770304 - Conversation - Mayapur
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
(Conversation with GBC)
Prabhupāda: Hmm.
(devotees talking in the background)
Prabhupāda: India's leader, they are now giving stress on agriculture. We should very nicely organize the Hyderabad. What you have resolved about that?
Hari-śauri: What have you resolved about Hyderabad?
Rāmeśvara: We resolved that we would send money from the record sales to help develop the food projects there, the farm there and the food distribution.
Prabhupāda: First of all you depute two or three GBCs to go there and see what is their program, how they'll utilize the money.
Jayatīrtha: A committee was formed to examine the situation in depth and to make a proposal exactly how the money would be utilized, and that committee consisted of . . . who were the GBC men, Satsvarūpa?
Rāmeśvara: The Indian GBC.
Jayatīrtha: Indian GBC. They were supposed to make a . . .
Prabhupāda: No, Indian GBC plus other GBC. Four or five men should study.
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda's talking about the agricultural program.
Rāmeśvara: But this ties in.
Gargamuni: Agriculture minister.
Prabhupāda: Not only here, but everywhere. The farm project is sound project. So what other things?
Satsvarūpa: There's quite a list of resolutions, yesterday's and today's. Beginning yesterday morning: We finished the last assignment of GBC men, that Jagadīśa will continue as the education minister and that Svarūpa Dāmodara will execute his GBC duties in connection with the Bhaktivedanta Institute, Eastern headquarters in Bombay, Western headquarters Washington, D.C. with Rūpānuga.
Prabhupāda: And Boston also? No.
Satsvarūpa: No. Today also with new preaching centers, Svarūpa Dāmodara was assigned the development of Manipur.
Prabhupāda: Vaiṣṇava state. Do you like this idea?
Rāmeśvara: Svarūpa, do you like the idea?
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.
Satsvarūpa: And we discussed the sannyāsa recommendations. No one who was recommended last year for sannyāsa was approved this year. During the year they did not prove well. Well no one is here for initiation. And for next year no recommendations were made. Then . . . one man . . . and I was accepted as editor-in-chief of Back to Godhead. The details of the editorial policies that I should follow, I can take in consultation from my other GBC Godbrothers. And further, in an attempt to set a uniform standard so that Back to Godhead is like scripture, I should function as editor for all Back to Godheads published in the various languages. In this I should work in cooperation with the co-editors and BBT trustees of the various foreign language BTGs. There may be various co-editors of those magazines, but I will be responsible to keep a uniform standard.
Prabhupāda: That's nice.
Satsvarūpa: Then we made resolutions concerning the public relations. One is that each temple president will instruct the devotees that as each devotee approaches people in any way he is acting as a public relations representative for Śrīla Prabhupāda. At least one day a week there must be chanting and food distribution in public performed by each temple. Balavanta, who is the minister of public relations in the United States, will be the editor of a monthly newsletter to ISKCON reporting on public relations programs to be executed, including do's and do not's. Every temple will start a program of sending a monthly Back to Godhead fand a letter from a devotee to his parents if his parents are at least . . .
Prabhupāda: This is very good.
Satsvarūpa: Then, regarding the program to sell standing orders to individuals, this should be undertaken with GBC supervision. Tripurāri Mahārāja has volunteered to supervise a team in the U.S. and Gopāla Kṛṣṇa in India. The BBT at their trustees' meeting will consider their role in printing brochures for this.
Prabhupāda: Nice.
Satsvarūpa: A vigorous program to be undertaken by the GBC in India to introduce Bengali and Hindi books to secondary schools. Gargamuni Mahārāja's traveling party . . . (break)
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Ready in also two months. And by Janmāṣṭamī we will have a Hindi Gītā, Kṛṣṇa book and the whole First Canto.
Rāmeśvara: Jaya.
Prabhupāda: We are very glad. That's nice.
Satsvarūpa: Brahmānanda Swami will prepare a list of devotees he requires for Africa, and every zonal GBC will supply a good man as required. Next year the GBC members Brahmānanda and Jayatīrtha will report how the manpower is being engaged.
