Short Dissertations
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
May 24-25, 1977, Vrndavana

Prabhupada: But the disease is not ordinary. It is always fatal. But by His especial mercy anything can be done. That is another thing. Lost appetite means life finished. (pause) Tavad tanu-bhrtam yad upeksitanam. If Krsna neglects, then nobody can live, but if He likes that “He must live,” anything can happen. That is possible. Anityam asukham lokam imam prapya bhajasva mam. Anityam asukham lokam bhajasva mam. Otherwise failing. Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gita. (pause) [break] (Hindi) [break] …London. Guru Maharaja sending him regularly seven hundred rupees per month. In those days seven hundred means at least…

Tamala Krsna: Twenty times?

Prabhupada: That was in 1936. Rice has increased after 1940.

Tamala Krsna: At least it was twenty thousand rupees’ value now.

Prabhupada: All of a sudden rice has increased in 1942 by Churchill’s artificial increasing his bribe to recruit soldiers. I have seen. Within two hours the price of rice, from six rupees it came to fifty rupees.

Tamala Krsna: Completely artificial.

Prabhupada: I was in the grocer’s shop purchasing, and all of a sudden the grocer says, “No, no, I am not going to sell any more.” He got some information. So that time, six rupees per mound, first class…

Bhavananda: Mound.

Prabhupada: Per mound. Very first class rice. So he was not going to sell. A few hours after, I went to purchase—fifty rupees. From six rupees. Government appointed agents to purchase it and stock it. So people, being harassed, they’ll come to military. This was Churchill’s…

Tamala Krsna: Those British were very clever.

Prabhupada: Artificially created a famine in India. I have seen.

Tamala Krsna: So Bon Maharaja was getting seven hundred rupees monthly. That’s amazing. Your Guru Maharaja had to send the money from India to the West. We… You’re bringing the money, but for Bon Maharaja he had to send the money the other way.

Prabhupada: Every month, regularly. He was playing harmonium. And the report: “Swamiji is playing on harmonium.” Therefore Guru Maharaja became very much disgusted: “Call him back.”

Tamala Krsna: He said they had to serve meat.

Prabhupada: I do not know that. But he was a waste of money, that. Still wasting money. What he has done? Has he published any books like that?

Tamala Krsna: Well, he has a big degree now.

Prabhupada: (laughs) Nonsense degree. Who cares for his degree?

Bhavananda: You’ve got many nice young staunch Bengali brahmacaris, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two years old.

Tamala Krsna: They joined?

Prabhupada: Where?

Bhavananda: At different times. Now all, they have become very strong. Finally it’s happened. We have a brahmacari core. And they’re all anxious… This week they’re all going out preaching, everyone.

Prabhupada: Gitar Gan selling nice?

Bhavananda: Gitar Gan is selling nice. Bhagavanera Katha is selling nice, Bhagavata Darsana. We sell two Bhagavata Darsana, Gitar Gan and Bhagavanera Katha. The people take it.

Tamala Krsna: Oh, they take the whole set.

Bhavananda: They like the set, you know. One rupee for one book, they stop and think, but if they pay four rupees, 4.50 for four books, they think they’re getting a lot for their money. But one rupee for one book is more difficult.

Prabhupada: And Bangladesh?

Bhavananda: Now Jayapataka Maharaja is here. He’s filled with glowing reports, glowing, “the new frontier, new preaching frontier.”

Prabhupada: Muhammadans also.

Bhavananda: Yes, he said Muhammadans invited him to speak, and they’re very… They don’t even know who is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. It’s been so long since Partition, and they’ve been cut off. They don’t even… One Muhammadan lawyer bought a Caitanya-caritamrta. Wanted to read about Him, he said.

Prabhupada: Full set? Full set?

Bhavananda: I think one book.

Prabhupada: Oh.

Tamala Krsna: I was just inquiring whether you were drinking fruit juice.

Prabhupada: Fruit juice is very good.

Bhavananda: I noticed, Srila Prabhupada, your complexion is yellowish. Liver is…

Prabhupada: There is no hope of life. Therefore we have called you. This condition is hopeless. We have given our will. Now we can… If I die in Vrndavana, there is no harm. But Krsna can play anything wonderful. But from physical condition there is no hope.

Bhavananda: But Krsna is Paramesvara.

Prabhupada: (laughs) Yes. That is another thing.

Bhavananda: That is all of our prayer.

