It was clear that Srila Prabhupada wants to do something wonderful in Calcutta. He even suggested that we try for the famous Victoria Memorial. He said it was not being utilized nor properly maintained but if we had it, Krsna would maintain everything.
Jayapataka grinned, seeing the irony of such a proposal. "And we could have British pujaris, for the glory of Queen Victoria."
Prabhupada smiled. "Tell them that we shall bring ... to worship Victoria with prasadam of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. That is real Victoria Memorial."
As the meeting drew to a close, they discussed establishing a bank in Mayapur. So far only a local cultivators' financial cooperative has shown interest, but Prabhupada doesn't want to deal with them as they want a large deposit from ISKCON. "If you deposit five lakhs now, it will decrease value in five, ten months. The purchasing power of money is decreasing. Now what you can purchase with five lakhs of rupees, after five years you'll require ten lakhs. So your money will decrease. And if you invest that money in land, after five years it will increase to its full extent. So why should we waste our money? What is the benefit?"
Gargamuni pointed out that the farmers don't usually keep their money in the banks, although now the government is trying to force them to do it.
Prabhupada was well aware of what was going on. Because farmers traditionally use their money to buy land, the government has declared a land "ceiling," a limit on what one individual can own. "So they cannot invest money in the land; they give to the bank. And as soon as you keep money in the bank it will decrease the value. Money is decreased, value of, all over the world. Because it is not money actually, it is paper, cheating; real money is gold. But they will not allow to keep the gold. The whole policy is vicious. If I purchase gold with five lakhs of rupees, then it is real money, and after five years I can sell it ten lakhs. That they will not allow.
"Therefore my policy is that whatever money is there, spend; don't keep; in land and produce food. That is the best use. And instead of keeping money and take interest, you print books. That is also good, you can sell. Or you purchase land for producing food."
Gargamuni had a good grasp of the principle. "If we stock money, then there'll be no preaching. But if we print books, then we have to sell the books. So that is preaching."
"Therefore I am insisting all over," Prabhupada said. "Print any book. Never mind either Hindi or English or ... Print book and keep it in stock, nicely. That is the purpose of my Bhaktivedanta Trust. Fifty percent must be spent for printing, and fifty percent for building. That's all. No money. Don't keep any account."
- From "A Transcendental Diary Vol 4" by HG Hari Sauri Prabhu
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