Prabhupāda: Very good.
Satsvarūpa: The GBC will encourage serious devotees in their zone to go to India and will allow those to go who actually want to go. Resolved: Gṛhasthas not be discouraged to work at jobs or develop their own business with their own means.
Prabhupāda: That's nice.
Satsvarūpa: All temples will be encouraged by the GBC to undertake vigorous Life Membership programs with the Indians. In America this program should be standardized in all respects, using the present forms developed in New York and New Vrindaban. The program in USA will be overlooked by Ādi-keśava Mahārāja.
Prabhupāda: That's nice.
Satsvarūpa: Resolved: A committee be formed of Saurabha, Tamāla Kṛṣṇa, Rāmeśvara, Ātreya Ṛṣi, Jayapatākā, Gopāla Kṛṣṇa and Gurukṛpā to research and give a report on all aspects of the Māyāpur projected construction, including its material feasibility, cash flow requirements. They will report their research to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: One very big paṇḍita is coming. He'll help us about the Sanskrit language, how to form this . . .
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Planetarium.
Prabhupāda: . . . planetarium.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One big paṇḍita has been contacted, and he's very surrendered to Prabhupāda. He wants to help Prabhupāda and our movement to understand the meaning of the śāstras in regard to the layout of the universe, so that the planetary systems can be done in our planetarium.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: (aside) When's he coming?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Erm . . .
Prabhupāda: This planetary system is rotating from east to west, and it is hanging like the chandelier, taking shelter of the polestar. That we can see every night. Now where is the situation, which planet, where is sun, where is moon—so that he has to assert.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: When he's coming, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: I have asked him to come in this ceremony.
Satsvarūpa: Resolved: Devotees preaching to raise funds for Māyāpur must make a uniform presentation. A brochure should be prepared by the BBT. The preaching for Māyāpur should not be done differently by different persons in different parts of the world, and a brochure should be prepared for this preaching. Any GBC who wants a BBT loan . . .
Rāmeśvara: That's specifically for fund-raising.
Satsvarūpa: Yes. Preaching for fund-raising for Māyāpur. Then, any GBC member who wants a BBT loan will submit it to Rāmeśvara Mahārāja, but it will be held in abeyance until the Māyāpur financing is decided in regard to the BBT commitment to Māyāpur.
Prabhupāda: That's nice.
Satsvarūpa: Resolved: Pañcadraviḍa Swami will organize how to distribute prasādam to all visiting pilgrims on Gaura-Pūrṇimā day.
Prabhupāda: How many you are arranging?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How many are you arranging for?
Pañcadraviḍa: One hundred thousand.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: One lakh.
Prabhupāda: Very good.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What will it consist of?
Pañcadraviḍa: Gur, and . . . we calculated that we would need . . .
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What is the preparations?
Prabhupāda: Ask everyone visiting, "Please take prasādam."
Pañcadraviḍa: Each person will get twenty grams of gur and peanuts, a preparation like nakaldana, something like nakaldana, in their hand.
Prabhupāda: Nakaldana? Not khicuṛi?
Pañcadraviḍa: Peanuts coated with gur. Gur is cooked, and the peanuts . . .
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, what kind of prasādam would you suggest?
Prabhupāda: Khicuṛi.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Khicuṛi.
Pañcadraviḍa: But for khicuṛi, it would be difficult to feed one lakh of people.
Jayapatākā: No, we're now giving people . . .
Rāmeśvara: We could do both.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Prabhupāda suggested when I asked him about this . . .
Prabhupāda: Give them sumptuous food. What is this? (laughter)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Nakaldana. Prabhupāda wants them to be properly fed.
Pañcadraviḍa: All right. You mean khicuṛi?
Jayapatākā: Those that eat, they are satisfied.
Pañcadraviḍa: I was told that we were doing it for everyone.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda suggested khicuṛi . . .