Prabhupada: We have become very, very weak. No appetite. The brain is not working. Brain is working, but body is not allowing… Don’t worry. Everyone will die, today or tomorrow. I am also old man. There is nothing to be regrettable. So as far as possible in my body, I am complete… Now it is up to Krsna to judge… I have no objection.

Bhavananda: What can we do, Srila Prabhupada?

Prabhupada: You can pray Krsna. That’s all. Krsna is all-powerful. I am only requesting that whatever I have done, you don’t spoil it. That’s all. Think this. I am getting report, very hopeful, as you gave report from Mayapura, very good.

Tamala Krsna: Want to take a little rest now, Srila Prabhupada? [break]

Jayapataka: Yes, Srila Prabhupada, everything is all right. But your health is not all right. But preaching is going on. Very receptive field in Bangladesh.

Prabhupada: Hm?

Jayapataka: There has been no sadhus there for many years, and the people there are very eager to hear about Krsna consciousness. Wherever I went, thousands of people gathered. One time ten thousand people gathered. It was the biggest function held in the history of the town, either Hindu or Muhammadan. The Muhammadans are also very interested. They don’t know anything about Lord Caitanya. Many have asked, “Do you have any books about the life of Lord Caitanya?” They like to read. And the person who arranged…

Prabhupada: So give the book, Teachings of Lord Caitanya.

Jayapataka: 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 Gaudiya Matha. The local secretary-president of the Gaudiya Matha, they are going to see Govinda Maharaja 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.

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

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

Prabhupada: That I checked.

Jayapataka: But he had stopped it. So the potential looks very good. Some devotees I sent there for visa extension to come back to India, and they have requested to stay there and preach because it was such, such receptive. Many young men are coming and asking very intelligent questions. They ask questions about Deity worship, about guru, about harinama, very intelligent questions. There’s no CIA rumor. There’s no any type of bad talk about us there, no envy at all. Very open-minded. And because they are a little bit oppressed, so they’re always being challenged about believing in Krsna, so that’s why they’re eager to understand.

Prabhupada: What about the Muhammadans?

Jayapataka: The Muhammadans… At one place the Muhammadan who heard my lecture in Dacca, he came and approached me and said that “What you are preaching,” he said, “this is very applicable for the modern day and…” He lives in Mymensingh. He said “In Mymensingh there is really a majority of Hindu, and they have their sadhu-sanga and priests there, but it’s very, very old-fashioned, and we find it very unacceptable, but what you are saying we find very enthusing.” So he arranged the program for me at Mymensingh, the Muhammadan. And every Muhammadan I met, discussed with, ultimately they became interested, just because it was represented in a way acceptable to them. They say, “You are Hindu?” I say, “No, we are Vaisnava. Vaisnava means we believe in only one Supreme God, and He has got no equal and no second.” “So you…? We believe in the same.”

Prabhupada: There is a… Asamaurdhva. There cannot be anyone equal to God or greater than God. Then He is God.

Jayapataka: Many young men, both Hindu and Muhammadan, will join, I’m quite sure. Right now we’re getting the society registered and getting a place. Before we actually…

Prabhupada: So did you not get? Finish that. Get the place and society registered.

Jayapataka: Well, I was there with Prabhavisnu, and he joined me after ten days, and I instructed him what to do, everything. Then I was called back to Mayapura. But there’ll be no difficulty. I can go any time within a week. The Bengal government is giving me re- entry visa, so I can go and come back without difficulty.

Prabhupada: Do this seriously.

Jayapataka: Because the secretary and the president of Gaudiya Matha, 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 Bhaktisiddhanta’s place.

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

Tamala Krsna: To Prabhavisnu.

Jayapataka: I don’t think he’s seen him. Now the main manager has been handed authority. We’ve seen him. He’s also favorable. But the people who are holding the main power, they are also favorable, so they’ve given us. Good facility for boat program. I went to a village by boat one day, and the villagers, they were very receptive also. They held a whole festival. Everyone, five hundred people, stopped their work, and they all came and chanted Hare Krsna, and we cooked a big pot of… Official(?) said, “Everyone has provided dal and rice. We don’t eat at home today.” And he cooked up khicudi and we gave everyone prasada. And they said, “Please, if you could come every two weeks or every month, we could have a festival.”

Prabhupada: Naturally so much good reception… So organize. These people will not give.

Jayapataka: Who?

Prabhupada: These rascals, Gaudiya Matha.

