731101 - Conversation B - Delhi

Conversations by Date, 1973

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

731101R2-DELHI - November 01, 1973 - 23:57 Minutes

(Conversation about Rādhā-Dāmodara Property)

(poor recording)

Prabhupāda: . . . then our, this Deity worship is not regulated. Better you revitalize it. It is not that hard. Just see, just like a few days you remain at our temple to see our kīrtana, our ārati, nobody . . . (indistinct) . . . if a few men remain there, then . . . (indistinct) . . . and gradually, I am there in Māyāpur, somebody goes, somebody comes . . . (indistinct) . . . maintain fifteen or twenty men. So revitalize. This program.

Śyāmasundara: Has there been any response from that Gaurachand Gosvāmī? Did he reply to your letter?

Prabhupāda: He has sent it with . . . (indistinct) . . . but the advancement has not come.

Śyāmasundara: Last Monday. On the Monday.

Prabhupāda: Where is that copy?

Śyāmasundara: I have the copy in the file. (break)

Prabhupāda: . . . speaking the right—that ah. They are important men. But in Vṛndāvana, they have no scope for preaching.

Devotee (2): It is up to the preacher to create a scope.

Prabhupāda: Huh? Huh?

Devotee (2): It's up to the preacher . . . (break)

Prabhupāda: Therefore we preach sincerely, then people will come. (break) . . . our Deity worship, kīrtana and the whole . . . (indistinct) . . . then people will come. Gradually the people will come. (break)

Devotee (2): Saṅkīrtana. Because it's . . . (break)

Prabhupāda: Chant, read, or go outside—preach. Some . . . endeavor . . . and reduce sleeping. Reduce sleep. Sleeping is not good. And to reduce sleeping, you must eat less. (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I have been following your advice, Prabhupāda, and I have been getting up at three-thirty in the morning to chant my rounds before ārati . . .

Prabhupāda: That's good. That will give you strength. This is the only way to get . . . to be stronger in spiritual life.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think we should introduce that all over the society.

Prabhupāda: First of all, you introduce to yourself. (laughter)

Devotee: All society, I mean . . . (break)

Prabhupāda: It is made of dalda.

Devotee: What is that?

Devotee (2): Dalda. Oil.

Prabhupāda: Too much ghee. You should not accept that. No eating.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It was not made by them—I think they bought it . . .

Devotee: I think it was one that I . . . (break)

Prabhupāda: Then you'll pay for it. That is danger.

Devotee (2): Mr. Gaurachand drinks? Ohh.

Prabhupāda: You don't disclose—I know that. He drinks, and he serves gañjā.

Devotee (3): Gañjā. The son I have seen, doing that.

Prabhupāda: That is their difficulty. That all their other brothers also, they know this. Therefore it is spoilt, that "You are earning money from the Rādhā-Dāmodara, and you are spoiling it." Therefore they want to get you out. They are also rogues—fifty cousin-brothers. But I have given you formula that we can arrange for distributing prasādam daily, at least for fifty men. In that fifty men, they also may be included, all . . . (indistinct) . . . that much I can do. "You go on with your own śaivite business. We have nothing to do with that." But if I am given facilities, that means, at least, what better opportunity will be than?

Devotee: Regarding duties?

Prabhupāda: Regarding duties.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prasādam.

Devotee: (reading) "I can arrange for Rādhā-Dāmodara temple worship very nicely, namely at least fifty devotees will be offered prasādam daily, including two times refreshment and two times meals. The disciples will remain with me. They will have daily chanting, reciting scriptures very nicely to attract hundreds of persons during the performances. Last time when I was in Vṛndāvana, you know how much attractive and pure saṅkīrtana was performed by my disciples.

To arrange for fifty men's prasādam nowadays means daily expenditure. Now plus the rupees 100 daily are rupees 3000 per month. I do not wish to disturb the position of the śaivites of Rādhā-Dāmodara temple, but simply if I am given the facility to live there with my disciples, it will be my pleasure to serve Their Lordships Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Dāmodara to my best capacity. Now it is up to you, all śaivites, to decide on this fact." (break)

Prabhupāda: "You give me facility to live there; other expenses will be taken care of. So fifty men, you can also be included in that." So, what can I offer more? "But I cannot give any cash. That is not possible. That will be arranged . . . (indistinct) . . ."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Your business is with Rādhā-Dāmodara.

