Room Conversation Prabhupada: …any expert in your country who can fry foodgrains in hot sand. Bhagavan: Like they make puffed rice, I think, like that. I don’t think so. They do it by machine. Prabhupada: Puffed rice? How? What is that machine? Bhagavan: When they make a thatcher, they use some kind of machine. Prabhupada: But we can do it very easily. Sand should be very hot. You can make hot sand, it is not difficult. Any fire. And then take the grains in some, another pot, and put the hot sands under it and then agitate. And it will puff-puff-puff-puff-puff-puff, they’ll be finished. Bhagavan: Put the hot sand where? Prabhupada: Sand is being heated in fire, so you put the grains in another pot and put the hot sand there. Hari-sauri: Underneath the pot? Prabhupada: Why underneath? I said another pot. You are so dull brain. Here is hot sand. I bring in another pot, the grains, and the hot sand I pour on it. Hari-sauri: Pour on it, on top of the grains. Oh. Prabhupada: Yes. And then agitate and then put the whole thing on a mesh and make it like this, again put the hot sand there. Is it clear? Then you get the puffed-up grains. That is very good food. Hari-sauri: Devotees make popcorn. Bhagavan: That’s another thing. Prabhupada: Popcorn, they fry it in ghee, hot ghee. Hari-sauri: Not much though, just a little. Prabhupada: No, I’ve seen it. They do it. But that is not very digestive. If you make this sand, hot sand… Bhagavan: It’s light. Prabhupada: Very light. In the morning you can give them this puffed grains, then fruits and milk, very good breakfast. I mean to say all self-dependent. Yes. We should save time, as much for this purpose, for chanting, discussing grantha. Not for any personal so- called comforts. We can sit down anywhere on the grass here, and whatever available we make our food. This is the idea. Life will be sublime. Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam. That is real business. Bhagavan: They are spending so much money for entertainment in material life, but no one is becoming enlivened. But this kind of discussion is so fresh. For a show they pay five dollars, to go to one movie for one hour, two hours. Prabhupada: That is another artificial agitation of the mind. It has, there is no practical benefit. Just see how many varieties of flowers, colorful. Can they make such colorful? “Yes, we’re trying to overcome nature. Wait millions of years.” And what about not? “Now you sleep.” (laughter) These rascals are misleading other rascals. And they are, “Oh, a scientist!” Very misleading civilization. We shall appreciate in every flower the craftsmanship of Krsna, how He has done nicely. Unnecessarily puffed up by so-called advancement of knowledge, misleading themselves and misleading others. Who is that old man comes? Some old man? Bhagavan: He’s a life member from Belgium. Prabhupada: Oh. He has come from Belgium? In the last German war, the first attempt of attack was on Belgium. And within few hours, Belgium finished, conquered. Bhagavan: It’s a very nice part of the day. It’s warm, nice part of the day. Prabhupada: I think this part is better situated than New Vrindaban, eh? What do you think? Hari-sauri: This is a lot nicer. Prabhupada: New Vrindaban is on the rocks and hills, and this is plain. Therefore situation is better. That New Orleans is also plain land. You have been there? And Pennsylvania is also. Hari-sauri: Pennsylvania is very good. Prabhupada: But it doesn’t matter. Our purpose will be served anywhere. So, try to concentrate in this village organization life. Full of anxieties, city life. The houses already there, if you repair them nicely then it is a very nice place. They’re gradually being repaired. Bhagavan: Yes. No one is getting any salary here, they are just working and taking… Prabhupada: Yes, that’s all. Why salary? Krsna’s servant. We are eternal servant. That is the beauty of our institution. We have no hired men. Unless one is sincere, why he’ll work? What is the time now? Bhagavan: Eight-thirty. Prabhupada: I think it is stopped. Just see how beautifully it is colored. This sense, aesthetic sense. Krsna knows how it will become beautiful. Sva-bhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca. Construction— eh?—of the flower. And there is no intelligence. Hari-sauri: Chance. Prabhupada: So beat them with shoes and when they protest, “Oh, it is chance, don’t mind. It is by chance I am beating.” (laughter) Bhagavan: It seems they are struggling so hard for existence they do not have time to contemplate these simple things, working so hard. Prabhupada: So show the simple example that how by simple living and thinking of Krsna, one can become perfect and happy. Hari-sauri: People’s minds are so much agitated by false desire that they can’t appreciate anything. Real beauty they overlook, searching for something else. Prabhupada: My mother used to make puffed rice at home. So there is special rice available for making puffed rice. Either you can prepare at