Jayapataka: No. But they don’t have any… They don’t have any sadhu to go there.

Prabhupada: They have nothing. Still, they have got… That is called in Bengali, bisnai kulavane cakra(?). There is no poison, but the hood is: “Arrhh.” (laughs) That is their… Even this bite, there is no poison. But they are showing kulavana cakra(?). Still, it is bhayankara. Canakya Pandita says, manina bhusitah sarpah kim asau na bhayankarah: “A snake…” Sometimes snake has got some jewel on the hood. So he can go in the darkness by the light of the hood. If somebody thinks, “Oh, here is a snake with jewel. Let me embrace him,” no, no, no, it is very ferocious. Even it is jewel there, it is ferocious. Similarly, these people are envious. Although they have become so-called Vaisnava, they are ferocious. They have not acquired the qualification of Vaisnava. Simply vesopidin(?), by dress. So what is there? They could not do for the last fifty-sixty years. Still… They wanted to exchange. I stopped it, the Mohini Babu. Mohini… Bali hatti zamindar(?). So if we do not get that place, we can get other place?

Jayapataka: Oh, yeah, there is no difficulty.

Prabhupada: Hm, just start something. Start something.

Jayapataka: They said that by the middle of June, that definitely we’ll find out.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Jayapataka: So… But we’ve been offered in Narayanganj and many places nearby. Even Dacca we can get some place. People are…

Prabhupada: One gentleman, he has now become my disciple.

Tamala Krsna: Mr. Sindh. That jeweler from Calcutta?

Jayapataka: He’s given (indistinct) me.

Prabhupada: They are very rich man, that Singh jeweler. They can give. He is very nice man, very nice man and very well-to-do. You have seen them?

Jayapataka: Yes, before I went I saw him, and he gave me three or four names of very wealthy people in Bangladesh to see, and those people are also… One person already became a member, and they’ll give us much support.

Prabhupada: No, you’ll get.

Jayapataka: There are so many. They’re scattered about. I couldn’t see all the different people in a short period. It’s a big place.

Prabhupada: And whole Bangladesh is a picture.

Jayapataka: It’s just so green, all rivers. And everywhere I saw rice field and jackfruit and mango, everywhere filled with fruits, very luscious.

Prabhupada: And cow’s milk.

Jayapataka: Oh, oh, no buffalo. Only cow’s milk. And pure ghee there is six rupees per ser.

Prabhupada: Those who are fish-eaters, they can eat sumptuously fish. There is no scarcity.

Jayapataka: Most of all, they’re liking your books, Srila Prabhupada. They like the books. Everyone is very eager for books. When we bring out this Gita, that will also be very, very popular. Whatever books we bring there, as soon as we’re there, they are immediately sold. I had no books. We had sold out all the books, so I only kept one copy to show, and I said, “We can’t give you the book. You buy it by subscription, and we’ll send it to you later.” Ninety people took subscription, without giving any book, just on the basis of seeing one book. They’re so eager.

Prabhupada: Which one? Bhagavad-gita?

Jayapataka: That was for the magazine, yearly subscription to the magazine. When I showed the cinema, then many of the people, they had… In the villages especially they’re very isolated, and so they’re always being told by the Muhammadans that “Your religion is just very…, only situated within India. It has no broad scope. Over the whole world Islam has spread. Why you are worshiping Deity? Why…? This…” They are always giving them so many challenges. So when they saw how Krsna consciousness is spread over the world, when they saw us chanting, it was as if new life had been given to them. They said, “Now we see that sanatana-dharma has spread throughout the whole world. We are just…”

Prabhupada: And Deity worship.

Jayapataka: Yes, and Deity worship everywhere. They are very much eager. Actually if we don’t preach there now, in a few years, gradually, time, time, Krsna consciousness will fade there because of the Muhammadans’ presence. But once they see us, never they’ll switch. Never they’ll lose their faith, just to see how foreigners have taken. That I have seen.

Prabhupada: This is our thesis.

Jayapataka: And educated young people, they’re very… They’re very susceptible to being devotees. When we traveled in one city, two people joined with us and traveled with us and said they’ll be shaved and everything. Very easily they give up. Even when I returned in Mayapura about five or six new young men had joined. In the twenty days I was gone Bhavananda Maharaja had enlisted about five or six men and about fifteen gurukula students and two families. And they were all very enthusiastic. They want to go and preach also. Things are improving.

