Tattva-viveka
Bhagavad-gita printing
Gaurangi-priya Devi - October 18, 2010 11:45 am
Dandavats dear devotees,
We are having a wonderful visit here in NC with Gurumaharaj. We have had many programs and great attendance at the different venues. Yesterday we had a small informal meeting with GM to discuss the future of SCS in NC, and it came up that there are no more of his Bhagavad-gitas in print. He said that he would probably need about $10,000 to front to Mandala for them to print another round. This would be the fourth printing!!! So all day yesterday I was thinking of how we could make this happen, as his Gita is such a gift to us all, and it is a shame that people want to order them but we cannot provide them.
So, I came up with the numbers. If 40 devotees donate only $250.00 each that would get us to the $10,000. My goal is to offer this to him before Thanksgiving of this year. What better way to show our thanks!
Can we do it????
I am pledging the first $250.00 and Madan Gopal has said he will also give $250.00. So we have 38 devotees more to go.........who's next. 
with respect,
Gaurangi-priya
Radhanama Dasa - October 18, 2010 8:33 pm
I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to help with this, can I send via paypal?
Dandavats dear devotees,
We are having a wonderful visit here in NC with Gurumaharaj. We have had many programs and great attendance at the different venues. Yesterday we had a small informal meeting with GM to discuss the future of SCS in NC, and it came up that there are no more of his Bhagavad-gitas in print. He said that he would probably need about $10,000 to front to Mandala for them to print another round. This would be the fourth printing!!! So all day yesterday I was thinking of how we could make this happen, as his Gita is such a gift to us all, and it is a shame that people want to order them but we cannot provide them.
So, I came up with the numbers. If 40 devotees donate only $250.00 each that would get us to the $10,000. My goal is to offer this to him before Thanksgiving of this year. What better way to show our thanks!
Can we do it????
I am pledging the first $250.00 and Madan Gopal has said he will also give $250.00. So we have 38 devotees more to go.........who's next.
with respect,
Gaurangi-priya
Guru-nistha Das - October 19, 2010 1:05 am
Fantastic idea, Gaurangi! Thank you very much for taking this up.
Madan Gopal Das - October 19, 2010 3:48 am
Let me get back to you Radhanama...
Nitaisundara Das - October 19, 2010 5:34 am
Indeed this is wonderful! We have more than one yoga and/or gita class wanting to get their hands on them. Let's brainstorm fund-raising techniques. Maybe even an ad on chakra. They get over 1000 hits a day. We could all flood our facebooks with donation requests
This is a great service, Gaurangi.
Gopala Dasa - October 19, 2010 12:57 pm
$250 from me, and $250 from Anna.
Anyone else prefer paper to PDF?
Prema-bhakti - October 19, 2010 1:04 pm
You go Gaurangi!!!! I will also give $250.00.
I prefer paper Gopal!
Gaura-Vijaya Das - October 19, 2010 5:33 pm
You go Gaurangi!!!! I will also give $250.00.
I prefer paper Gopal!
Why not both!
Gaurangi-priya Devi - October 19, 2010 5:51 pm
Wow, thanks for the enthusiasm. I have written a letter to the devotes here in Hillsborough asking them as well, so lets see what we get. Facebook is a good idea, Nitai.
So we just need 34 devotees now!!!!!!! Lets keep it going.
As far as the logistics of where to give and how, would one of the Audarya monks like to direct us?
Madan Gopal Das - October 19, 2010 6:04 pm
well, one idea is we could use paypal (not sure what account yet) and as we collect it, put it in our scs-nc account until hopefully by thanksgiving we have it all and GM can direct us as to where it goes to for the printing... I think he's working on whether there are alternatives to Mandala.
Madan Gopal Das - October 19, 2010 6:08 pm
We are definitely talking paper here, though I think GM mentioned that Vrindaranya is working on some of the older books like Gita for pdf on swamitripurari.com, but it takes some time because of software dating issues.
Vrindavandas - October 19, 2010 11:59 pm
Two ideas to kick around:
1. Create Kindle versions for Guru Maharaja's books.
2. Republish through Amazon, low investment, no need for $10k and they will print on an as needed basis. I have had a few friends use the service with great success.
Gauravani Dasa - October 20, 2010 12:08 am
Vrindavan dasa, you reminded of lulu.com, they publish books on demand:
http://www.lulu.com/publish/books/?cid=pubpage_books
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lulu_(company)
They are located in Raleigh, NC. A colleague of mine published a a small paperback of poetry by her grandmother and it looked and felt just like any book from Barne's and Noble.
