sit down. (now?)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You'll sit up? (break) Should I read it, Śrīla Prabhupāda? "The battle royale over the existence of God as creator of life pursued relentlessly by the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement and debunked with equal disbelief to match by the president of the Rationalist Association has fizzled out. Dr. Abraham Kovoor's long-standing challenge, backed with an offer of Rs. 100,000, to anyone who could provide proof of the divine creation of life was taken up by Haṁsadūta Swami of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. The Swami increased the offer made by Dr. Kovoor to one million rupees in foreign exchange if he could produce life—a mosquito or a mouse—from inert chemicals to prove his contention that life originated from chance biochemical combinations.

Room Conversation -- October 9, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Rāmeśvara: Every evening they get about eighty to one hundred people for dinner at the restaurant, and they're just starting the lunch shift. When I was there the president of the largest bank was coming for dinner, and other important people in the country of Iran were coming.

Prabhupāda: Vegetarian dinner.

Jayatīrtha: And they're all Muslims.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think you have the right man there, Śrīla Prabhupāda-Ātreya Ṛṣi.

Prabhupāda: Oh, he is very able.

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

Indian man: (Bengali)

Bhavānanda: President, Caitanya Maṭha. (break)

Harikeśa: ...praised Īśopaniṣad. This Yugoslavian professor is very famous.

Prabhupāda: Famous?

Harikeśa: We made it very scholarly, because I remember last time you said it should be very scholarly. We printed ten thousand copies of this.

Prabhupāda: Selling?

Room Conversation -- October 13, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Let me taste the tablet. (break) (Bengali) (break) Go on, kīrtana. (break) What news?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The guests will start coming tomorrow. Mr. Prem Kripal, who is the ex-president of the executive board, UNESCO, he's going to be our chief guest tomorrow. He's going to inaugurate the conference. He'll be arriving about five o'clock this evening. He told me he's coming with one of his friends who's also a retired architect. There's also a very well known architect who's coming with him this evening. He's going to speak on what is life and its purpose about twenty minutes. Then the other scholars will start arriving tomorrow, and Sunday everybody's coming.

Room Conversation -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: How you got it?

Girirāja: Well you know the Maharaj of Udaipur? President of the Viswa-Hindu Parisad? So he sent it. His cousin came here to stay for about a week.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think it will be very nice when the weather is a little cool, for you to wear it, Śrīla Prabhupāda, on your morning walks. (laughter)

Girirāja: Also he converted one of his palaces into a hotel, and he's ordering 301 copies of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, one for each room in the hotel. And he's also associated with the Taj Hotel. So he's going to try to see about having them take one Gītā for each room.

Room Conversation -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: (Hindi) My will said. Karmāṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhājām (Bs. 5.54). What is the karma-phala? (Hindi) Yas tv indra-gopam athavendram aho...

Viśvambhara: Prabhupāda is saying if one is ordered to hang, how can he say... I say, I tell Prabhupāda, "President has got these special powers."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What did Prabhupāda say?

Viśvambhara: What, yes?(?)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Would you like to hear Girirāja's prayer?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 15, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: That construction is not so important as printing of books.

Jayapatākā: The president of the Bhadrak temple that Lokanātha Swami got donated from the Gauḍīya Maṭha to ISKCON, he has been collecting life members, hoping that he can build and improve a little bit on it. He was hoping to get the same facility of Bhuvaneśvara, of matching fifty-fifty. He's collecting everything locally in Orissa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? We got a telegram from Nṛsiṁha-Caitanya. You know, he's the boy who does library distribution? Should I read it to you?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- October 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Huh? Dugal. What about him?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's a rogue. I said it from the beginning, he's a rogue. Anyway, they couldn't throw the manager out. They had to throw the... That would have been a disgrace. They couldn't do that. This Dugal was president formerly of Hrishikesh for twenty-five years. I mean, how is that to deal with... (talking softly to someone else) Śrīla Prabhupāda, you haven't had anything to drink for awhile. Would you like something? It's been quite awhile since you last took. Upendra is here. He could make something for you.

Prabhupāda: Fruit juice?

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: That was our biggest problem. The president of India is presently in Hyderabad, so Mahāṁśa Mahārāja was in Delhi, and we have a life member, Panilal Peddy in Hyderabad, Polareddy, who knows the President very well. So I asked Mahāṁśa Mahārāja to go with Polareddy to the President to see if he will come to Bombay to inaugurate our temple. Also we are thinking of inviting some foreign ministers of countries like Nepal, which is a Hindu kingdom, and Mauritius. Because if these foreign ministers or some minister from these countries come, then it will lend more credit, and we'll get better coverage.

Prabhupāda: You can show our South African success.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So many.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: If the President of India comes, then it will get front-page coverage.

Prabhupāda: Who is the President?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who is the President now?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Ansen Jiwar(?) Reddy. He's more religious than the previous one.

Prabhupāda: Ansen(?) Reddy, he was Home Minister? No.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, that was Brahmānanda Reddy, who you met. We had a program at his house once.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Brahmānanda: They have that for all... Like great presidents of America, they all have a library, memorial library, where all their letters, all their papers, everything is kept. Truman has it, Kennedy has it, Johnson had it.

Jayādvaita: That microfilm is there also, Yadubara has it. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You said that we should always keep you surrounded. We should never leave you alone and always keep you surrounded. So Ātreya Ṛṣi told everyone that, so all the temples, they're going to be sending some devotees to be with you each month. So I think fifty, sixty devotees every month will be with you. So I was wondering if when they come, sometimes they're here, if they chant softly, is it all right if they are in the room? If they chant softly, then even when you feel like resting you'll be able to rest. Because they have come... They'll be coming from five, ten thousand miles to see you. So that'll be very pleasing if they can be with you a few hours each day and chant quietly. Would that be all right? (break)

Prabhupāda: Resting.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: He's also a pāṇḍā?

Gaura-govinda: No, he's not a pāṇḍā. He's one of these paṇḍitas of that Mukti-maṇḍapa paṇḍita. He's president. This time, while we were talking with Anantadeva, we said that "Sadasiva Rath Sharma(?) is favoring us, and he gives favorable opinion." Anantadeva said, "No, don't believe him. He's a rascal. He's the most greedy person. He wants much more money." Anantadeva gave this opinion about him.

Bhakti-caru: Śrīla Prabhupāda? (Bengali) (break)

Prabhupāda: The sanctity of Jagannātha Purī-lost.

Room Conversation -- November 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Anantadeva said the government administrator also wants money. They're all in it together.

Gaura-govinda: That Sadasiva Ratha Sharma, the president of... (break)

Pañca-draviḍa: The biggest paṇḍitas are all known meat-eaters also.

Gaura-govinda: Ah, yes!

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They eat meat.

Gaura-govinda: Meat, fish, everything.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think, Prabhupāda, you mentioned in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta that.

Gaura-govinda: Many also take all sorts of intoxication and they also go to the prostitute. Everything they do.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How can they serve the Deity? Śrīla Prabhupāda, does Lord Jagannātha reside there any more?

Prabhupāda: That is the proof, that it was not in order this year.

Room Conversation -- November 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He met with Gandhi and all of these other leaders.

Girirāja: Then, just after I left... Before that, I spoke to Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, and he was arranging for Mahāṁśa Swami and Mr. Polareddy to meet the President of India to invite him to be the chief guest because Mr. Polareddy of Hyderabad knows the present President. And then, so far as the publicity for the opening, we felt that we should actually fix up the chief guest first, because if some big person like the President comes, that will be an important part of the wording of the invitation and the other publicity.

Prabhupāda: So finishing?

Room Conversation -- November 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayādvaita: The president is Guṇa-grāhī Prabhu. He's been a devotee for a long time. The management is also very nicely going on. (break) You sent Bhavānanda there many years ago when they were in Brooklyn and ordered him to make the devotees happy. And ever since then, they've been peaceful... (indistinct) Even before that. I remember when I first came to New York, when the storefront was there. I came on Sunday, and there were so many different preparations. Haṁsadūta Mahārāja was cooking. And so many different preparations. And after taking that feast I decided that I would not leave—"This is too nice." So they're going on, still very opulent, sumptuous prasādam. And people are deciding that "Oh, this is very nice. Let us not leave. Let us go on taking prasādam." And in the restaurant very respectable people come. (pause)

Prabhupāda: You read some more.

Room Conversation -- November 6, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Who will be president?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who will be president? Of the institute, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: No, tomorrow.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who will be present? President of the meeting?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, it's arranged by the head of the chemistry department. There's one professor called Gupta. He's very enthusiastic. And there are also several professors who came to our conference. All of them are arranging together. There's one Dr. Sukla, also there's one Dr. Sharma. Three, four of them are organizing the lecture.

Room Conversation -- November 7, 1977, Vrndavana:

Jayapatākā: That was supposed to be done this year, but then Bombay took all the funds. Prabhupāda sanctioned it already last year. It was a good idea. But Māyāpur has become very popular. This is all due to your effort, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Simply due to your efforts Māyāpur and Navadvīpa is becoming so much more famous and popular. We want to make the Māyāpur temple so beautiful and make the city so nice that not only the Queen of England and the President of United States, but even the Russian and Chinese leaders, they'll all have to come to see this. They can't avoid. Will that please Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura? If all the leaders, all these presidents and kings would come and visit the temple at Māyāpur, that would please Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Room Conversation -- November 7, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: They are already silent. (laughter)

Citsukhānanda: Before I came to India, Prabhupāda, one Saturday night in Los Angeles about three weeks ago we had a big mahā-saṅkīrtana, big chanting party, because President Carter was coming to Los Angeles. So we got there about thirty minutes before he was coming, and we went with about 125 devotees from New Dvārakā. We went chanting through the street right in front of his hotel room. So he came in from the back way, but it was known to us that he heard the chanting, and all the main people from the government saw this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. We were chanting very nicely, dancing in the street. And everyone was protesting something different, but we were just happy and joyful, and everyone could see that this is positive, this is best thing. Everyone is griping about something, but we are all happy. We have no complaints. So we think that President Carter heard this kīrtana party.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: He's supposed to come to India this month.

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: No, Kṛṣṇa is giving us all facility. Utilize it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I especially like that bank, because when you come in, in the center of the wall, instead of seeing some old grumpy-looking bank president, we see Your Divine Grace's effulgent picture, and it says, right under your picture-it's a very big picture—it says "I.O.B. Welcomes You." It's very nicely done. And in each of the teller's counters, each of the cashier's counters, there's a little picture of Rādhā-Rāsabihārī.

Prabhupāda: Hm.

Page Title:President (Conversations 1977)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:13 of Dec, 2011
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=106, Let=0
No. of Quotes:106