690424 - Conversation A - Boston

Conversations by Date, 1969

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

690424R1-BOSTON - April 24, 1969 - 15:30 Minutes

Prabhupāda: . . . tree?

Haṁsadūta: Puruṣottama.

Prabhupāda: How many rose trees Jayānanda has?

Puruṣottama: 108.

Prabhupāda: 108. So at least 108 flowers we'll have daily. Yes. So it is very nice. Our Hawaii, place is also very nice.

Devotee: Hawaii. They have a new place?

Prabhupāda: Yes, the place where now Govinda dāsī is staying, a very nice place, just on the seaside. And the house is two stories, entire house among the fig trees. There is nice arrangement. So you had any correspondence with her?

Jadurāṇī: A little.

Prabhupāda: So what does she say?

Jadurāṇī: She said the flowers weren't out yet, but that was months ago. We have some mail for you. One letter is from her with up-to-date news.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Some devotees are coming. And in Honolulu, two boys, they are also doing. In Hawaii there are two branches now. Yes. One at Honolulu, one at Kauai. Kauai. That island's name is Oahu. Hawaii has five islands' stretch, and this is called Oahu. Oahu island, one side, Honolulu, and one side . . . this island means hill. And the valley of the hills are utilized for residential purpose.

So all sides, Pacific Ocean. And there is ample production of sugar cane and pineapple. I was chewing sugar cane as it is. (laughter) Yes. And there is so many coconut trees, palm trees, and mango. In mango season they throw away mangoes. So I have asked Govinda dāsī that, "You make mango pulp and dry it and send it." So they are doing nice, husband and wife, Gaurasundara. Yes. Trying their best. I do not know whether they are working now.

Himāvatī: Govinda dāsī is working.

Prabhupāda: Working. She can work. She can earn $400 at least.

Devotee: Typing?

Prabhupāda: Yes. She is good typist.

Devotee: We have one boy in Montreal, he says that he wants to go to Florida the first of May. His father is a real estate man. So he wants to get a job and then get a temple, and he wants someone to come there. He said me preferably.

Prabhupāda: All right. This South, North Carolina, they are also doing . . . (laughs)

Devotee: He wants to go to Palm Beach. Palm Beach is the richest place in the country.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. That's all right. So chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and everything will be all right. And Boston . . . Buffalo is also doing nice. Oh, yes. The students are educated circle. They are taking interest, both the boys and girls. And three meetings I attended. Every meeting was full, two hundred boys and girls.

They were dancing, chanting, asking very intelligent question. And Rūpānuga is holding class. There will be some examination of the students. They accept papers. Yes. Some Indians are coming from long distance. One Indian gentleman, he came to see me from . . . what is that place? Ninety-two miles away from Buffalo.

Himāvatī: Did you see Nauvanī? Nauvanī?

Prabhupāda: Nauvanī is there. Yes. He is there still. He is also very good. He works very nice in the temple.

Devotee: Every day.

Prabhupāda: He's a very good man. Everyone who will come to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness will become good man, even he's a bad man. (laughs) That is the influence of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Sarvair gunaiḥ tatra samāsate suraḥ (SB 5.18.12).

All godly qualities will develop in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the test. Now, our students, nobody can compare with their behavior, with their character, with their innocence. Everything nicest. So don't worry. Simply go on chanting. Everything will be all right. Don't worry.

Jadurāṇī: Sometimes I get concerned about temple affairs.

Prabhupāda: You . . . that's all right. For the time being you don't touch. You chant, and everything will be . . . soon you will be in good health. Then you will again work. Yes. Śāradīyā, you are painting? No. All right, you finish your school. You are going to school?

Śāradīyā: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That's nice. You are painting? That's nice. You? That's nice. Practice painting nicely. We'll require so many pictures. We shall publish so many pictures, book. (to another devotee) You are not painting. You have no time to paint. You have got enough engagement. So you can . . . so long you are here, you just show how to Deity worship, how you are doing that, and they will learn. Yes. She is doing that very nice. Yes. So you can, all of you, all girls, you take, how she is doing. Who is doing here temple worship?

Haṁsadūta: Are you going to give some more instruction?

Prabhupāda: No. This is . . . in this age temple worship is not recommended.

Haṁsadūta: It's not recommended. But Deity worship is temple worship?

Prabhupāda: It is Deity worship. Because nobody can actually very nicely perform. This age is not suitable. You see? Temple worship, the regulation, the engagement—at least four, five men must always be engaged, always, twenty-four hours.

Haṁsadūta: In the temple worship. In the temple.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We haven't got sufficient men, neither we can arrange such a way. Besides that, your previous culture, everything is completely different. So in this age Caitanya Mahāprabhu has . . . this saṅkīrtana, Hare Kṛṣṇa, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21).

This is all round. But at the same time, if you can perform as far as possible, that's nice, Deity worship. In this age Deity worship is secondary. Saṅkīrtana is primary.

