Room Conversation with Govinda dāsī and Gaurasundara – July 1, 1971, Los Angeles

Hawaii is blessed land

Prabhupada: [indistinct] ... alright?

Govinda dasi: This is for my daddy, for my material father.

Prabhupada: Your father is still..., still bluff. [laughs] You are asking as beloved child, and it is going to Krsna.

Govinda dasi: [laughs]

Prabhupada: So cut the man..., mangoes. What is called?

Gaurasundara: Crease?

Prabhupada: Eh?

Govinda dasi: Ah! Srila Prabhupada, we have so many mangoes in Hawaii, you could take these and eat these for days.

Prabhupada: This is so nice mangoes.

Govinda dasi: We eat dozens of them.

Prabhupada: Simply by seeing, one is satisfied.

Govinda dasi: [laughs] Ah! [indistinct]

Prabhupada: Hawaii is full of this mangoes?

Gaurasundara: Yes, this is mango season. For maybe one, two months, there is more than you can eat.

Govinda dasi: Each devotee eats nothing but mangoes for breakfast. Nothing but mangoes.

Prabhupada: And he does not make sick?

Gaurasundara: No, no.

Govinda dasi: No. I eat five. Some people eat twelve.

Gaurasundara: They are used.

Prabhupada: Twelve mangoes?

Gaurasundara: Oh, yes.

Govinda dasi: Some of the brahmacaris eat at least twelve or fifteen mangoes.

Gaurasundara: Twenty. Their faces are all yellow, all the time, with the mangoes.

Govinda dasi: [laughs] They sit down and they will eat as long as they have the time. And we have so many that they are rotting. It's a shame; we cannot even eat them all.

Prabhupada: Cut all these mangoes and distribute.

Gaurasundara: All these mangoes?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Govinda dasi: Ah! You have to have some too.

Prabhupada: [laughs] I don't say that. So keep these mangoes. Take this knife, cut all the mangoes and distribute. Offer to the Deity here.

Gaurasundara: These can be offered?

Prabhupada: Eh? You can take, or Govinda dasi can take.

Gaurasundara: [indistinct]

Prabhupada: Oh, yes. [background noise]

Gaurasundara: I'm going to get another plate to put the mangoes on.

Prabhupada: Hmm?

Gaurasundara: I can get another plate to put the mangoes on.

Govinda dasi: Gaurasundara bought one truck for $300.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Govinda dasi: He bought one large truck-huge; the bed as long as that room-for $300, and the brahmacaris and him, they fixed it up, painted it very nicely.

Prabhupada: Ah, eh. You carried me in one bus when I was last here, there?

Gaurasundara: Yes, a truck. Bigger, much bigger.

Prabhupada: Same truck?

Gaurasundara: No, much bigger than that.

Govinda dasi: No. Much bigger.

Gaurasundara: We used it for some time, then we sold it and made profit, $550 profit.

Govinda dasi: We sold it for 850, 850, and we bought it for 300.

Gaurasundara: Oh, we did several. This is from our used car business.

Prabhupada: Eh?

Gaurasundara: We sold several trucks. We bought them and sold them and made twice as much money.

Prabhupada: How you do it?

Gaurasundara: We just..., just paint it.

Prabhupada: Oh.

Govinda dasi: Paint it.

Gaurasundara: Paint it and clean it and fixed it a little bit on the motor.

Govinda dasi: And we use them for sahkirtana.

Gaurasundara: And we use it while…, while we're working on it. We use it as much as we like and then sell it.

Govinda dasi: On Ratha-yatra that very truck that brought us $800, we took it, the boys, we decorated it with flowers.

Prabhupada: You also performed Ratha-yatra?

Govinda dasi: Yes, Gaurasundara was here.

Gaurasundara: Not exactly Ratha-yatra. We had a, a parade, and we went down with the truck and brought the people to the temple.

Prabhupada: Now you should introduce some ceremony, big ceremony. And you make all.

Govinda dasi: It was nice. We brought 28 people back in the truck, plus all our devotees. So you can see it was a big truck.

Prabhupada: So Hawaii is developing nicely. You work so hard, I know. [laughs] You are going fifty miles to work, both husband and wife.

Govinda dasi: No, we don't do that even. He works very hard, but I am very sick now [indistinct].

Gaurasundara: We don't work outside, you know.

Prabhupada: No, at that time [indistinct].

Gaurasundara: Oh, yeah.

Govinda dasi: You saved us.

Prabhupada: At that time I was thinking, "Oh, how these poor boys are working so hard."

Gaurasundara: Yes.

Prabhupada: Whole day and night.

