BY: GIRI-NAYAKA DAS
Dec 07, 2011 — SLOVENIA (SUN) — There is a question whether the BBT can print other books besides Srila Prabhupada’s books. Some say that BBT should be exclusively for Srila Prabhupada’s books. Srila Prabhupada seems to have instructed devotees quite the opposite – namely to print books with BBT only, as seen from this letter to Revatinandana Swami, 9 January 1974:
“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.”
From this it can be understood that devotees can write books, but they should print through BBT. And for sannyasis if they print themselves, they make business, trade, and deviate from principle of sannyasa. It is only natural that sannyasis engaged in trade will be criticized. Profit should go to BBT, and BBT should supply necessary expenditures to sannyasi writers.
Thanks Giri-Nayaka pr, right, Prabhupada’s BBT should be organised exemplary. All over Europe there are approx. 50 languages. Countries with many citizens like France (65 mio), Germany (81 mio), Italy (60 mio), Spain (47 mio) – do they have all of Prabhupada’s books in their own language?
So far in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, TLC, CC, NOD, SB, KB were not reprinted since 1989 – are out of print so to speak. Same with small books. Instead the devotess distribute books by Satsvarupa Goswami (“I committed inappropriate dealings with a woman”) and others like, Adiraja Dasa, Devamrita Swami, Gopiparanadhana Dasa, Krishna Dharma Dasa, Kurma Dasa, Sacinandana Swami, Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, Satyaraja Dasa (Steven J. Rosen).
Again thanks for pointing to publishing all authorized Vaishnava authors via BBT. But the original purpose of the BBT to present Prabhupada’s books in all languages has to be priority.