Room Conversation
with GBC members
with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
March 2-3, 1977, Mayapura

Prabhupada: India’s leaders, they are now giving stress on agriculture. So we should very nicely organize the Hyderabad. What you have resolved about that?

Hari-sauri: What have you resolved about Hyderabad?

Ramesvara: We resolved that we would send money from the record sales to help develop the food projects there, the farm there and the food distribution.

Prabhupada: First of all you depute two or three GBCs to go there and see what is their program, how they’ll utilize the money.

Jayatirtha: A committee was formed to examine the situation in depth and to make a proposal exactly how the money would be utilized, and that committee consisted of… Who were the GBC men, Satsvarupa?

Ramesvara: The Indian GBC.

Jayatirtha: Indian GBC. They were supposed to make a…

Prabhupada: No, Indian GBC plus other GBC. Four or five men should study.

Gopala Krsna: Prabhupada’s talking about the agricultural program.

Ramesvara: But this ties in.

Gargamuni: Agriculture minister.

Prabhupada: Not only here, but everywhere. The farm project is sound project. So what other things?

Satsvarupa: There’s quite a list of resolutions, yesterday’s and today’s. Beginning yesterday morning: We finished the last assignments of GBC men, that Jagadisa will continue as the education minister and that Svarupa Damodara will execute his GBC duties in connection with the Bhaktivedanta Institute, Eastern headquarters in Bombay, Western headquarters Washington, D.C., with Rupanuga.

Prabhupada: And Boston also? No.

Satsvarupa: No. Today also with new preaching centers, Svarupa Damodara was assigned the development of Manipur.

Prabhupada: Vaisnava state. Do you like this idea?

Ramesvara: Svarupa, do you like the idea?

Svarupa Damodara: Yes.

Satsvarupa: And we discussed the sannyasa recommendations. No one who was recommended last year for sannyasa was approved this year. During the year they did not prove well. No one is here for initiation. And for next year no recommendations were made. Then… One man… And I was accepted as editor in chief of Back to Godhead. The details of the editorial policies that I should follow, I can take in consultation from my other GBC Godbrothers. And further, in an attempt to set a uniform standard so that Back to Godhead is like scripture, I should function as editor for all Back to Godheads published in the various languages. In this I should work in cooperation with the co-editors and BBT trustees of the various foreign language BTGs. There may be various co-editors of those magazines, but I will be responsible to keep a uniform standard.

Prabhupada: That’s nice.

Satsvarupa: Then we made resolutions concerning the public relations. One is that each temple president will instruct the devotees that as each devotee approaches people in any way he is acting as a public relations representative for Srila Prabhupada. At least one day a week there must be chanting and food distribution in public performed by each temple. Balavanta, who is the minister of public relations in the United States, will be the editor of a monthly newsletter to ISKCON reporting on public relations programs to be executed, including do’s and do not’s. Every temple will start a program of sending a monthly Back to Godhead and a letter from a devotee to his parents if his parents are at least…

Prabhupada: This is very good.

Satsvarupa: Then, regarding the program to sell standing orders to individuals, this should be undertaken with GBC supervision. Tripurari Maharaja has volunteered to supervise a team in the US and Gopala Krsna in India. The BBT at their trustees meeting will consider their role in printing brochures for this.

Prabhupada: Nice.

Satsvarupa: A vigorous program to be undertaken by the GBC in India to introduce Bengali and Hindu books to secondary schools. Gargamuni Maharaja’s traveling party… [break]

Gopala Krsna: Ready in also two months. And by Janmastami we will have a Hindi Gita, Krsna book and the whole First Canto.

Ramesvara: Jaya.

Prabhupada: We are very glad. That’s nice.

Satsvarupa: Brahmananda Swami will prepare a list of devotees he requires for Africa, and every zonal GBC will supply a good man as required. Next year the GBC members Brahmananda and Jayatirtha will report how the manpower is being engaged.

Prabhupada: Very good.

Satsvarupa: The GBC will encourage serious devotees in their zone to go to India and will allow those to go who actually want to go. Resolved: Grhasthas not be discouraged to work at jobs or develop their own business with their own means.