Prabhupāda: Make one khicuṛi, one potato, one eggplant vegetable. No, tomato-eggplant. Tomato.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Tomato. Chutney?
Prabhupāda: Chutney.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Tomato chutney.
Prabhupāda: It is very nice. And if possible, little paramānna.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Little?
Prabhupāda: Paramānna, sweet rice.
Pañcadraviḍa: So for this, tomorrow we are making?
Prabhupāda: Then people will be very much satisfied.
Satsvarūpa: Another resolution: A subcommittee be formed of the three GBCs for India as an ISKCON Food Relief Committee. They will make a proposal on how a food program will be conducted.
Rāmeśvara: That Prabhupāda said should have the Indian GBC and two others.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Rāmeśvara: He just said previously there should be five members.
Brahmānanda: No. He was talking about Hyderabad.
Rāmeśvara: Yeah, but this is that . . . this is in relation to that.
Satsvarūpa: GBC men wishing to send men to preach in Ātreya Ṛṣi's Mid-East zone should first consult with him.
Prabhupāda: Very good.
Satsvarūpa: The GBC man must be responsible and implement in their zone Śrīla Prabhupāda's maintenance fund. There was some neglect.
Prabhupāda: So what is my maintenance? Two cāpāṭis, that's all. (laughter)
Rāmeśvara: This is a special fund, Prabhupāda, for paying for any travel plane fare for the whole group that travels with you.
Prabhupāda: All right.
Satsvarūpa: Resolved: All properties purchased, even those personally transacted by GBC members, should be cleared through the property committee. The property committee will add Rāmeśvara Mahārāja along with Jayatīrtha for the U.S.
Rāmeśvara: We were already on it. Both of us were on it.
Prabhupāda: And here?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What about in India, Prabhupāda wants to know.
Rāmeśvara: Tamāla Kṛṣṇa's already a member of the property committee, and he'll be in India unless Prabhupāda sends him.
Jayatīrtha: Should anyone else be added in India?
Prabhupāda: Property committee means the GBC and Tamāla Kṛṣṇa.
Jayatīrtha: Five.
Prabhupāda: Four?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah.
Prabhupāda: Or what else?
Rāmeśvara: No, that will be good. But, Prabhupāda, I think that also if Tamāla Kṛṣṇa can help supervise, perhaps, the spending of the money that we send for construction as part of property committee duty, at least he could check, 'cause he's also a BBT trustee, how it's being spent by Saurabha.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Should be checked. That's nice.
Satsvarūpa: We made a resolution regarding improvement for our GBC meeting that next year all the agenda topics should be submitted by the GBC men to the three GBC officers thirty days previous to the annual meeting. After analyzing the proposals, the officers will present a number of topics to different committees, who will present them at the meeting.
Hṛdayānanda: The purpose of that was to try to discuss things more before the meeting so the meeting can be done more quickly and efficiently.
Prabhupāda: Subject matter. This is for subject matter committee. Subject, committee of subject.
Satsvarūpa: Then today there was some new selection of assignments. One: That Jayapatākā Mahārāja be made acting GBC along with Gurukṛpā Mahārāja, both be co-GBC managers of Bengal and Orissa. And Gargamuni Mahārāja be GBC of the traveling party going to colleges and libraries for sales in India and Asia and the Mid-East. Gargamuni should first go to countries around Iran and evaluate his work . . . and his work will be evaluated, and if done nicely, then he can enter Iran also.
Gargamuni: I have to go to Iran in order to sell the vehicles. Where am I supposed to go? That's a stupid proposal. I wasn't here for that. (laughter) It's a stupid proposal.
Jagadīśa: That wasn't the main part of the proposal.
Gargamuni: Well, that clause is stupid.
Rāmeśvara: We can discuss that.
Satsvarūpa: But the general assignments are agreeable, is that Iran . . .
Gargamuni: Yes. We're going to have to go in.
Hṛdayānanda: So we can arrange that.
