Room Conversation with Govinda dāsī and Gaurasundara – July 1, 1971, Los Angeles
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710701R1.LA
710701R1-Los Angeles [36:36 Minutes]
Hawaii is blessed land
Prabhupada: [indistinct] ... alright?
Prabhupada: Your father is still..., still bluff. [laughs] You are asking as beloved child, and it is going to Krsna.
Prabhupada: So cut the man..., mangoes. What is called?
Gaurasundara: Crease?
Prabhupada: Eh?
Prabhupada: This is so nice mangoes.
Prabhupada: Simply by seeing, one is satisfied.
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.
Prabhupada: And he does not make sick?
Gaurasundara: No, no.
Gaurasundara: They are used.
Prabhupada: Twelve mangoes?
Gaurasundara: Oh, yes.
Gaurasundara: Twenty. Their faces are all yellow, all the time, with the mangoes.
Prabhupada: Cut all these mangoes and distribute.
Gaurasundara: All these mangoes?
Prabhupada: Yes.
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?
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.
Prabhupada: Hmm.
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.
Gaurasundara: We used it for some time, then we sold it and made profit, $550 profit.
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.
Gaurasundara: Paint it and clean it and fixed it a little bit on the motor.
Govinda dasi: And we use them for saṅkirtana.
Gaurasundara: And we use it while…, while we're working on it. We use it as much as we like and then sell it.
Prabhupada: Now you should introduce some ceremony, big ceremony. And you make all.
Prabhupada: So Hawaii is developing nicely. You work so hard, I know. [laughs] You are going fifty miles to work, both husband and wife.
Gaurasundara: We don't work outside, you know.
Prabhupada: No, at that time [indistinct].
Gaurasundara: Oh, yeah.
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.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Gaurasundara: Oh, yeah.
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]
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?
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.
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.
Gaurasundara: It was so nice and clean, and everything going on nicely.
Prabhupada: Cleanliness is the real sign of temple. Tan-mandira-marjanadau.
[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 saṅkirtana. Devotees on saṅkirtana. 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.
Prabhupada: Oh. Thank you very much.
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.
Prabhupada: Both of Them are of the same color. Hmm?
Prabhupada: So, you have painted already?
Prabhupada: Oh, you…, you can [indistinct].
Gaurasundara: Yeah, it is very easy, the paint.
Prabhupada: So is it possible to make many pairs like that?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Prabhupada: Why don't you send me some more photographs?
Prabhupada: Not good, or [indistinct].
Gaurasundara: She has… You have the film?
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.
Prabhupada: That doesn't matter. I want to see the statue, how it is.
Prabhupada: No, no, no.
Prabhupada: Oh, there is no support inside?
Gaurasundara: Oh, yes.
Prabhupada: Ah. Shipped, but it must be packed nicely.
Gaurasundara: Oh, yes.
Prabhupada: Hmm.
Prabhupada: Hmm.
Prabhupada: Hmm.
Prabhupada: [indistinct] big, eh? [laughs]
Gaurasundara: No, They are quite large.
Prabhupada: Four feet?
Gaurasundara: Four feet.
Prabhupada: That's nice. And how much space do They take, both brothers?
Gaurasundara: [indistinct]
Prabhupada: Enough. Sufficient.
Gaurasundara: Could be less if you wanted.
Prabhupada: Hmm.
Prabhupada: That's all right.
Gaurasundara: We will bring to you, in a few days.
Prabhupada: Hmm. Your old machine is working? Sony?
Prabhupada: Hmm. He wanted more? Take.
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?
Prabhupada: Yes, yes.
Gaurasundara: I think there is not.
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]
Prabhupada: Yes, yes.
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.
Prabhupada: Hah?
Prabhupada: Eh?
Prabhupada: Yes, yes.
Gaurasundara: Ah, 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.
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.
Prabhupada: They are also cultivating Krsna.
Gaurasundara: Yes.
Prabhupada: That was their advantage. Krsna helped them. [referring to tape recorder] This is also Sony?
Prabhupada: Yes. What did you pay for it?
Prabhupada: Eh?
Prabhupada: Somebody here? Who gave?
Prabhupada: Ah.
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.
Prabhupada: Eh?
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]
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.
Prabhupada: Imported from Hawaii?
Gaurasundara: Ah, yes, I think.
Prabhupada: At what price they are sold?
Gaurasundara: In Hawaii?
Prabhupada: They are not sold?
Gaurasundara: In Hawaii? No, they are free.
Prabhupada: Free?
Gaurasundara: Oh, as much as you like.
Gaurasundara: Any man, you go to his house, "Can I pick mango?" "Oh, bring bucket."
Govinda dasi: On saṅkirtana 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.
Gaurasundara: No, the people don't eat much mangoes. They are meat-eaters now.
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.
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.
Gaurasundara: Yes, dried mangoes, like candies.
Gaurasundara: They make also mango chutney.
Prabhupada: Eh?
Prabhupada: Did you eat it?
Gaurasundara: Hah.
Prabhupada: …take some mango, with little salt. You don't require any vegetable, it is so nice.
Gaurasundara: Mango chutney?
Prabhupada: Mango chutney or pickle.
Gaurasundara: Oh, mango pickle, yes.
Prabhupada: Very good.
Prabhupada: Mango chutney made of green mango is better.
Prabhupada: Eh?
Prabhupada: No, this ripe mango, they can be preserved and dried in the sun. Is it time?
Prabhupada: I have know practically, but it is simple.
Prabhupada: It does not keep long. It does not keep. But if you dry in the sun.
Prabhupada: You did not cut it?
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?
Gaurasundara: Hah?
Gaurasundara: Yeah.
Prabhupada: Hmm.
Gaurasundara: They have to be put in [indistinct], right?
Gaurasundara: [indistinct] [end]
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