We ourselves are not qualified scholars and unable to translate the Vedic literatures. It is obvious, therefore, that our contribution to our spiritual master or to the effort and mission of Lord Chaitanya is to publish what has been given to us by our spiritual master and to make a worldwide scheme for advertising, promoting and selling these books to the public.

Books are the Basis

Back in 1980, Hansadutta called for renewed, redoubled effort to print and distribute Srila Prabhupada's books, which just three years after Srila Prabhupada's departure were already going out of print. He met with stubborn resistance from Ramesvara Swami, then overseeing Bhaktivedanta Book Trust operations in Los Angeles, who objected, saying, "Prabhupada never said that he wanted us to sell all his books." This from a person who posed himself to be a trustee of the BBT (actually, he was only secretary, never trustee).

Hansadutta went ahead to print Srila Prabhupada's books — Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Teachings of Lord Chaitanya and Srimad-Bhagavatam (complete in 30 volumes, with KRSNA book) — in attractive and very affordable sets, much like the sets of encyclopedias sold to homes and schools. ISKCON GBC boycotted the books, and around the same time, Jayadvaita Swami set out on a mission to re-edit all of Srila Prabhupada's books, starting with Bhagavad-gita As It Is.

Now, 33 years after Srila Prabhupada's departure, only a handful of stalwart devotees are distributing his books — and in fact, for the most part, the books printed by Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc. are heavily revised by Jayadvaita Swami and his team of editors. Prabhupada's original, unrevised books are in scarce supply, and many of his books are no longer in print.

Even while Srila Prabhupada's books are going out of print and distribution is down, BBTI is publishing the books of ISKCON devotees and ramping up their distribution in preference to Srila Prabhupada's books. Just see the latest advertisement up on Dandavats.com.

The California Supreme Court decision is worrisome to ISKCON for their collection of funds, but ISKCON ought to be more worried how to preserve and distribute the legacy of Srila Prabhupada. Hansadutta has this to say: "If a man's books go out of print, that means his ideas are finished, gone. That man ceases to exist. Shakespeare's books are in print, and every Tom, Dick and Harry has got his book in print. The basis of our whole organization, culture or movement or society — call it what you will — is these books."

The books which our spiritual master was ordered to translate, publish and to distribute in the English language are gradually, or actually, rapidly going out of print. They're not being reprinted. The reason is because they're not being distributed. It is because we have missed the essential point of Srila Prabhupada's instructions — which are to distribute his books to every home in America. That has not been done. We have, somehow or other, used the books to collect money, rather than collect money to distribute the books. Everything has reversed itself, and our movement appears to have come to a standstill.

Books are the basis. Prabhupada pointed out that the Russians never came to India, but through distribution of their literature they have a following, so much so that the Communist Party in India has a very strong hold. The Communist movement practically devoured half or more of the world, simply by distribution of its literature.

Every great movement is preceded by a book. Even Hitler, before launching his campaign, published a book in which he outlined his ideas and his strategies. Then he proceeded to execute them. He was almost successful, just on the basis of his book. Another example: the Christians have spread all over the world, distributing the Bible and disseminating propaganda on the basis of it.

So it is Srila Prabhupada's books only which are of importance in our Krishna consciousness movement. Everything else is superfluous. Everything else is a by-product of these books. The temples, the deity worship and other programs are all secondary. The basis of Krishna consciousness or the spiritual revolution which Srila Prabhupada envisioned is the publication and distribution of this literature. Until all the people of this country and other countries will have these books in their homes, we cannot expect a significant turn in their lives.

The books will act where we cannot. That is the beauty of modern technology: by means of the printing press one man's effort may be expanded a millionfold very easily.

Five thousand years ago, Vyasadeva, the author of Srimad-Bhagavatam, foresaw the hellish situation of this age in which we live. He therefore recorded the Srimad-Bhagavatam in writing, for the first time. Prior to Vyasadeva, this knowledge was broadcast orally, passed down from spiritual master to disciple. Even in the time of Lord Chaitanya (500 years ago), Srimad-Bhagavatam was written by hand, and it was considered to be a great gift to offer to a learned scholar, a gentleman or king. It was very rare and difficult to obtain, because after all, it had to be written by hand. Now we have the facility to reproduce the Srimad-Bhagavatam by the millions by the printing press.

We ourselves are not qualified scholars and unable to translate the Vedic literatures. It is obvious, therefore, that our contribution to our spiritual master or to the effort and mission of Lord Chaitanya is to publish what has been given to us by our spiritual master and to make a worldwide scheme for advertising, promoting and selling these books to the public.

Srimad-Bhagavatam must be placed in the home of every respectable person in America. Just as the Oxford Dictionary or Encyclopaedia Britannica or collection of Shakespeare or any other literary work of importance is sitting on the book shelf in an educated man's home, similarly, Srimad-Bhagavatam and all the other books published by Srila Prabhupada belong there. Until Srila Prabhupada's books are placed in the homes of the American public, we cannot expect to do anything more. Just like a contractor has to put down a solid foundation before he can build up any number of stories in a skyscraper. Sometimes he has to dig down two, three or four stories and drive iron beams hundreds of feet into the ground and pour tons of concrete before he can begin to build. If he thinks, "Oh, this is too much trouble, let me quickly just put up the building," what will happen? He may do that, and it may stand for some while, but inevitably it will meet with disaster, it will collapse.

So we have failed to lay the foundation upon which we are hoping to build the skyscraper of a Krishna conscious society. We have quickly built up by inflationary methods a society which is now collapsing due to our shortsightedness, or due to our impatience and immaturity. We should retrace our steps, dismantle the illegal structure or framework, and with very deliberate and determined effort lay the necessary foundation for us to actually build a skyscraper of Krishna consciousness in this godless atmosphere now pervading America and Europe.

Srila Prabhupada certainly did not expect that his books would be out of print just two or three years after his disappearance [or that so many changes would be made without his express authorization]. Certainly he expected that sales would double, triple, quadruple, and that we would find better and novel ways to attract people to purchase these books, which are the fruit of the tree of Vedic wisdom, so that people would bring them home and gradually ingest their contents and refer to them for guidance in all kinds of situations.

It's distressing to see that so many godbrothers have gone in different directions and are very busy with programs which may be socially very acceptable or financially successful or in other ways more palatable than doing this basic missionary work of selling books. But we think it would be better to abandon such endeavors and recognize this fundamental defect or deviation in our activities and come back to the building of the foundation. Then, later on, we can do anything. But now this book distribution is required, because without this, nothing will stand. Everything will collapse. It is our duty to do it. We must do this.

It requires money, men, cooperation, love and trust. The karmis are pumping out their books — all kinds of books and magazines. So why are we not printing and distributing Srila Prabhupada's books? We are doing so many other things. We must stop, go back to publishing Srila Prabhupada's books, go out and sell them and with whatever money we get from that engagement, build our society.