Letter from Yugoslavia—"Books!"

Prabhupāda: They are seeking after comfort, but on the contrary, they have to work like an ass.

Śatadhanya: To work hard.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Śatadhanya: They have to work hard.

Prabhupāda: Like an ass. Have you not seen the ass? Can anyone work like that? The animal is so small, and the load is ten times than his body's weight. You have not seen? If you weighed the animal's body and the load, the load is ten times more than his body. This is the punishment. And again, the man who is loading him now, he'll have to become an ass and take the load. This is called karma-bandhana.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: He writes, "Many days... After working for more than one day at several universities, my presence became too obvious, and this becomes politically and legally dangerous, although in some little cities I became practically the talk of the town because people had not seen one with a dark body as mine, speaking only English and a little French." He's very dark. So as I... [break] He said that "Most important at this school was that after four days of trying to meet the Indologist, we were successful. I met the man and his assistant. They kept stressing that they were..." [break]

Prabhupāda: If required, you can show this line to Mr. Koku[?]. In foreign countries they are no more interested in philosophical speculation. Actually they are not, neither in America nor India.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: No.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Right, Śrīla Prabhupāda. "Lord Caitanya did not let them escape, so He..."

Prabhupāda: Our books are sold not for philosophical speculation but practical solution of the problems. The philosophical classes are now being closed everywhere.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Yeah, that's a fact.

Prabhupāda: The professors are starving. No students are interested in philosophy. Rather, they take admission in technological classes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Or even in meditation classes. They want some practical realization.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Should I go on reading, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: Hmm. Hmm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: "Seeing that the... Lord Caitanya did not let them escape so easily. Seeing that the books would be very interesting, he requested both standing orders and several small books. Before leaving the city, I went to two international book shops. One bookshop bought several books, and the other shop, an enterprise, wanted to translate two of your books into the Yugoslavian language."

Prabhupāda: Eh? What is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: "One bookshop bought several books, and the other shop, an enterprise, wants to translate two of your books into the Yugoslavian language."

Prabhupāda: What is that book?

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: "Ljubljana, one of the few cities which had a theological seminary, was overpowered..." He doesn't say which one.

Prabhupāda: So make arrangement immediately. We shall allow them to translate and publish.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: He says, "Ljubljana, one of the few..." [break]

Prabhupāda: And Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is going, what is called, strong.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Very welcome [indistinct]. He says, "The Yugoslavians, more than any other..." [break] "He felt such books should be read by everyone."

Prabhupāda: All philosophical.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: "He gladly bought the Śrīmad..." [break]

Prabhupāda: ...supposed to be intelligent or scholar and does not read my books, his knowledge has no profit. That's a fact. Asampūrṅa. He remains still in darkness. That is a fact.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: His learning is imperfect.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: If such a person doesn't read your books, his learning is not complete—imperfect. Asampūrṅam?

Prabhupāda: Sampūrṅam is perfect, when he completes reading my books.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Asampūrṅam means incomplete.

Prabhupāda: Imperfect.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: "I met another... She also," this person who said that, that all the intellectuals should be familiar with the books, "she also bought the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam standing order and promised to advertise your books among her colleagues."

Prabhupāda: Just see how Kṛṣṅa...

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: "Even more pleasing was my conversation with the chairman of the Comparative Literature program. He bought both standing orders for the department library, and he wants to speak with his colleagues, who is interested in India. He feels both or one of them..."

Prabhupāda: This will increase India's cultural program. And the government is not... You have to show to the government.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: "The day ended with a visit to the Philosophy Institute. The professors were in a meeting, and they did not want to speak with me, but finally I rather abruptly started showing them the books anyway." He burst into their meeting.

Prabhupāda: How much obstacles he had. His feature is not attractive, he speaks another language, and he presents the most tough subject. And still, Bhāgavata is going through. So many hard knocks.

Śatadhanya: It is the topmost mysticism.

Prabhupāda: You can write to Māyāpur. I think on the hill there are punar, punar navās.

Śatadhanya: Punar navās.

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

Śatadhanya: What is that, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: A kind of herb, creeper, creeper that grows, punar navā. It is known practically to all cultivators. If they can collect punar navā, collect and send immediately. Ask Māyāpur.

Śatadhanya: Punar navās.

Prabhupāda: Punar navā.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Hiraṅyagarbha's going back there in a day. We have a boy going there in one day.

Śatadhanya: It is good medicinally?

Prabhupāda: For me. This medicine, what I am drinking, that is punar navā.

Śatadhanya: So tomorrow this one boy is going to Māyāpur, and he can bring that message. They can immediately send.

Prabhupāda: Yes. As much as possible. Then I can prepare this medicine. And I know that is the medicine for my disease, punar navā.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: How do you spell that, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: P-u-n-a-r n-a-v-ā.

Śatadhanya: Oh, punar navā.

Prabhupāda: Punar navā.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: It's a plant?

Prabhupāda: It is a creeper. It is spread on the hill.

Śatadhanya: Navā means birth.

Prabhupāda: No, not that. Don't go "birth" or "death." It is the name only, punar navā. It is a herb, creeper, and this is the medicine for me. It is available here also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: So we should get it here, then.

Prabhupāda: Yes, I have asked him.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Ācchā. "The day ended with a visit to the Philosophy Institute. The professors were in a meeting, and they did not want to speak with me."

Prabhupāda: Just see. The first reception is they do not like to speak with him. Of his bodily feature and language... But the end is good reception.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: "But finally I rather abruptly started showing them the books anyway. One chief professor became a little angered and dashed over to me. He started pulling my books out of my case, and he shouted, 'Son, you are pushing us.' But in seconds later he shouted, 'Send us all these books.' "

Prabhupāda: [laughs] Just see the fun. He rushed there and began... And...? It is a humorous.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: "So I made arrangements with the book store to fulfill his desires. The next, University of Pristina. After riding all night in the train..." This boy is going through a lot of hardship all along. He said sometimes for two or three days he did not sleep. "After riding all night in the train I arrived on the campus at four a.m. in the morning. Before anyone could interfere with me, I studied the school very closely. In two hours' time I knew where all of my targets were. So when the professors and students arrived at 6:30 in the morning..."

Prabhupāda: Six-thirty in the morning? Just see.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: He says, "I was ready for them. My first meeting was the most important one."

Prabhupāda: It means that they do... These communist country, they work so hard.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: They rise up, 4:30, prepare for going to work. Then work begins at 6:30. Is it not more load than the ass? Still they have to do that, by force.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Says, "I was escorted to the Dean's office. He was also the chairman of the Philosophy and Sociology Institute. He requested both standing orders for the Institute."

Prabhupāda: [laughs] They are getting standing orders, all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: "And he wrote me a note for the librarian. This note influenced the librarian to take not just the standing orders or all of the books, but they have agreed to take every book that we have in each of the different languages also."

Prabhupāda: How intelligent.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Every language. All the books in all languages. "Feeling a little satisfied that this school had been properly inoculated..."—he called it an inoculation—"...I picked up my two bags and ran to the train station."

Prabhupāda: When all these standing orders will be supplied and they read it, we'll get more customer.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Yeah.

Prabhupāda: So our book prospect is very nice future. Our BBT must be very careful for distribution like this. Such reception, who is that author, he'll not be engladdened all over the world? Hmm? Against odds. Against odds. It's simply Kṛṣṅa's arrangement.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I just have to see if my room is being flooded.

Śatadhanya: I'll go see.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Can you just check and have that boy start mopping? As soon as it... See, that's why they were banging yesterday. And they'll have to bang some more tomorrow. The room becomes flooded as soon as it rains, due to the faulty pipes.

Prabhupāda: Now rectify the fault.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: The whole...

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Oh, yeah. See, they told me that this is the first time... [aside:] What happened?

Śatadhanya: He's taking care.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: He was there. This is the first time that you were here during the rainy season. So normally, I guess... This year, it couldn't handle it any more, the wall. In five minutes', ten minutes' time, one bucket of water comes in. So much comes in through the wall. So one man has to stay there.

Prabhupāda: One man has... So how to stop it?

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: I know. The pipe has to be replaced.

Prabhupāda: So do it nicely so that in future it may not.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: All right. It'll be a little banging. I told them tomorrow morning, when you're in massage, when you're in the garden, then they can do. I don't want them to do it while you're in this room. "Feeling a little satisfied that this school had been properly inoculated, I picked up my two bags and ran to the train station with great enthusiasm, because now I was going to meet Gurudāsa Goswami, who had come to Yugoslavia to join me. Not having the association of the devotees for many weeks...," all by himself, "...this thought of meeting..."

Prabhupāda: So try to engage Gurudāsa also as your cooperator. Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: That's a good word. If you said "assistant"...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: ...Gurudāsa would feel bad. "As your cooperator." He says, "Not having had the association of the devotees for some time, the thought of meeting a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṅa's was compelling me to move faster and faster towards the train. Now Gurudāsa Swami and myself are together, and we are vigorously agitating our minds in thinking about so many ways of working together in the next Communist country..."

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: "...Bulgaria."

Prabhupāda: Now, if you work cooperatively, you'll get more strength. It is raining?

Śatadhanya: Yes, Prabhupāda.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: He says the next country is Bulgaria. "So as to give the maximum number of people a chance to participate in Lord Caitanya's saṅkīrtana program, as we are so fallen and incompetent..."

Prabhupāda: The chanting, did they give?

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: In Bulgaria?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Not yet. No devotees have ever entered. "As we are so fallen and incompetent, we beg that you will keep guiding us and allowing us to continue to serve you. We remain always desperately begging for your mercy. Your selfish servant, Ghanaśyāma dāsa, BBT Library Party." You want to try and translate this evening, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: What shall I do?

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: I think you should translate for... [break]

Prabhupāda: Absolute. Paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi [SB 1.1.1].

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: It seems like for the first few years you were... Our movement was very much engaged in establishing our centers, but now it seems that we can concentrate on actually pushing forward the knowledge that we have to give.

Prabhupāda: Centers were meant for that purpose, for giving knowledge, not for show, a church, a show. What is knowledge?

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Now we have our centers established.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: So we can concentrate on...

Prabhupāda: Giving knowledge.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: ...vigorous preaching.

Prabhupāda: So I am not in favor of sending... They are not receptive at the present. China. Here in Europe, although they are Communist, they are now hankering after some knowledge. These rascals are very uncivilized.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Chinese.

Prabhupāda: China, Japan. They are not taken as civilized.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: No, they are not, especially the Chin...

Prabhupāda: Dog-eaters, caṅḍāla. The dog-eaters are the lowest of the mankind. They are dog-eaters. In Europe they do not eat dog. And they're Indo-European stock. These are dog-eaters. They're rejected. We accept them as living entity, but their quality is the lowest. So they are not yet prepared to receive such exalted knowledge. Better let that book be pushed slowly. Let them become fit gradually. Then we'll go. For the time being, they are not fit. They can be expert in... You see in your country, though so many Chinese are now, what was their business? There... They went there as craftsmen, as carpenter, as..., not as professor or teacher of philosophy.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Mostly... A lot of them have these laundries also.

Prabhupāda: That's it. Laundry. They are dentist.

Śatadhanya: Shoe-maker.

Prabhupāda: Shoe-maker. That is their business—low class.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Restaurant.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Now the Indians are going there as professor, as teacher.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Yeah, lawyers...

Prabhupāda: Lawyer.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Doctors.

Prabhupāda: Doctors. That is the difference.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Actually, Indians are a big threat to these countries.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Especially England and America.

Prabhupāda: Canada also.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: And Canada, yeah.

Prabhupāda: In Canada all big, big professors in university, they are Indians. In the education they are expert. That means they have got brain.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Oh, the Indians have the best brain.

Prabhupāda: And these shoe-makers, dentists, [indistinct] them. Technician, that's all. Phalena paricīyate. What class of work he is engaged?

Śatadhanya: The Japanese, they're good at technology.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They are... They are good technician. There is no doubt. Sony. They can produce these things. [pause] Give me shirt. [pause] So as one of the executor of the will, after making that scheme, you can give them, that "This is the scheme."

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Give to whom, Śrīla Prabhupāda? You said I can give them... Give to whom?

Prabhupāda: These, my boys. That's all.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Yeah, when Vrindavan comes, I'll talk with him and explain.

Prabhupāda: [Bengali]

Bhakti-caru: [Bengali]

Prabhupāda: [Bengali conversation]

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Will you let Vrindavan see the will when he comes?

Prabhupāda: That I shall see later on.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: So I won't...

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: I have a rough copy. I will not show unless you say something to me.

Prabhupāda: No, no. No.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Okay.

Prabhupāda: You can... You are making that copies?

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Yeah, tomorrow morning I'll have to get the copies...

Prabhupāda: So you can keep few copies more.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: In case to give...

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Oh, okay. I'll make one for Rāmeśvara for duplication, and the rest, I'll make a few for keeping here. Śrīla Prabhupāda? When the visiting GBC man comes, he can assist me, work with me, and also, can he do what Śatadhanya Mahārāja is doing?

Prabhupāda: Not necessarily. Whatever he can do, that's all. You are also doing.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Yeah, I like to do.

Prabhupāda: So that is not... Nothing is compulsory.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: No.

Prabhupāda: The important things...

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Oh.

Prabhupāda: Your taking care of me, that is your kindness to us.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Oh, that is our greatest pleasure. That is your mercy to us. It's for our purification. I feel like all of this service is simply the greatest mercy for our purification. That place was far away, where they had to go for the medicine.

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Mahākṣa told me it was...

Prabhupāda: And how is that, he has not come back?

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Well, I asked Mahākṣa, "How is it?" He calculated that it would take three hours, each way, to go. Far distant place. So they left about noon. So three hours, three hours. Then he may have taken some time to make it, three-four hours. So they might come back nine or ten tonight.

Prabhupāda: Find out the key.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: This temple is really something. Tonight...

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Every evening, from six to seven, Bhakti-prema Mahārāja, he gives lecture in Hindi. The place is packed.

Prabhupāda: Oh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Oh, every night it's packed solid. And all high-class people. There's no low-class people there. And they all listen very attentively. And he's lecturing. He gives lecture seven nights a week. Then there's ārati, and the people flock. Even more people come for the ārati, because they love to see the Westerners jumping up and down, and they love to see the ārati. Both things are big attraction. And then there's an English lecture. Then people leave by then, because by then it's 7:45. Everyone has to go home. So the devotees are there for English class, Bhagavad-gītā class. This temple has a tremendous life already. It's really very successful. I was wondering that isn't there some kind of system where we can give everyone who comes some prasādam?

Prabhupāda: I introduced that.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: They are doing. They give for free.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: But the thing is, you know... I feel like some people, they... Oh, yeah. They sell and they give. Selling is in a nice cup. If you want, you can buy mahā-prasādam. And beyond that, they also give to anyone who wants.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: I guess it's going on. They do that at one time in the evening. See, they don't do it...

Prabhupāda: That's all right. That is all right. Little prasāda from our side should be given.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: But it's not done throughout the day. It's only...

Prabhupāda: No, no, no. That is not possible.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Oh, it's not possible?

Prabhupāda: No. Give something in the evening.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: But I just wanted to ask a question. Then I'll have it clarified. When I was at a Birla temple in Bhopal, what they did is... Supposing someone comes here at four o'clock in the afternoon, five o'clock. Now there's no prasādam distributed at that time, but at that time the pūjārī could give a little of those white sweet.

Śatadhanya: With a tulasī in it.

Prabhupāda: That is formality.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: That's not genuine. Yeah, it wasn't very nice.

Prabhupāda: Cheating. That is cheating.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: All right. I feel bad that people should not get prasādam.

Prabhupāda: No, they must. In the evening, at the time...

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: They do give. I have seen. Big buckets.

Prabhupāda: Manage nicely.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: And this big gurukula as well, if we can organize that—phew!

Prabhupāda: The whole Vṛndāvana gosāi, they are perturbed that this temple is becoming very popular.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: How are they feeling about it, the Vṛndāvana gosāis?

Prabhupāda: Envious. They know the future. This will be the first-class temple. This is already.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: This temple will be more important than Bankabihari.

Prabhupāda: Hmm, hmm.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: I'm sure.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They are simply exploiting, and our mission is to give. That is the difference. They know their deficiency, that their business will have to... Common sense.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Śrīla Prabhupāda? It's about nine, past nine o'clock now. Maybe you'd like to...

Prabhupāda: We can go.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: ...go upstairs now. Then you can translate for a while. [break]

Prabhupāda: "When I go to call to the..., mean, my nature's call, I go on horseback. I ride on a horse. And for passing stool, I go on a horseback." [laughs] I am a sannyāsī, beggar, but I am carried. They carry me four, five miles. [Bengali] Get this fan.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, I have a little more work to do now.

Prabhupāda: Hmm, you can go now. You can all go. We shall sit down here for some time and begin work.

Devotee: Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. [break]

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: In Dhruvaloka.

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Dhruvaloka's fixed. We have some nice reports for you. First, little book distribution from the saṅkīrtana newsletter for the week. This gives a report of the week of June 6th to June 12th. Now, one thing you should know, whenever these reports are read, only thirty-five temples are reported, not all of them, so the... [break]

Prabhupāda: That should not be his business. It may be inferior. If not inferior, not reduced. Then it is mentioned in the... [break] Still more. [break]

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: The books are distibuted... [break]

Prabhupāda: And that is all written, Hindi, English. They can go home to home and distribute Hindi books to the ladies. They can be engaged in that way.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: They listen to what we have to... [break]

Prabhupāda: Therefore any so-called yogī [indistinct].

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: We are delivering unadulterated. Here is another report, from Haṁsadūta. [break]

Prabhupāda: ...to exhibit, you have to pack. Do it nicely. Kṛṣṅa will bless you. [break] ...and book for all men. That is important. People like [breaks]

Śatadhanya: Nectarean.

Prabhupāda: And this means that ambrosia. And you are all Mohinī-mūrti, distributing ambrosia. These scriptures should be brought to the [indistinct] system, and they'll get opportunity to meet with them. So how...?

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Yeah, I also... It could mean... According to Gopāla, from Africa, that prasāda...

Prabhupāda: Prasāda from...

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: From all over.

Prabhupāda: Has he come with some news?

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: No one knows, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: How they'll do? They have no asset. Engrossed with bogus things, cheating. That was my ambition. You have seen that Delhi shop? He was preparing first-class ghee, and all, hundred [indistinct]. So we are giving the real spiritual life. Automatically there is response. Customers will come. And [indistinct]. And you can cheat somebody. [hums] [pause]

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, the Śyāmasundara Deity in the temple today was beautiful.

Prabhupāda: That Deity is very, very nice, Śyāmasundara. Yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṅa-svarūpaṁ govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Bs 5.38].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is Śyāmasundara, Kṛṣṅa Himself with inconceivable innumerable attributes, whom the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love.]

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: When you see that Deity, are you... Do you call it Śyāmasundara or Govinda?

Prabhupāda: And Śyāmasundara is good name.

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: More appropriate.

Prabhupāda: Nitāi-Gaura, Rādhā-Śyāma, Jaya Kṛṣṅa-Balarāma. [laughter] That includes all our Deities. Nitāi-Gaura, Rādhā-Śyāma, Jaya Kṛṣṅa-Balarāma. The "jaya" word is in the middle with this "Jaya, Haribol."

Tamāla Kṛṣṅa: Jaya is very auspicious.

Prabhupāda: I don't think there is any other temple in India, in this quarter... I can say, in India... [break] [end]