770719 - Conversation B - Vrndavana

Conversations by Date, 1977

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

770719R2-VRNDAVAN - July 19, 1977 - 9:17 Minutes

Prabhupāda: You know that? Are you aware of this plan?

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: One man is kneading flour, five sers, and he's getting two hundred rupees' salary, and paratha and halavā. This is management, going on. Now today it has been checked. They are eating paratha and our men are starving. He is getting two hundred rupees, three hundred rupees. This is management. What can be done? And he has . . . three dozen manager, four dozen cook. This is . . . I am giving you report which he has given to me. Money is squandered like anything, and live blindly, and "Still, I want everything for myself." Everything is in my notice. I can feel now actually . . . (indistinct) . . . is coming. Anyway, we want . . . in India, the affairs are most mismanaged. That we see. In foreign countries they are doing very nice—in New York, in Los Angeles, in Chicago. Now there is Toronto report. This Toronto report . . . I do not know how things are managed there very nicely, and here—three dozen cook. "Too many cooks spoil the broth."

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They're not cooking for any more people here than they do in New York. They don't have one hired person.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: How many you have?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: We have plenty of devotees here. There the devotees are being . . .

Prabhupāda: You see how things are mismanaged. There is no place for accommodating the cooks. What is the question of cooking? Have you seen it? They have no place where to accommodate the cooks, so many cooks. Similar thing I noticed in Bombay also, so many laborers. What can I do? Anyway, don't be discouraged. But things are going actually. I am discouraged, at the same time, let things go on like that. Therefore I say do not mind for little more charges. If things are coming quickly, good work, pay. You are already squandering money in this way, in the kitchen. Why not for your own? Hmm? Unnecessarily you're feeding some rascal paratha, halavā, and paying him. Who is going to see?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So now, with this new arrangement, they can't do that.

Prabhupāda: You cannot eat more than dāl, roti. That's all. Halavā . . .

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They shouldn't even be here.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: First point is that all those cooks aren't even needed.

Prabhupāda: Dismiss. Whoever will remain, they'll eat in front of us. Nobody will be allowed to take food.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: That was the problem. There were three different kitchens, so they were all eating one place or the other, and you couldn't watch them. Now everything is . . .

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: In one kitchen is very good, gurukula.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Actually there were four kitchens. Including the snack bar, there were four kitchens.

Prabhupāda: One pakki, one kachi. Expert.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Both in the gurukula building.

Prabhupāda: Everything. And one storeroom. That's all.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: By Kṛṣṇa's grace we have a very nice devotee cook now. He just came from Toronto.

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa's grace is always there, but we spoil Kṛṣṇa's grace. That is our business. (chuckles) "But Kṛṣṇa is giving us so much grace. Let us spoil it." That is our proposal. If there was no Kṛṣṇa's grace, how this institution would have come into existence? It was not possible, such a big institution, all by one man's endeavor, starting with fourteen rupees.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: It's unbelievable.

Prabhupāda: Simply Kṛṣṇa's grace. So don't spoil that. This . . . that's not good. Then Kṛṣṇa will not help. Just like the father gives you money. If you squander that, he'll be very sorry. Tat te 'nukampāṁ susamīkṣamāṇaḥ (SB 10.14.8). "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is so kind by giving me this opportunity." You should take things like that, not that "For nothing the father has given me so much money. Let me squander it." Have to work much for it. So anyway, Mr. Mani has said.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: That means your situation is not bad.

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: No, it's not very bad. It's, er . . . (break) (end)