Prabhupada: That’s nice.

Satsvarupa: All temples will be encouraged by the GBC to undertake vigorous life membership programs with the Indians. In America this program should be standardized in all respects, using the present forms developed in New York and New Vrindaban. The program in USA will be overlooked by Adi-kesava Maharaja.

Prabhupada: That’s nice.

Satsvarupa: Resolved: A committee be formed of Saurabha, Tamala Krsna, Ramesvara, Atreya Rsi, Jayapataka, Gopala Krsna, and Gurukrpa to research and give a report on all aspects of the Mayapura projected construction, including its material feasibility, cash flow requirements. They will report their research to Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: One very big pandita is coming. He’ll help us about the Sanskrit language, how to form this…

Tamala Krsna: Planetarium.

Prabhupada: …planetarium.

Tamala Krsna: One big pandita has been contacted, and he’s very surrendered to Prabhupada. He wants to help Prabhupada and our movement to understand the meaning of the sastras in regard to the layout of the universe, so that the planetary systems can be done in our planetarium.

Prabhupada: This planetary system is rotating from east to west, and it is hanging like the chandelier, taking shelter of the polestar. That we can see every night. Now where is the situation, which planet, where is sun, where is moon—so that he has to assert.

Svarupa Damodara: When he’s coming, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: I have asked him to come in this ceremony.

Satsvarupa: Resolved: Devotees preaching to raise funds for Mayapura must make a uniform presentation. A brochure should be prepared by the BBT. The preaching for Mayapura should not be done differently by different persons in different parts of the world, and a brochure should be prepared for this preaching. Any GBC who wants a BBT loan…

Ramesvara: That’s specifically for fund raising.

Satsvarupa: Yes. Preaching for fund-raising for Mayapura. Then, any GBC member who wants a BBT loan will submit it to Ramesvara Maharaja, but it will be held in abeyance until the Mayapura financing is decided in regard to the BBT commitment to Mayapura.

Prabhupada: That’s nice.

Satsvarupa: Resolved: Pancadravida Swami will organize how to distribute prasadam to all visiting pilgrims on Gaura-Purnima day.

Prabhupada: How many you are arranging?

Tamala Krsna: How many are you arranging for?

Pancadravida: One hundred thousand.

Tamala Krsna: One lakh.

Prabhupada: Very good.

Tamala Krsna: What will it consist of?

Pancadravida: Gur, and… We calculated that we would need…

Prabhupada: Ask everyone visiting, “Please take prasadam.”

Pancadravida: Each person will get twenty grams of gur and peanuts, a preparation like nakaldana, something like nakaldana, in their hand.

Prabhupada: Nakaldana? Not khicuri?

Pancadravida: Peanuts coated with gur. Gur is cooked, and the peanuts…

Tamala Krsna: Srila Prabhupada, what kind of prasadam would you…

Prabhupada: Khicuri.

Tamala Krsna: Khicuri.

Pancadravida: But for khicuri it would be difficult to feed one lakh of people.

Jayapataka: No, we’re now giving people…

Ramesvara: We could do both.

Tamala Krsna: Prabhupada suggested when I asked him about this…

Prabhupada: Give them sumptuous food. What is this? (laughter)

Tamala Krsna: Nakaldana. Prabhupada wants them to be properly fed.

Pancadravida: All right. You mean khicuri?

Jayapataka: Those that eat, they are satisfied.

Pancadravida: I was told that we were doing it for everyone.

Tamala Krsna: Srila Prabhupada suggested khicuri…

Prabhupada: Make one khicuri, one potato, one eggplant vegetable. No, tomato-eggplant. Tomato.

Tamala Krsna: Yes. Tomato. Chutney?

Prabhupada: Chutney.

Tamala Krsna: Tomato chutney.

Prabhupada: It is very nice. And if possible, little paramanna.

Tamala Krsna: Little?

Prabhupada: Paramanna, sweet rice.

Pancadravida: So for this, tomorrow we are…

Prabhupada: Then people will be very much satisfied.

Satsvarupa: Another resolution: A subcommittee be formed of the three GBCs for India as an ISKCON Food Relief Committee. They will make a proposal on how a food program will be conducted.

