Perhaps the reason that can be traced to why books are not being reprinted is lack of funds. Most of the books now are printed overseas. Paper is at an all time high in price, and the US$ is at a 14 year low. The printing costs have increased 4-5 times over last printing, making some of them impossible to make again. I inquired about it at the BBT a couple of years ago. Printing costs are even higher now.

There is also the extreme lack of distribution in all parts of the world now except India, which may be another explanation for lack of reprinting. You can’t justify reprinting 25,000 copies if only a handful are going to be distributed.

Prabhupada spoke on S.B.5.5 all over the world, actually London only got 2 or 3 days on that chapter, most of the new book would have to come from Vrindavan Dec 1976, where he spoke lots on that 5th ch. and some of the 6th ch. although there are lots of other times/places His Divine Grace choose that S.B 5th Canto 5th Chapter as his subject matter for that day.

On the court case and cow there wasn’t one and even if there was these days it would be funded by interested parties, that is to say, only intested parties get stuff done. The funding of a court case if there was one would have to start from scratch and would be the impetus for raising the money. Like TLR becoming a book and not just on line lectures, that would have to come devotee’s who have influence and are convinced there was need for it. In other words a campaign that keeps turning up untill someone either says “Yes, good idea” or ” No, we don’t need a new book”

To be done to BBT standard it would take more than a few days, more like a couple of years, yes, that long, for paintings to done, editing, etc. sure you could knock out something, but only the best for Prabhupada was the mood in the 1970’s when those books were coming out.

And part of the nectar of helping to produce a book on S.B.5.5 is learning every thing about Lord Rshabdeva, and his teachings including the Snake Yoga that he showed, the important verses that Prabhupada requotes in many lectures, the points he makes over different years on the same verses, a whole host of things you gain by losing your self in a project to make TLR real. I mean you would have to listen to every talk Prabhupada gave on S.B. 5.5 you would be very conversant on every thing about a TLR before you could even mention it to BBT.

Yes the devotee’s must write and print their own books but for every one they make they should be helping to make a new book for Prabhupada from his lectures, I like a 2nd Canto book cos’ Prabhupada spoke a nice series of talks on them plus that’s all before Sukadeva begins Bhagavatam ( He doesn’t speak in 1st Canto.)

The real BBT is now based in Bombay, the L.A. is there but mostly in-house work, printing and money coming from India. Otherwise why so many books all bearing the BBT Bombay.

Prabhupada allowed Bhakta’s to add a sanskrit term to their christian names, it’s in a letter, could be because in the time of Saraswati Thakur, Hari Nam was given without changing their name, as 99 per cent Indians had Vedic names, Name change came with 2nd initiation. So, when shouted across the ashram, a bhakta’s name, it would remind you of Krsna even though he hadn’t got Hari Nam. It was used in ISKCON but was stopped< could be to encourage diksa.

Am glad you like English weather so much to move Seattle. When I was in Seattle the devotee’s told me that it has the same weather as London. Hope you have your brolly.

Regards

Vamsi Vadana das

That’s great that the books are still in print over there. But “everybody” knows that the real BBT is the one based in LA. :)

As for more books, New Vrndavana’s Palace Press (long ago defunct) once released a book containing all of the Varnasrama Dharma lectures that Prabhupada gave at New Vrndavana. And maybe that’s something that should be a local thing.

The Lord Rshavdev lectures were done in London, so the Manor could use some of the money being spent on that court case (you know, the one where they screwed up and left the cow alone with a vet) and use it for something good.

But the big reason why there haven’t been more books from transcribed lectures is, I think, due to devotees wanting to write their own books. That’s not a bad thing. But the by-product is, of course, no new Prabhupada books.

The Lord Rshavdev book (for example) would be easy as pie to produce. It would take only a few days to get it laid out. But I strongly doubt that it would ever happen. I’d be shocked if a new Prabhupada book (that wasn’t composed of “sound bites”) was released ever again. Of course, I’d love to be wrong about that. Hopefully I am.

You know, we both agreed that there should be more books from the lecture series of Prabhupada, like whenever he spoke for a while on a number of verses (how TQK & TLK came about) well Lord Rshabdev gets lots of lectures from Srila Prabhupada, in fact He choose a 5.5.1 verse for His 1st London lecture back in 1969.

Erm, I was hoping to get you going on this, (it’s why I mentioned it) you see I am a bit old (55) and have no computer skills except basic e-mail, and you sound a bit of a computer-type, because really, WHY hasn’t there been more books from transcribed lectures, I mean there’s always plenty of other books coming out, right?! Wouldn’t you just love to be reporting in a couple of years time that The Teachings of Lord Rshabdeva is out of print again…

regards

Vamsi

There could be tons of books based on lectures and classes. And it would be great if those could be made someday. But I think it’s important to keep the original Prabhupada books in print.

Thanks for checking out the record site. It’s a real pet project. I enjoy it quite a bit.

I hope I haven’t gone on too much but the reason why we are so lucky to have these talks on the verses is …either Prabhupada was translating them at that time and He kindly gave us extra insight or that was the where the devotee’s were upto when he came to stay. Here at what’s left of the British Empire, he stayed for over 3 months and began Bhagavad Gita 1st ch. that’s another book. So if a book is in print in Indian BBT (our local library has it’s new S.B. that they stock printed in Bombay, a very fine edition) then it is in print.

Love your record site, Well done!

Regards
Vamsi Vadana Das

Vamsi Vadana das