Prabhupāda: We have got very good encouragement from Budapest. You have read that letter. That means there is very good potency of our movement being accepted in communistic countries. Just read that letter.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda. You like this garland, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: All right. You have brought it, I must like it. (soft laughter)
Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Satsvarūpa: Shall I read on?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Satsvarūpa: We made resolutions regarding book distribution techniques. Any illegal techniques for book 18:50 distribution—that is, illegal according to law—should be banned, including . . . and then a comprehensive list will follow, mainly supplied by Rāmeśvara Mahārāja. They will include some things like outright illegal techniques.
Prabhupāda: Real point is if we can introduce book, there is nothing illegal. Everything is legal. Now, to save us from so-called legal complication, we must be legal. Otherwise there is nothing illegal what we do for Kṛṣṇa.
Rāmeśvara: That was our conclusion, Prabhupāda, that there are just a few practices . . .
Prabhupāda: But we have to take care of the public.
Satsvarūpa: Things . . . some of them mentioned were to imitate a deaf and dumb man and ask for charity, imitating that . . . (laughter)
Prabhupāda: That's not bad. (laughter)
Kīrtanānanda: Some boys were arrested for that, Śrīla Prabhupāda. They will arrest you in the United States if they catch you. They have done that.
Brahmānanda: That is considered fraud.
Rāmeśvara: Prabhupāda, the points that we are proposing to ban will not decrease book distribution, so they can be eliminated and book distribution will not be decreased.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So the real legal thing is: some way or other, introduce books. Therefore . . . and it will be beneficial in the long time, let us see. Read it (referring to letter).
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "We're very happy to see that by your divine mercy the whole world is flooded with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just by printing and distributing your books the whole world will change. We can see the tremendous effect that your books already caused in the Communist countries of Eastern Europe. The people are mad after your books. Many of them can see that this is the only solution to get out from the miseries that are caused by the materialistic way of life and Communism. Please let me quote from a recent letter sent by a boy in Hungary." The boy's name is Yedi Peta. " 'According to the advices now, I am chanting daily on beads I made at home. I also have purchased the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, although I can only speak Hungarian. Now I do not give any more importance for the evidences from chemistry, physics, mathematics, etc. Rather, I appreciate A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda much more than any scientist or philosopher.' "
Devotees: Jaya!
Rāmeśvara: Haribol!
Pañcadraviḍa: Intelligent.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: That's very nice.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: " 'There have been many others also in the past . . . there maybe have been others also in the past who were pure, but to my person, Śrīla Prabhupāda is the nearest and dearest. I feel the importance of living in the association of devotees and of accepting the guru. However, at the present there is no temple here, so I neither can associate with devotees, nor can I be accepted . . .' "
Prabhupāda: So it is not possible to start a temple there?
Bali-mardana: Budapest?
Prabhupāda: Who is taking care of that side?
Devotees: Harikeśa.
Prabhupāda: So, if possible, try.
Harikeśa: It's very difficult.
Prabhupāda: No. You don't take much risk. But there is customer.
Harikeśa: And we have a . . . actually we have a very secret preaching center there.
Prabhupāda: That's all right. Do cautiously so that everything may not be capsized. If you cannot do . . . caught. Dhairyāt. Dhairyāt tat-tat-karma . . . (Upadeśāmṛta 3). Patiently. Then?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: "This unfortunate situation must be due to my past sinful lives. I have already accepted Śrīla Prabhupāda as my spiritual master, so I desire . . ."
Prabhupāda: So encourage him to start. We can help.
Harikeśa: Actually, Śrīla Prabhupāda, this is not the best man.
Prabhupāda: No, whatever he is, for the time being, he's the best man. He's willing to give you service. He should be encouraged. He's so enthusiastic.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says: " 'So, I have desire that the time will come when Prabhupāda will accept me and I may have the fortune to be taught by him and have the association of the devotees.' "
Prabhupāda: Very good. So take this man as important for future activities. Try to encourage him and train him. He'll be good help.