Ramesvara: That Prabhupada said should have the Indian GBC and two others.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Ramesvara: He just said previously there should be five members.

Brahmananda: No. He was talking about Hyderabad.

Ramesvara: Yeah, but this is that… This is in relation to that.

Satsvarupa: GBC men wishing to send men to preach in Atreya Rsi’s Mid-East zone should first consult with him.

Prabhupada: Very good.

Satsvarupa: The GBC man must be responsible and implement in their zone Srila Prabhupada’s maintenance fund—there was some neglect.

Prabhupada: So what is my maintenance? Two capatis, that’s all. (laughter)

Ramesvara: This is a special fund, Prabhupada, for paying for any travel plane fare for the whole group that travels with you.

Prabhupada: All right.

Satsvarupa: Resolved: All properties purchased, even those personally transacted by GBC members, should be cleared through the property committee. The property committee will add Ramesvara Maharaja along with Jayatirtha for the US.

Ramesvara: We were already on it. Both of us were on it.

Prabhupada: And here?

Tamala Krsna: What about in India, Prabhupada wants to know.

Ramesvara: Tamala Krsna’s already a member of the property committee, and he’ll be in India unless Prabhupada sends him.

Jayatirtha: Should anyone else be added in India?

Prabhupada: Property committee means the GBC and Tamala Krsna.

Jayatirtha: Five.

Prabhupada: Four?

Tamala Krsna: Yeah.

Prabhupada: Or what else?

Ramesvara: No, that will be good. But, Prabhupada, I think that also if Tamala Krsna can help supervise, perhaps, the spending of the money that we send for construction as part of property committee duties, at least he could check, ’cause he’s also a BBT trustee, how it’s being spent by Saurabha.

Prabhupada: Yes. Should be checked. That’s nice.

Satsvarupa: We made a resolution regarding improvement for our GBC meeting that next year all the agenda topics should be submitted by the GBC man to the three GBC officers thirty days previous to the annual meeting. After analyzing the proposals, the officers will present a number of topics to different committees, who will present them at the meeting.

Hrdayananda: The purpose of that was to try to discuss things more before the meeting so the meeting can be done more quickly and efficiently.

Prabhupada: Subject matter. This is for subject matter committee. Subject, committee of subject.

Satsvarupa: Then today there was some new selection of assignments. One: That Jayapataka Maharaja be made acting GBC along with Gurukrpa Maharaja, both be co-GBC managers of Bengal and Orissa. And Gargamuni Maharaja be GBC of the traveling party going to colleges and libraries for sales in India and Asia and the Mid-East. Gargamuni should first go to countries around Iran and evaluate his work… And his work will be evaluated, and if done nicely, then he can enter Iran also.

Gargamuni: I have to go to Iran in order to sell the vehicles. Where am I supposed to go? That’s a stupid proposal. I wasn’t here for that. (laughter) It’s a stupid proposal.

Jagadisa: That wasn’t the main part of the proposal.

Gargamuni: Well, that clause is stupid.

Ramesvara: We can discuss that.

Satsvarupa: But the general assignments are agreeable, is that Iran…

Gargamuni: Yes. We’re going to have to go in.

Hrdayananda: So we can arrange it.

Prabhupada: We have got very good encouragement from Budapest. You have read that letter. That means there is very good potency of our movement being accepted in communistic countries. Just read that letter.

Tamala Krsna: Yes, Srila Prabhupada. You like this garland, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: All right. You have brought it; I must like it.

Devotees: Jaya Srila Prabhupada.

Satsvarupa: Shall I read on?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Satsvarupa: We made resolutions regarding book distribution techniques. Any illegal techniques for book distribution, that is, illegal according to law, should be banned, including… And then a comprehensive list will follow, mainly supplied by Ramesvara Maharaja. They will include some things like outright illegal techniques.

Prabhupada: Real point is if we can introduce book, there is nothing illegal. Everything is legal. Now, to save us from so-called legal complication, we must be legal. Otherwise there is nothing illegal, what we do for Krsna.

Ramesvara: That was our conclusion, Prabhupada, that there are just a few practices…

Prabhupada: But we have to take care of the public.

