The BBT is for Prabhupada’s Books: GET A LIFE!

BY: GADADHARA DAS

Dec 15, 2011 — CALIFORNIA, USA (SUN) —
Regarding “On Publishing Exclusively with BBT” by H.H. Bhakti Vikasa Swami, and Patita Pavana’s article, the reference that Bhakti Vikasa Swami makes to Srila Prabhupada’s letter to Revatinandana (Los Angeles, 9 January, 1974) does not at all allude to “the principle of printing [Prabhupada’s disciples’ books] with BBT, as the direction comes from Srila Prabhupada himself”. The letter Srila Prabhupada wrote only says that the royalties created by Prabhupada’s disciples books (IN THIS CASE IT IS A COOK BOOK) may be kept in a separate account and “given” to the BBT. Separately, the BBT may fund the sannyassi’s expenditures and preaching. Nowhere does it say that Srila Prabhupada’s disciples’ books should be printed by the BBT.

“I know you are a very good cook and I can understand that you have found the books useful for distribution. I have no objection to your printing it with the name “Revatinandana Swami’s Cookbook”, but the royalty should go to the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. Just as I am publishing Bhagavad-gita As It Is with Macmillan Co. but the royalty is going to the BBT. I think this method is appropriate. If you yourself take the royalty it will be personal interest in money and trade, and this will deviate your principle of sannyasa. Sannyasi means he is in renounced order and lives by begging alms for the bare necessities of life. It is not good to make trade to get money for personal expenditure. If the royalty is given to the BBT, we will keep a separate account from this royalty and necessary expenditures for your preaching may be supplied from the BBT.”

As we can see in a Conversation dated Feb. 27th 1977, even the funding of publications such as certain Gurukula coloring books must be done with much caution. In the following conversation, the Gurukula was printing themselves (THE BBT WAS NOT PRINTING) their own books with some money given by the BBT, in which case, Srila Prabhupada did not approve of the funding or the printing!

Radha-vallabha: … Also another thing is children’s books. I was looking at the gurukula books. You don’t want to get into that. Oh.
Prabhupada: They are not wanted. We have got one color book?

Radha-vallabha: Coloring book and Prahlada book.

Prabhupada: That is sufficient. No more.
Radha-vallabha: So gurukula should do their own books.

Prabhupada: Hm? Why… That one book is sufficient. Why more books about this?

Radha-vallabha: Well, gurukula already has ten books, but they’re printed very, very poorly.
Prabhupada: Why ten books? Not a single student knows well English, neither Sanskrit, and ten books.

Radha-vallabha: These are the Americans, American boys, American gurukulas.

Prabhupada: Why I do not know. You just discuss this. They do not learn anything, and we are printing books.

Radha-vallabha: Those books, they print themselves, the gurukula.

Prabhupada: “Themself” means?
Radha-vallabha: They have a little… In Dallas they a little photostat, and Nandarani would write and they would print it.

Prabhupada: So it is waste of time, waste of money and waste of time. Tamala Krsna: If they don’t learn, what is the use of the book?

Radha-vallabha: In Los Angeles they are learning how to read.

Prabhupada: This policy is not good. Why?
Radha-vallabha: So before I get involved in it at all, I’ll make sure Jagadisa speaks to you.
Prabhupada: No, no. We should not invest our BBT money in that way.

Radha-vallabha: I wasn’t going to. That’s what I wanted to mention.

Prabhupada: Strictly. It is not required, unnecessarily investing money. It should be noted.

Radha-vallabha: That’s what I wanted to ask you about.

Prabhupada: Before investing money in anything, you should ask me.

Radha-vallabha: That was my question, that if a donation is given specifically for that…

Prabhupada: The donation may be given. That…

Radha-vallabha: So then it’s all right.
Prabhupada: It should be invested very conscientiously.

In a similar manner to the Gurukula books, in a letter dated June 17, 1975 to Bhakta das, Jayananda, and Bahulasva, Srila Prabhupada expresses concern over the independently published “college program book”, not to mention books actually published by the BBT:

“Why did you publish this college program book independently and unauthorized? Any literature that is to be published on behalf of the movement, must be authorized by the BBT Trustees. You have not even mentioned my name in this book. This is not at all good. Why have you done this?”

And on May 28, 1977 there is a conversation where Srila Prabhupada talks about even the translation and commentary of his own books (after his samadhi). He states that this “must be” done by “a realized soul”.