Satsvarūpa: More resolutions about book distribution. The temple president, in order to control the techniques of book distribution, whether they are going against our resolution not to use illegal techniques, the presidents should go out on a monthly basis and observe their own book distributors, how they distribute books in the field. And also the GBC men should go out in each of his temples in his zone at least once during the year to see how the men are distributing books. And if a temple continues some illegal technique for book distribution, the BBT trustees are responsible to do the needful to rectify it.
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Satsvarūpa: We have made one resolution that certain techniques should not be done. They are too dangerous for arrest. So if a temple persists in doing those illegal techniques, then the BBT will . . .
Prabhupāda: Rectify.
Satsvarūpa: Yes. Also, for book distribution techniques, the use of the Santa Claus uniform and other theatrical costumes is banned, not to be done.
Prabhupāda: Is there any legal objection?
Satsvarūpa: No.
Prabhupāda: Then why?
Kīrtanānanda: They're legal.
Hṛdayānanda: There was a great deal of negative publicity.
Kīrtanānanda: They are legal . . .
Prabhupāda: So if it is legal, why shall they be . . .?
Rāmeśvara: The reason it was decided is that even though it is legal in America, in foreign countries there is bad reaction. The Americans do not mind as much as the foreign countries. So we are concerned for the international image of our movement.
Jayatīrtha: It was published in practically every newspaper in the world, a picture of Santa Claus being arrested by a policeman in America. We got a lot of questions. Also the President of the United States questioned one boy in a Santa Claus outfit.
Rāmeśvara: We felt that it would not seriously decrease the book distribution if we stopped this.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Then it is all right.
Rāmeśvara: That's the real thing.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's the only factor.
Rāmeśvara: That's the key factor.
Prabhupāda: All right.
Satsvarūpa: A legal committee of Balavanta, Ādi-keśava and Rāmeśvara will investigate whether certain techniques are legal or illegal according to the laws. Then one of the popular means to distribute books is by women's party. A party of women will travel under the care of a man devotee. But in taking care of the women, we have noted that some of these parties have been preaching a false philosophy of the relationship of the man who's taking care of the women, and that philosophy is that the saṅkīrtana leader is the eternal husband and protector of the women in the party. We want that this philosophy should be rejected. If a man is taking care of a number of women in his saṅkīrtana party, he should be regarded as the son as well as the representative of the spiritual master, of Śrīla Prabhupāda, and not the husband of these women.
Prabhupāda: Husband, but why he does not marry them? (laughter)
Satsvarūpa: Well, sometimes there may be as many as twenty women in a party.
Kīrtanānanda: They would like to.
Prabhupāda: We have no objection if one marries more than one. That I have stated. But law does not allow. So do the needful.
Satsvarūpa: Then, preaching centers: Preaching centers in the U.S. can be opened by approval at the yearly meeting of the GBC . . .
Prabhupāda: Good.
Satsvarūpa: . . . or during the year with consultation of three GBC members. But when the zonal GBC wants to open a permanent center in a city where there is a temporary center opened by a party like Rādhā-Dāmodara party . . .
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Satsvarūpa: . . . then the jurisdiction of the temporary party would be turned over by Rādhā-Dāmodara to the GBC whose zone it is in.
Rāmeśvara: Provided that it is approved by the GBC at the annual meeting.
Prabhupāda: That's all right.
Satsvarūpa: And then we have a list of the different centers to be opened around the world, the different preaching centers next year. Shall I read these, Prabhupāda? Different GBCs have submitted . . .
Prabhupāda: How many resolutions are there still?
Satsvarūpa: Let's see. There's about six or seven more.
Prabhupāda: So we shall see tomorrow.
Hṛdayānanda: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Jaya. (break) Find out.
Hari-śauri: That's that stuff that Nava-yogendra Mahārāja brought from Mombassa.
Prabhupāda: Just use it. Why it is . . .? (break)
Mahāṁśa: Does it make any difference for us?
