Unfortunately even though over 2,000 devotees signed this petition, the Bhaktivedanta Archives remains firm that they will not release or make available to the devotees any of the 500+ unreleased Prabhupada recordings. The last communication we had from the Bhaktivedanta Archives on this subject was a letter from Nitya-trpta devi dasi (Ekanatha Prabhu's wife) who gave a dictionary meaning of "archives" and concluded:
"Nothing about distribution here. An archives is a place where records are kept and preserved.
Perhaps a general misunderstanding has been present as to the core purpose of the Bhaktivedanta Archives, to preserve and store all the material present specifically for future generations of devotees, scholars and historians. Distribution is a secondary activity."
So this is their current excuse as to why they keep all these Prabhupada recordings and over 20,000+ photos of Srila Prabhupada and whatever else they have locked up and hidden from the devotees.
She makes it very clear that the material they have locked up in the Bhaktivedanta Archives is only for "future generations of devotees, scholars and historians." Certainly never for us, the current followers of Srila Prabhupada. The current followers of Srila Prabhupada are forbidden to even see or hear the Prabhupada material they have locked up.
I have written before that the Bhaktivedanta Archives is operating like a prison for Srila Prabhupada. They take all the Prabhupada vani they can get their hands on and lock it up never to be seen again... They have not released anything "new" from Srila Prabhupada since the early 90's, when they released 300+ cassette tapes, many of these contained previously unreleased material. In the last 20 years they have given us absolutely nothing...
If by any chance you have some original recordings or films or photos of Srila Prabhupada please contact me, do not give them to the Archives, otherwise no one will ever see them again...
Unfortunately there is yet another lie in the long series of lies we have been hearing from Ekanatha on this matter. Previously his excuse for not releasing the 500+ Prabhupada audio recordings was that they had not been transcribed. But now that transcription process has been finished. I worked for him myself with many other devotees and we have transcribed everything he has given us and now for many months he is not giving us any new material for transcription.
Earlier this year they released a new version of the Folio which added many books by Srila Prabhupada's disciples and they deleted all of Srila Prabhupada's original books, leaving only the changed BBT books. But although they now have hundreds of new transcriptions of Prabhupada lectures and conversations available, not a single new transcription from Srila Prabhupada was included in this new release of the Folio.
Anyhow we have some good news. We have discovered some new Prabhupada tapes ourselves and we have found a set of the 1977 Prabhupada conversations tapes which are some of the tapes the Archives are refusing to release.
We have produced a DVD-ROM containing "Srila Prabhupada's Lost Conversations from 1977" These conversations have never been released before. It includes conversations with the kavrijas (doctors), bullock cart parikram, Kirtan vigil, conversations with Prabhupada's son Vrindavan De, the Ritvik Tapes, Grihastha Life, Dictation of Tenth Canto Purports, Reports, Gaudiya Matha, Srila Prabhupada's Sister, BBT Science Conference, Mayapur Problems, Gita Conference, Allopathic & Ayurvedic, Medicines, Food, Tirtha Yatra, and much more.
This is very interesting listening and if you can, please get this from: KrishnaStore.com
That will help us pay for the production of more DVD-ROMs in the future containing more unreleased Prabhupada material.
Also, the most important project remains the printing and distribution of Srila Prabhupada's original books. So we have a very exciting project in this regard. We have released the "Prabhupada Library." This is a library of more than 16 important pre-1977 books of Srila Prabhupada's. It is so important for us to read and distribute Srila Prabhupada's books and we can not do this unless we have the books. The Prabhupada Library includes:
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
Krsna--The Supreme Personality of Godhead
Science of Self-Realization
Teachings of Lord Caitanya
Nectar of Devotion
Sri Isopanisad
Perfection of Yoga
Beyond Birth and Death
Matchless Gift
Elevation to Krishna Consciousness
King of Knowledge
Easily go to Other Planets
On the Way to Krishna
Krsna the ROP (10 copies)
On Chanting Hare Krishna (10 copies)
Higher Taste (a small book about cooking and offering food to Krishna)
Normally to get all these books it would cost over $115. But for a short time I am offering all these books for only $49. Also due to the generosity of an anonymous devotee we can ship all of these books to anywhere in the world for only $14.95! (if you are in the US the shipping is even less). The actual shipping cost is over $50 because this is over five kilograms (11 pounds) of books. So I do not know how long we can continue this crazy price and the amazing offer on the shipping so please take advantage of this by clicking here.
My conclusion is that the best thing we can do in this situation is to chant Hare Krishna and seriously study the books and hear the recordings of Srila Prabhupada we have, and I am trying to do everything I can to help devotees do this.
So please support these humble attempts to glorify Srila Prabhupada and make his audio and video available to the world by getting the "Lost Conversations of Srila Prabhupada" DVD and the Prabhupada Library from KrishnaStore.com.
And listen to the Prabhupada Conversations and read the original Prabhupada Books and chant Hare Krishna and be happy! This is really the answer to all our problems and all the problems of the world. I am completely convinced of this.
Your servant
Madhudvisa dasa
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