Haṁsadūta: Does it matter who performs the Deity worship? Does it matter? I mean is it some particular person?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. That is called arcana-siddhi.

Haṁsadūta: Who should do it? I mean, in the temple who should do it?

Prabhupāda: No, everyone should do it.

Haṁsadūta: Everyone should take part.

Prabhupāda: Yes, everyone should learn. Everyone should learn. Sometimes somebody is doing something, somebody is doing something. Yes, like that. Everyone should be expert in every respect, twenty-six qualification. (car sound outside) You have got car here? No. Nobody has got car amongst our disciples?

Jadurāṇī: No.

Himavatī: Do you need a car, Swāmījī?

Prabhupāda: No, because the temple is here, just in front. So what is the use of car?

Satsvarūpa: Prabhupāda, I found a place very likely for a new temple. And I've gone so far as . . . the lawyer even drew up a lease. So maybe tomorrow you could look at it.

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. What is the description?

Satsvarūpa: Very excellent location, right downtown. The things wrong with it is that the temple area is no bigger than the temple area we have now, but the location is just the greatest. Second floor. Still, right downtown.

Prabhupāda: Second floor. So what is the rent?

Satsvarūpa: Three hundred a month. But we can do it as long as . . . presently, Patita-pāvana is working and so am I, and sometimes the gopīs get some money. So we wouldn't have any problem as long as Patita-pāvana would continue to work.

Prabhupāda: All right, Kṛṣṇa will solve the problems. But the space is not lesser than this temple?

Satsvarūpa: Well, the temple room is maybe even smaller than the present temple room, but then there's another large, very large room for a kitchen, and then another space for where bunks could be for sleeping. So there's actually three different spaces. The thing is that the main temple hall is not too large.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. That doesn't matter. You have to take saṅkīrtana party. That should be the main business. And the . . . at least sixteen men, four mṛdaṅgas. Practice mṛdaṅga like that. And twelve cymbals, and one chanting and all other responding. Oh, it will be tremendous. Take some flags, "ISKCON", “Hare Kṛṣṇa" flag, red flag. You see? And conchshell, mṛdaṅga. In New York they are doing now, and they also one day collected 240 dollars or something like that. What is that?

Puruṣottama: Two hundred and forty-seven.

Prabhupāda: Two hundred and forty-seven. You see? (chuckles)

Haṁsadūta: I'll try in Montreal. We have new devotees now, lot of new boys.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Oh, you will get devotees. You just begin saṅkīrtana party, you will get many devotees. You see? In Los Angeles, daily the devotees, new devotees, are coming, and very nice boys. We are now searching after a bigger place. Yes. That temple is not sufficient, although that is the biggest center of all our centers. It has got compound.

It has got parking place. It has got two big halls, one big room, one big kitchen, and three, four, five small rooms. It is a nice situation, you see, just suitable for our purpose. And they decorate Jagannātha very nicely. Yes. So increase centers. And what is the name of the boy who went to . . . Nanda-kiśora. He wants to open Toronto?

Haṁsadūta: In Toronto. Toronto is a very good place to go.

Prabhupāda: So let him open.

Haṁsadūta: Let him go?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Haṁsadūta: Okay. But not alone. He needs someone else, I think. He needs one more boy. I don't think by himself he can do it.

Prabhupāda: That we shall arrange, somebody to go. Yes.

Haṁsadūta: Maybe you remember Mr. Saini in Montreal?

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Haṁsadūta: Well, he approached me just recently. He wants to open a store, Indian store and goods, and he wants the boys in the temple to work there. He wants to make some arrangement so the temple will get some money.

Prabhupāda: He is very cunning man.

Haṁsadūta: Yes, I know. I don't trust him at all. So maybe I shouldn't . . .

Prabhupāda: He wants to utilize our men.

Haṁsadūta: Yes. Don't deal with him, right? That's what I thought.

Prabhupāda: He wants a cheap, cheap price. (break) I don't believe all these things they have . . . they have come here to beg, to make money. You see? Their mentality cannot be good.

Haṁsadūta: I have another plea from Gopāla Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Gopāla Kṛṣṇa is a good boy.

Haṁsadūta: Oh, he's very nice. Oh, he's getting so nice. He wants to come.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Because he is serving.

Himavatī: He lives in our house now.

Haṁsadūta: He lives with us now. You know we have another house, the whole house, and almost everyone now is a devotee there. And they're eating prasādam. He lives there.

Prabhupāda: Gopāla Kṛṣṇa is very nice boy. You give him good protection, and he will turn very good help. Sevonmukhe . . . this Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be, I mean to say, appreciated only by service. There is no other . . . no other way. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234).

You cannot catch Kṛṣṇa by any way — by your riches, by your beauty, by your . . . because He excels everything. How you can make Him under your control? You can simply make Him under your control by service, like the gopīs did. Yes. What is this? Prasāda? Oh, I think I cannot take any. All right, I shall take some.

Satsvarūpa: The devotees have prasādam over at the temple that's ready.

Prabhupāda: Oh, they can take. They can go. (end)