Gaurasundara: [laughs] I was first of all working two jobs in Hawaii-one in the daytime, one in the night. Not good.

Prabhupada: Never mind.

Govinda dasi: You told us, "Stop working; Krsna will take care of everything."

Prabhupada: Yes.

Govinda dasi: And we did that.

Gaurasundara: Oh, yeah.

Govinda dasi: And Krsna has taken care of everything. Simply fate.

Prabhupada: That I am confident. [laughs] Otherwise I could not work personally. I had to do so much, big trouble. Hawaii is blessed land. I have seen that. Such a nice island. Sufficient mangoes, sufficient papaya, sufficient coconut.

Gaurasundara: Coconut, banana-there are many fruits.

Prabhupada: Flowers also.

Gaurasundara: Oh, yes.

Prabhupada: That's all right. So your, er, monthly payment is going regularly? [aside:] You keep it there.

Gaurasundara: Keep it on the plate?

Prabhupada: Keep it there, and then distribute to all the devotees.

Devotee: [indistinct] Gaurasundara.

Prabhupada: Eh?

Devotee: Gaurasundara also?

Prabhupada: Yes, why not? Gaurasundara is also a devotee. [laughter]

Govinda dasi: [indistinct] Gaurasundara.

Prabhupada: [laughs] Why he should be bereft of?

Gaurasundara: So you mean the Back to Godhead payment?

Prabhupada: Eh?

Gaurasundara: You said something about monthly payment.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Gaurasundara: Back to Godhead?

Prabhupada: Yes.

Gaurasundara: Oh, yes. We are paying, but we are not distributing so much. But we are increasing.

Prabhupada: What is the reason? [aside:] Take those parts.

Gaurasundara: There is… There is in winter season not so many people. Now summer is here.

Prabhupada: It is winter now?

Govinda dasi: It's increasing.

Gaurasundara: No, now it is summer. In fact our Back to Godhead distribution has gone up three times in the last week. Tripled. So I think during summer season it will be nice.

Prabhupada: Summer season, how...

Gaurasundara: Everybody comes to visit Hawaii in summer.

Govinda dasi: It is sunny and warm, and people are on the street. But in winter it rains all the time. Not all the time, but there is not as many people, and...

Gaurasundara: So we are improving.

Prabhupada: When we first went there it was the month of March. It was raining.

Gaurasundara: That last time you were there it was nice.

Prabhupada: This…, that was with others. Last time when I went it was other. [pause] So how do you find Los Angeles temple?

Gaurasundara: It's very nice.

Govinda dasi: So many devotees.

Gaurasundara: It was so nice and clean, and everything going on nicely.

Prabhupada: Cleanliness is the real sign of temple. Tan-mandira-marjanadau.

This is the test. Sri-vigraha, the Deity.

[aside:] That is sufficient. Or you can take more, distribute among devotees?

Devotee: Ah, all the devotees.

Prabhupada: At least one piece.

Devotee: Most devotees are on sahkirtana. Devotees on sahkirtana. There are only a few devotees in the temple.

Prabhupada: How many?

Devotee: In the temple now?

Prabhupada: First of all go and distribute this.

Devotee: Maybe ten.

Prabhupada: Go and distribute.

Govinda dasi: Can I move this a bit closer to you? It has a built-in microphone.

Prabhupada: Oh. Thank you very much.

Govinda dasi: The Deities… Did Gaurasundara Prabhu tell you that They [indistinct]?

Prabhupada: Yes, I will point out the color.

Gaurasundara: Yeah.

Govinda dasi: I have painted Lord Nityananda.

Gaurasundara: She has not yet completed painting on the eyes and so forth, but, er, she has almost finished.

Govinda dasi: The color that you have pointed out is about the color of Lord Caitanya. I mean it is the color that I painted. But that [indistinct].

Prabhupada: Both of Them are of the same color. Hmm?

Govinda dasi: [indistinct]

Prabhupada: So, you have painted already?

Govinda dasi: No, it is just one coat. It can be removed very easily.

Prabhupada: Oh, you…, you can [indistinct].

Govinda dasi: It can be changed very easily.

Gaurasundara: Yeah, it is very easy, the paint.

Govinda dasi: All I have to do is just scrub it with turpentine.

Prabhupada: So is it possible to make many pairs like that?

Govinda dasi: Yes, it is possible. But first I have to know… You have to see Them and make sure that They are proper.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Govinda dasi: This is the only thing.

Prabhupada: Why don't you send me some more photographs?

Govinda dasi: I have some, but they're not very good.

Prabhupada: Not good, or [indistinct].

Gaurasundara: She has… You have the film?

Govinda dasi: Yeah, [indistinct].

