Prabhupada: So Krsna has sent you to look after this Institution. And they are giving very good report that “Bhaktivedanta is…, is very big organization,” and we have got land. Kindly try to improve it. Your wife is here? Mr. Myer: Yes. She is also with me. Prabhupada: So how do you…? Things there are? Mr. Myer: Things are… I think it will be matter of one month’s time before we’ll be able to centralize everything. Just now, at this moment, of course, operating slightly in different areas. But next month by this date we should be able to… Prabhupada: Never mind. Mr. Myer: …know exactly what is happening, once we commonize the kitchen, the office, accounting chain and everything. At present we are slightly under capital, small space, but… Gurukula is coming out very well. In fact we met the contractor yesterday. So we’re hoping that by next month this time the whole thing should be shifted and so many more guestrooms will be released for people coming here for the festival. Possibilities are very good. Prabhupada: Everything is there by Krsna’s grace. Simply if it is nicely organized, things will… Tamala Krsna is very much appreciating. Mr. Myer: Nothing is done by us.(?) Prabhupada: So gradually… Tamala Krsna: There was a letter from Sridhara Swami from Hyderabad temple. Would you like to hear it? Prabhupada: You have read it? Tamala Krsna: Yes. More or less, just a report about things going on there. Did you say your brother has a press? Mr. Myer: Actually my brother is doing a lot of printing work in Bangalore. What he does is similar to what Bibil(?) does. He has got his own equipment, this IBM typewriters. He makes all the stencils, and then the photo film, it is printed on special paper. So he’s got two presses, one in Bombay and one in Madras. Prabhupada: What is his name in Bombay? Mr. Myer: Bombay, there’s one gentleman, he is… The name of the press where he’s… Tamala Krsna: Your brother owns the press? Mr. Myer: No. He’s getting a contract. He doesn’t invest very much money in that. He wrote a very nice directory of India. It’s the most beautiful directory. It took him about seven years to make. All the manufacturers in India, all the different economy of India, the various festivals. Prabhupada: Oh, directory Mr. Myer: Whole things is done in one. I’ll bring a copy when I come next time. It was done on very special paper made by Triveni Tissues in Calcutta. And whole thing is just so thin, and it covers everything, whatever, all Indian bases, all foreign embassies, banks, newspapers. (indistinct) Bombay this gentleman is. He’s got a very big press. But he has a problem in managing it. So my brother is trying to give him some business. They have got very good facilities, offset. People don’t believe such good printing can be done in India, five color, six color. Tamala Krsna: Your brother is a printer by trade? No. Mr. Myer: He is publisher. Tamala Krsna: He’s a publisher by trade. Mr. Myer: He is actually doing agency business and publishing as his hobby. He’s trying to bring out a few books. Tamala Krsna: Where does he live? Mr. Myer: He lives in Bangalore. Prabhupada: So why not bring some samples? Mr. Myer: I’ll bring. I’ll bring samples. And also I think if you want to print Back to Godhead issue, he can easily do it. He’s got a very good mind for it. Prabhupada: No, if your brother has got good press, we can print so many books. Tamala Krsna: You say he has a mind to print for us?(?) Mr. Myer: Very good. I’ll show you some work he’s done. Prabhupada: In press we are very much interested. Our twenty-five, yes, fifty percent activities on press. Mr. Myer: He can definitely help you. He knows Hindi, Sanskrit also. Tamala Krsna: Your brother. Mr. Myer: Hindi is good. Hindi, English. In fact, he’s now very obvious data.(?) He’s very well connected. He’s known to local governor and people each end in Calcutta. In fact, (indistinct) recommended you to start a center there. But only, you see, that so many faiths people start believing in. He has been believing in Sai Baba sometime. So I was not wanting… But he’ll change. It’s just a matter of time. Prabhupada: The Sai Baba has been challenged in so many ways. Mr. Myer: I went one day. I was sitting. I watched him, and he said “Come with me,” and… It was a while back. So like that, he’s… But then when I told him about ISKCON he’s definitely interested to know all about that. Because my eldest brother, he became a member first in Mayapura about four or five years ago. Tamala Krsna: Prabhupada said Sai Baba has been exposed in so many ways now. Mr. Myer: Yes. Biggest problem with him is, see, that he has some sort of a charm over people. Mainly people who go to him, they want some miracles. People