Guest guest Posted July 5, 2003 Report Share Posted July 5, 2003 All Glories to the Books of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. In my recent conversation with the director of the BBTI Sripad Jayadvaita Swami he conveyed the following great news to me which I share here with all those who are interested in the distribution of the literature of Srila Prabhupada. The BBTI has recently lifted the ban of book sales at temple prices to devotees outside of Iskcon. Any party all over the world who wants to sell the books of Srila Prabhupada can purchase them at the same price Iskcon temples buy them from the BBTI from any of the divisions of the BBT around the world. Previously much pressure and critic was received by the BBTI for prohibiting book sales to devotees outside of Iskcon. This new attitude is highly appreciated. Srila Prabhupada's books were not available to transcendental literature distributors who had misgivings with ISKCON's administration, or who had affiliation with other branches of Vaisnavism, thus depriving many souls from getting the most important shastras published by the BBTI and also cutting down the BBTI sales as well. We are looking forward to see an great increase in sales of transcendental literature. It was the greatest happiness of Srila Prabhupada to see his disciples becoming pure devotees. He always pushed us to read his books diligently and to distribute them as extensively as possible. After three decades of book distribution all over the world many new ideas and evaluations of book distribution have become prominent. Above all the general mood is that books should be distributed in such a way that the buyers are really eager to read them and get a totally favorable impression of those who distribute them. To ignore that for the purpose of increasing the amounts of books distributed has been a mistake often committed in the past. To give away books for free has also sometimes an opposite effect, in a world where our mailboxes are filled with glossy advertisements of all kind. To have high prices on the transcendental literature also make it increasingly difficult for the book distributors to give them out on a voluntary donation basis. Srila Prabhupada was eager to give books to everyone, without discrimination. So many people are poor or without work. In Latin America for example we published many small books of Srila Prabhupada and rarely do you meet a person who has never seen a book by Srila Prabhupada. Today we may mention here that the previous BBTI policy not to sell books to devotees outside of Iskcon had the positive effect that we have now a host of different books by prominent Vaisnava Acaryas available from the different printing houses and also on the Internet on the FIRST Vaisnava Library on the Internet: http://www.vrindavan.org/isev Especially we have seen that the following authors have been already translated into many languages: Srila Sanatan Goswami Srila Rupa Goswami Srila Visvananth das Thakur Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur Prabhupada. Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar deva Goswami Maharaj. Twelve titles New editions not previously printed by the BBTI of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Srila Bhakti Promod Puri Maharaj Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaj Srila Siddhansvarupananda Jagad Guru Srila Bhakti Gaurav Narasingha Maharaj Srila Bhaktivedanta Tripurari Maharaj Srila Atulananda Acarya and many others. The vision of Srila Prabhupada to inundate the world with transcendental literature has been taken up with great happiness by so many publishers and distributors. Outstanding contributors to this are also Sripad Kusakratha das, Sripad Satyaraj dasa and Sripad Dasaratha Suta. All of them have worked so hard to further expand the body of Vedic knowledge made available to the world. It should also be mentioned in this connection that the Higher Institute for Vedic Studies has published many years ago a correspondence course of Yoga teachings based on the teachings of Srila Prabhupada. Following the preaching ideas utilized worldwide by the Self realization Fellowship or the courses given by the Rosacrucians, this course permits to teach people systematically in far of places. This course has had great impact in South America to teach people who often would never visit a temple. Already this course is translated into many languages and is being launched by the Vrinda Institute. People interested to use this course can request a download version from pswami@ipof.fla.net. Now the work is on the way to create a follow up course called the Vedic Culture Course which is going to supply College level basic teachings on the Vedic Wisdom. Srila Prabhupada gave us so much knowledge in his books. This Vedic Cultural course though will provide the students with an academic structure of the Vedic teachings. Devotees interested in the research work for the Vedic Culture course may contact the Research center of the Vedic Culture Course : Vediccc@aol.com or malatidasi@aol.com Book distribution has not stopped. It is just going through a transformation. It is evolving to new heights. The same can be said about transcendental periodicals. It is very difficult to start and maintain a transcendental journal. Even the BTG with the backing of a big institution went through serious problems. On the other side spectacular Vaisnava journals made their appearance. Some of them tried to reach acceptability in the Non Vaisnava journal business world. Here are some examples: The Harmonist (dis) Clarion Call (dis) Gaudiya Vedanta (dis) Vaisnava Journal (dis) Vedic Village journal (dis) Life Force News Journal for Vedic Studies The Rays of the Harmonist Visva Vaisnava Raj Sabha Journal of the World Vaisnava Association. Krishna Karanamrita Kagliokurt Hungarian Slovenian Vaisnava Journal A host of mission journals. Vaisnava Scientific Journals such as: Tattva Viveka German This is just a partial list. Vaisnavas have tried a lot to get the message packed in a way that will appeal to people. Innovative projects such as Art books of Mandala Media, children's books of Bala Books and others, plus a great amount of books published to research the better interaction of Vaisnava Communities all speak for the great desire of the Western Vaisnavas to make the whole think really work, despite of our shortcomings. All this is undoubtedly inspired by Srila Prabhupada. Let us bow to his holy feetand go on in our struggle against Maya and be very generous with each other as he always was to encourage our little Bhakti creeper vine to grow. Transcendental Book distribution and publications ki jaya! B.A. Paramadvaiti Swami Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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