Prabhupada: So building work is finished?

Jayapataka: They’re just finishing the top waterproofing, jalja(?). They’re building that now. That’ll be finished in fifteen days.

Prabhupada: Others things are going on.

Jayapataka: Other things are going on.

Bhavananda: Painting. Painting, finishing painting work is going on, first floor.

Jayapataka: Painting is going on. Now we just have to furnish the rooms. Then guests can stay. The rooms are still unfurnished. This weekend it was packed, filled with guests, our big guesthouse. One Tara minibus came and filled, garden building. People only come to Mayapura to see our temple. They don’t go to see any other temple.

Prabhupada: What they’ll see there? (laughter) How Saman(?) Maharaja is managing?

Jayapataka: He somehow is trying to maintain. I don’t see any improvement.

Prabhupada: No, he cannot make any improvement, but if he can maintain, that is our question.

Jayapataka: I didn’t go there, so I can’t exactly say. I don’t go there. (pause) [break]

Prabhupada: The spread, the… First of all they wanted to give us a cheap rate, “Eh!” And now they are doing: “We shall be taking our leader out.” That is not cheap rate. (pause) (kirtana in background) [break]

Jayapataka: …then there will be no permission.

Tamala Krsna: Is he still in town?

Jayapataka: Yeah, she said… The administrator… For one… After the elections they should be safe. But Mr. Choudhury said that so far as for the temple, that little pieces in the center, he said that can easily be arranged. But for the big temple…

Prabhupada: The center?

Bhavananda: We might do that in pieces.

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

Prabhupada: Where it is?

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

Bhavananda: We’re getting lots of lemons.

Prabhupada: Hm. What you are doing with them?

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

Prabhupada: Everyone is satisfied.

Bhavananda: Everyone is satisfied.

Prabhupada: Anyone.

Jayapataka: The gurukula put on a drama just the day before we left. What was the play?

Bhavananda: Valmiki Dasu Ratnagara(?).

Jayapataka: Dasa Ratna, Dasa Ratnakara, and Narada Muni, how he became Valmiki, that… Two or three gurukula students and two or three teachers, in Bengali.

Bhavananda: English, Western devotees speaking Bengali. (Prabhupada chuckles) Very successful.

Jayapataka: That who will take his papamsa? Neither his wife nor his son nor his old father, no one would take share of his sin.

Bhavananda: Only his money.

Jayapataka: So he took shelter of Narada Muni and became Valmiki Muni.

Tamala Krsna: Good news, Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Hm.

Tamala Krsna: A translation has come from the…

Prabhupada: Hm. Very good.

Tamala Krsna: He wrote a little note. Do you want to hear it?

Prabhupada: Hm.

Tamala Krsna: “Dear Mr. Secretary, First of all I take the privileged opportunity of tendering with folded hands my most respectful pranama to His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swamiji Maharaja, who was so kind to me during his stay here. Next I sincerely apologize for not being able to complete the task entrusted to me earlier, the reason being that I was taken ill for two days. Thirdly I confess that living out of touch with Hindi legal words, I could not properly reflect correct and appropriate Hindi equivalent words at some places, and therefore I have tried to explain the purport. The translation rendered and tendered…” Very nice way of speaking it.

Prabhupada: Hm. This is lawyer, judge.

Tamala Krsna: “…rendered and tendered herewith may not be treated as an authoritative, verbatim translation. There is much scope for improvement. For the present it may be used and circulated in a narrow circle.”

Prabhupada: We don’t want much improvement. Your translation is…

Tamala Krsna: Then he says…

Prabhupada: So arrange for…

Tamala Krsna: Printing it.

Prabhupada: …pamphlets for huge distribution.

Tamala Krsna: This will be made into a separate little pamphlet all about the court case.

Prabhupada: Hm.

Tamala Krsna: Any photographs, perhaps, of the persons involved? Any need of that? I think we can leave it up to Gopala. He’s in charge of printing.

Prabhupada: No, not… We have said.

Tamala Krsna: We should give a little background introduction of the court case and then this translation of the final verdict of the judge.

Prabhupada: And “Translated by such and such judge.” It will carry some weight.

Tamala Krsna: Yes.

Prabhupada: What is the name?

Tamala Krsna: Sardar Singh. Judge Sardar Singh.

Prabhupada: What is the spelling?

Tamala Krsna: S-a-r-d-a-r.

Prabhupada: Sardar.