who want some… Prabhupada: Yes. Mr. Myer: They want some quick profits. That’s why they go to him. But if anybody is interested in spiritual advancement, he cannot help. Somebody wants to get a son, somebody’s son is sick, he wants to get cured, such things… Prabhupada: Material. Mr. Myer: All material things. He is not not able to guide people. He does some different things, but basically he’s not able to take people for any spiritual advancement. Prabhupada: Neither he has any philosophy. Tamala Krsna: No. None at all. Mr. Myer: Actually South is full of it. They have got a Theosophical Society, there’s the Aurobindo Society, there is the J. Krishnamurti Trust. Many, many things are there. But each one of it is just a very shallow… J. Krishnamurti has never written a book himself. Always another person writes about him, his thoughts, his speeches. So only thing is that they started many, many years ago, fifty years ago. So they have bought some piece of land and started some schools, and like that they have created some systems. But basically it’s very difficult. One cannot make any advancement with such people. But all, everywhere in India today tendency is people just go and ask for some personal gain. In Tirupati people go there, they say “If I get a son, I will come and pay some money.” And some people say, “If my husband gets all right, I will come and do something.” Some women go there, they just take off all their diamond necklaces and pour it. In one day they will sometimes collect a crore of rupees. It’s unbelievable. So that is the type attitude people developed. Then that legend also says Lord Visnu married, and for a marriage He has taken a big loan. So whosoever is helping Him to repay it, he gets a good from the… Prabhupada: Lord Visnu. Who is that? Mr. Myer: Lord Venkatesvara. That is one insult. They say that for a marriage He has taken so much money, and He’s to pay back… Prabhupada: A person, man? A man has said? Mr. Myer: It is a form of Visnu. They call it Venkatesa-ji. Tamala Krsna: He’s talking about Balaji Venkatesvara. He says that there’s a legend that Visnu took a loan for what? Mr. Myer: For getting married. So that loan He has to repay now. So anyone who is helping Him to repay is given some… That’s what they say. It is very natural for people to go and… Tamala Krsna: Visnu doesn’t have to take any loan. Anybody who believes that means they don’t know the philosophy. How can God be wanting? Prabhupada: Laksmi-sahasra-sata-sambrahma-sevyamanam. He’s worshiped by many thousands of goddess of fortune. Why He is taking your help? Mr. Myer: So this is how the people are made to believe the entire thing. And now they’ve started collecting money through banks. People are sending deposits through banks to get pujas done. And prasadam is being sold in all the places. This is just basically. But if anyone wants to go there and… Tamala Krsna: So our temple should be ideal here. Mr. Myer: Oh, yes. This actually will be the largest, Krsna-Balarama. We think that now we have made all possible efforts people to know about it. In fact, if we could have a base in Mathura—that’s where all the people come from—and one on the highway, then I think we can attract people both side. Tamala Krsna: Everybody knows about this. Anybody who goes to Mathura comes to this place. Oh, that’s sure. People go to Mathura to come to Vrndavana anyway. Anybody that comes to Vrndavana has heard about Krsna-Balarama. It’s a fact. Mr. Myer: So next two months are very, very busy starting from August. The books definitely, for printing and publishing, I’ll get some samples. He has done good work. And in case you want to do some editorial work, he’ll definitely do. Tamala Krsna: But then he has to be… To do editorial work requires that he understand the philosophy. And if he’s following Sai Baba now, how will he…? Mr. Myer: Actually he’s not following. I think it’s just that at that point of time, nothing else is there. Like most people… Prabhupada: The professors challenge him… What…? Tamala Krsna: Yes. There was a challenge? Mr. Myer: Yes, one of his disciples was recently caught. He had lot of vibhuti inside, hidden inside his body. So when he lay down they say that lot of vibhuti was coming out. So when they opened the shirt it was just filled with whole thing inside. That is one of his very close disciples, they are… But he is still managing to get away. His argument is that there are two types of people who come to him. One who is spiritually advanced, for them he does not show any miracles. But there are some poor people who do not believe in God unless you show the miracle, so therefore he gives all these murtis and… I told, once (indistinct) with him last year. So I was sitting there and suddenly, you see, he just did something and… Tamala Krsna: Let’s see him save himself from death. Let’s see him make the miracle that he can save himself from dying. That he cannot do. Mr. Myer: Whole thing is, in the last four, five years. Once they tried to buy my chairman’s car, they want to buy. It is big Chevrolet car he has got. Prabhupada: I have heard that he’s a big drunkard. Mr. Myer: No, he wanted buy a car from my chairman. Tamala Krsna: What did you say, Srila Prabhupada? Prabhupada: That man is a big drunkard. Tamala Krsna: Who? Prabhupada: This Sai Baba. Tamala Krsna: Sai Baba is a drunkard. Mr. Myer: He is chewing pan twenty-four hours a day. His teeth are all red. Most of the time, when he goes there, he is… Tamala Krsna: Prabhupada said he doesn’t just chew pan. He drinks. He’s a heavy drinker. Mr. Myer: But these are all nothing. It is all temporary. When the sun shines, then all these little glows, they just automatically go off. Prabhupada: You are leaving when? Mr. Myer: Today evening. Tomorrow morning I’ll return to Madras, leave the day after, morning, then come back next week. Tamala Krsna: When will you be coming back? Mr. Myer: Next week. Wednesday or Thursday. Prabhupada: Jaya. [break] Any intelligent person can understand this is all Communist propaganda. And the Central Government is seeking an opportunity to drive them away. Tamala Krsna: To drive away the Communists. Prabhupada: If they can find out the snake behind the earthworm, then they’ll be finished. That there is. There is no case. Simply it is maneuver. Communist government wants to drive away the Americans. This is the plan. And the government is anxious to keep good relationship with America. And the Communist wants to drive them away. Tamala Krsna: Yeah. Now the American Consulate is also involved. That makes it very jeopardizing for the Communists. If they act the wrong way, then the Central Government will lose its position with the American Embassy. It will look very bad for the Central Government. They’re not going to let the state act in any way that will jeopardize their position. The two acting together, the Central Government and the American Consulate… Prabhupada: It is very clear that it is a plan of the Communists. Tamala Krsna: Would you say that even, I mean, initially it was a plan in the sense of the cow going on the land and… Prabhupada: No, no. This is all plan to make a case. Tamala Krsna: No, but I mean just like the cow… Prabhupada: It is insignificant. What is that? There was a cow, and… Tamala Krsna: So I mean… I’m just trying to understand. Just like the Muslim, he got the cow. Prabhupada: This is plan. Tamala Krsna: That was planned. Prabhupada: Yes. Tamala Krsna: Oh. I see. Even from that point it was planned. Prabhupada: Yes. Bhakti-caru: And the purpose (indistinct) outsider coming in (indistinct). Tamala Krsna: How could they take our grass? Bhakti-caru: At night, you know, they take the grass. (indistinct) And then when they caught this man… Tamala Krsna: They shaved half his head, they said. Prabhupada: Whatever it may be, this is all… Tamala Krsna: They shaved the Muslim’s head. (laughter) Like with Rukmi. Same punishment was meted out by Lord Krsna to Rukmi. We have to follow our predecessors. Krsna is the original predecessor. So far, I have not written anything to them because I think they should first send their report. You’ve been speaking… Actually, what you’ve been saying is very encouraging. Just like yesterday you said that they have done right, but I’m not communicating any of this to Mayapura. Prabhupada: No, no, no. This is not to… Tamala Krsna: They should first of all send a report before we tell them anything, because we should get the actual facts from them. Indian man (1): (Bengali) Prabhupada: We did not go to shoot them at their house. Tamala Krsna: They attacked us. Prabhupada: Yes. Tamala Krsna: Three hundred of them. And nobody got seriously injured. Indian man (1): No. This also came in the paper. Everybody says they know. Nobody sees. It is also coming. He was also telling us. Tamala Krsna: It seems like another opportunity of Lord Krsna’s to make us prominent. Prabhupada: Yes. Tamala Krsna: Actually, if we did not get these prominent opportunities, it would take many years to become so prominent, but Krsna pushes us. Prabhupada: (laughs) Yes. Krsna became prominent by killing Putana. (laughter) Immediately. A baby. (Bengali) Tamala Krsna: Srila Prabhupada, I’m still in the midst of doing some work. Is it all right if I continue? Prabhupada: Hm. (Bengali to end)
Room Conversation
with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
July 10, 1977, Vrndavana