Prabhupāda: Yes. So we shall have farm project, so we should think . . . (break)
Satsvarūpa: You want to hear the rest of our resolutions, Śrīla Prabhupāda? We were about to read the preaching centers that were proposed by different GBC members to be opened during the year. The GBC permission was given to the following GBC secretaries to open the following preaching centers in the next year. In the U.S. Balavanta dāsa to open centers, permission for Knoxville, Tennessee; Columbia, South Carolina; Gatlinburg, Tennessee. And he has already opened a preaching center in Charlotte, North Carolina, and wants to open another one in Nashville, Tennessee. Then the zone of Tamāla Kṛṣṇa dāsa Goswami and Ādi-keśava Mahārāja for the Rādhā-Dāmodara parties, the following preaching centers were just opened and now approved under the provisions and conditions as stated in the general resolution for preaching centers in another's GBC zone: Cincinnati, Ohio; Lexington, Kentucky; Louisville, Kentucky; Indianapolis, Indiana; Lafayette, Indiana; Terhow, Indiana; Kansas City; Durham, North Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; Memphis, Tennessee; Oklahoma City; El Paso, Texas; Madison, Wisconsin; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Peoria, Illinois; and Carbondale, Illinois.
Rāmeśvara: Every town and village.
Satsvarūpa: The following centers are opened out of New York Temple: New Haven, Connecticut; Long Island, New York; New Brunswick, New Jersey . . .
Prabhupāda: It is open?
Satsvarūpa: Yes, these are opened already.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We opened these centers in the previous year, Śrīla Prabhupāda, putting . . . it's Guru-Gaurāṅga worship, not Deities. Pañca-tattva worship.
Prabhupāda: Hmm.
Satsvarūpa: And in the Virgin Islands, two cities—St. Thomas and Aruba. And then for the coming year, permission given for opening centers in Phoenix and Albany. I was given permission for opening preaching center in San Francisco and in Colleen, Texas. Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja already has opened an approved center in Bloomington, Indiana; and Columbus, Ohio; and in the coming year can open in Morgantown, West Virginia; Dayton and Toledo, Ohio. Rāmeśvara Mahārāja has already established preaching centers in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, Utaḥ. Permission given for opening preaching center in San Antonio, Texas; Omaha, Nebraska; Albuquerque, New Mexico . . .
Prabhupāda: Las Vegas is a dangerous place? Eh? Do . . .?
Rāmeśvara: It is now dangerous for the conditioned soul, 'cause we are passing out your books there. It has become dangerous for the demons. They will lose their demoniac nature by this book distribution.
Brahmānanda: That is the center of the gambling in America.
Hṛdayānanda: Gambling, prostitution, intoxication.
Rāmeśvara: The whole city is managed by criminals. They have given us permission to sell books in the airport.
Prabhupāda: Oh. That's nice.
Satsvarūpa: Then . . . also, Rāmeśvara permission to open in the summer to cover these national parks: Yosemite, Yellowstone and Mount Rushmore. In South America, Pañcadraviḍa Swami permission for the next year to open Monterrey, Mexico; Guatemala, and Panama.
Pañcadraviḍa: And Medellin, Columbia.
Satsvarūpa: Oh, that's yours? And Medellin, Columbia. Hṛdayānanda dāsa Gosvāmī, permission for a few cities in Brazil; Bolivia; and Valencia, Venezuela. In Europe, Bhagavān dāsa given permission to open centers in Barcelona, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; Milan, Italy; and Harikeśa Swami has already started centers in Berlin, Zurich, Helsinki, Hamburg and . . . Wroclaw?
Harikeśa: Brezlav.
Satsvarūpa: Permission given for Norway, Vienna and Copenhagan for the next year. Brahmānanda Mahārāja has been given permission to turn the following preaching centers into temples with Deities: Mombassa and Mauritius, and permission for a new center in Lagos.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Nigeria?
Hṛdayānanda: Preaching center in Nigeria. Richest African country.