Tamala Krsna: Singh, S-i-n-g-h. He says, “I will come to Sri Vrndavana by the 20th of June, and then I will be able to correct the mistakes and use proper words after seeing the dictionary. Lastly it is prayed that my name not be associated with the translation.” Do we have to abide by his desire?

Prabhupada: If there is some official objection…

Tamala Krsna: Yeah, he says in it that “so that the people may not make adverse comments,” because it’s not, you know, it’s not verbatim. He’s done it quite lengthy, though.

Prabhupada: You can write, “Translated by a qualified judge.”

Tamala Krsna: It’s a wonderful court decision. He sent the original back also.

Prabhupada: So do the needful.

Tamala Krsna: So did you say you didn’t want Gopala to translate it, Srila Prabhupada? To publish it?

Prabhupada: Hm? Why you misunderstand?

Tamala Krsna: I couldn’t hear. That’s why I’m asking.

Prabhupada: You asked me whether photograph should be given. I said, “That cannot be decided by Gopala.”

Tamala Krsna: I see.

Prabhupada: I don’t think photograph is required.

Tamala Krsna: No. Simply a little introduction about what the…

Prabhupada: Introduction is there. Nothing. As it is.

Tamala Krsna: Just as it is. Okay. Little… It’ll be a pamphlet for mass distribution. (pause) He did a lot of work, Srila Prabhupada, twenty eight pages long, translation.

Prabhupada: You can ask Dr. Premyadi to give a suitable heading.

Tamala Krsna: Okay. I’ll let him go through it, and then he’ll give a heading.

Prabhupada: That’s all. [break] (Hindi)

Guest (1): (Hindi) (Hindi conversation)

Prabhupada: (Hindi) Then why we have to make another tank?

Tamala Krsna: They said that the… If we want water in that bathroom, then we have to have our own water hookup there.

Prabhupada: Who said?

Tamala Krsna: The electric men who came there, the men from the electricity department. Their point was that there’s more parties using the water than just ourselves. So if we do not… There has to be some way of determining who’s using what water supply.

Prabhupada: Talk with the same man.

Tamala Krsna: The man came today from electric department.

Guest (1): Vadepal(?) electrician.

Tamala Krsna: Ha. He said that this one Kalachand Goswami, he is living there, and he is using water. And we are living there, and we’re using water. So how to determine who should pay for what water? There must be two meters.

Guest (1): Extra meter wanted.

Tamala Krsna: Ha, one meter for the water he uses and electricity he uses, and one meter for the water and electricity we use.

Guest (1): Electricity to your restaurant? Direct followers? (Hindi)

Tamala Krsna: But who pays Kalachand’s electricity?

Guest (1): Kalachanji’s sisya, Madana Mohana Goswami.

Tamala Krsna: Sisya. So how to judge how much electricity is used by us and how much electricity is being used or taken by the Kalachand Goswami? How to know how much he is using and how much we are using? If there is only one meter…

Guest (2): (Hindi)

Tamala Krsna: Now there’s no meter. There’s only one meter for whole thing. For whole site there’s only one meter. Water meter. But there are two parties. One is the Kalachand, and one we are.

Guest (1): So you install meter in your room?

Tamala Krsna: Ha, ha. Yes. They want to put extra meter in the room.

Guest (2): We have to have extra meter.

Tamala Krsna: To determine that we should only…

Guest (1): (Hindi)

Jayapataka: (Hindi or Bengali) (Hindi conversation with scattered English about water and electricity meters)

Tamala Krsna: So he’s saying that ’cause…

Prabhupada: Hm?

Tamala Krsna: Jayapataka’s saying… He’s translating what they were talking, that there’s already a meter for electricity. This new meter is proposed simply for water, but the cost of water is so cheap, what is the need of a meter?

Jayapataka: They’re not making any claim for water. They say, “How much water you can use? It’s a matter of a few paisa.”

Prabhupada: Last time the (indistinct) Goswami and Gurudasa, the arrangement was to live without paying anything.

Tamala Krsna: Right.

Prabhupada: To pay the electric charge. So he was paying about sixty-four rupees’ electric charges. They were using hugely.

Tamala Krsna: Including water.

Prabhupada: No, no, electric.

Jayapataka: Per year.

Prabhupada: Per month.

Jayapataka: Sixty-four rupees!

Tamala Krsna: Sixty-four rupees a month!