Satsvarupa: Things… Some of them mentioned were to imitate a deaf and dumb man and ask for charity, imitating that… (laughter)

Prabhupada: That’s not bad. (laughter)

Kirtanananda: Some boys were arrested for that, Srila Prabhupada. They will arrest you in the United States if they catch you. They have done that.

Brahmananda: That is considered fraud.

Ramesvara: Prabhupada, the points that we are proposing to ban will not decrease book distribution, so they can be eliminated and book distribution will not be decreased.

Prabhupada: Yes. So the real legal thing is: some way or other, introduce books. Therefore… And it will be beneficial in the long time let us see. Read it.

Tamala Krsna: “We’re very happy to see that by your divine mercy the whole world is flooded with Krsna consciousness. Just by printing and distributing your books the whole world will change. We can see the tremendous effect that your books already caused in the Communist countries of Eastern Europe. The people are mad after your books. Many of them can see that this is the only solution to get out from the miseries that are caused by the materialistic way of life and Communism. Please let me quote from a recent letter sent by a boy in Hungary.” The boy’s name is Yedi Peta. “ ‘According to the advices now, I am chanting daily on beads I made at home. I also have purchased the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, although I can only speak Hungarian. Now I do not give any more importance for the evidences from chemistry, physics, mathematics, etc. Rather, I appreciate A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada much more than any scientist or philosopher.’ ”

Devotees: Jaya!

Ramesvara: Haribol!

Pancadravida: Intelligent.

Tamala Krsna: “ ‘There have been many others also in the past… There maybe have been others also in the past who were pure, but to my person, Srila Prabhupada is the nearest and dearest. I feel the importance of living in the association of devotees and of accepting the guru. However, at the present there is no temple here, so I neither can associate with devotees, nor can I be accepted…’ ”

Prabhupada: So it is not possible to start a temple there?

Bali-mardana: Budapest?

Prabhupada: Who is taking care of that side?

Devotees: Harikesa.

Prabhupada: So, if possible, try.

Harikesa: It’s very difficult.

Prabhupada: No. You don’t take much risk. But there is customer.

Harikesa: We have a… Actually we have a very secret preaching center there.

Prabhupada: That’s all right. Do cautiously so that everything may not be capsized. If you cannot do… Dhairyat. Caught dhairyat tat-tat-karma… Patient. Then?

Tamala Krsna: “ ‘This unfortunate situation must be due to my past sinful lives. I have already accepted Srila Prabhupada as my spiritual master, so I desire…’ ”

Prabhupada: So encourage him to start. We can help.

Harikesa: Actually, Srila Prabhupada, this is not the best man.

Prabhupada: No, whatever he is, for the time being, he’s the best man. He’s willing to give you service. He should be encouraged. He’s so enthusiastic.

Tamala Krsna: He says, “ ‘So, I have desire that the time will come when Prabhupada will accept me and I may have the fortune to be taught by him and have the association of the devotees.’ ”

Prabhupada: Very good. So take this man as important for future activities. Try to encourage him and train him. He’ll be good help.

Satsvarupa: More resolutions about book distribution. The temple presidents, in order to control the techniques of book distribution, whether they are going against our resolution not to use illegal techniques, the presidents should go out on a monthly basis and observe their own book distributors, how they distribute books in the field. And also the GBC man should go out in each of his temples in his zone at least once during the year to see how the men are distributing books. And if a temple continues some illegal technique for book distribution, the BBT trustees are responsible to do the needful to rectify it.

Prabhupada: What is that?

Satsvarupa: We have made one resolution that certain techniques should not be done. They are too dangerous for arrest. So if a temple persists in doing those illegal techniques, then the BBT will…

Prabhupada: Rectify.

Satsvarupa: Yes. Also for book distribution techniques, the use of the Santa Claus uniform and other theatrical costumes is banned, not to be done.

Prabhupada: Is there any legal objection?

Satsvarupa: No.

Prabhupada: Then why?

Kirtanananda: They’re legal.

Hrdayananda: There was a great deal of negative publicity.

Kirtanananda: They are legal…

Prabhupada: So if it is legal, why shall they be…?