Prabhupāda: That's all. I want to see Rādhā-Dāmodara dressed nicely. I shall require I shall dress, I shall offer nice food; daily we can offer kīrtana, dancing—everything.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Nice proposal, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: And now you go on with your śaivites and fight amongst yourselves. I don't care for it. What can I . . . what can I offer more than this?

Devotee: That will be the greatest contribution to Vṛndāvana if that temple is revived.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So you can talk with him that, "If you agree, then we immediately begin. If you don't agree, then we'll have to start our own temple. We are serious about this matter. So this expenditure will be in other temple, we shall . . . we are getting land, we shall construct temple, and we shall do this business. But the same business you want to do here, if you give us facilities." That's all.

Devotee: He has some land, open land, behind, he can give us.

Prabhupāda: That we shall consider later on. For the time being, we must have living accommodation. And then we will begin. But I am prepared to pay rent also. That I will. "So what do you want more?"

Syamasundara: Is there any accommodation there?

Prabhupāda: Accommodation . . . (break) . . . can live there. This is best opportunity I am giving them.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In your two rooms, fifteen or twenty men.

Prabhupāda: No, no. Above. There are big, big rooms, at least three, four. You can go down also, there . . .

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That downstairs.

Prabhupāda: Downstair. So fifteen, twenty men we can accommodate.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Easily.

Prabhupāda: Easily.

Devotee: It seems like a big building they have built . . .

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Devotee: It seems like a big building they have built. It goes back . . .

Prabhupāda: Others . . . they can lack whatever they have got. Let them give us a lease; we shall construct externally.

Devotee: Residential quarters, classrooms and everything.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) "We shall repair. We shall repair the whole temple nicely. And we shall make nice silver throne for the Deity, give Him like that." You see? "And daily, fifty to a hundred men gradually will take prasādam here. We shall cover this with, what is called, railing, so that monkey may not come. So it will be unique thing. If you want, we can do it. Otherwise, we start our own temple somewhere. We are prepared to spend, but if you give us chance, we spend here; otherwise we spend somewhere else."

Devotee: And it's not that we are poor men.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Devotee: It's not that we are poor men, we're not just making promises.

Prabhupāda: No. That he knows. But actually we shall spend—what is that—we can spend hundreds rupees.

Devotee: For Rādhā-Dāmodara.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Hundred, two hundred we shall spend. We want to make it unique in Vṛndāvana. Because it is Jīva Gosvāmī's place. That is my . . . because Rūpa Gosvāmī and Jīva Gosvāmī sat there. Therefore.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That will be the very best thing in Vṛndāvana. That will be the best choice for Rādhā-Dāmodara. The temples are . . . (break)

Prabhupāda: You can go to Jaipur, the other partner.

Devotee: Mukherjee?

Prabhupāda: No. These are Gosvāmī . . . (indistinct) . . . Gosvāmī. I have sent the copy.

Devotee: Shall I read the purport? (break)

Prabhupāda: Amongst themselves, divided the property. That is not legal. That is not legal. Devata's property cannot be partitioned like that. That is illegal. (break) . . . devata's property—means property dedicated to the service of the Lord—cannot be divided amongst the śaivites. That is not possible. They have done these things illegally. (break) . . . can go, try for this. And if possible, then immediately you begin.

Devotee: So we should try for the three choices.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee: There are three choices for Rādhā-Dāmodara. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We can make that offer.

Prabhupāda: "Why you have come here, Americans? This is occupied all the time." (break) . . . for developing Vṛndāvana and Māyāpur. (break)

Devotee: You like that photo?

Prabhupāda: Very much.

Devotee: That was at the Calcutta paṇḍāl. Everyone was looking at . . .

Prabhupāda: Yes, Calcutta paṇḍāl. Don't you think it is very nice? (break) All of them. That I want. Asamordhva. Nobody should be equal to you; nobody should be greater than you. Otherwise, why you American come here? Nixon is trying to become leader in a wrong way. You become leader in this way, the whole world will worship you. Whole world. You have got such a thing in your hand, and coming from a great nation, you distribute it, you do it properly—your nation, you, everyone will be happy. You have got a genuine thing. (pause)

Just like when I saw first my Guru Mahārāja—my friend took me there—the first remark I will . . . "Here is the right man who will spread Lord Caitanya's mission," I remarked. And he also said: "You are the right man who will preach to the Western countries." I appreciated in that way, and he appreciated me like that. That was the first-side visit. The friend who took me there, he asked my opinion and, "Here is the right man who will preach Caitanya cult all over the world." He is doing that what I am. Actually he is doing it.

So the right thing are given to the right hand, and you are all sincere. You do in such a way that wherever you go, make it unique. Don't bother about paltry things and fight amongst yourselves. That will spoil. (break) Now these girls also—Yamuna's letter, how nice. So we have got all nice boys and girls. Utilize very nicely. (break) So take these two centers, Māyāpur and Vṛndāvana. Make such a nice thing that everyone will be attracted. I don't think there is scarcity. You are getting money. You have got literature, you have got books; everyone is appreciating all over the world—that means some . . . (indistinct) . . . are appreciating. It is not a joke. They say that we . . . the statistics are other books are decreasing in sale, and this book is increasing. You have seen that letter, Macmillan & Company? Gopāla has shown? You have seen?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: What do you want more? And one other remark that, "This Macmillan, through them, all other books will be increased in sale." People will enquire, "What is this book?" The ISKCON Press is getting regular nice order. That I know. So manage things very nicely. Organize things—American expert management. I take this business very ideal. (laughter) Without any investment, they are earning millions of dollars daily, these Americans—simply by giving the papers. One government, they issued as currency notes in the country where they are issuing currency notes in the shape of traveler's check, all over the world. How organized business. And people blindly purchase. So this is organization. (laughter) Eh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Very intelligent business.

Prabhupāda: So you can do, these nine members. You can do better than them. If people become little interested, the whole world will be like that, "Let me read. Where is this Kṛṣṇa Book? What is this? Give me." The more they read, your propaganda is success, and you'll get money for expanding. And spend half for increasing temple and half for printing books. I have given the formula very nicely. (pause)

And our Bhagavata-gītā is selling. Our preface . . . the professors have given the most scientific preface. You cannot find such preface in any other edition of Bhagavata-gītā. You have read carefully, the preface?

Devotee: Yes. The Introduction.

Prabhupāda: Introduction, yes.

Devotee (3): I heard that on tape, when you first spoke that.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (3): It is on a tape recording, a very long time ago.

Prabhupāda: Yes, in the Second Avenue I was speaking. The impetus was given by one American lady. I forgot her name. She was a disciple of Dr. Mishra.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You mentioned that in the Introduction.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then I began to write. Bhagavata-gītā which I wrote in India, that was lost.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You wrote Bhagavata-gītā As It Is when you were in America, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Yes. This one.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When was that, that you were writing?

Prabhupāda: In Second Avenue. The Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Nectar of Devotion, Kṛṣṇa—everything was written in America.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What about this Caitanya-caritāmṛta? Essays of text, Caitanya-caritā . . .

Prabhupāda: That I wrote here.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is it in its complete form?

Prabhupāda: Not complete form. But if you preach, I can complete it.

Devotee (3): In San Francisco weren't you and Gaurasundara working on it? Long time ago, in San Francisco?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee (3): Because I remember it.

Prabhupāda: So do it nicely, make program, work constructively. It is a huge task. We are appreciated by the whole world. Keep your position. Don't spoil it.

(pause)

In Africa also, there is good response.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We have yet to take Japan, Prabhupāda. We have yet to make a real effect in Japan, for that is an important place.

Devotee (2): That's coming around fast, though . . . (indistinct) . . . (break)

Prabhupāda: ". . . the letter which I have written to you," that "This is our idea. Application is already there. Now this is our idea, and this is our plan."

Devotee (2): I have shown the Māyāpur plans.

Prabhupāda: This which . . . Māyāpur plans and the picture?

Devotees: (indistinct) . . . (break)

Prabhupāda: Thousands of people will come.

Devotee (2): There will be advertising. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I have 10 minutes to 9 . . . (indistinct)

Devotee (2): I have 3 to.

Prabhupāda: No, that is right. (laughter)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I recall, Prabhupāda, that your watch was off about three seconds in London, and you asked to get it fixed. Your watch was running slow, I think, by about three or four seconds, and you wanted it still to be fixed, more correct. You were telling by the sound of the church, or was it . . . (indistinct) . . .?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) . . . can also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. That has to be done very nicely.

Prabhupāda: Hm. (end)