The Hare Krishna Movement

“…Prabhupada had an uncanny way of knowing how to engage different disciples in various services according to their natures”

Good Management

by Gargamuni Prabhu

The first acting officers of ISKCON were appointed by Prabhupada in the Fall 1966. We were sitting in Prabhupada’s room, only five or six of us, when He asked, “So Who should be president?” Everyone looked at each other and then Brahmananda suggested, “I think that Kirtanananda should be the president because he was the first to join.” There were other suggestions but Prabhupada didn’t approve, and then said, “No. I think that Brahmananda should be the president.” Why? Because he was actually maintaining the temple by giving his entire paycheck; $400 a month, as a NYC public substitute school-teacher. We both stayed in the temple-storefront. All the other working devotees had apartments and so they couldn’t give much money or time. So Brahmananda became the first president of ISKCON and Satsvarupa was appointed as secretary. I became the first treasurer/accountant. Prabhupada had an uncanny way of knowing how to engage different disciples in various services according to their natures. I was sure that he chose Brahmananda because he was a natural leader. He had been the president of his senior-high school class, and was captain of the football team and was captain of the wrestling team, for which he received a scholarship to the USA Naval Academy at Annapolis. He had a natural tendency to lead. He had his own club called The Playmakers, for which he was president, and they had their own jackets which they wore to school. He was a born leader and Prabhupada knew that just by looking at him. He made Satsvarupa the secretary because he was an intellectual—an excellent writer and editor. He made me the treasurer because I was by nature interested in business. When I was seven I started my own business selling cherry bombs (a very powerful kind of firecracker) at school. The kids would buy them and blow up mailboxes. The police were called and they found out it was me, but because I was only seven, they didn’t do anything. Even as a child I made my own office out of card-board and played with my father’s old business letters. I never told Prabhupada about my business activities, but he knew my nature just by looking into my eyes. It is a common understanding that the eyes are the ‘mirror of the mind’. I didn’t know anything about accounting but Prabhupada taught me. He explained accounting the following way:

”There are two things in accounting; one thing is I am receiving some amount, and the other thing is I am paying some amount. The paying or receiving will come under certain account. Whatever I receive is put under debtor column. Debtor means receiver, and the particular begins with the word “to.” Whatever I am paying is entered into the creditor column. Creditor means payer. In this way, after the whole day’s transactions, you make a total of the debtor column and creditor column, and if there is any balance, it is adjusted by the words “balance carried forward.” This balance is entered in the creditor column. So we have to see that the amount in the debtor column and the amount in the creditor column is equal. This is called a correct account. Next day you begin with “To Balance B.F.” (brought forward) That means whatever balance you had the day before you put in the debtor column with particulars To Balance B.F. Then begin your transactions as in the previous day.”

If you look at Prabhupada’s diary that he kept in New York before acquiring 26 2nd Avenue, you will see that he meticulously kept track of every amount spent and every amount donated to him. I would have my office in the room where Prabhupada typed and he taught me accounting and to be very careful with Krsna’s money. I had to show him everything that I entered in my ‘ledger book’ and ‘cash book’ and when he approved, he wrote “ACB” on the page. Everyone had to sign a voucher for whatever money they took from the treasury, and they would have to bring the receipt and any change. One time, Prabhupada wanted subway travel money, and so I handed Him a voucher and pen to sign. He laughed, and loudly said, ”Very Good”. Later, Prabhupada gave me the nickname ‘Gargamoney’, not because I had money, but because I was managing Krsna’s money expertly. When I became the temple treasurer, I was 18 years old and had never had a bank account. If I wanted some money, I would take it from my father. ISKCON’s bank was two blocks up the street from the temple. I would accompany Prabhupada when he would go to the bank and he taught me how to fill out a deposit slip and how to fill out a check, and deposit money in the account. If we wanted to take money from the bank, we had to use a check. The checks were small and there was only a little place for the signers. When I had to sign a check for withdrawing money for the first time, I signed close to the top so there would be enough space because I knew that Prabhupada’s signature was big. I gave Prabhupada the check and then we went to the bank together. After returning to his apartment, Prabhupada told me that in the future I should always sign below the Acarya, and never above him. Because I was ignorant and innocent, he said this in a pleasant manner and not as a chastisement. Prabhupada was teaching me everything, both spiritual and material. Next, we had to get tax exemption, but to do that, we needed to be recognized by the Federal Government. On November 14th we filed for tax exemption from the IRS, the Internal Revenue Service. For this we needed to be recognized not just as a nonprofit organization, but as a nonprofit religious organization. We had to provide all the required documents, including a copy of our lease, which was signed by Stephen Goldsmith, our lawyer. We eagerly waited for a reply from the government, and then finally, it came. I had the key to the mailbox because I was the only one there throughout the day. So I would go to the mailbox and bring the letters to Srila Prabhupada in his apartment. I remember that when the letter came, I was nervous while carrying it to Prabhupada. It was addressed to me and so I opened it. When I read that we had been accepted as a religious society, Prabhupada was highly pleased. Now that we were recognized as a religious society by the USA Govt’. And this became very important years later when ISKCON devotees received exemption from military service to fight in Vietnam which effected many devotees, including myself. A certificate of Initiation signed by Prabhupada and the temple president and submitted to the draft board and then one would be exempted from military service (Vietnam War).