Guest (1): (Hindi)

Prabhupada: (Hindi)

Tamala Krsna: So now we have a separate meter for electricity. There’s already a separate meter for electricity, is it?

Guest (3): But you have got your own.

Tamala Krsna: Besides Madana Mohana, there’s another one.

Guest (3): He has. That’s all right. Why it is not working?

Tamala Krsna: Because there was a wire that was not connected. Then the man came today, and he has connected, and he said, “Now you will have electricity.”

Prabhupada: (Hindi) (Hindi conversation)

Tamala Krsna: So then we said, “All right, we also need water.” He said, “For that, you will need a separate meter because they, Madana Mohana Goswami, does not want to pay your water costs.” Then the man said, “Yes, we can put separate meter. It will take ten days to two weeks.”

Guest (3): Oh, yes, you will do it.

Tamala Krsna: But it will take some time, they say.

Prabhupada: So better to arrange.

Tamala Krsna: Better to avoid?

Prabhupada: No, no. Tap…

Guest (3): For the time being you have water from Kalachand. Give the man his time. He will give.

Tamala Krsna: He will give.

Guest (3): He will give you, and he’ll ask Gurudasa(?) also. Then he will do all, what is needful. Kalachand is a man of…

Tamala Krsna: Where you are getting your drinking water from?

Guest (3): I? From my own pipe.

Tamala Krsna: From pipe. Pipe water is good for drinking.

Guest (3): Yes.

Tamala Krsna: Accha. Not from well.

Guest (3): No, no.

Tamala Krsna: Well water is not good for drinking?

Guest (3): At Lotan Kunj, just a hundred yards from our temple, their well is very nice well.

Tamala Krsna: What is the name?

Guest (3): Lotan Kunj.

Tamala Krsna: Lotan Kunj.

Guest (3): First-class water.

Tamala Krsna: Any time.

Guest (3): Yes, oh, yes. People take from that well water to their houses.

Tamala Krsna: Anyone can come? Anyone can take, public?

Guest (3): Yes, yes.

Tamala Krsna: Lotan Kunj.

Guest (3): It is just near our temple. We use the Brahmadara Gela(?). Brahmadara Gela is there. We use that water. Our, these boys and these, they drink it.

Tamala Krsna: And for washing and cooking we can get some water from Kalachand.

Guest (3): Oh, yes. Kalachand has well also.

Tamala Krsna: And well also. Accha. Then there’s no problem, Prabhupada. We’ll apply for our separate meter, and in the meantime, we’ll take the water…

Guest (3): Oh, yes. For the time being you will be…

Guest (1): (Hindi)

Guest (3): (Hindi) For the time being he will be helpful to give you water, but that’s all.

Tamala Krsna: That’s good. Prabhupada, should I bring up the point that these rooms should be… (Hindi conversation)

Guest (3): On 28th May, he is expecting to attend the civil judge, Mathaura, you see. So on that day, if he comes here, have a discussion from him.

Tamala Krsna: Madana Mohana Goswami?

Guest (3): Yes. What he says?

Tamala Krsna: There actually… What about latrine?

Guest (3): Latrine is behind there. You put one inside, Swamiji’s latrine.

Guest (2): (Hindi)

Guest (3): That was closed by Madana Mohana Goswami.

Tamala Krsna: He closed off that latrine.

Prabhupada: That is backside. (Hindi conversation)

Guest (3): I don’t want to talk with the tape recorder. I come to honor my Swamiji and my elder brother…

Prabhupada: That’s all right.

Tamala Krsna: We tape everything Prabhupada says. Everything he says, we tape, whether you’re here or not here.

Guest (3): No, I don’t want to talk on the machine.

Tamala Krsna: We’re not taping for any other purpose, but our Guru Maharaja’s words are very sacred to us, so we tape all the time, whether you’re here or not here.

Prabhupada: No, he has objection to the tape…

Tamala Krsna: I’m just explaining that it’s not any, er,… [break]

Bhavananda: …never leave the boundaries of our land and never go down the road to his place, but I…

Prabhupada: No, they admit. He is Madhava Maharaja’s man.

Bhavananda: Fifteen-twenty men maybe, at the most. And when you go by there, it’s like ghost town. (Prabhupada chuckles) Now no action. You don’t see anyone. You don’t hear any sound. Therefore all the people, they walk right by and come right in our gate, where the taktaki is going, the boys are…

Prabhupada: Here also, Madhava Maharaja temple, nobody goes.

