770419 - Conversation A - Bombay

Conversations by Date, 1977

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

770419R1-BOMBAY - April 19, 1977 - 19:59 Minutes

Prabhupāda: This is all right. And hand he cannot take? Problem? It is a problem?

Devotee (1): For me, Prabhupāda, yes.

Prabhupāda: So make a subcommittee immediately, resolution, consisting myself, yourself and Gopāla Kṛṣṇa and Lokanātha Swami.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Lokanātha?

Prabhupāda: Swami. We are all Indians. There will be no difficulty.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Gopāla Kṛṣṇa is Canadian.

Prabhupāda: No, he is Indian. Eh?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: He's a Canadian, no?

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: By citizenship he is. By birth he's Indian, but by citizenship he's Canadian.

Prabhupāda: So by Indian birth, that is all right. Citizenship, I am also Canadian. I have got Canadian immigration. First of all I took Canada immigration. Then, from there, I took U.S. immigration. So make a subcommittee immediately. Make resolution. Ācchā. What about the Canadian, Australian, English men? They also require the same?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: There is no excepting an Englishman. Anyway, you make these four men, subcommittee, and you take whatever land is given, given up to Kṛṣṇa. Then pick up selected person from each family and make a strong body. And then we organize Burma and Bangladesh. And he's going to Ceylon. Formerly India, Burma, Ceylon, they were one. And somebody's going to Pakistan. So there is chance of uniting all these different parts of India by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You have to organize. At least you organize here, Manipur center, Burma and Bangladesh and Assam. It will be successful.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In Tripura also there are many Manipuris.

Prabhupāda: Eh? Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Tripura.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Indians . . . and Manipur, there are many men from Bangladesh.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. Sylhet.

Prabhupāda: From Sylhet. Sylhet is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's place. There is Caitanya Mahāprabhu's forefathers' house, Sylhet. So what talk you had with that doctor?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, his name is Professor M. S. Thakur, and we had a very interesting talk yesterday, and he's willing to come and stay in the temple for at least a week. He's going to come and stay here for at least a week.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: He wanted to learn more about Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Prabhupāda: Very good. Let him come. Give him good place, and we shall talk.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Girirāja Prabhu was also present.

Prabhupāda: Oh, you were also present?

Girirāja: Yes.

Prabhupāda: And what about Municipality?

Girirāja: I met Mr. Rajda, and he had written a very nice letter to the Commissioner, and, the thing is, the typist made many mistakes, so in his office I personally retyped it, but by that time it was too late to meet the Commissioner, so he said to ring up today. But I also met the architect yesterday, and he says that the permission for the Gurukula is ready. It's signed and everything, and he's going to pick it up, I think, tomorrow morning. So in retyping the letter I minimized that. He said that actually those people were helping us, but they just had to, you know, dispose of Mhatre's objections first. So the main things we're approaching for is this ten-foot piece of land, which is going to be a constant trouble. So . . .

Prabhupāda: They have no use to ask for this ten feet.

Girirāja: No.

Prabhupāda: Neither they have paid for it.

Girirāja: No, they haven't.

Prabhupāda: Then why they are trying to occupy it unnecessarily?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What would they want to do with that ten feet?

Prabhupāda: No aim.

Girirāja: It only has harassment value.

Prabhupāda: That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They can't plant trees there or something.

Girirāja: No.

Prabhupāda: They can do nothing, they have no use, but simply harassment, these people.

Girirāja: Yeah. That's the only reason.

Prabhupāda: So impress this point to Mr. Rajda.

Girirāja: Mr. Rajda himself in his letter wrote that this ten feet will be of no benefit either to the Municipality, either to the public, but it will only disturb us.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It's already a road. So what more do they want? We're not blocking anything.

Prabhupāda: So . . .

Girirāja: Now the only thing is that they may ask for some type of compensation.

Prabhupāda: We shall give something to them. But we shall give.

Girirāja: Because technically, although there's no reason to it, but technically it is in their name right now.

Prabhupāda: We shall give whatever Rajda will settle with them.

Girirāja: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That's all.

