Trademark

Expressions researched:
"trademark" |"trademarked"

SB Canto 2

SB 2.2.6, Purport:

Such holy places of worship are also occupied by the Lord because the Lord is omnipresent. For the common man these holy places are centers of learning about the science of God. When the temples are devoid of activities, the people in general become uninterested in such places, and consequently the mass of people gradually become godless, and a godless civilization is the result. Such a hellish civilization artificially increases the conditions of life, and existence becomes intolerable for everyone. The foolish leaders of a godless civilization try to devise various plans to bring about peace and prosperity in the godless world under a patent trademark of materialism, and because such attempts are illusory only, the people elect incompetent, blind leaders, one after another, who are incapable of offering solutions. If we want at all to end this anomaly of a godless civilization, we must follow the principles of revealed scriptures like the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and follow the instruction of a person like Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī who has no attraction for material gain.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 3.25.39-40 -- Bombay, December 8, 1974:

If I want a glass of water, you must give me a glass of water. You cannot say, "Prabhupāda, milk is better than water. Why don't you take one glass of milk?" That is not anukūla. You must supply me what I want. That is anukūla. That is favorable. I want to drink water. Why should you give me milk? That is anukūla. That is bhakti. That is ananyayā... You don't manufacture your own trademark of bhakti. No, that is not bhakti. It is not that...

Sometimes people say, some so-called bhaktas, they say that "I can worship the Lord in my own way." No, that you cannot do. You have to... But because you have no connection with the Supreme Lord, you simply think a fiction, an idea, imagination, kalpana. The Māyāvādīs, they say kalpana. Brahma-rūpa-kalpanaḥ: "Brahma has no rūpa, but you imagine some rūpa, or form." That is Māyāvāda. That is not. Kṛṣṇa has got rūpa. Kṛṣṇa is present here with His original rūpa, as it is described in the Vedic literature.

General Lectures

Subha Vilasa Home Engagement -- Toronto, June 19, 1976:

Indian man: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Come here. But you have already joined. (laughter) Your trick. Your trademark is there.

Indian devotee: Nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhūtale...

Devotee: (indistinct) They are also chanting sixteen rounds a day now and he's staying at the temple.

Prabhupāda: So he has already joined. I mean those who have not joined. I think this gentleman? I saw him in the morning. So, (Hindi).

Indian man (1): This is a very good question. (Hindi)

1968 Conversations and Morning Walks

Talk in Studio -- March 13, 1968, San Francisco:

Prabhupāda: What is this maker, the trademark?

Gargamuni: Concord.

Prabhupāda: Concord, yes. Concord is famous tape recorder company. (tapping microphone) It is all right?

Yamunā: Oh yes, Swamiji. It can also, it can be an amplification system.

Gargamuni: See, if you talk... (feedback)

Yamunā: The thing is they're too close to one another so there's a feedback. You have to be twelve feet away. Then it will amplify. That's what we were using in all of our speaking engagements.

Gargamuni: Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Oh, it acts as amplifier also? So I'll have to speak from here?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 3, 1976, Nellore:

Prabhupāda: It is unknown to the rascal man. It is known to the sober man. (laughter) He should become sober instead of becoming a rascal. That is required. Vidyā-vinaya-sampanne (BG 5.18). Ācāryavān puruṣo veda: "He knows, who has accepted the ācārya." This is Theosophical Society, I think. Huh? That trademark. Or Rāmakrishna Mission.

Acyutānanda: No, Salvation Army.

Prabhupāda: Salvation Army, oh.

Mahāmṣa: This is also school.

Harikeśa: Actually we're the only Salvation Army.

Acyutānanda: (break) ...the authority of a authority. We're accepting his authority, but his experience comes from his direct perception, which comes back to...

Morning Walk -- June 3, 1976, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21). Yes, that's nice.

Rāmeśvara: (Maharishi Mahesh) Yogi, he tried to file a trademark on the words "Transcendental Meditation" with the United States government. So we protested that actually he cannot claim that he is teaching transcendental meditation, what to speak of prohibiting anyone else from using those words. So they accepted our claim and kicked out his application.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: They were writing, their lawyers were writing our Society letters that "You cannot use the words 'Transcendental Meditation.' Maharishi has made up this process and you are stealing from him."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's stealing from Kṛṣṇa.

Morning Walk -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Now dog dancing. What is that song? Dog dancing? I sang that song?

Hari-śauri: (sings) "We are independent, we are independent."

Svarūpa Dāmodara: (laughs) That is the spirit of patriotism.

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, you can say any name, any style or any trademark. Where is the independence? That is the question.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But Śrīla Prabhupāda blessed yesterday around the Capitol. There were so many people, and they seemed like they liked...