Gaurasundara: She has some film, and if she has it with her we can have it developed, and in one or two days you can see.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Gaurasundara: It doesn't have the eyes painted.

Govinda dasi: It doesn't have...

Prabhupada: That doesn't matter. I want to see the statue, how it is.

Govinda dasi: The problem that I feel… The arms are only this high. The ones are like this, and the...

Prabhupada: No, no, no.

Govinda dasi: Well, that this is how they are, because the clay…, when I made the original one, I had them a little higher, but the weight of the clay was, ah, a little bit...

Prabhupada: Oh, there is no support inside?

Gaurasundara: Oh, yes.

Govinda dasi: Oh, no. The finished one is not in clay; it is in clay mache. It is very hard, and it is so lightweight that it can be shipped anywhere. Very lightweight.

Prabhupada: Ah. Shipped, but it must be packed nicely.

Gaurasundara: Oh, yes.

Govinda dasi: It won't break very… It is not brittle when it is finished.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Govinda dasi: It is not like clay.

Prabhupada: So as, ah, here, just Gaura-Nitai?

Gaurasundara: You want for here also Gaura-Nitai?

Prabhupada: Yes, for everywhere. Everywhere Gaura-Nitai.

Govinda dasi: Is it possible for you to come and maybe see Them…

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Govinda dasi: ...before...? I don't want to make Them and… That wouldn't be right. I can make changes, whatever changes.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Govinda dasi: If They are as you say.

Prabhupada: [indistinct] big, eh? [laughs]

Gaurasundara: No, They are quite large.

Govinda dasi: This tall.

Prabhupada: Four feet?

Gaurasundara: Four feet.

Govinda dasi: Four feet.

Prabhupada: That's nice. And how much space do They take, both brothers?

Govinda dasi: Their arms stick out this far. [aside:] This far? And They are this high. And if…, and Their arms, if they are interlocked, I mean, you know… [aside]: Put your arm up.

Gaurasundara: [indistinct]

Govinda dasi: If they are like this, about this much space.

Prabhupada: Enough. Sufficient.

Gaurasundara: Could be less if you wanted.

Govinda dasi: It depends on how close together you put Them and how much you interlock Their arms.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Govinda dasi: But Their arms are perfectly bilateral, you know, just like…, and the face and hands are together with the thumbs like this, and Their feet are standing straight, with the feet just together, like this.

Prabhupada: That's all right.

Govinda dasi: Face forward.

Gaurasundara: We will bring to you, in a few days.

Prabhupada: Hmm. Your old machine is working? Sony?

Govinda dasi: Yes, we had to have it fixed recently.

Prabhupada: Hmm. He wanted more? Take.

Govinda dasi: They probably [indistinct].

Gaurasundara: They're coming out of the corners.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Gaurasundara: I've never seen so many devotees, but all of a sudden they have appeared.

Prabhupada: Hmm, then make it…

Gaurasundara: Make smaller.

Prabhupada: Yes, take out.

Gaurasundara: [indistinct]

Prabhupada: Wherefrom you got this pan?

Gaurasundara: In the kitchen.

Prabhupada: Oh, in our kitchen?

Gaurasundara: Yes.

Prabhupada: This temple is suitable for our purpose. Everything is in correct position: the temple, the residential quarter, my quarter, lecture room, parking place-everything in order. The bank is near; the post office is near; highway... Highway or freeway? They call freeway?

Gaurasundara: Yes, freeway.

Prabhupada: There are two freeways nearby. There is hospital also near. Very central. Everything is there. [pause] There is no jackfruit?

Gaurasundara: I am not sure. What is... Is there another name for jackfruit?

Govinda dasi: It's [indistinct].

Prabhupada: Yes, yes.

Govinda dasi: I saw a picture of it in an India...

Gaurasundara: I think there is not.

Govinda dasi: [indistinct]

Prabhupada: Generally when there is mango there is jackfruit also. They are two cousin-brothers.

Gaurasundara: Ah. It grows on a tree?

Prabhupada: Eh?

Gaurasundara: It grows on a tree like mango?

Prabhupada: Yes, yes. Jackfruit grow in Bengal. More than Bengal-Assam, that's all.

Gaurasundara: They have [indistinct].

Prabhupada: Big.

Gaurasundara: Oh! [laughs]

Govinda dasi: Spikes.

Prabhupada: Yes, yes.

Govinda dasi: If we got seeds we could plant them here; we could grow them here.

Prabhupada: And it lasts for many years. It does not die. Just like banyan tree, and continually produces fruit. In Bombay also there is. Everywhere, in India everywhere, but especially in Bengal. Actually, during mango season Bengalis, they eat mango and jackfruit, a little milk.