Girirāja: The normal rate . . . it's 220 yards, and the normal rate is about a hundred rupees a yard. So it'd be 22,000 rupees.

Prabhupāda: Oh, that's all right. Give him.

Girirāja: I'm sure that on that basis we can definitely settle now.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Make a settlement.

Girirāja: We'll try for less . . .

Prabhupāda: No.

Girirāja: . . . but if we pay the normal rate we can definitely settle it now.

Prabhupāda: No, normal rate we shall pay. Finish this.

Girirāja: Okay. And then the other thing is the garbage bin.

Prabhupāda: No.

Girirāja: And I'm sure that we can get that removed also.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Girirāja: That's also simply harassment.

Prabhupāda: Simply harassment.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Mhatre. Will he be reelected?

Girirāja: No. He's notorious.

Prabhupāda: He's Congress man. So nobody will elect Congress man.

Girirāja: No. He's like the Sanjay of the Municipality. Everyone knows he's corrupt and ruthless.

Prabhupāda: So let Mr. Thakur come. He's chemist.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: He's electronic physicist, and . . .

Prabhupāda: So you also were present in that meeting with Mr. Thakur?

Girirāja: Yeah.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: He also saw the movie that Yadubara had. We also presented a movie, and Mr. Thakur, Professor Thakur, was also watching.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yadubara's movie.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That new one.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: How did he like it?

Girirāja: He missed it. He missed the whole thing.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Well, he, er . . . a little . . .

Prabhupāda: No, you make some movie.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, that was what I was discussing with Yadubara today. That movie seems to me that it's a little too dilute.

Prabhupāda: No, it is not made by scientific men. Layman-made. (laughs)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We discussed some point before he made movie, but we made very good point, but he didn't include any of those, what we suggested. At the beginning he has started, then everything was some sort of a popularization of . . .

Girirāja: I thought it was like the new style of Back to Godhead.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Girirāja: Many attractive photos to appeal to the public taste, but less philosophy.

Prabhupāda: We want now philosophy and science.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We can make a better one.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Much better . . .

Prabhupāda: So you should stop this, showing this. It may not be a laughing matter.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: For the general public, do you think that they'll get anything from it?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No. It may be of little use for these common people, just for women and children . . . (indistinct) . . . for these. But personally I feel that . . .

Prabhupāda: It will not . . .

Svarūpa Dāmodara: . . . the scientific community, they'll make fun of this.

Prabhupāda: Then don't show it.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What about in the universities, the students?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: University students?

Prabhupāda: They are . . . University students, they may be educated. They'll also make a . . . don't make it a laughing stock.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Well, very little is there. Just started, then finished. So I said: "If it can be done, it can be a little elaborated. Give some more authentic examples, a little more discussion and some philosophy . . .

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But it's too short. And in a short time . . .

Prabhupāda: No, no. It is made by layman, so it is not valuable.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yadubara is coming to see you at the end of the massage today, so maybe you could give him some further direction.

Prabhupāda: What I can do? He'll do.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Just if you tell him that he should start this movie over again.

Prabhupāda: He should not produce such thing without consulting the scientific men.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Actually I suggest that we make another movie.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The article that we are writing right now is very appropriate, that, the difference between spirit and matter. That is what he's trying to show there, but here we have many scientific evidence, and we can make it . . . so it will be very nice when we finish this monograph.

Prabhupāda: So make it improved, and another film you can make. It doesn't matter.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: What is made is made. You can reject it. Make another, authentic. And I have asked to pay you for your department . . . what will be the savings?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, Rasara said he could save half.

Prabhupāda: Half. What is that half?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Somewhere between fifteen . . . around fifteen, twenty thousand dollars perhaps, like that.

Prabhupāda: Fifteen, twenty thousand dollars per month.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So we can pay you so much. What was your estimate? You made some estimate.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yeah. It is about six thousand, six thousand dollars.