Satsvarupa: Next we have a question about the BBT. At present, no translation work is to be published without your seeing and approving it. So the question is, is there any system for publishing works in the future that you may not see? For example, we’ve heard suggested that the Padma Purana or the Sat-Sandarbha may be translated. But what would the system be to insure the parampara if you would not personally see these translations?

Prabhupada: That you have to examine expertly.

Tamala Krsna: In other words, there’s no set principle that only the works which you have already translated can be published by the BBT. If there is some worthy translation of a bona fide Vedic reference, if it’s properly done, the BBT could publish it.

Prabhupada: That we are doing, just like Hindi. We are doing other languages. If it is properly translated, it can be…
Tamala Krsna: Even if it’s a work which you have not yet translated yourself.

Prabhupada: No, no, no, the principle is… Just like my translation, another person translating into Hindi or other languages, we are publishing. Similarly, if somebody has translated properly, it can be published. But amongst our disciples, I don’t think there are many who can translate properly.

Ramesvara: None. We’re not eager to publish anything which is not perfect, because you have already set the highest standard for the BBT. The name BBT means the highest standard right now in the world.

Prabhupada: That is good answer.

Kirtanananda: Therefore, Srila Prabhupada, we think that you cannot leave us very soon.

Prabhupada: I don’t want. But if I am obliged, what can I do?

Kirtanananda: If you don’t want, Krsna will not want.

Prabhupada: A realized soul, must be. Otherwise, simply by imitating A-B-C-D will not help. My purports are liked by people because it is presented as practical experience. (aside:) It is within the mouth.

The legal document entitled “The Founding Document for the BBT”, dated May 29, 1972, states:

“The properties which shall constitute the Trust Fund include all books and manuscripts and other documents written by me or translated by me, including the following hereinafter listed, and all those written by me in the future, including all copyrights and publication rights incidental.”

Initially I was propelled to write a response to Patita Pavana’s article about disciples printing and distributing their own books in place of Srila Prabhupada’s books. Even though I personally know Sriman Patita Pavana and have admired his own books about Vrindavan parikrama and astrology (incidentally they were NOT published by the BBT), I was flat out disgusted with his latest article.

I only write this because I very much like him and I am only criticizing out of concern, not to wage a war of words. I believe that his attitude represents many of the “so-called” ISKCON leaders attitudes and they should think deeply about it. I originally refrained from sending it out because I was thinking that no one in the BBT(I) is influenced by what I write. But now I feel that it is necessary to comment for the masses of aspiring devotees to see how and in what direction the BBT(I) and the “so-called” Prabhupada disciples are headed.

I read Patita Pavana Prabhu’s latest article (which is a response to another article about Prabhupada’s disciples writing their own books).

What a bunch of self-aggrandizement nonsense, if you ask me! Srila Prabhupada’s books have the potency, his disciples so far have shown that their books do not. Writing for the Back to Godhead was meant for the disciples to show their realizations UNDER THE ORDERS OF THEIR GURU, but they do not follow his instructions. It is a fallacy that ANYONE, even if they do not follow can become a Guru.

You can look at a glass of water, but if you do not drink it than you will die of thirst!!! Their books may be nice and they may be interesting, but they do not lead anyone to a bona fide GURU, so what is their use???? It’s like saying “HERE IS SOME GOLD AND BUT YOU CAN NOT OWN IT” . Or… YOU CAN LICK THE OUTSIDE OF A HONEY JAR, BUT YOU WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO TASTE THE HONEY.

Patita Pavana wrote:

“Many of Shrila Prabhupada’s disciples have actually become empowered. Disciples of His Divine Grace and the great parampara have actually presented genuine and insightful commentaries on transcendental subject matters. For example, Shriman Kushakratha das, an unsung hero of ISKCON, translated, wrote and printed some 300 titles which must be some sort of world record. To my mind many of the books produced by Shrila Prabhupada’s disciples have been inspiring and enlightening, though some others have careened off track due to not understanding Prabhupada’s message properly.”

First of all, those books nicely translated by Kusakrata Prabhu are not his books, they are merely translations of the Goswami’s books. What are the use of ANY of them unless one has read ALL of Srila Prabhupada’s books??? If one where to actually read all of Srila Prabhupada’s books, NOT JUST ONE TIME 30 YEARS AGO, BUT DAILY – THREE HOURS A DAY- AS SRILA PRABHUPADA HAS INSTRUCTED FOR THE REST OF OUR SMALL LIVES, then reading and citing a few of the Goswami’s books may be in line ONLY to back-up and further elaborate on the statements in Srila Prabhupada’s books. THE BOOKS THAT WE READ THREE HOURS A DAY!!!