Ramesvara: The reason it was decided is that even though it is legal in America, in foreign countries there is bad reaction. The Americans do not mind as much as the foreign countries. So we are concerned for the international image of our movement.

Jayatirtha: 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.

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

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

Ramesvara: That’s the real thing. That’s the key factor.

Prabhupada: All right.

Satsvarupa: A legal committee of Balavanta, Adi-kesava, and Ramesvara will investigate whether certain techniques are legal or illegal according to the laws. Then one of the popular means to distribute books is by women’s party. A party of women will travel under the care of a man devotee. But in taking care of the women, we have noted that some of these parties have been preaching a false philosophy of the relationship of the man who’s taking care of the women, and that philosophy is that the sankirtana leader is the eternal husband and protector of the women in the party. We want that this philosophy should be rejected. If a man is taking care of a number of women in a sankirtana party, he should be regarded as the son as well as a representative of the spiritual master, of Srila Prabhupada, and not the husband of these women.

Prabhupada: Husband, but why he does not marry them? (laughter)

Satsvarupa: Well, sometimes there may be as many as twenty women in a party.

Kirtanananda: They would like to.

Prabhupada: We have no objection if one marries more than one wife. That I have stated. But law does not allow it. So do the needful.

Satsvarupa: Then, preaching centers: Preaching centers in the US can be opened by approval at the yearly meeting of the GBC…

Prabhupada: Good.

Satsvarupa: …or during the year with consultation of three GBC members. But when the zonal GBC wants to open a permanent center in a city where there is a temporary center opened by a party like a Radha-Damodara party…

Prabhupada: Yes.

Satsvarupa: …then the jurisdiction of the temporary party would be turned over by Radha-Damodara to the GBC whose zone it is in.

Ramesvara: Provided it is approved by the GBC at the annual meeting.

Prabhupada: That’s all right.

Satsvarupa: And then we have a list of the different centers to be opened around the world, the different preaching centers next year. Shall I read these, Prabhupada? Different GBCs have submitted…

Prabhupada: How many resolutions are there still?

Satsvarupa: Let’s see. There’s about six or seven more.

Prabhupada: So we shall see tomorrow.

Hrdayananda: Jaya Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Jaya. [break] Find out.

Hari-sauri: That’s that stuff that Nava-yogendra Maharaja brought from Mombassa.

Prabhupada: Just use it. Why it is…? [break]

Mahamsa: Does it make any difference for us?

Prabhupada: Yes. So we shall have farm project, so we should think… [break]

Satsvarupa: You want to hear the rest of our resolutions, Srila Prabhupada? We were about to read the preaching centers that were proposed by the different GBC members to be opened during the year. The GBC permission was given to the following GBC secretaries to open the following preaching centers in the next year. In the US, Balavanta dasa to open centers, permission for Knoxville, Tennessee; Columbia, South Carolina; Gatlinburg, Tennessee. And he has already opened a preaching center in Charlotte, North Carolina, and wants to open another one in Nashville, Tennessee. Then the zone of Tamala Krsna dasa Goswami and Adi-kesava Maharaja for the Radha-Damodara parties, the following preaching centers were just opened and now approved under the provisions and conditions as stated in the general resolution for preaching centers in another GBC’s zone: Cincinnati, Ohio; Lexington, Kentucky; Louisville, Kentucky; Indianapolis, Indiana; Lafayette, Indiana; Terhow, Indiana; Kansas City; Durham, North Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; Memphis, Tennessee; Oklahoma City; El Paso, Texas; Madison, Wisconsin; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Peoria, Illinois; and Carbondale, Illinois.

Ramesvara: Every town and village.

Satsvarupa: The following centers are opened out of New York Temple: New Haven, Connecticut; Long Island, New York; New Brunswick, New Jersey…

Prabhupada: It is open?

Satsvarupa: Yes, these are opened already.

Tamala Krsna: We opened these centers in the previous year, Srila Prabhupada, putting… It’s Guru-Gauranga worship, not Deity Panca- tattva worship.

Prabhupada: Hm.

