771103 - Conversation B - Vrndavana

Conversations by Date, 1977

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

771103R2-VRNDAVAN - November 03, 1977 - 12:43 Minutes

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Lay down? (pause) Then I calculated what it would mean for the whole year.

Prabhupāda: Now we have to open temple in every village.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Temples in every village?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then spend money.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: And then spend the money.

Prabhupāda: Don't keep money. Spend it. The karmīs, they spend for sense gratification. You spend for Kṛṣṇa.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, there's plenty of money to spend.

Prabhupāda: Karmī.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We also have plenty.

Prabhupāda: No, no, karmī.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, I understand. I said there's no shortage of money.

Prabhupāda: No.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Kṛṣṇa's giving us . . . I figured out, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that if we . . . just like we did in September, I multiplied times twelve to see how much money in a year your books are selling. And the BBT, in one year, can expect to make, around the world, about $8,100,000. In rupees that comes out to seven crores, seventy thousand rupees. Seven crores, seventy thousand rupees.

Prabhupāda: What karmī can earn so much!

Brahmānanda: What is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: What karmī can earn so much. For the temples, that means that by selling your books, the temples will collect about sixteen million dollars in one year. Or in other words, fourteen crores, nine lakhs, forty thousand rupees.

Prabhupāda: They'll believe.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, believe it or not, it's a fact.

Prabhupāda: Fact, yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually I don't think these men like Bajaj or any of them could possibly make this much money even in material activities, what to speak of spiritual. Spiritual, they lose money. They have to support it. But we have such a genuine religious movement that it supports itself. We don't require to construct big materialistic enterprises. We simply preach, and Kṛṣṇa supplies all the money.

Jayādvaita: Bajaj is just burdening the world with motorcycles, and you're providing the highest subject matter for hearing and chanting.

Prabhupāda: Where there is need of money, send there. I mean to say, just like Africa and other backwards . . . I am simply dreaming, and you are actually on the field.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We are actually what?

Brahmānanda: On the field.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes, but that's because we're in your dreams. If you weren't dreaming like this, we would be on the material field.

Jayādvaita: It's like Mahā-Viṣṇu is lying down, the whole material world is being expanded by His dreaming. So you're lying down here, and the whole ISKCON activities are being expanded by your dreaming.

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) Hmm. (pause)

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Do you want to hear some of the newsletter?

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It says here . . . this newsletter is written by Rāmeśvara. It's especially meant for encouraging book distribution, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It says: "Later on in the morning, Prabhupāda sent for Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Prabhu and explained to him that he wanted to print as many books as possible. 'My point is,' Śrīla Prabhupāda said: 'That I don't wish to keep money in the bank. Invest in printing.' So in this way, although . . . then Prabhupāda went on, referring to Harikeśa Swami, after he presented six new hardbound German books to His Divine Grace, 'He is very intelligent boy. My Guru Mahārāja is so pleased. He used to say whatever money is there was to be used for printing books. He was so happy to print books. So you do it all very nicely. I printed my books, and now you do it. These are the first class, and there is no defect. German printing is very favorable. This is all right. Thank you very much.' " It says here, "Harikeśa Swami told Prabhupāda that now he has to become more healthy to finish the Bhāgavatam. Prabhupāda replied, 'Healthy? I have nothing to do with this body. I have to do with the spiritual world.' Bhagavān Prabhu mentioned to Prabhupāda how many books his zone was distributing. They are trying for twenty thousand big books in one week. Prabhupāda was very encouraged and told him, 'Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī will give them all blessings. He wanted this very much.' An hour later Hṛdayānanda Mahārāja was in the room and told Prabhupāda that they had printed 100,000 copies of Kṛṣṇa book in Portuguese. Prabhupāda said, 'Thank you very much. Printing of books is our life force.' Prabhupāda looked through the books and again he asked, 'How many published?' When he heard 100,000, 'Oh, how they are selling, and what is the price? Very good collection? Print more books. This is life. This material body—only bones. So go on, and this is life. We are not concerned with bones and stones. Our concern is the living force. The living force is actually sustaining these bones. Bones are not life. Print books as I have shown the way: half again for printing and half spent for propaganda as you like. In this way go on.' Then he turned to Jayapatākā Mahārāja and asked him if he was doing that. He told him, 'Whatever propaganda is needed, you go out and spend, but print books and distribute. Whatever English books we have got, if we translate into Bengali, you have got enough stock.' Jayapatākā Swami replied, 'Yes, we have got a treasure house,' and Prabhupāda said, 'In this way, in all languages, distribute. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa.' " It says here, "Prabhupāda is translating the Third Volume of the Tenth Canto, and Volume Two is now just being printed and will be available for shipping to all temples on November 11th along with a new book written by Śrīla Prabhupāda called the Teachings of Lord Kapiladeva. Fifty thousand copies of each volume have been published."

Prabhupāda: Fifty copies?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Fifty thousand.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It says here, "This is the year of Europe," Śrīla Prabhupāda. It says here, "Here are the totals for book distribution in North America." And Europe is leading. The number one zone is Bhagavān Prabhu's. Number two zone is Jayatīrtha Prabhu's, England. And the number four zone is Harikeśa's zone. So Europe is leading the distribution. Maybe sometime later on today you can do a little translating, Śrīla Prabhupāda. No? Actually, the kavirāja recommended that you shouldn't do that for a few days. Does that sound right? Okay. Anyway, I think Pradyumna and Jayādvaita have some work to catch up with, so they have enough to stay busy. Should we chant japa now, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Hmm. (break) (end)