Tamala Krsna: Is this his temple here, in Vrndavana?

Prabhupada: Yes. It is always closed. They are cooking.

Bhavananda: And the photo exhibit is very popular. Everyone goes.

Prabhupada: To see.

Bhavananda: Yes.

Prabhupada: There is… Within, there is fan?

Bhavananda: No fans, but it’s cool. It’s very cool.

Prabhupada: It is down.

Bhavananda: Yes. And shaded.

Tamala Krsna: That was a good idea, not to fill in that basement area. It was a good idea to utilize that bottom thing. Atreya Rsi has come. He’ll come in the afternoon for the kirtana and Bhagavatam.

Bhavananda: People are always saying “Work is worship.” Actually they’re almost right. Work for Krsna is worship. I know that’s why they’re attracted to Mayapura temple. Because there’s so much work going on, people are attracted: “Why these people are so happy while they’re working?” Especially the gurukula boys, sweeping the road hard as anything, chanting Hare Krsna while they’re sweeping.

Prabhupada: What about my house?

Bhavananda: That money has just been received, and the plans have arrived from Delhi, but we are wanting an architect in Calcutta, competent architect to… Because we don’t want to have anything go wrong in the middle. Ram Nrisinghatar(?) was saying that Mistri is interested in doing Prabhupada’s house. The house and gorgeous garden we have, with fountains and terraces and walkways, all around, before and behind the house, on either side, all enclosed and private.

Prabhupada: Not yet begun?

Jayapataka: They say there’s no… Because we’ve just received the plan now from Saurabh, so the architect said there’s no difficulty. Now he thinks we can begin right through the rainy season. We can work through the rainy season. There’s no difficulty for that. If it was a big building, then in the rainy season we could not build.

Tamala Krsna: How long it will take?

Bhavananda: Six months.

Tamala Krsna: By October, November.

Jayapataka: (aside, discussion with Bhavananda about building)

Tamala Krsna: Prabhupada, I think you are tied to this planet by the love of your devotees.

Prabhupada: Hm.

Jayapataka: He loves his devotees even more than his devotees love him.

Prabhupada: All right. Then you shall begin. Jaya. [break] Daily or alternately, (makes bleating sound:) “Myaaah, myaah.” And there is religious process that the head should be eastern side and the throat should be cut up. And when the animal dies, bifurcate, cleanse it and the skin and everything… And they have got capati. Government subsidizes. So they cook at home the meat, and in market they purchase a capati according to the family, one big capati, two capati. That’s all. Our men who has eaten that capati, they say it is very nice, very soft and digesting. Huge deserted country, but some stock, some spots, water. There are trees. They raise the cattle there. Eighty percent of the land, all desert. Or ninety percent. No, eighty. Say seventy-five. And because they have got now money, they are having big, big buildings, foreign cars, roads in the air, developing. And they’re importing at any cost. From Bombay the best mango they are importing at any cost.

Tamala Krsna: Five hundred rupees per dozen.

Prabhupada: Hm?

Tamala Krsna: They are paying five hundred rupees, a dozen mangoes.

Prabhupada: They don’t mind. “We must have mangoes.” Money is very insignificant thing. Gold is the… And as soon as there is enough money, there is debauch, debauchery. Still there are Oriental moral principles. Girls who have become modernized… Otherwise they do not mix with any man. Their husband, that’s all. And covered body, they are, very beautiful girl. And those who have become modernized, they are just like European girls. There is no difficulty to become modernized. They have got money. And they tour from one country to another extensively. Formerly for Muhammadans, drinking was the greatest sin. Now it has become… Drinking is strictly prohibited amongst the Muhammadans, according to their religious system. And sex? Before Muhammadan religion was introduced, they used to have sex even with mother. And woman could be purchased as slaves. Marketplace, women were standing for being sold. They would like to be sold. Just like animals. The animals, if somebody purchases, it is, if they are well fed, it is a great fortune for the animals. Just like the dogs here. When they have got a good master, they are fortunate. So it is the fact. If there is civilization, that is this Aryan civilization in India, Vedic civilization. Otherwise, throughout the whole world… These people were within Aryan civilization. Aryan, Iranian, their names are given. Up to Iran, their field(?). Europeans also, Indo-European. Gradually they declined. Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission is to make them civilized. Pascimera loka saba mudha anacara. They are all fools and misbehaved. Teach them this Krsna consciousness. They’ll be happy. This is Caitanya Mahaprabhu. That is our next step, how to make one civilization, Krsna conscious. [break] It is very palatable. Not this ordinary medicine, some of them very bitter, some pungent. It is always palatable. So kindly administer this medicine. It doesn’t matter whether I survive or die. It doesn’t matter. Both ways it is beneficial. Who else?

