760926 - Conversation - Vrndavana

Conversations by Date, 1976

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

760926R1-VRNDAVAN - September 26, 1976 - 06:30 Minutes

Prabhupāda: I was living with servant and two sons. So I helped to start . . .

(break) . . . took from my friends, I collected some money and . . . so other important members said: "Why Abhaya Bābu is living separately? He should be the president of the Bombay." I never said, but they said. I was living separately. Then Prabhupāda requested, I mean to say, pleaded in my behalf so many things. He said three words, "It is better that he is living outside your company. He will do. When time will come, he'll do himself everything. You haven't got to recommend him." These very words. (break) . . . Kṛṣṇa require any president or any GBC. He's giving chance to everyone, that's all. Otherwise thousands of presidents and thousands of GBC may come and go, His work will go on. Kṛṣṇa is complete Himself. He doesn't require anyone's help. That is Kṛṣṇa. (break) . . . sei hetu pracāra. One who has got life, he can preach. One is dead, what he can do? He used to say.

Haṁsadūta: And I'm convinced, Prabhupāda, that in this temple, right here, you can make every week at least two, three Life Members, and you can sell thousands of rupees' worth of books. Yesterday I started one man, this boy Ikṣvāku from Germany. I said: "Just go around and greet people and show them around and sell them books." And the first few hours he sold seventy rupees' worth of books. And if I have a few people who just walk around and they walk right up to the guests and say: "How do you do? My name is so and so. I come from New York. What is your name? Where do you come from?"

Prabhupāda: Last night all visitors came, all respectable gentlemen.

Haṁsadūta: Last night four people came, they were all big businessmen. One man had been working in a big business in Germany. He spoke German perfectly well. He was an Indian man. He lives in Agra. And so many people. Because Vṛndāvana is the heart of India, every Indian comes once in his lifetime to Vṛndāvana . . .

Prabhupāda: Oh yes.

Haṁsadūta: . . . if not more times. And everyone will come to our temple.

Prabhupāda: Due to Vṛndāvana, our temple is advertised all over India. Everyone says.

Haṁsadūta: We haven't even got to go out. We have simply to receive people nicely.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) . . . from Vṛndāvana. I was residing here after retirement. That Rādhā-Dāmodara, they are being paid monthly?

Akṣayānanda: Yes.

Prabhupāda: You got the receipt?

Akṣayānanda: No, I don't have it in my care.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Akṣayānanda: I don't have it personally.

Prabhupāda: Then who keeps it?

Akṣayānanda: I don't know. I have to check.

Prabhupāda: You do not know? Who is paying?

Akṣayānanda: I'll check with Viśvambhara. I don't know, to be quite honest.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Akṣayānanda: To be perfectly honest, I don't know.

Prabhupāda: You do not know? How is that?

Akṣayānanda: Because I've been away so much, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: All right. Still, you should know what is this and what is . . .

Akṣayānanda: Yes, I know. (break)

Prabhupāda: . . . he was going to cleanse these rooms. So whether this is going on or not, you do not know. Then who knows it?

Akṣayānanda: Viśvambhara will know, because he took full charge in my absence for all these things.

Haṁsadūta: You want me to take care of it? Your rooms at Rādhā-Dāmodara? You want me to take care that they're cleaned and kept?

Prabhupāda: That was being done.

Akṣayānanda: Yes, I had it being done once a week.

Prabhupāda: So nobody knows what is being done or . . . (break) So one was to control horses. So he became very much anxious, "What kind of whip I shall have to keep?"

Haṁsadūta: First he has to get a horse.

Prabhupāda: "Then, first of all, rascal, where is your horse?" (laughs) He became very much anxious, "What kind of whip?"

Haṁsadūta: Okay. I'll get the horses.

Prabhupāda: And anyone who can purchase a horse, he can very easily purchase any whip. Not that we shall be very much anxious for the whip first. First of all, let us have a horse. The difficulty is that no horse is coming. That is the difficulty. Attract horse, and you'll find so many.

Haṁsadūta: Okay. (end)