770228R3.MAY

Hari-sauri: [chuckling] I was thinking there's a verse in one of the Vedas that describes a woman's heart is like a razor.

[break] The chief guest was here.

Prabhupada: Yes?

Hari-sauri: Yes.

Prabhupada: Who was he?

Hari-sauri: He was the man that offered you his obeisances when you just got out the car, just before we entered the...

Prabhupada: Oh. He is Mr. Sen? No.

Hari-sauri: Mr. Sen was here. At least that's what I was told, anyway, that he was the chief guest. [break]

Tamala Krsna: If they have a proper stage like in Bombay, with good lighting, it enhances it very much.

Prabhupada: And Bombay will understand English. Play was very nice.

Tamala Krsna: Costumes were good?

Prabhupada: Everything was all right.

Tamala Krsna: Sudama was a complete transformation.

Prabhupada: [chuckles] He played first.

Tamala Krsna: Really.

Prabhupada: All of them played nice.

[pause] [break] If you continue, throughout the whole year people will come.

Hari-sauri: Just like they have prasadam distribution at the weekend, they could also put a theatrical performance and kirtana like this on the stage every week.

Tamala Krsna: What would be very nice, I think, is if gradually the local devotees can learn to play these things in Bengali. Then the people will...

Prabhupada: No. There is another process. You can simply play, and by microphone we can explain in Bengali.

Tamala Krsna: Narration. That's best. What would be best, though, is if the local people also learned, so that in every temple there could be this kind of performance.

Prabhupada: Any local language we can speak. They'll simply show their movement. Speaking somebody, he will show like that. In cinema they do that.

Hari-sauri: Sudama's men, they also know how to do that. They also know how to do mime. That Lohitaksa used to do that.

Prabhupada: That is the latest art. The same man can play in any country, and it is explained, different languages.

[pause] How many men they come?

Hari-sauri: I didn't see.

Prabhupada: From local village?

Hari-sauri: Yes.

[pause] [kirtana in background] It's very nice. Wonderful kirtana. [break]

Tamala Krsna: ...thousand.

Hari-sauri: Yes. It's picking up. It's becoming a little busy. There were one or two big parikrama parties came too. The photo display should be ready tomorrow also.

Tamala Krsna: Yes. Actually, they say it is ready. Will you be looking at it this year?

Prabhupada: Hmm? [break] Palika has gone? No.

Hari-sauri: Yes. She left this afternoon.

Tamala Krsna: Rangoon she's going to.

Hari-sauri: She should be back in four days.

Prabhupada: In Rangoon we have got any place?

Hari-sauri: No.

Tamala Krsna: Ramesvara gave her money for staying. It's really not very good. It's not very good that our devotees, especially the women, have to do like this. The government is harassing us. Now nearly all the GBC men have come. Jagadisa has still to come, and Atreya Rsi and Balavanta and Gopala Krsna. Then they'll all be here.

Prabhupada: Here everyone was praising the food. Why in Vrndavana they criticize? So you GBC find out the cause. We cannot allow in Vrndavana going like that. I especially brought this Bhagatji, for this purpose. Still...

Tamala Krsna: Yeah, he should be able to do it.

Prabhupada: No, he cannot do.

Tamala Krsna: He can't. I know Aksayananda cannot either.

Prabhupada: Anyway, it is not being done.

Tamala Krsna: No.

Hari-sauri: Not for the last two years.

Tamala Krsna: It's never been done.

Hari-sauri: Vrndavana is well enough advertised now that the guesthouse should be full all the time, but it's not full.

Prabhupada: The thing is, it is guesthouse, and once it is advertised that the food is not good, nobody comes.

Tamala Krsna: First impression is the lasting impression. If one time a man comes and it is not good, he will never return.

Prabhupada: Then in Bombay we shall be very careful.

Tamala Krsna: Very careful. Only the best cooks.

Prabhupada: Not best cook. The best cook is available. Management is not good.

Hari-sauri: We need a very expert manager for that guesthouse.

Prabhupada: And in Bombay-before we get bad name; then it is lost.

Tamala Krsna: Everything has to be set up beforehand perfectly.

Prabhupada: If required, we shall appoint professional man and keep everything very vigilant; things are going. Otherwise, once bad reputation-finished, so much attempt.

Tamala Krsna: Our Mr. Chabriya should be able to give a lot of guidance and advice. I spoke with him a few years ago.

Prabhupada: But he did not. Theoretical.

Tamala Krsna: He has those hotels, Sea Palace Hotel. Svarupa Damodara still has not come.

Prabhupada: Then there is no hope of going to Manipur.

Tamala Krsna: Really?

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Tamala Krsna: Because of this delay of his coming?

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Hari-sauri: Well at least he reported to Gargamuni that the prospect was good.

Prabhupada: No. Gargamuni did not say anything.

Hari-sauri: Well, he remained in Calcutta.

Prabhupada: No, no, he came here, but he did not say.

Hari-sauri: Who did Gargamuni speak to?

Tamala Krsna: He spoke to me. He said, "Yes, but they have not yet got the permit."

Prabhupada: That means there is no hope.

Tamala Krsna: What is the difficulty?

Hari-sauri: Well, generally they require six weeks, 'cause it's on the Chinese border.

Tamala Krsna: There's so many places on the Chinese border.

Hari-sauri: They have some protected areas. That's all. It's because there's a lot of missile bases and stuff up there. They have a lot of armament up there. They've probably got some big project going. [break]

Tamala Krsna: ...the letterhead now for you from France, really nice.

Hari-sauri: Prabhupada's seen it.

Prabhupada: Where it is?

Tamala Krsna: Can I show you a copy? White. White also.

Prabhupada: Some letterhead is already there, nice.

Tamala Krsna: This is from France.

Prabhupada: That was also from France.

Hari-sauri: You've seen the blue onionskin. This is white.

Tamala Krsna: We have now blue and white. Bhagavan brought me the rest of it, brought the rest of it here, lot of it. It's very high class, with gold letters. Really nice.

Hari-sauri: Envelopes too?

Tamala Krsna: Envelopes also. The whole thing. It's good, because we're running short.

Hari-sauri: There's a whole bunch of that [indistinct].

Tamala Krsna: You want me to start using that new type of letterhead that Bhagavan has brought? Should I start using it?

Prabhupada: No. So long you have got old stock, finish.

Tamala Krsna: Finish. There's a lot of that.

Hari-sauri: There's quite a stock left in Calcutta yet.

Prabhupada: In special case you can use.

Tamala Krsna: All right. [end]