If they will accept the current digital format and size of the GM's Gita and offer a reasonable revenue share (80%?) it may be worth exploring.
Madan Gopal Das - October 20, 2010 3:55 am
We've got a $1000 pledge coming in after Nov. 1 - to be named when confirmed!!!! $2500 has been pledged - 1/4 of the way there in one day!
As long as it is okay with GM, here is a paypal link for the reprint fund:
Madan Gopal Das - October 20, 2010 12:44 pm
Gauravani and Dana have pledged $250! 
Swami - October 20, 2010 3:04 pm
We've got a $1000 pledge coming in after Nov. 1 - to be named when confirmed!!!! $2500 has been pledged - 1/4 of the way there in one day!
As long as it is okay with GM, here is a paypal link for the reprint fund:
Yes, very good idea this thread! Paypal account approved.
Syamasundara - October 20, 2010 10:37 pm
How many books does $10,000 print?
Bhrigu - October 21, 2010 6:40 am
My daughter pledges $ 250.
Babhru Das - October 21, 2010 7:32 pm
I'm in, but I have to do it in three installments.
Gaurangi-priya Devi - October 22, 2010 12:19 am
Thank you little Radha!! What a great beginning to her service.
And that is great Babhru!
Arcana-siddhi and Karnamrita Prabhus have pledged $1,000, and Dhrista and Rudrani have pledged to give $250.00.
So the count up as of today is: 13 pledges of $250.00, counting Arcana's donation as four.
That is only 27 more donations to go to reach the goal! Don't miss out on the opportunity to be part of this. Let the disciples and friends of Gurumaharaj in your area know about this, please, as well. And those that have already pledged can put the donation into the paypal account as of now.
Gauravani Dasa - October 22, 2010 12:41 am
Pledges: 13 x $250 = $3,250
Total collected: $110 (Babhru and Atmananda)
Please send your donations via PayPal or Credit Card through this link:
Gopesh Dasa - October 22, 2010 7:06 pm
Gokula-candra and me myself pledges $250. 
Caitanya-daya Dd - October 25, 2010 7:17 pm
I would like to donate something but I cannot afford $250 at the moment. To whom can I speak about this? Gaurangi-priya?
Gaurangi-priya Devi - October 25, 2010 8:53 pm
Thank you Gopesh and Gokula-candra!!
Caitanya-daya any amount will help and whatever gets donated will get us closer to our goal, so thank you! And this goes to anybody our there not able to afford the $250.00.
One thing also to consider, if you can't give the $250.00, is to talk to other disciples or friends of GM in your area and try to raise the amount with a few people.
A few perks have been presented to those wanting to step forward and donate. First of all it is now the month of Kartika and any spiritual activity done during this month is extra special and the benefits multiplied greatly. It is also the month of Srimati Radhika, so by donating to such important guru-seva and the propagation of the Bhagavad-gita, we hope to grant her favor. Also Nitai-sundara has written me, and anybody who donates $250.00 will receive a signed copy of the newly printed Bhagavad-gita AND one pound of Audarya cheese. And lastly, for those of you who like to distribute books or know of a yoga center or facility that wants a large amount of the Gitas, they can pre-order cases at a discounted price and by doing so also help with getting the Gitas to print.
We only need 26 more donations of $250.00 to reach the goal.
Let us come together and make this happen!
Prema-bhakti - October 26, 2010 1:03 am
How many books are in a case?
Jason - October 26, 2010 1:47 am
Caitanya Daya told me about this on Facebook today. I will be making a donation.
Also, my wife is the Application Production Manager for a start-up here in the Bay Area called Vook.com. They produce interactive, video/image-enhanced eBooks for iPads and iPods. Their products are in the iTunes store and they are working with Amazon now. I'd like to talk with her about perhaps taking on a "pro bono" project and building a "Bhagavad-Gita: Its Feeling and Philosophy" Vook.
Check it out:
http://vook.com/what-is-a-vook.html
They have done Vooks for Karen Armstrong, Deepak Chopra, and other religious personalities. Maharaja's commentary would make a nice addition to their "Religion & Spirituality" section:
http://vook.com/religion-and-spirituality.html
Jason
Gaurangi-priya Devi - October 30, 2010 10:09 pm
Nice ideas Jason. That would be awesome to have a Vook of GM's Bhagavad-gita, and an opportunity to reach a whole new audience.
