06/14/98 - 1867

Nonsense Court Battles Must Stop!

USA (VNN) - A Response to Bhagavat Dharma's Letter:

by Srila dasa

The recent brouhaha over the rights to publish Srila Prabhupada's books certainly strikes Srila Prabhupada right in the heart. If we consider that the total bill for these scuffles will cost Prabhupada's book fund close to half a million dollars ($500,000, that's profit off the top), I think Harikesa Maharaja is not the only one having a heart attack right now. (No pun intended, this is very serious). We can just imagine that Srila Prabhupada himself must be turning over in his grave (samadhi) on this issue, "WHAT IS THIS UTTER NONSENSE GOING ON?!!!" Two BBT trustees, both disciples of His Divine Grace, slugging it out over SRILA PRABHUPADA's most treasured legacy, his books, and spending no small fortune of HIS BBT monies, in litigation.

Prabhupada condemned such litigation when he observed it in the Gaudiya Math after the disappearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada. He made it unquestionably clear he did not approve of such tactics, but now we are witnessing a similar court battle waged amongst his own disciples on a scale Srila Prabhupada would never dare to dream of. This situation is abominable and should be intolerable to any bona fide follower of His Divine Grace.

I therefore call upon anyone who has ever distributed BBT books and contributed even a *farthing* (Prabhupada's standard of waste) to the BBT to express their alarm at this most distressing situation before it progresses any further. I beg the present administrators of the BBTI to reclaim their SANITY! Otherwise, the BBT needs to be held financially accountable for their reckless actions and WASTE of Prabhupada's most precious life-blood, his BBT funds. I call upon every disciple and member of the Society to register their complaint over this disastrous state of affairs.

It is obvious from any nonpartisan perspective that this infighting must stop at once. Above all, Srila Prabhuapda was practical. As he concludes in the BBT memorandum 14th March, 1974, "I trust this is now clear and you will all do the needful." Let us do the NEEDFUL and end this extravagrant waste immediately. Prabhaupada could never foresee his own BBT Trustees fighting one another in court in the manner the BBTI has thus initiated. Although the BBTI's intentions are sincere, the consequence of such a course of action is hellish. The BBTI stands to lose not only their court costs but the case as well in the process. Let us have a call for sanity, please!!!

Submitted with all gravity,

Srila dasa