770219 - Conversation D - Mayapur

Conversations by Date, 1977

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

770219R4-MAYAPUR - February 19, 1977 - 20:08 Minutes

Prabhupāda: And anywhere there is some connection with Caitanya Mahāprabhu, we shall try to develop on this principle. Besides that, as many other centers possible. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi (CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126). That will make our movement triumphant. And demons are always against. That is old story, everywhere.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In regard to Hyderabad, can we ask Mahāṁśa to send an account of how he uses the money that you give him? You're going to be giving him money from the Trust Fund.

Prabhupāda: I've already given them. (break)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He should send account of how he is . . . (break)

Prabhupāda: How he may . . . some more money is spent or less money, that doesn't matter. We want to see whether the result is there. I understand in that way. Phalena paricīyate. Account . . . you may spend ten rupees more or less; it doesn't matter. I never kept. I want to see the result, that's all. I was asking Tripurāri that whether this opposition has hurt our book selling. He said no. Is it all right?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. I'd say that's a . . . it hurts initially, but then we rebound. On the whole, it does not hurt.

Prabhupāda: That we want to see.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, on the whole.

Prabhupāda: Our real damage is there. Otherwise, let them do whatever they like.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But I want to explain that. In other words . . . I'll give you an example. Now they have learned that the way they can hurt us is through book distribution. They're understanding that. For example, now in about three or four different cities they are going to the airports where we do our big book distribution. And three or four people are engaged to break up all the sales. This happened in Chicago, it happened in San Diego and it happened in Minneapolis, all within the last two or three months.

Hari-śauri: Still happening there?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In Minneapolis it's still happening, and San Diego it's still happening. They learned it from that Yanoff case. That Yanoff issue in Chicago. The deprogrammers then wrote to each other that, "This is a very effective means to cripple their activities, because they will yield to this pressure."

Prabhupāda: That they will try, but we can find out another avenue.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Well, that's what we did do.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So now they're frustrated. On the whole, it has not hampered our book distribution.

Prabhupāda: That we want to see. That is result, that's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Because as soon as they stop one thing, we go to another one.

Prabhupāda: That's right. How many places they'll stop?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They can't.

Prabhupāda: They cannot.

Hari-śauri: If we gave them a good beating they wouldn't come back again.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Sometimes we did that. There was one man, very, very big demon, who was breaking up all the sales in one airport. So finally the devotees hired a professional man, and this professional watched how this man went home, and after about a month of observing him, this professional man hid himself near the man's garage, so when the man came back home—after disturbing our sales for five months—the professional beat him very severely.

Prabhupāda: That's nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And then he never came back again.

Prabhupāda: That's it, tit for tat.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. He never came back.

Prabhupāda: So we should adopt that means. Anyone who is opposing, give him good beating.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's what they do.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They employ this.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: As long as we do it very discreetly.

Prabhupāda: Huh? No, this was very done, that hiding in the garage, and as soon as, "Oh," beat. Give them. "Eh!"

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And he could understand. There was no proof, but he could understand very well why he was beaten.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: It's just like when they get taken before Yamarāja at the end of their lives, it says in the Bhāgavatam, they understand all their past sinful activities. Now they're getting punished for it.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is allowed. That is within Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They are doing that, because the policemen and others are beating our men in the airports sometimes. We are getting hit and beaten. Tripurāri sometimes was punched in the face. Many times it has happened to him. He has been beaten for distributing. One time . . .

Prabhupāda: We can also do that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And it's so horrible that when this happens . . . just like . . .

Prabhupāda: No, best thing is we find out another venue. But if there is possible, we can also give. It is very nice example, fight and give him some lesson. There are many examples. The Pāṇḍavas did it.

Hari-śauri: What situation did they do that?

Prabhupāda: There was a rākṣasa disturbing Bhīma, so he became like a female, and she came, and gave him (laughing) good lesson.

Hari-śauri: Yes. Lord Rāmacandra chopped off the nose of Rāvaṇa's sister.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is not bad. (break) . . . must go on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Double.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: At least, every year.

Prabhupāda: Yes. It doesn't matter how they are opposing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I think the book sales will tremendously increase this year in India especially.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Yes. And India, if we are popular, oh, then government will see.

Hari-śauri: There's tremendous potential for book distribution in India.

Prabhupāda: Therefore I say, take five lakhs and print and distribute. All languages.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Someone was giving me the report today that in Delhi the boys go out, and each man sells eighty to a hundred rupees' worth of books.

Prabhupāda: Just see.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They go out in a party, just like in America.

Prabhupāda: Now we have got Hindi books we can sell very nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. They hold kīrtana and then distribute.

Prabhupāda: You called Vāsudeva? He has already ordered two thousand each.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Immediately.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So it means we shall sell outside India at least fifty thousand every month.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What about London and England? Huge Indian population.

Prabhupāda: Huge Indian, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: America also has big Indian population.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Tripurāri should take standing order for the Indians, because he has many centers under his charge.

Prabhupāda: In Africa? Huge Indian, whole Africa—east, west, north, south.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And also in Trinidad.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Those countries.

Prabhupāda: Trinidad, there are many Indians. They know Hindi.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. They were waiting for Hindi books.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Give them. Print huge quantity. This is very important item, our book distribution. Whole Bombay, whole building should be stocked—Hindi, Gujarati, Telegu, so that one house for one stock. And try to, mean, vacate even by giving them. Simply our business, nothing else. And those who are devotees, they'll follow you, and they can come and live. That's all. And engage whatever help they can give.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You had a plan to make another building on the Bombay land.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is already in the . . .

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Contemplated.

