691008 - Letter to Jayagovinda written from Tittenhurst, UK

Letters by Date, 1969

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Founder-Acharya:
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
CENTER: TITTENHURST PARK
TITTENHURST HOUSE
Ascot, Berkshire, ENGLAND
DATE......October..8th,............1969

My Dear Jayagovinda,

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge reciept of your letter dated October 3rd, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. I am pleased to note that you are so seriously considering how to organize the printing of our German Krishna Consciousness literature. You have suggested that you print in ZZG simply the verses of Bhagavad Gita, but without the purport what is the meaning of the verses? The purport is actually the main thing. So you can pick up the principal point of a purport and make then a heading for the article. Just like in the next issue Satsvarupa has published an article, "Lord Siva, the Greatest Devotee". This was picked up from my translation and purport of 3rd Canto Srimad Bhagavatam. So far as sales are concerned, if you don't sell, then how you will be able to maintain your establishment? If you want to maintain a nice place simply by all working hard—in the beginning that is all right—but if you cannot maintain it by selling literature and making collections, then that is not a good idea. How to sell our magazines and literatures you have to find out means and ways. On the whole, everywhere we are arranging to sell our BTG and maintaining our centers on this sale. So what is the defect that you cannot sell? It is printed in the German language, and it is presenting new and sublime ideas. I you wish, you can cut down on the production costs as you have described, but the sales must be there. Another thing is that you should obtain this IBM machine as you have mentioned. Then you can make the size of ZZG suitable for being printed later on in our Boston presses in book size. If the composition is prepared by this time, we can immediately print in Boston on our own press which will be ready in December. In that case Bhagavad-gita As It Is may be translated and printed in ZZG in a book shape, so later on it can be reprinted in book form. That is a good idea, but it means you will have to reduce the size of the pages of the magazine. Regarding Kulashekhar, I have asked him to go and join you. Most probably he will join you very soon.

I hope this will meet you in good health.

Your ever well-wisher,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami