770822 - Letter to Ramesvara from Tamal Krsna

Vrndavana,

August 22, 1977

From: Tamal Krishna

Los Angeles

My dear Ramesvara Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances at your feet. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated August 3rd, 1977.

You will be amazed to know, or perhaps you have already heard, that it is almost definite that Srila Prabhupada is coming to the West immediately. Throughout the world, all devotees are praying, “My dear Lord Krishna, if You desire, please cure Srila Prabhupada.” The love of His disciples is the greatest medicine and is having the most wonderful effect on His Divine Grace. Although physically He is in very poor health, He is being kept alive by the love of His devotees. In one letter received from Panca Dravida Maharaja, Panca Dravida offers his youth in exchange for Prabhupada’s old age. Srila Prabhupada upon hearing this said. “I have no old age. We are of the same age. It is not depending on old or young body—the atma has no old age. We are all Vaikuntha men. All new boys—nava yauvana.” In all of the letters which are daily received, the devotees are all praying to Prabhupada to please remain with us. Srila Prabhupada said after hearing one of these prayers, “I think I will have to stay on your request. Krishna is very kind—He is bhakta-vatsala. So many devotees are praying, their prayers cannot be frustrated.” Although the traveling will be very difficult upon Srila Prabhupada, He is requesting me now daily to take Him under any condition to the West. Srila Prabhupada said “I want to go. Can you arrange to carry me. I want to go where there is a cool climate. The worst thing is death. And I am not afraid of death. Here I feel like I am dying bit by bit. I have tried so many treatments for six months, but none have worked. Let me go to the West. Instead of no change, let there be change, either good or bad. Outside India if somehow good comes, otherwise here there is only bad. Somehow or other take me. I don’t expect any good staying here. I have psychological enthusiasm for going to the West. Do not be afraid. I am not afraid. Even if I die in any of our Temples, here or there, it is all Vaikuntha.” Later, Srila Prabhupada said, “I plan to stay in America. I will not come back until completing the Bhagavatam. I want to organize there. The Western boys are so nice. If I make everything strong, then the Movement will endure.” In a Letter to: day Srila Prabhupada wrote, “I think for this reason I am feeling so much inspiration to go on. In this condition no one thinks to go out. In this condition one prepares for death and I am going for touring. Actually I think Krishna is now present in this Krishna consciousness movement. Why should I be restricted to remaining in one place? So many temples, and they are all Vaikuntha.” Now more than ever Prabhupada wants to be surrounded by His beloved disciples. I said to Him,. “Srila Prabhupada, no one in the world has so many faithful, loving children as You do.” Srila Prabhupada added, “Not only faithful and loving but they are all devotees.” Last evening His Divine Grace called for us and we came up and surrounded His bedside. Prabhupada said to us, “Sit down. I want simply to see you all. It gives me vital force.” Gradually we all began to render service to His Divine Grace, Satsvarupa, Sruta Kirti, and Upendra massages His legs and lotus feet. I massaged His head, and Guru Krpa fanned and kept the air filled with fragrant incense. Prabhupada lay with His eyes closed very peacefully with us all attending to Him. Then He opened His eyes and said, “You all Vaisnavas, be merciful to me.”

I cannot provide you with many book distribution quotations this month, as the above is the theme which is most prevailing at all times. But I think the above will be enthusing to all the devotees and make them want to increase book distribution even more.

Regarding the printing in Taiwan, I have spoken with Guru Krpa Maharaja and we both feel that the printing should be done immediately. Fifteen thousand Gitas are the right amount. Guru Krpa Maharaja says that sooner or later he will send a party of two to six men to Hong Kong and they can distribute all 15,000 within a month’s time. So there will be no problem for the distribution. I have spoken with Buddhimanta Prabhu who has the most experience in distribution and he definitely says that at least one half of the books should be enclosed in a trilogy jacket, as most businessmen will as easily take trilogies as they would single volumes. However Buddhimanta Prabhu does not feel that it should be a costly cardboard jacket, but rather a thin cellophane and bag-like package which simply prevents anyone from opening up the three volumes separately. In other words it can be a very inexpensive see-through cellophane packaging. This will reduce the cost from the proposed U.S. $987. Regarding storage, either they will store them in their present temple location, or they will hire a warehouse, that is not a problem. Satyesena Prabhu is quite competent to keep the accounting. The trilogy packaging will definitely increase the sales sufficiently to offset the additional cost of the packaging. Regarding the terms of payment, that you will have to take up with Satyasena Prabhu directly. You extend the loan for this printing, and as the books are sold they will repay you. Guru Krpa Maharaja has guaranteed this. I am going to take some responsibility, but at next year’s GBC meeting, I will no longer take the responsibilities for being GBC for China, as Srila Prabhupada has directly told me not to go there nor to send anyone else, unless they are directly invited as BBT representative for the purpose of selling books. Please immediately correspond with Satyasena Prabhu and arrange the letter of credit. It seems that you have not been sent a formal quotation from the printer so I am enclosing in this letter the quotation which I received. Please take this matter up immediately and see that the books gets printed.

Regarding the Gurukula building in Bombay, Srila Prabhupada said that you are not to send any money, but that this will be financed by Indian collections. The other day I came in with the July BBT report and Srila Prabhupada asked, “Any good news?” I said, “Yes, all about book distribution.” Srila Prabhupada said, “That is real good news. Books will make history.”

Throughout the last month Srila Prabhupada has emphasized the important role the farm communities will play in the future of the Krishna consciousness Movement. Srila Prabhupada explains that it is at these farm communities that the varnasrama system, the basis of civilized society, can actually take place. He desires to organize such ideal varnasrama farm communities. In response to a letter from Tulsi Das Prabhu which described the wonderful farm being organized in South Africa, Srila Prabhupada commented, “These news are giving me new life, although I am a dead man. I wanted to see a little more that the whole world is overflooded with Krishna consciousness. In my horoscope just done they have described although this is a critical period, if I pass through, I will live 100 years. Then I shall surely come to visit your farm. From: your description I can understand it is a very, very nice farm. It gives me great pleasure to know that the devotees can eat nicely fresh vegetables, and grains, and pure milk. I am very enthused to know how the local people are responding so much and donating to help construct the project. The project is very nice. You are actually “Tulasi Das.” Your letter is very encouraging. I am very pleased. If our farm projects are organized all over the world, then we shall conquer. As soon as I see the farms growing, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, and the devotees eating sumptuously and chanting Hare Krishna, O, how wonderful it is! What is this nonsense civilization of the karmis? When I hear this report my chest swells up being so proud of my disciples’ achievements.” At this point I said to His Divine Grace, ’Srila Prabhupada You are the farm acarya.’ But Srila Prabhupada replied, “Krishna is the farm acarya. Balarama has a plow and Krishna has calf. Krishna forced His father, Don’t have Indra-puja. Worship this land which is giving food to the cows and cowherd men.”

Our dear God-brother Hansadutta Maharaja has been preaching very successfully in Ceylon. Now he has cornered one scientist. He has challenged this so-called intelligent fellow by renting the most important public hall in the capital, Colombo, and dared him to produce a tiny mosquito by the help of his so-called scientific research. After hearing Hansadutta’s letter published in response to an article about this scientist, Srila Prabhupada was now listening to a response by the scientist to Hansadutta Maharaja’s article. His Divine Grace had just finished His bath and was sitting upstairs in His house in Vrndavana on the veranda, where He now sits every morning at this time before going to the temple for darshan at 9:30. His Divine Grace was sitting there very beautifully with a tulasi garland from Krishna-Balarama around His neck as well as a fresh flower garland made of Vrndavana flowers. He was reclining on a round bolster pillow, and wearing sunglasses, which He always does now because His eyes are giving Him some trouble. I began to read the news clipping giving the scientist’s response to Hansadutta Maharaja’s article, but His Divine Grace became very fired up, more than I have seen in many weeks, and began to interrupt me every minute smashing the rascal scientists: “Rascals. They says it is like this, it is like that. Why can’t they produce life? The sunshine is there, green plants are there. Rascals, why can’t they produce life? Simply suggesting. Useless they can produce life what is the point of talking? Empty sound. The scientist himself is going to die. He is under the control of some energy. But he is puffed up. Educated rascals. Nothing more. They were rascals before education, and now after spending so much money of the government they are still rascals. This rascal questions my perception. It is practical perception. You talk nonsense, you cannot do anything. This is our practical experience. Jugglery of words. You can’t stop birth, old age, disease or death. What you can do—simply talk. We are practical scientists. Not talkative nonsense. If there is no God, then who is controlling you? You make a scheme and it is spoiled. You have got good scientists, medicine, can you guarantee life? Why men are dying. Your so-called knowledge has no value. Empty words. If you are a scientist, why don’t you give this child who was born without senses new senses? We admit we cannot because we say God is all powerful. But you say you are powerful. So you do it without God. The onus is on you. Rascal. You are simply producing empty sounds. Where is the chicken? The hen is a better scientist than you are. Within a week they produce another children. Therefore you are less important than a chicken. God kicked you on your mouth with shoes. Nobel prize—another rascal has given you. If the witness is a drunkard, then what is the use of his evidence? Just like there is some incidence in the liquor shop. The proprietor has brought witnesses. But they are all drunkards. What is the value of such evidence? You talk of hired wombs. Where are millions of wombs without hiring. Who needs to hire? There are uncivilized men but they have no scientific knowledge. Yet they are producing children. You have progressed in eating and sleeping. Nothing more. He eats by killing an animal in the jungle, and you eat by killing in an organized slaughter house. He can be allowed to do it because he is not civilized but you are not allowed to because you are supposed to be civilized. You are God-less and you do not know. What have you gained? Your mother and father have died. Why don’t you save them? What is the value of your education. And you will also die. Have you invented something that man will not die? When it would have value. You have simply the faculty to die earlier with your atomic energy.” In this way Srila Prabhupada received the article of the so-called scientist and smashed him point by point. Hoping this meets you in the ecstatic mood of doubling book distribution.

Your servant,

Tamal Krishna Gosvami

Secretary to Srila Prabhupada

His Holiness Ramesvara Swami

_c/o ISKCON Los Angeles

/tkg

P.S. Srila Prabhupada was told that one devotee was criticizing book distribution because he did not approve of the technique and way in which our devotees distribute. His Divine Grace did not appreciate this criticism and said: “Why are you doing this. They are selling books on my order. Why you are criticizing? That means you are indirectly criticizing me. If you don’t like the way they are doing it you do better. Show the example. Whatever is in their power they are doing. Every salesman has his own tactics and the result is judged by how much one sells. The end justifies the means.”