Prabhupāda: So many people, there are so many earthworms also. Ants also, gathered together. Does it mean they are independent? Hare Kṛṣṇa. You know the earthworms? They heap up earth and disappear. So you are, if you take it in that way, that big, big buildings, just like earthworms gathering up earth and then disappears. Actually that is the... Like the worms, we gather together and become a nation and apply all our energy, heaps of buildings, then finished. We go somewhere, you go somewhere. And who knows what he's going to be next life? Everything is going like that, family, community, national. Like the same earthworm, they gather so much huge dipi..., what is called dipi (?)in English?

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

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

Prabhupāda: That's all right. But we are famous as shaven-headed. That is already advertised. Shaven-headed means Kṛṣṇas. So why should we relinquish this...

Haṁsadūta: Trademark.

Rāmeśvara: It has made us famous. That's a fact.

Trivikrama: Yes, it means a monk. In the Far East at least, shaven head means monk.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Shaven-headed. These Buddhist monks, they are shaven-headed.

Hari-śauri: Even in the West they shave their heads. And they look something like that.

Prabhupāda: Well, there was some income tax office pleader. So I have given the idea that "The fifty percent, that is promotion expenditure." So he accept..., "Yes, it can be done." Where is the profit? Whatever is profit is promotion expenditure. We give to ISKCON commission, or some way or other, it is spent. So he admitted, "Yes, it can be done." And last night I was suggesting, "For promotion spend." Even if we open a temple, that is promotion.

Room Conversation -- March 31, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: In suit, yes. You get first dress, then address. (laughter) But tilaka must be there. You dress like up-to-date gentlemen, but tilaka must be there. That is our trademark.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Some hair for him is all right? Little bit of hair.

Prabhupāda: I don't think hair is required. Nowadays many gentlemen shaven.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Shaved head.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Many gentlemen. I have seen many Russian scholars and politicians, they shave clean.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: There is a very big American actor who always has a shaved head.

Prabhupāda: That is now fashion, shaved head. But if you think it is impediment, you can have hair.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In India it is all right, but in the West, especially in the United States...

Morning Conversation -- May 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Every fortnight. At least. Before going to Europe, six years ago, you were keeping hair: "I have to go to Europe." That I have seen. Everywhere. Those who... You like to keep hair. That hippie mentality is going on. That's right. That is good, very intelligent reasoning, actual, long hair by keeping...(?) Everyone is giving some advice. Gurudāsa is giving. "He's keeping. He's..." Gargamuni. Everyone has some explanation. I do not know how you can give up this hippie mentality. Hippie. Lāvaṇyaṁ keśa-dhāraṇam. Kali-yuga. Victim of Kali-yuga. It is... It is not yet whole, but weak men, victimized by Kali-yuga... There are so many things to victimize over the living entities in Kali-yuga, and one of the item is that he will take that "I have become very, very beautiful, attractive by keeping long hair." Keśa. That is already stated there. You are victimized by that Kali-yuga. That's all. No explaining. Our trademark is clean-shaven. We are known as shaven hair. Why you should be victimized? You are known as shaven hair. Are you not? Hm? They say that "Hare Kṛṣṇa people, shaven hair"?

Room Conversation With Son (Vrindavan De) -- July 5, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Slow but sure.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Right. "Slow but steady growth rate." There's quite a difference. What does this have to do with anything, having an American flag? This is our trademark, this shaved head.

Prabhupāda: Hm. Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Shaved head and tilaka. They all have tilaka, and beadbags. And everyone is happy here.

Prabhupāda: So there is some agitation about our movement, that "How it is going on, whether it will stay." So anything more?

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Syamasundara -- Los Angeles 21 December, 1968:

His proposal to offer us a five story building is very welcome. Actually we need such a nice building is very welcome. Actually we need such a nice building in London. People of the world take it very seriously. During the British period in India, anything which was trademarked, "made in London" was sold very quickly, so try to make your London Yatra equally important so that when the young boys and girls of England and America combine together in Sankirtana Party it will be a great revolution in the world, even in Russia and China. I shall be glad to hear from you further on this matter.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Rupanuga -- Bombay 24 April, 1971:

This is required now. We require seven temples in New Vrindaban and 50% of the membership collection (Building fund) may be invested for this purpose. But Hayagriva should transfer the property to the society's name.

Our incense trademark should be registered now. I understand that there is one man in Bombay who has plagiarized our Spiritual Sky label, so we are serving him the proper notice to stop this plagiarizing business. So income is increasing there. That is very good. But in the winter season the collections are not so good so you should make some compensation for those months. The point is that there must not be any financial difficulty. If there is not sufficient engagement in the temple, the devotees should work outside, although if we can manage without our men working outside that is best.