Tamala Krsna: Who else? Balavanta, Adi-kesava Maharaja. They’ve come. They’ll be on the next shift after this. And others are coming tomorrow, the day after also.

Prabhupada: So what is your report?

Svarupa Damodara: We have finished three booklets. They’ll be ready in about two months. So we’re getting ready to start the program. It is going very nicely.

Prabhupada: It is being printed in Los Angeles?

Svarupa Damodara: Yes, one is printed in Los Angeles. And two will be ready in about a month. So I want to produce four. The other day we went to M.I.T. to see some scientists, and I was very encouraged by the community, Indian community.

Prabhupada: They like?

Svarupa Damodara: Oh, yes. They are very hopeful that this is the only thing that we can give to the world. Personally I talked with the man who synthesized this DIN molecule, the DNA part. We were invited to M.I.T. for honors there, and they showed us the whole lab. And the fifth floor, the whole floor, belonged to this professor. So I was taken in all the secret rooms, saw what they are doing, and I was just acting as a scientist, so they told me all the secrets that they were doing. So I was very satisfied that they…

Prabhupada: They received well.

Svarupa Damodara: Yes. Well and… It was actually the Indian who arranged this group, from the Federal Government, United States.

Prabhupada: You gave him good reception?

Svarupa Damodara: Yes, good reception.

Prabhupada: Hm. So what is your news?

Harikesa: Everything’s going on, Prabhupada. The Russian book is now a textbook.

Prabhupada: Hm?

Harikesa: The Russian booklet, Russian Easy Journey, is now being used as a textbook in the Catholic university in Lublin(?) by one professor. They liked the Russian so much and they liked the subject matter so much, they’re using it in the school. (Prabhupada chuckles)

Prabhupada: And your Krsna is… Present now scientifically. They’ll not receive?

Svarupa Damodara: Yes, well, this is… This should be ready, and this will be ready this month, this third one, so…

Prabhupada: So…

Svarupa Damodara: This one is to prove from mathematics that life cannot come from matter. This one is The Laws of Consciousness and the Laws of Nature, to prove by quantum mechanics that there must be Supersoul, Paramatma. There must be Krsna to direct all the source of knowledge. And there is no way that life can come from matter. This was the basic difference between spirit and matter. From Bhagavad-gita we use ksetra-ksetrajnayor jnanam, from Bhagavad-gita, Chapter 13.3, “To understand the distinction between matter, physical body, and life, the spirit, or the knower of the field, is called knowledge.” And we expounded this. We give the nice examples. We make their chemical theory of life as the “molecular fairy tale.” So that makes quite nicely adjusted to their theory.

Prabhupada: Atreya Rsi can go for some time, Bangladesh. They… He went there. Both Hindus and Muslims, they have regard to our society. And explain.

Jayapataka: I went to Bangladesh, and even the Muhammadans, hearing the philosophy we were preaching, they thought it was so appropriate for the time that they’ve sponsored a program. First they approached some of the Hindus to sponsor a program, the Muhammadans, saying that it is much more in line with their own preaching and what they felt was more needed for the world. And generally over there the young people, both Hindus and even some Muhammadans, they are very receptive to our philosophy as presented by Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada said that sometime you can visit there.

Atreya Rsi: Jaya. In Tehran the royalty, the court, is very interested in your teachings and philosophy. There is a prince and princess, very high and very rich, and they are regularly hearing, and they are now recently visiting our Bombay temple. They have come to Bombay, and they are really seeking for a teacher. And there is many intelligent people who are very interested. We are actively preaching and giving them Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Prabhupada: It is plain fact. God is one. Why God should be Muhammadan, Christian, Hindu? That is not God. God is God. Gold is gold. This example I give always. Because a piece of gold is coming from some Muhammadan gentleman, does it mean it is Muhammadan gold? It is gold. It may come from any source, but one must know that it is gold, not imitation. That is wanted. If it is imitation, then it is Muhammadan gold, Hindu gold. And if it is real gold, it is neither Muhammadan nor Hindu. (end)