We have had a few more donations towards the printing, which is very exciting. I wrote an invitation on Facebook, and got a few responses from that. The last we had were 13 pledges/donations of $250.00. We are now up to 20 donations of $250.00 pledged or given, and a combined effort donation of $175 by Atmananda, Tadiya, and Caitanya-daya. Which makes us more than half-way there! 
:Applause: :Applause:
Please keep up the good work of sharing this wonderful opportunity with others. Gurumaharaj has already lined up a printer and is ready to move forward with getting things rolling.
Here is a breakdown of the donations received and those that are still pledges. A HUGE thank you to our most recent donors Krisangi and Kamalaksa, Madhukari, Tadiya, Caitanya-daya, and Tharshan.
Donations received:
Atmananda: $25.00
Bhabru: $85.00
Gopal and Annie: $500.00
Gopesh and Gokulacandra: $250.00
Krisangi and Kamalaksa: $500.00
Tharshan: $250.00
Madhukari: $250.00
Tadiya: $100.00
Caitanya-daya: $50.00
Pledges:
Gaurangi and Madan Gopal: $500.00
Radhanama: $250.00
Prema-bhakti: $250.00
Bhrigu: $250.00
Dhrista and Rudrani: $250.00
Arcana-siddhi and Karnamrita: $1000
Babhru: $250.00
Gauravani and Dana: $250.00
Karnamrita Das - November 1, 2010 5:32 pm
We just sent our donation through the paypal acct. Exciting to see it coming together! Such an important book and one of my favorites!
Radhanama Dasa - November 1, 2010 6:21 pm
I've just sent mine also, apologies for the delay.
Gauravani Dasa - November 1, 2010 8:40 pm
Total collected: $4,325.71
Percent collected: 43%
ALMOST HALF!!!
Prema-bhakti - November 4, 2010 12:02 am
I will send mine next Wednesday 11/10.
Devyah-pati Das SERBIA - November 4, 2010 9:52 am
How many books does $10,000 print?
Yes, I am also interested to understand,
how many can be printed for this amount?
Devyah-pati Das SERBIA - November 4, 2010 10:10 am
Just some ideas... Brainstorming...
1.) Maby small size Bhagavad Gita should be printed,
like this small black one that BBT printed?
2.) In general, maby some books of GM can be put
together and printed. If whole Srimad Bhagavatam
they could put in one book (although it is very small
text and not so good therefore), then maby few of
GM smaller books could fit in one, without the need
that the text becomes too small.
This may be interesting offer for people to get few
books in one, or to say few topics in one book printed
as compilation of few books.
3.) Since there are so many Sanga articles, maby
this can also be printed as a book (like Srila Prabhupads
"Perfect Questions - Perfect Answers".
Gaurangi-priya Devi - November 9, 2010 7:55 pm
Thank you for your ideas Devyah-pati. I think the idea of a Sanga book would be amazing and really helpful.
Gurumaharaj has already decided on a printer. $10,000 will print 1,000 Gitas.
Ragatmika donated $250.00 and Hari-bhakti and her yoga teacher friend have pledged $250.00 as well. Which gets us to 22 donations of $250.00. 
We are 15 days away from Thanksgiving, with only 18 more pledges to go. Only 18!!!!
Lets keep the enthusiasm and please give any ideas of how we can reach this goal.
Gauravani Dasa - November 10, 2010 1:36 am
Total collected via PayPal: $4,543.88
Last week I was organizing my Audarya Audio CDs. I wanted to share the contemporary talks with my wife's mother who has become a big fan after meeting GM in October. My wife and her mom keep saying, "I miss Swami. When is he coming back?"
Anyway, I thought it would be nice to collect the Gita talks and give them to her, along with a new Gita. She could read and then listen to the talks, letting a series of verses sink in. I'm not sure how many other people would be interested in such a "package" but it could also nicely complement home programs/group study.
Another thought: I never see GM's Gita in any libraries. I could try to encourage (or donate) several copies to local/university libraries.
Gaurangi-priya Devi - November 11, 2010 7:24 pm
Gauravani, getting GM's Gita in libraries would be such a nice idea and service!
Well, I have good news! Gurumaharaj wrote me and said that the printers have reduced the printing cost from $10,000 to $8,500! We are closer than we thought!
Also, besides donating $250.00, Hari-bhakti and Lisa Mae have pre-ordered and paid for 15 Gitas. That is $225.00!
Which means that we only need 10 more donations of $250.00 to reach the amount needed.