Satsvarūpa: Bali-mardana has been given permission to move the Adelaide center to the Australian farm. Ātreya Ṛṣi permission to open centers in Karachi and Istanbul. Jayapatākā Mahārāja permission to open Panihati and Dacca. And Haṁsadūta Mahārāja in South India, Bangalore, Madras, Kodaikanal, Colombo in Ceylon, and Kathmandu, Nepal; and Goa.
Prabhupāda: Lage laghu. Very good.
Satsvarūpa: In the U.S. all that territory where there are no temples was assigned into geographic zones so that all territory in the Canada and the United States fits into the zone of one GBC or another.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? I'd just like to point out to Your Divine Grace that preaching center means no Deities. It just means Pañca-tattva worship.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And if we find that there's good . . .
Prabhupāda: The devotees.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. And if there's good reaction from the people in the city, then later on we can propose to install Deities.
Satsvarūpa: Then we switched onto other topics. There was a resolution that there will be no marriages of girls until they are sixteen years old. Not before.
Pañcadraviḍa: What about the schools?
Gargamuni: That's for America.
Rāmeśvara: In America.
Satsvarūpa: In America. (indistinct whispering amongst devotees) The next resolution is that each GBC member is advised to take a turn as Śrīla Prabhupāda's secretary, and they should approach Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja for that assignment. Then another resolution: All devotees are expected to shave their heads once a month. If there is a necessity to keep hair, it shall not be longer than it would grow in one month. Next resolution: Individual GBC members are responsible for their presidents signing the oaths of allegiance to ISKCON and Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Pañcadraviḍa: Can I say one thing? I think we should say that to Śrīla Prabhupāda that this resolution regarding the women was also to establish schools for them to protect them from local laws. To establish schools where they can learn domestic arts.
Rāmeśvara: That's true.
Pañcadraviḍa: That was passed.
Satsvarūpa: Resolved: Tuṣṭa Kṛṣṇa's group in New Zealand and Siddha-svarūpānanda Swami in Hawaii should pay the same price for BBT books as the temples in the ISKCON, not less, as they are paying now. It is well known that these groups preach actively against ISKCON. In response, although we should point out their philosophic defects, we should not directly confront them but remain aloof from . . .
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In other words, no fighting with them.
Prabhupāda: This is to give them chance. They are chanting. Some way or other, keep them alive.
Satsvarūpa: Resolution: An international Life Membership committee is formed, headed by Brahmānanda Swami and Jayatīrtha, Gopāla Kṛṣṇa and Ādi-keśava Swami. Each GBC man is responsible to try to recover devotees—blooped devotees—in his zone. That means fallen devotees. Say, if Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa has left, then wherever he is living in the world, that GBC man of that area should try to contact him, or Madhudviṣa, like that. They're responsible for them, trying to recover them. Resolved: A committee to be formed to discuss the improvements in the Māyāpur festival and set programs. Advisory committee of Jayapatākā Swami, Rāmeśvara Mahārāja, Bhavānanda Swami, Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, Mahendra and Balavanta. This is an advisory committee which will plan for an action committee.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Can you repeat who they are?
Satsvarūpa: Jayapatākā Swami, Rāmeśvara Swami, Bhavānanda Swami, Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, Mahendra and Balavanta.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is this for the festival? Could I be added to them? Is that all right, Śrīla Prabhupāda? I'd like to be added to that committee to help with the festival if that's all right with the GBC.
Gurukṛpā: Sure.
Satsvarūpa: Next point. Next year at the Māyāpur festival, separate but equal facilities will be arranged for the women. It was felt that they weren't equal this year, that perhaps next year the new building could be divided in half, that they could have the same type of facility but kept separate.
Prabhupāda: That's nice. Now we have got enough place.
Jayapatākā: There's not adequate room. There's supposed to be a new building. But Prabhupāda said okay . . . (indistinct)
Satsvarūpa: Resolution about restaurants, that they may be named either Hare Kṛṣṇa Restaurant or Govinda's Restaurant. Then we passed a resolution about attendance at the temple functions. All GBC members and temple presidents are responsible to see that all devotees in their zone attend the morning and evening program except when there is alternate bona fide preaching in the evening, like if there's some book distribution in the evening. Otherwise everyone must go morning and evening.