Satsvarupa: And in the Virgin Islands, two cities—St. Thomas and Aruba. And then for the coming year, permission given for opening centers in Phoenix and Albany. I was given permission for opening preaching center in San Francisco and in Colleen, Texas. Kirtanananda Maharaja already has opened an approved center in Bloomington, Indiana; and Columbus, Ohio; and in the coming year can open in Morgantown, West Virginia; Dayton and Toledo, Ohio. Ramesvara Maharaja has already established preaching centers in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, Utah. Permission given for opening preaching center in San Antonio, Texas; Omaha, Nebraska; Albuquerque, New Mexico…

Prabhupada: Las Vegas is a dangerous place? Eh? Do…?

Ramesvara: It is now dangerous for the conditioned soul, ’cause we are passing out your books there. It has become dangerous for the demons. They will lose their demoniac nature by this book distribution.

Brahmananda: That is the center of the gambling in America.

Hrdayananda: Gambling, prostitution, intoxication.

Ramesvara: The whole city is managed by criminals. But they have given us permission to sell books in the airport.

Prabhupada: Oh. That’s nice.

Satsvarupa: Then… Also, Ramesvara permission to open in the summer to cover these national parks: Yosemite, Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore. In South America, Pancadravida Swami permission for the next year to open Monterrey, Mexico; Guatemala, and Panama; Medellin, Columbia. Hrdayananda dasa Gosvami, permission for a few cities in Brazil, Bolivia, and Valencia, Venezuela. In Europe, Bhagavan dasa given permission to open centers in Barcelona, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; Milan, Italy; and Harikesa Swami has already started centers in Berlin, Zurich, Helsinki, Hamburg and… Rockshaw?

Harikesa: Warsaw.(?)

Satsvarupa: Permission given for Norway, Vienna and Copenhagan for the next year. Brahmananda Maharaja has been given permission to turn the following preaching centers into temples with Deities: Mombassa and Mauritius, and permission for a new center in Lagos.

Tamala Krsna: Nigeria?

Hrdayananda: Preaching center in Nigeria. Richest African country.

Satsvarupa: Bali-mardana has been given permission to move the Adelaide center to the Australian farm. Atreya Rsi permission to open centers in Karachi and Istanbul. Jayapataka Maharaja permission to open Panihati and Dacca. And Hamsaduta Maharaja in South India, Bangalore, Madras, Kodaikanal, Colombo in Ceylon, and Kathmandu, Nepal; and Goa.

Prabhupada: Lage laghu.(?) Very good.

Satsvarupa: In the US, all that territory where there are no temples was assigned into geographic zones so that all territory in Canada and the United States fits into the zone of one GBC or another.

Tamala Krsna: Srila Prabhupada? I’d just like to point out to Your Divine Grace that preaching center means no Deities. It just means Panca-tattva worship.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: And if we find that there’s good…

Prabhupada: The devotees.

Tamala Krsna: Yes. And if there’s good reaction from the people in the city, then later on we can propose to install Deities.

Satsvarupa: Then we switched onto other topics. There was a resolution that there will be no marriages of girls until they are sixteen years old, not before.

Pancadravida: What about the schools?

Gargamuni: That’s for America.

Ramesvara: In America.

Satsvarupa: In America. The next resolution is that each GBC member is advised to take a turn as Srila Prabhupada’s secretary and they should approach Tamala Krsna Maharaja for that assignment. Then another resolution: All devotees are expected to shave their heads once a month. If there is a necessity to keep hair, it shall not be longer than it would grow in one month. Next resolution: Individual GBC members are responsible for their presidents signing the oaths of allegiance to ISKCON and Srila Prabhupada.

Pancadravida: Can I say one thing? I think we should say that to Srila Prabhupada 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.

Ramesvara: That’s true.

Pancadravida: That was passed.

Satsvarupa: Resolved: Tusta Krsna’s group in New Zealand and Siddha-svarupananda 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…

Tamala Krsna: In other words, no fighting with them.