The deadline is Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 25th.
Gaurangi-priya Devi - November 16, 2010 10:08 pm
We have a total of $6,250.00 collected!!
Way to go!
We have $2,250.00 more to go. I know we can make this happen. 
Sridama Dasa - November 18, 2010 3:27 am
Count Heidi and myself in for $250
Gaurangi-priya Devi - November 19, 2010 1:33 am
Awesome! Thank you Sridama and Heidi!
We are down to only needing 8 donations of $250.00 to reach the total amount needed to print, with one week to go.
If you know of anybody that would be interested in donating or pre-ordering Gitas, now is the time.
Count Heidi and myself in for $250
Kamalaksa Das - November 20, 2010 8:22 am
Tour d'Europe would like to pledge 500 dollars as a token of gratitude for the book that was such a huge inspiration for it.
(If someone's not familiar with Tour d'Europe, you can go to http://www.facebook.com/tourdeurope and see where reading Bhagavad Gita can take you. )
Gaurangi-priya Devi - November 24, 2010 1:25 am
Thank you Kamalaksa and Krisangi. That is awesome. I didn't know about that book, so thanks for the link.
This brings us so close to our goal, it is amazing!
Vamsidhari has also pledged $250.00.
Which means that there we only need 5 more donations of $250.00. Only 5 more, or $1,250.00.
Also, just until Thanksgiving, when this book fund drive will end, Gurumaharaj is offering a very low price for pre-ordered books. Only $12.00 a book. Minimum order, one case.
So if you want to buy a case of Gitas to give as gifts or sell or start a Gita reading group, this is a great time.
Tour d'Europe would like to pledge 500 dollars as a token of gratitude for the book that was such a huge inspiration for it.
(If someone's not familiar with Tour d'Europe, you can go to http://www.facebook.com/tourdeurope and see where reading Bhagavad Gita can take you.
Gaurangi-priya Devi - November 24, 2010 2:19 pm
One more day to go, and we only need $750.00 to reach the goal, or three donations of $250.00!!
WOW!
Krsna-caitanya and his family have donated $250.00, and my mother Kamalini is pre-ordering over $250.00 Gitas.
Madan Gopal Das - November 24, 2010 7:28 pm
Prema-bhakti - November 25, 2010 5:54 pm
Big Thanksgiving thank you to Gauranga Priya for making such a noble and successful effort in fundraising for the fourth printing of Bhagavad Gita. I am grateful to you for engaging me and for helping bring GM's Gita to others. 
Nitaisundara Das - November 25, 2010 10:53 pm
Today's Thanksgiving and I don't know if the final $750 is coming in or not, but this was a major success no matter what! A great boon for everyone involved and for everyone who will come in contact with Guru Maharaja's Gita as a result.
Thank you, Gaurangi, and everyone else.
Gaurangi-priya Devi - November 26, 2010 12:29 am
I am so happy and proud to announce that we raised the FULL $8,500 needed for the re-printing effort. I am so amazed at our sanga, and pleased that we were able to offer this to Gurumaharaj today. Happy Thanksgiving to you all! We have much to be thankful for, most of all the spiritual path we are on and the wonderful guide we have on this path.
Jai Sri Bhagavad-gita and for all of you that have made this life-saving book available for many many more people!!
Prema-bhakti - November 26, 2010 12:47 am
I am so happy and proud to announce that we raised the FULL $8,500 needed for the re-printing effort. I am so amazed at our sanga, and pleased that we were able to offer this to Gurumaharaj today. Happy Thanksgiving to you all! We have much to be thankful for, most of all the spiritual path we are on and the wonderful guide we have on this path.
Jai Sri Bhagavad-gita and for all of you that have made this life-saving book available for many many more people!!
Way to go!!!!!!!!
Babhru Das - November 27, 2010 2:05 am
Wow! This is certainly wonderful news. Thanks to all the devotees who participated in this effort, especially to those who made it happen.
Atmananda Dasa - November 28, 2010 2:46 am
I was just thinking about this today. It is amazing that 10,000 was raised so quickly. It's impressive to me the enthusiasm for service that is present here.
Bhrigu - November 29, 2010 8:39 am
Wonderful news! Thank you Gaurangi Priya for making this possible and gently pushing all of us to participate. What great guruseva!
Swami - November 29, 2010 10:03 pm
This is good news. Gaurangi-priya your enthusiastic seva here is endearing. May you and all those who have participated in the seva be blessed with bhakti.