With mango you should drink a little milk; otherwise it will be indigested. Sometime, movement of the bowel, if too much taken; but if you take a little milk it counteracts.

[pause]

What is the name of that quarter where you have heard the new record?

Gaurasundara: Ah, which? That big one on Apple?

Prabhupada: Yes, that one.

Gaurasundara: Oh, yes, yes.

Govinda dasi: It is to be played on our radio show.

Prabhupada: Hah?

Govinda dasi: It is to be played on our radio show this week.

Prabhupada: Ah. They are advertising the record with my picture and Radha-Krsna. Many.

Govinda dasi: Big posters?

Prabhupada: Eh?

Govinda dasi: Big posters.

Prabhupada: Yes, yes.

Gaurasundara: Ah, billboards.

Govinda dasi: Oh, billboards?

Gaurasundara: In San Francisco, when I first arrived…

Prabhupada: Yes.

Gaurasundara: …I was surprised. I looked up and there was this big picture.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Govinda dasi: All billboards should have such things. I have never seen it.

Prabhupada: George is chanting also. He is always coming, like child, grandchild. [laughs] I told you in the beginning that "Let him chant; don't disturb." [laughs] Hmm. How many of them are there in your temple?

Gaurasundara: Only about three, four, I think.

Prabhupada: And others?

Gaurasundara: They were there before, and they have gone since then. There was about fifteen, sixteen others. Most of the Sai's old disciples have gone to other centers all over the world.

Prabhupada: Oh, so he had a big camp.

Govinda dasi: There were. There were about fifteen disciples; he had fifteen.

Prabhupada: They are also cultivating Krsna.

Gaurasundara: Yes.

Prabhupada: That was their advantage. Krsna helped them. [referring to tape recorder] This is also Sony?

Govinda dasi: Yes.

Prabhupada: Yes. What did you pay for it?

Govinda dasi: It was a gift.

Prabhupada: Eh?

Govinda dasi: It was given to us.

Prabhupada: Somebody here? Who gave?

Govinda dasi: The, eh, one of Sai's people. They...

Prabhupada: Ah.

Govinda dasi: They brought [indistinct].

Prabhupada: Sai is a rich man's son?

Gaurasundara: His father was a doctor. He got the wealth. They managed somehow to raise the money from his father.

Prabhupada: So his father comes to see him. No?

Gaurasundara: His father is a Communist. He doesn't like us.

Prabhupada: Ah, Communist. He is Communist?

Gaurasundara: Yes.

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Gaurasundara: He's [indistinct].

Prabhupada: But the Communist idea is prohibited in U.S.

Gaurasundara: Yeah. He's not very well liked, well, because he's, ah, he's, ah, considered crazy. He endorses Communism.

Prabhupada: Ah. So what does he do?

Gaurasundara: He's a retired doctor now. He simply...

Prabhupada: He died?

Gaurasundara: No, no. He simply sits in his house; he doesn't do anything.

Prabhupada: He does not practice?

Gaurasundara: No, he has retired. He simply sits there and he reads some Communist books, like that.

Prabhupada: Communist book is available here?

Gaurasundara: Oh, yes. Oh, yes. They can't restrict what can be said.

Prabhupada: Communist party is prohibited.

Gaurasundara: Yes, but the books they can't restrict.

Govinda dasi: Their names have to be listed.

Prabhupada: Eh?

Govinda dasi: Don't they? Their names have to be listed.

Prabhupada: Who is this gentleman? Benjamin Franklin, No?

Gaurasundara: What does it say? Yes, that is Franklin.

Prabhupada: Franklin, yes. He was a scientist?

Gaurasundara: He was, yes. He invented something.

Prabhupada: Electricity?

Gaurasundara: Yes. [laughs]

Prabhupada: No.

Gaurasundara: Yeah, there is a story, you know. He had a kite, and the lightning struck on the kite, and there was a wire went down, and the electricity traveled through the wire.

Prabhupada: There was some fire?

Gaurasundara: He proved that lightning was electricity. Yes. I spoke to [indistinct].

Prabhupada: They have got very nice article about me in Washington. He gives me a place genuine, and he condemns Maharishi.

Gaurasundara: I saw in the bookstore that Maharishi's books are being sold 80% discount. They were stacked on a table. [laughs] That means they weren't finished.

Prabhupada: Eighty percent discount?

Gaurasundara: Yes. [laughs] That means they were worthless. [laughs]

Govinda dasi: Worthless. [pause]

Prabhupada: Eighty percent discount? Still people are not purchasing?