With Srila Prabhupada at the helm of the movement, we found small dedicated Sankirtana groups out on the streets for eight hours a day. AND THAT IS THE ENTIRE BASIS OF THE WHOLE MOVEMENT. The basis of the movement is not writing books, it is not sitting in temples, it is not worshiping in the temples, it is not sitting privately chanting your rounds in the holy dham, or holding 24 hour kirtans in the temple. The basis of the movement is to GO OUT ON SANKIRTANA. That does not mean selling books!

You cannot have the wagon first and then the horse! The wagon is the books and the horse is SANKIRTANA. Srila Prabhupada wrote these books and wanted them distributed so THAT IT WOULD EMPOWER EVERYONE to go out on the streets, like LORD CHAITANYA MAHPARABHU AND DANCE IN ECTASY… THIS IS A PROCESS CALLED “SANKIRTANA”. And WHAT MADE THEM GO OUT ??? THEY HAD REAL SRAVANAM, THEY HAD REAL KIRTANAM!!! These things are HARDLY AVAILABLE NOW! Where do you find those books now? They are NOT AVAILABLE! They have been changed. SEVENTY-SEVEN PERCENT OF THE BHAGAVAD-GITA AS IT IS IS NOW CHANGED. And most of the other books as well. In fact, the only four books that Srila Prabhupada said we need: 1) the BHAGAVAD-GITA 2) THE SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM 3) THE CHAITANYA CHARITAMRTA 4) THE NECTAR OF DEVOTION…. THESE HAVE ALL BEEN CHANGED. They are NOT the same books. They are NOT the same size or the same color or they same quality, the content is NOT THE SAME!

That is the power of Srila Prabhupada’s KIRTANAM! That if one will read or hear from a REAL lecture or written literature SINCERELY written BY THE ACHARYA, it will produce a change of heart for them to go out in the streets and chant the HARE KRISHNA MANTRA TO EVERYONE. The only use of ANY “ANY shastra” (whether it is a book by Jiva or Sanatana Goswami or Vishwanath Chakrvarti) is to get one to 1) accept a bona fide GURU and 2) to follow HIS instructions.

A bona fide GURU is Srila Prabhupada and HIS INSTRUCTIONS are to enthrall EVERYONE in the MOOD of the Acharyas in the line of DISIPLIC INSTRUCTION. If a disciple does not follow, then it DOES NOT WORK. It has NO EFFECT! sampradaya vihina ye mantras te nisphala Srila Prabhupada’s instructions are for His disciples to have proper sadhana first. That means reading HIS BOOKS and hearing FROM HIM. THEN KIRTANAM! THEN SANKIRTANA! THEN BOOK DISTRIBUTION! “THE BOOKS ARE THE BASIS” MEANS TO FIRST READ THE BOOKS! THEN TALK ABOUT THE BOOKS! THEN DISTRIBUTE THE BOOKS!

The current state of Srila Prabhupada’s old disciples is a sad state of affairs. They are mostly on the bodily concept of life, thinking that they are old and ready for retirement, giving up their service. They are exactly like the Gaudiya Math members.

They just travel around getting their feet washed and write their useless books pontificating their small realizations about THEMSELVES and their PAST TIMES with Prabhupada. They parade with leaflets and banners all of the glories that Prabhupada once gave them for their one-time foundation/bricklaying service. But they do not care to maintain ANY of their past service or CONTINUE as they WERE DOING. They wanted to become Prabhupadas, but they do not fit the bill. They try to wear HIS clothes, but they DO NOT FIT! The message they should get is that WE ARE NOT THIS BODY! WE ARE NOT THIS AGE! WE ARE ETERNAL SERVANTS OF THE ACHARYA! WE ARE NOT EVEN SERVANTS OF KRISHNA, WE ARE SERVANTS OF THE ACHARYA ALWAYS, ONLY, FOREVER!

YES! SRILA PRABHUPADA SAID WRITE, BUT WRITE IN BACK TO GODHEAD MAGAZINE! THIS IS THE OUTLET FOR THE DISCIPLES AFTER THEY HAVE READ, LISTENED, SRAVANAM’ED ; THEN SUNG, DANCED, PONTIFICATED, KIRTANAM’ED; THEN OFFERED PRASADAM TO VISHNU THROUGH THE SPIRITUAL MASTER AND DISTRIBUTED IT!
Go GET A LIFE! (a REAL life!)