Prabhupada:My books will always remain

8 November, 1973

Heidelberg, Germany

My Dear Hamsaduta Das:

… You have taken the right view of the importance of my books. Books will always remain. That was the view of my Guru Maharaja, and I also have taken it. Therefore I started my movement with my books. And we shall be able to maintain everything with the sales of the books. The temples will be maintained by the book sales, and if there are no more temples, then the books shall remain. …

Your ever well wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Srila Prabhupada:Without Sravanam Kirtanam Temples will become a burden

Srila Prabhupada: "So this is difficulty, that we are not very much interested in hearing. And that is the main business. Our bhakti begins: sravanam kirtanam visnoh [SB 7.5.23]. We have to hear and we have to speak. But if we are not interested in hearing and speak, then it will be the same thakura-bari (?), simply formula. That's all. And gradually it will be stopped. Unless there is life of sravanam kirtanam, these big, big buildings, temples, will become burden. So if we are, if we want to create burden for future, then we may give up this hearing and chanting and sleep very nicely.

It will be burden. Galagraha. Not sri-vigraha, but galagraha. Galagraha. Sri-vigraha means worshipable Deity. So if we give up this sravanam kirtanam visnoh, then it will be thought that "Our Guru Maharaja has given a burden in the neck, galagraha." This is the danger. So we must be very much alert in sravanam kirtanam. Otherwise all this labor will be futile. This building will be only the nest, nest for the doves and the pigeons. That is the danger. That is being done. Nobody is interested. Such, such things..." -Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.19 Mayapura, September 29, 1974 —