770710 - Conversation - Vrndavana
Prabhupāda: So Kṛṣṇa 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.
Prabhupāda: 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...
Prabhupāda: 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.
Prabhupāda: Everything is there by Kṛṣṇa's grace. Simply if it is nicely organized, things will... Tamāla Kṛṣṇa is very much appreciating.
Mr. Myer: Nothing is done by us.(?)
Prabhupāda: So gradually...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There was a letter from Śrīdhara Swami from Hyderabad temple. Would you like to hear it?
Prabhupāda: You have read it?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 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.
Prabhupāda: What is his name in Bombay?
Mr. Myer: Bombay, there's one gentleman, he is... The name of the press where he's...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 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.
Prabhupāda: 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.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Your brother is a printer by trade? No.
Mr. Myer: He is publisher.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 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.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Where does he live?
Mr. Myer: He lives in Bangalore.
Prabhupāda: 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.
Prabhupāda: No, if your brother has got good press, we can print so many books.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You say he has a mind to print for us?(?)
Mr. Myer: Very good. I'll show you some work he's done.
Prabhupāda: 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.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 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.
Prabhupāda: 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 Māyāpura about four or five years ago.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda 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...
Prabhupāda: 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...
Prabhupāda: 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.
Prabhupāda: Neither he has any philosophy.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 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 cr ore of rupees. It's unbelievable. So that is the type attitude people developed. Then that legend also says Lord Viṣṇu 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...
Prabhupāda: Lord Viṣṇu. Who is that?
Mr. Myer: Lord Veṅkateśvara. That is one insult. They say that for a marriage He has taken so much money, and He's to pay back...
Prabhupāda: A person, man? A man has said?
Mr. Myer: It is a form of Viṣṇu. They call it Veṅkateśa-jī.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He's talking about Bālajī Veṅkateśvara. He says that there's a legend that Viṣṇu 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...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Viṣṇu doesn't have to take any loan. Anybody who believes that means they don't know the philosophy. How can God be wanting?
Prabhupāda: Lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambrahma-sevyamānam. 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 pūjās done. And prasādam is being sold in all the places. This is just basically. But if anyone wants to go there and...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So our temple should be ideal here.
Mr. Myer: Oh, yes. This actually will be the largest, Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. We think that now we have made all possible efforts people to know about it. In fact, if we could have a base in Mathurā—that's where all the people come from—and one on the highway, then I think we can attract people both side.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Everybody knows about this. Anybody who goes to Mathurā comes to this place. Oh, that's sure. People go to Mathurā to come to Vṛndāvana anyway. Anybody that comes to Vṛndāvana has heard about Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma. 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.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 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...
Prabhupāda: The professors challenge him... What...?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. There was a challenge?
Mr. Myer: Yes, one of his disciples was recently caught. He had lot of vibhūti inside, hidden inside his body. So when he lay down they say that lot of vibhūti 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 mūrtis and... I told, once (indistinct) with him last year. So I was sitting there and suddenly, you see, he just did something and...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 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.
Prabhupāda: I have heard that he's a big drunkard.
Mr. Myer: No, he wanted buy a car from my chairman.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What did you say, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: That man is a big drunkard.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who?
Prabhupāda: This Sai Baba.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sai Baba is a drunkard.
Mr. Myer: He is chewing pān twenty-four hours a day. His teeth are all red. Most of the time, when he goes there, he is...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda said he doesn't just chew pān. 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.
Prabhupāda: 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.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When will you be coming back?
Mr. Myer: Next week. Wednesday or Thursday.
Prabhupāda: Jaya. [break] Any intelligent person can understand this is all Communist propaganda. And the Central Government is seeking an opportunity to drive them away.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: To drive away the Communists.
Prabhupāda: 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.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 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...
Prabhupāda: It is very clear that it is a plan of the Communists.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Would you say that even, I mean, initially it was a plan in the sense of the cow going on the land and...
Prabhupāda: No, no. This is all plan to make a case.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, but I mean just like the cow...
Prabhupāda: It is insignificant. What is that? There was a cow, and...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So I mean... I'm just trying to understand. Just like the Muslim, he got the cow.
Prabhupāda: This is plan.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That was planned.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh. I see. Even from that point it was planned.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Bhakti-caru: And the purpose (indistinct) outsider coming in (indistinct).
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How could they take our grass?
Bhakti-caru: At night, you know, they take the grass. (indistinct) And then when they caught this man...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They shaved half his head, they said.
Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, this is all...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They shaved the Muslim's head. (laughter) Like with Rukmī. Same punishment was meted out by Lord Kṛṣṇa to Rukmī. We have to follow our predecessors. Kṛṣṇa 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 Māyāpura.
Prabhupāda: No, no, no. This is not to...
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 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)
Prabhupāda: We did not go to shoot them at their house.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They attacked us.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: 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.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It seems like another opportunity of Lord Kṛṣṇa's to make us prominent.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually, if we did not get these prominent opportunities, it would take many years to become so prominent, but Kṛṣṇa pushes us.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes. Kṛṣṇa became prominent by killing Pūtanā. (laughter) Immediately. A baby. (Bengali)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I'm still in the midst of doing some work. Is it all right if I continue?
Prabhupāda: Hm.
[Indistinct background conversations between devotees, then intermittent Bengali until end between Prabhupāda and Bhakti-caru—initially about drinking milk or fruit juice—then with Indian man about the political situation and Māyāpur situation—"Signboard: Beware of dog; do not trespass"] [end]