Prabhupāda: Very good.
Satsvarūpa: So today the presidents had their meeting, and they went over all our resolutions. This year it went very smoothly. They finished their whole meeting in a couple of hours. The president of the meeting was Girirāja. And they made some amendments to our proposals. I don't think I have to read all of them. Some of them are just minor adjustments. But some of them are . . . one was . . . we read the other night that we would not do the Santa Claus dress any more for saṅkīrtana, but they changed that at their meeting. They felt that the publicity was not actually so detrimental around the world, and that the advantage for book distribution and collecting was very great. So they said: "Do it." And then we had our final meeting this afternoon, the GBC, to review their meeting, and we agreed this time with them. Agreed that we . . . but we put an amendment on it that they could dress in Santa Claus or other costumes only after getting permission from the local authorities by permit to do that. So there wouldn't be illegal.
Prabhupāda: That's nice.
Satsvarūpa: (indistinct background discussion among devotees) Many of these other points are very minor. Also the committee that you requested was formed for investigating the Hyderabad farm, of the three Indian GBCs, Balavanta and Hṛdayānanda Mahārāja to go after the festival. So are these resolutions in order, Śrīla Prabhupāda? These resolutions that we passed . . .?
Prabhupāda: Yes. It is all right.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, we were wondering that one time when you were ill in Vṛndāvana you requested that the devotees in our temples around the world could chant kīrtana all the time, twenty-four hours, till you recovered your health. So the GBC was wondering whether we could request again for that.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Jaya. Tomorrow.
Prabhupāda: Bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-'bhirāmāt (SB 10.1.4). This is the real remedy for any disease. Very good idea. So? Finished?
Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Jaya.
Jayapatākā: Śrīla Prabhupāda? My mother left this morning, and she wrote a letter to you. I'd like you . . . if I could read . . . " Śrīla Prabhupāda: I am sorry to hear of your illness. Jayapatākā tells me swift changes in temperature cause many illnesses in Māyāpur. A place so beautiful must have it's thorn. May your recovery be soon. It was auspicious for me to have met you. Not having seen my son for so long, finding him in the midst of God's blessings at ISKCON with a spiritual master of such great repute was humbling in its magnitude. Perhaps in some small measure I can help parents understand what their children are into and weaken their weapons. This visit will be shared with others. It was propitiously enjoyable. As far as fund-raising, there is a seminar on new methods I am trying to get to, but Kṛṣṇa seems to be pulling me back. Perhaps tomorrow I will be able to go to Calcutta and Delhi. I will be corresponding regularly with Jayapatākā. In a few months I plan to move to California. You have taken good care of my son. You have brainwashed the cobwebs of materialism (laughter) and elevated his soul. Your goodness radiates to all who meet you. May God bless your body with good health. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jayapatākā's ma."
Devotees: Haribol!
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda: Jaya.
Pañcadraviḍa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? I talked to, er . . . what's his name? Pañca-ratna. And he told me that they ordered everything to prepare khicuṛi, vegetable, sweet rice and tomato chutney for tomorrow.
Prabhupāda: Very good.
Pañcadraviḍa: And also for the day after they'll be serving something, and everybody who comes will be getting in addition to prasādam distribution, some prasādam in the temple also.
Prabhupāda: That's nice. Very good.
Devotees: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)
- 1977 - Conversations
- 1977 - Lectures and Conversations
- 1977 - Lectures, Conversations and Letters
- 1977-03 - Lectures, Conversations and Letters
- Conversations - India
- Conversations - India, Mayapur
- Lectures, Conversations and Letters - India
- Lectures, Conversations and Letters - India, Mayapur
- Audio Files 45.01 to 60.00 Minutes
- 1977 - New Audio - Released in July 2012