Gaurasundara: No, that's why they simply want to clear it off. They are trying to give it away. Who is this? Very nice. [pause]

Prabhupada: So Los Angeles, we are getting mango? [indistinct] Hawaii mango.

Govinda dasi: They just fly them over.

Prabhupada: Imported from Hawaii?

Gaurasundara: Ah, yes, I think.

Prabhupada: At what price they are sold?

Govinda dasi: In Hawaii?

Gaurasundara: In Hawaii?

Prabhupada: They are not sold?

Gaurasundara: In Hawaii? No, they are free.

Prabhupada: Free?

Gaurasundara: Oh, as much as you like.

Prabhupada: Accha!?

Gaurasundara: Any man, you go to his house, "Can I pick mango?" "Oh, bring bucket."

Govinda dasi: On sahkirtana an old couple drove up, opened their truck and brought out two crates of mangoes.

Gaurasundara: Yeah, they bring them to us, "Please take." They are falling on the grass.

Govinda dasi: We rake them up also.

Gaurasundara: No, the people don't eat much mangoes. They are meat-eaters now.

Govinda dasi: The children eat mangoes.

Prabhupada: Meat-eaters cannot eat fruits, milk-no taste for them. Russia also the same. They eat too much meat; they don't like vegetables and fruits.

Govinda dasi: And can you get them there?

Prabhupada: No. Very rare. You cannot get even good rice. [pause; eating] They do not make any preparation of mango? And any use for pineapple?

Gaurasundara: No. You mean canning or something?

Prabhupada: They do not? No.

Gaurasundara: The Chinese make a mango candy.

Govinda dasi: Mango pickle, and mango, er, dried mango.

Gaurasundara: Yes, dried mangoes, like candies.

Govinda dasi: Exactly. I made you some mango pickle. It's soaking in mustard oil now.

Gaurasundara: They make also mango chutney.

Prabhupada: Eh?

Govinda dasi: I have a big jar of mango pickle soaking in mustard oil. For one year it has been soaking in mustard oil. Probably the older it gets, the better. I would have brought it, but I was in such a rush to get here.

Prabhupada: Did you eat it?

Govinda dasi: Oh, no. I'm saving it for you.

Prabhupada: No, you can eat, with puri. With puri…

Gaurasundara: Hah.

Prabhupada: …take some mango, with little salt. You don't require any vegetable, it is so nice.

Gaurasundara: Mango chutney?

Govinda dasi: We make mango chutney.

Prabhupada: Mango chutney or pickle.

Gaurasundara: Oh, mango pickle, yes.

Govinda dasi: Every week in our feast we have mango chutney.

Prabhupada: Very good.

Govinda dasi: If it is free, cheapest thing we can make.

Prabhupada: Mango chutney made of green mango is better.

Govinda dasi: That is generally what we make.

Prabhupada: Eh?

Govinda dasi: Lately we have been doing mango preserves, making with ripe, because there are so many ripe mangoes all the season almost.

Prabhupada: No, this ripe mango, they can be preserved and dried in the sun. Is it time?

Govinda dasi: Yes, I am going to try again now that the hot season has come. Just in the last few weeks it has been hot. You cook it a little while with a little salt first?

Prabhupada: I have know practically, but it is simple.

Govinda dasi: I don't know.

Prabhupada: It does not keep long. It does not keep. But if you dry in the sun.

Govinda dasi: Well, whenever we have dried it, it went rancid.

Prabhupada: You did not cut it?

Govinda dasi: Maybe the sun was not hot enough for it those times. I think the sun has to be very hot. It is much hotter in India than it is in Hawaii. We were burning a few years ago when Maharishi Mahesh Yogi [indistinct].

Prabhupada: He is cheating [indistinct] He's a rascal, and offended many Vaisnavas. George was after him. [indistinct]

Gaurasundara: George started this whole thing.

Prabhupada: Maharishi?

Gaurasundara: Yes.

Prabhupada: Therefore he was doing concert to these students.

Gaurasundara: Yes.

Prabhupada: In the beginning.

[long pause] [indistinct]

Gaurasundara: Some frosting: sugar, butter, coconut, milk.

Prabhupada: Whatever we do, milk preparation must be there; otherwise it is not so good.

[pause] Good [indistinct].

Gaurasundara: Hmm?

Govinda dasi: [indistinct]

Gaurasundara: Hah?

Govinda dasi: [indistinct]

Gaurasundara: Yeah.

Govinda dasi: [indistinct]

Prabhupada: Hmm.

Gaurasundara: They have to be put in [indistinct], right?

Govinda dasi: [indistinct]

Gaurasundara: [indistinct] [end]