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

Satsvarupa: Resolution: An international life membership committee is formed headed by Brahmananda Swami and Jayatirtha, Gopala Krsna, and Adi-kesava Swami. Each GBC man is responsible to try to recover devotees, blooped devotees, in his zone. That means fallen devotees. Say, if Pusta Krsna has left, then wherever he is living in the world, that GBC man of that area should try to contact him, or Madhudvisa, like that. They’re responsible for them, trying to recover them. Resolved: A committee to be formed to discuss the improvements in the Mayapura festival and set programs. Advisory committee of Jayapataka Swami, Ramesvara Maharaja, Bhavananda Swami, Gopala Krsna, Mahendra and Balavanta. This is an advisory committee which will plan for an action committee.

Tamala Krsna: Can you repeat who they are?

Satsvarupa: Jayapataka Swami, Ramesvara Swami, Bhavananda Swami, Gopala Krsna, Mahendra and Balavanta.

Tamala Krsna: Is this for the festival? Could I be added to them? Is that all right, Srila Prabhupada? I’d like to be added to that committee to help with the festival if that’s all right with the GBC.

Gurukrpa: Sure.

Satsvarupa: Next year at the Mayapura festival, separate but equal facilities will be arranged for the women. It was felt that they weren’t equal this year, that perhaps next year the new building could be divided in half, that they could have the same type of facility but kept separate.

Prabhupada: That’s nice. Now we have got enough place.

Jayapataka: There’s not adequate room. There’s supposed to be a new building.

Satsvarupa: Resolution about restaurants, that they may be named either Hare Krsna restaurant or Govinda’s restaurant. Then we passed a resolution about attendance at the temple functions. All GBC members and temple presidents are responsible to see that all devotees in their zone attend the morning and evening program except when there is alternate bona fide preaching in the evening, like if there’s some book distribution in the evening. Otherwise everyone must go to the morning and evening.

Prabhupada: Very good.

Satsvarupa: 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 Giriraja. 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 sankirtana, 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.

Prabhupada: That’s nice.

Satsvarupa: 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 Hrdayananda Maharaja to go after the festival. So are these resolutions in order, Srila Prabhupada? These resolutions that we passed…?

Prabhupada: Yes. It is all right.

Tamala Krsna: Srila Prabhupada, we were wondering that one time when you were ill in Vrndavana you requested that the devotees in our temples around the world could chant kirtana all the time, twenty-four hours, till you recovered your health. So the GBC was wondering whether we could request again for that.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Tamala Krsna: Jaya Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Bhavausadhac chrotra-mano-’bhiramat. This is the real remedy for any disease. Very good idea. So, finished?

Devotees: Jaya Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Jaya.

Jayapataka: Srila Prabhupada? My mother left this morning, and she wrote a letter to you. I’d like you… If I could read it… “Srila Prabhupada: I am sorry to hear of your illness. Jayapataka tells me swift changes in temperature cause many illnesses in Mayapura. A place so beautiful must have its thorns. May your recovery be soon. It was auspicious for me to have met you. Not having seen my son for so long, finding him in the midst of God’s blessings at ISKCON with a spiritual master of such great repute was humbling in its magnitude. Perhaps in some small measure I can help parents understand what their children are into and weaken their weapons. This visit will be shared with others. It was propitiously enjoyable. As far as fund-raising, there is a seminar on new methods I am trying to get to, but Krsna seems to be pulling me back. Perhaps tomorrow I will be able to go to Calcutta and Delhi. I will be corresponding regularly with Jayapataka. In a few months I plan to move to California. You have taken good care of my son. You have brainwashed the cobwebs of materialism (laughter) and elevated his soul. Your goodness radiates to all who meet you. May God bless your body with good health. Hare Krsna. Jayapataka’s Ma.”

Devotees: Haribol!

Prabhupada: Hare Krsna.

Devotees:Jaya Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Jaya.

Pancadravida: Srila Prabhupada? I talked to… What’s his name? Panca-ratna. And he told me that they ordered everything to prepare khicuri, vegetable, sweet rice and tomato chutney for tomorrow.

Prabhupada: Very good.

Pancadravida: And also for the day after they’ll be serving something, and everybody who comes will be getting in addition to prasadam distribution, some prasadam in the temple also.

Prabhupada: That’s nice. Very good.

Devotees: Jaya Srila Prabhupada. (end)