Prabhupāda: Municipality judge will not sanction. They're harassing our . . .

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Still.

Prabhupāda: That man is there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Mhatre.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. But major triumph is there in our side. He was harassing not to allow the temple. That has been baffled. Similarly, the other building also will be done. Try. Go on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Always.

Prabhupāda: India, we have got tremendous business. Village to village, distribute these books and saṅkīrtana. You don't require language. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and distribute the . . . bās. And prasāda distribution. It doesn't matter who is doing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The real future, then, will be done if we can make many local people devotees.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That will be nice.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Because importing is impossible.

Prabhupāda: No, that is not possible.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Therefore this Māyāpur has great importance, because we're making so many devotees.

Prabhupāda: Local.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When these boys grow up a little they can be sent all over India.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Yes. They can be trained up very nice, from the very beginning.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So that should be one of their programs here, saṅkīrtana parties with the young gurukula boys when they get to be twelve, thirteen.

Prabhupāda: Similarly, Vṛndāvana also can be done.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Are they making devotees there? Not so much.

Prabhupāda: Vṛndāvana locally you cannot do. Mostly they rogues, the bābājīs. But there is good potential. (door opens and closes)

Hari-śauri: I can't find him.

Prabhupāda: Oh. He's not in his . . .?

Hari-śauri: He's not in his room.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He may be taking prasādam now. He was . . . I had a talk with him today. He was a little . . . I was surprised that he was complaining that the prasādam is the same every day. In other words, his complaint is that although we are giving . . . of course, he may be critical, overcritical. I think that is a fact. But still, we should listen a little bit. He comp . . . now every day there's at least seven sabjīs. I mean, that's a big variety. But his point is that every day it's the same seven sabjīs.

Prabhupāda: That is not good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No.

Prabhupāda: So you have to manage that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I'll make . . . I mean, they should listen to that point, because it's a valid point. He's right.

Prabhupāda: They are very expert.

Hari-śauri: They fed us very nicely when we were there in Fiji.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. They are very expert.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He said. He said: "In my house one day it is rice and dāl. Next day, it is khicuṛi."

Prabhupāda: That is the way. If you supply the same thing, it becomes hackneyed.

Hari-śauri: Yes. Even if it's first class, it still becomes boring.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And I think these woman can cook many varieties.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They know.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: Even if they only do three or four sabjīs a day, they can . . .

Prabhupāda: Yes. Why so many?

Hari-śauri: Why seven?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, that's it. They have to be told also. On their own, they won't do it. I'll try and tell the proper person.

Prabhupāda: That they can be advised, the change, menu change.

Hari-śauri: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Do you happen to know who's charge of it? Tapomaya?

Hari-śauri: Tapomaya's always down there.

Prabhupāda: This kitchen management is a great art. That attracts men. Tā'ra madhye jihwā ati, lobhamoy sudurmati, tā'ke jetā kaṭhina saṁsāre, kṛṣṇa baṛo doyāmoy, koribāre jihwā jay, sva-prasād. Give varieties of prasāda. That is required. That is the art.

Hari-śauri: We're going to need some very expert cooks for our Bombay center.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Hari-śauri: We're going to . . . we'll have to make sure we have some very expert cooks without . . .

Prabhupāda: You change it. You change it.

Hari-śauri: Because that restaurant . . .

Prabhupāda: The Gujarati, they know it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Gujarati cooks.

Prabhupāda: I asked Bhogilal. He sent, but they cancelled.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: The same thing. I once arranged for Shantilal's brother, and they cancelled. The thing is there's an art of dealing with these servants. You have to know how to handle them. Otherwise . . . they have to be treated like the children in the family.

Prabhupāda: No, not . . . treat them as master-servant tactfully.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And you have to take care of them.

Hari-śauri: The thing is, those men that Bhogilal sent were smoking biḍis and everything.

Prabhupāda: That could be checked that, "You do not do this." If you have to keep hired cook, so you'll have to manage in that way. Everything depends on management. Change of menu is very good, not that the same thing should be . . .

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's been four days now of the same thing.

Prabhupāda: That's not good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Of course, we are accustomed, because sannyāsī, we don't care so much. But these men are not accustomed like this. He made a big point of it. He didn't like it at all.

Prabhupāda: They are cooking very nice in Fiji.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All of these Life Members, they have the best cooks in India. They are accustomed to very high-class food, Marwaris.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Hari-śauri: That cooking we had when we went to Bhogilal's in Hyderabad . . .

Prabhupāda: Very nice.

Hari-śauri: . . . it was very first class.

Prabhupāda: Very first class. The cook available, but if you cannot manage, what can be done?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Bhogilal's in Hyderabad?

Hari-śauri: Yes, he has a house there.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He was there also, present?

Prabhupāda: Cooking means if you have no appetite, it will create appetite. That is cooking. Not that simply add some ghee and masalā and cook it. No. It is a great art.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: When you went to Hyderabad did you stay with Mr. Pithi again?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Hari-śauri: No, we were out at the farm.

Prabhupāda: No, we were staying, but he supplied his car. But he came to airport.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We have to supply some good man for Fiji.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Vāsudeva was speaking that some proper person for teaching them pūjā . . .

Hari-śauri: Well this boy Saj . . .

Prabhupāda: Trained, very trained.

Hari-śauri: This boy that's coming from Vṛndāvana, Sajjanāśraya, he's worked in Fiji with Vāsudeva a lot before.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: And he's trained to do pūjā now too.

Prabhupāda: These two brothers, they can teach very nice pūjā, first class.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're the best in the society.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. And they are the sincere devotees.

Hari-śauri: Yes . . . (end)