770121 - Conversation E - Bhuvanesvara

Conversations by Date, 1977

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

770121R5-BHUVANESVARA - January 21, 1977 - 6:35 Minutes

Prabhupāda: So there is no civilization except in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That's a fact. All madmen.

Rāmeśvara: I remember about a year ago you told me that the biggest problem facing America in the future is unemployment.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That's a fact. That's a fact.

Rāmeśvara: I think you even said that, "This unemployment will destroy your country." You once said that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. At least, the black men will spoil everything if they are unemployed.

Rāmeśvara: He'll simply become a thief.

Prabhupāda: Thieves, rogues and plunderers. That's all.

Hari-śauri: Detroit has the highest murder rate in the world, 'cause all the city population is black.

Prabhupāda: Therefore we could purchase that palace which has cost six million dollars fifty years ago.

Rāmeśvara: Giving it away.

Prabhupāda: And we have got for three hundred thousand. Why? Nobody was purchasing. Who will go to purchase there? I took it, "Yes, it is . . ." I offered him . . . he was asking 350,000. So I told him, "I'll pay you cash, all three hundred." He immediately agreed. (laughs) I should have offered him less. He would have agreed. Nobody was purchasing.

Hari-śauri: Yes, we could have got it for about 250,000 probably.

Prabhupāda: So he immediately agreed. Anyway, that's a very nice place. You have seen?

Rāmeśvara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Very nice place, unique palace.

Hari-śauri: Yes, it's very good center.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Very nice building. We haven't got such building anywhere. On the waterside, big, big rooms, very nicely decorated, aristocratic, really aristocratic. Really aristocratic. How many devotees are living there?

Rāmeśvara: In Detroit? I think between forty and sixty devotees.

Prabhupāda: I think more. There are many devotees. And we can accommodate one hundred very easily.

Rāmeśvara: There can't be more than seventy there right now. It's not that big yet.

Prabhupāda: So many rooms, big, big.

Hari-śauri: Oh, yes. The place is huge.

Prabhupāda: If you can make brahmacārī, brahmacārīni separate, each room can accommodate fifteen men. Very high.

Rāmeśvara: You may remember the property in Los Angeles. Right next to the temple there are these group of stores. There's a Mason Temple. There's the karate place. Then there's a laundromat, then a meat restaurant, barber shop. So we have just bought half of the block.

Prabhupāda: Acchā? Which side?

Rāmeśvara: Furthest away from us. We purchased the laundromat . . .

Prabhupāda: Mason? Mason?

Rāmeśvara: No. That they will not sell yet. The other side. But including that meat restaurant.

Prabhupāda: Then they have to go?

Rāmeśvara: Well, now we are the landlords. They have got still a lease agreement which we now inherited. So they are paying us rent.

Prabhupāda: The washerman also?

Rāmeśvara: Yes. So we have the choice . . .

Prabhupāda: And this man? Karadri?

Rāmeśvara: No. Stopped just before karate. The only thing left is the karate . . .

Prabhupāda: And the Mason.

Rāmeśvara: . . . and the Mason Hall. And then the plan . . .

Prabhupāda: No, in between them, there is a small space, some worker.

Rāmeśvara: Yes. From karate down we do not own yet. But on the other side we've just purchased it.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Rāmeśvara: Now we have a plan. Actually I have started a business with Karāndhara called the . . .

Prabhupāda: He has a plan to make a . . .

Hari-śauri: Skyscraper.

Prabhupāda: Skyscraper.

Rāmeśvara: That's the plan. We're making money by truck business. (break) . . . the farms. Sometimes we may invest in some advertising or promotion. And you gave Gopāla Kṛṣṇa the hint that he should take paid ads in the newspapers.

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

Rāmeśvara: So in America . . .

Prabhupāda: If there is response, good.

Rāmeśvara: We should experiment in different areas also in America.

Prabhupāda: America, I don't think so good.

Rāmeśvara: Although there is a way to develop mail order business. We found out that mail order businesses in America make millions of dollars.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rāmeśvara: So it's possible.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. That is worth.

Rāmeśvara: Now, one thing . . . (break) . . . because he's very passionate, because he takes intoxicants, so he wants to control that money. He made a plan that if the whole money is given to San Diego, he will match it gradually. So now I've already given seventy thousand dollars to San Diego. So maybe we can . . .

Prabhupāda: So I'll tell him that they don't bother. He is doing nice.

Rāmeśvara: But we can suggest to him that "We have already given seventy thousand. So now you match that. Then, when we give more, you can match that."

Prabhupāda: No, he's a good boy. You can talk with him. All right. Take rest. (end)