Prabhupāda: Six thousand dollars, but we are ready to spend fifteen to twenty thousand dollars. Make it nicely, everything. We shall spend. Make worldwide propaganda. And there will be no scarcity of money. Tour. Make extensive tour, especially in Russia. In Russia send this film group, the scientific group, and if the Doctor is seriously our friend, let him translate. And that translation, it shall be good.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He said it's very good.

Prabhupāda: And the person who is translating, encourage him. Do this.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah, Harikeśa, we have to reply his letters, so I have noted down to tell him that.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Let him translate as many as possible. And make this program. And that twenty thousand dollars should not be touched. It will be simply spent for this propaganda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So any money that's saved now . . .

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: . . . from the budget should be banked? Should it be saved in an account?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Scientific propaganda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Let it be saved.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Even if they don't use it, it can be saved?

Prabhupāda: It should be . . . it must be saved. Why not?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Is there . . .

Prabhupāda: And you spend.

Girirāja: Yeah.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're feeling shortage of money now. They might want to . . .

Prabhupāda: So that . . . that we have to . . .

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: See otherwise.

Prabhupāda: How it can be . . . this money must be reserved for scientific propaganda, twenty thousand rupees. They have agreed to save half, and half is twenty thousand. This must be saved.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Somewhere between fifteen and twenty thousand.

Prabhupāda: That's all right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I asked him offhand how much he thought he could save. He said: "I think I could reduce the expenses by half."

Prabhupāda: Half, this should be set aside for scientific . . .

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We'll have to see if he . . . I mean, that was a very quick statement that he made on the telephone.

Prabhupāda: No . . .

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But I'm just saying that on his behalf. I hope he can make it.

Prabhupāda: Now we have now Hindi books. So make nice propaganda. Because they supply from . . . all temple may be short. So we are also supplying some books for . . . so here we shall have to compensate by selling Hindi books. Or English books. We have to make some . . . let Gargamuni be alert. If money's not coming from there, we shall have to supply money from here.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: For the construction.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Today I wanted to show Girirāja. There's a number of letters received where they make it very clear that they're not going to . . .

Prabhupāda: No, he may see or not see—we must be prepared. Then we understand that something is being done now. Simply high talks will not do. Now they are spending lakhs, but actually we are getting some money by devotees' livelihood.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: You mean . . .

Prabhupāda: Gargamuni is working, library party. So at least fifty percent of the collection should be spent for this construction.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Gargamuni's library sales.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And any other party who are making book sale.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So what he does is he gets billed by Gopāla, and he pays his bill, Gargamuni.

Prabhupāda: So that means Gopāla will pay from the bill.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fifty percent.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That's the point. Yeah, that was your original . . .

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: . . . fifty percent for construction.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And that money should be reserved for their world propaganda, scientific. And this Gurukula should be by local subscription, in this way. And settle up this by paying them also compensation, and begin immediately. And you acquire those lands immediately. They are ready to give. Take.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yeah, I'll write to those members in Manipur.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That, "We want to take it and develop it immediately."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: There's still many rooms in this two towers which have not yet been sold. So that could also bring in further money.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Mr. Thakur is coming today? No.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No. We didn't decide a date.

Prabhupāda: So you can say: "Any day you are welcome." So he talked sense.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Sense?

Prabhupāda: He said very sensible thing, no?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yeah, I think he can be . . . (indistinct) . . . he said when he was very young . . .

Prabhupāda: No, no, what is, what is his conception about God?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: He had a Kṛṣṇa . . .

Girirāja: Well, spiritually, he's on the verge of becoming a devotee. He is . . .

Prabhupāda: He has got attachment for Kṛṣṇa.

Girirāja: He has attachment. And he realizes that if he develops his attachment for Kṛṣṇa, that will solve all of his problems.

Prabhupāda: If you simply follow the instruction of Kṛṣṇa, the whole world will be perfect. That's all. But these rascals, they take Kṛṣṇa as fictitious. Such a rascal, educated man, that for "fictitious Kṛṣṇa," Vyāsadeva has taken so much trouble. Such a great writer, and Vedavyāsa, and later on, all the ācāryas, big, big ācāryas, they have wasted time for something fictitious. Such a rascal. I say "rascals" . . . (break) (end)