home or you can purchase in the market, special rice. So she was preparing nice puffed rice, very, very nice. In a sand pot. My mother was always engaged in making some food preparation. Some pickle, some chutney, and this puffed rice, or something else, something else, something else. Besides cooking for the family, she was being assisted by my sisters. Always palatable foodstuff. So many guests were there, and if son-in-law would come, they would specially prepare food for him. To receive guests, give them nice food to eat, prepare nice food for the family, this is the Indian pleasure. They are not very much, nowadays, for upkeep of the home, very… That, in their own way, they keep it very nicely. Every utensils, very cleansed, they are kept ready for use, some cloth. If you go in a poor man’s home, but you’ll find everything very neat and clean. Ask these grhasthas to keep their home very neat and clean. Are they keeping? Bhagavan: Yes. Prabhupada: What are the general program for eating? Bhagavan: For eating? Every morning everyone has a nice glass of yogurt, chickpeas and apple, orange and banana. Prabhupada: Chickpeas fried? Bhagavan: Boiled, chick peas. And apple, orange and banana. And in the afternoon they have rice, dal, capati, and salad, and in the evening they have a glass of milk and a little bread. Prabhupada: That’s nice. What is that machine? Hari-sauri: One of the vans. Prabhupada: Vans. (child crying outside) “Prabhupada?” (laughs) Bhagavan: We brought the Jagannatha Deity here from Paris for Ratha-yatra, and He stayed here for eight days and then went back. And when He went back all the Gurukula children, they were all crying and running after the truck. Prabhupada: Accha (laughs). So… It is natural affection. Bhagavan: The little boys also, they were crying, little girls. Prabhupada: So Ratha-yatra was functioned here? Bhagavan: Oh, yes, very big, two hundred devotees here. It was very ecstatic. Nice prasada and nice procession. When He came, all the cows came up and they were looking. (laughs) Prabhupada: The villagers joined? Bhagavan: Yes. Prabhupada: They are finding something new Hari-sauri: The Times of India gave a very good report of New York Ratha-yatra. Prabhupada: You have got it? Hari-sauri: It’s in the room, I thought you’d seen it. Bhagavan: They cannot publish anything bad about us. They try to find, sometimes. Prabhupada: Yes. Hari-sauri: Seems they’re always carrying little snippets of information about what we’re doing. Before there was a report about the restaurants, and here there’s two reports about…, one about the Jagannatha festival in New York and one about the proposed Vedic university in Kuruksetra. These were on consecutive days. The one about New York, it says, “Washington, July the 19th.” That’s where it’s reported from. It says, “New York saw on Sunday an unusual spectacle of three brightly colored chariots being pulled along the city’s prestigious Fifth Avenue from Central Park to Washington Square, a distance of about five kilometers, by members of the Hare Krsna group. The rathas, built in Orissan style with giant wooden wheels, attracted large crowds of spectators all along the route. It was a novel experience for the New Yorkers. Many resident Indians who are not members of the Hare Krsna movement enthusiastically gave a hand in the pulling. The Hare Krsna devotees were celebrating the feast of Jagannatha in the traditional Indian way. The police and the city administration readily cooperated. In a city that is coming to be known for its tolerance of diverse cultures, chariot processions promise to be an annual event. While a few citizens booed and some altercations were reported, the spectacle was well received by the New Yorkers. ‘I think it is great,’ the New York Times quoted a man as saying. The person, who identified himself as a visitor to New York and was not a Hare Krsna fan, referring to the Hare Krsna devotees, added, ‘They are all happy and dancing, and that’s what life’s all about.’ Later a vegetarian feast was served to the admirers.” Prabhupada: Very good. Hari-sauri: It’s very good. There’s just a real short one about the university in Kuruksetra. It says, “Vedic Varsity for Kuruksetra Soon.” “The first Vedic university will come up soon at Kuruksetra and will be affiliated to V.M. Cakravarty University. The proposed university is being set up by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, ISKCON, and will cost rupees two crore. Most of the funds will be provided by Mr. Alfred Ford, the nephew of the auto magnate Henry Ford. Mr. Ford, on becoming a disciple of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of ISKCON, changed his name to Ambarisa dasa. The Vedic university will offer courses leading to bhakti-sastri and sarvabhauma.” Prabhupada: [break] …new devotees joining? Bhagavan: Yes. The last month we have about five new devotees. Prabhupada: Hm? Bhagavan: Including children, there are about hundred ninety altogether. Prabhupada: Hundred-ninety, two hundred. Bhagavan: Almost two hundred. One family has joined yesterday. Prabhupada: Family? Bhagavan: Yes. Prabhupada: Husband, wife and children? Bhagavan: Two children. He’s a builder and plumber. Prabhupada: Oh, you’ll get help for construction work. He can teach others also. Live peacefully, happily, and chant Hare Krsna, that’s all. Bhagavan: The garden crew, when they go out in the afternoon, they have kirtana out to the fields with mrdanga and karatalas where they work. Prabhupada: You have to arrange for little more water so you can… The pump is not in order. You can arrange for that. Bhagavan: Your water supply has been all right? Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Bhagavan: This, in July, this is normal weather now, in August and July. But generally in July it has some rain. Prabhupada: This year… Bhagavan: Yes. And it was the hottest weather in a hundred years. Prabhupada: Now. Bhagavan: It was, in July. Extremely hot. And actually our well was one of the only ones functioning in the whole area, and we were watering the crops and everything. Our corn is very nice, very high, and our tomatoes are very good. The barley harvest was five tons. Prabhupada: Five times more. Bhagavan: Five tons of barley we got, from our harvest. It was very nice. Prabhupada: Oh. Bhagavan: Did you get some barley flour? Prabhupada: I don’t have any. Hari-sauri: (laughs) We can’t make, it’s not finely ground enough. We can’t make it into capatis. It’s just too coarse. Prabhupada: You could do one thing. You just smash that and boil with milk. Hari-sauri: You mean a mortar and pestle? Prabhupada: Smash and boil with milk. Don’t put sugar. Then I shall put sugar according to my taste. Hari-sauri: You want that this evening? Prabhupada: No. Hari-sauri: No. Tomorrow morning. Bhagavan: We are the only farm in the whole area that is growing chick peas. The man said he did not think they can grow. But we have a whole field of chick peas. They’ll be coming up ripe for harvest in about three weeks. Prabhupada: Chick peas very nutritious. If you simply boil soft, oh, it is very nutritious. A little, so much, is as good as full meal. Next time, if possible, I shall come in June—June, July, August. Bhagavan: Yes, these are nice months, best months. Prabhupada: It is not difficult. To come to Paris it takes eight or nine hours from Bombay. Hari-sauri: But you might already be in America at that time. (laughs) You’re always in America at that time. Prabhupada: Now this place is very nice. The outside, so pleasing, the outdoors. Bhagavan: I think you are feeling a little better? Prabhupada: Yes, little. This facility is nowhere in America, outdoors. Hari-sauri: Well, we have one or two places that are just developing, like Miami. Prabhupada: Oh. Hari-sauri: That’s fifteen, fifteen acres? Something like that. No, more. Prabhupada: Miami climate is like this. Hari-sauri: Oh, very nice. They have a mango orchard. Prabhupada: Oh, also coconut. Hari-sauri: Oh, yes, very good dobs there. Detroit was also very nice. Prabhupada: Yes, Detroit. [break] …Malati? Bhagavan: Malati? She was there. Hari-sauri: All those boys are coming tomorrow or the day after from Germany. Harikesa was in touch with them. Bhagavan: We have a nice program on sankirtana where at least twice a week they go to a house and give a class at someone’s home. Prabhupada: Where? Bhagavan: Wherever they are. They meet some interested person and they go and they have a class in their home. Prabhupada: And he invites friends. Bhagavan: Yes. Prabhupada: Very nice. Bhagavan: And one man, after the devotee was there, the next week he sent two thousand dollars in the mail. Prabhupada: Accha. Bhagavan: And then he came to the Paris temple and he gave another thousand dollars. And then two weeks later he sent again two thousand dollars, and then he moved in with his whole family. Prabhupada: Accha. (laughs) Bhagavan: They are here now. He had his own business and everything, very successful. His children are in the Gurukula and he is doing sankirtana. Prabhupada: His wife also? Bhagavan: She is the secretary. Very nice. Prabhupada: Wherefrom they came? Bhagavan: South of France. Prabhupada: South of France. Hari-sauri: If we had a big farm in the south it would be very nice. In the south of France the weather is always very good. Prabhupada: South of France is near Mediterranean. Marseilles is south? Bhagavan: Marseilles is right on the Mediterranean. We have very big sankirtana there. Prabhupada: Marseilles? Oh. Bhagavan: Many books distributed. Prabhupada: How far it is from…? Bhagavan: From here? About six hours. Prabhupada: On the whole, they are appreciating. Bhagavan: Oh, yes. Prabhupada: This man has come means after appreciating. Everything surrendered—money, family, everything. Bhagavan: Of all the different groups in this country, we have the best reputation. They hardly ever write any bad thing about us. Prabhupada: French people are, I think, cultured than other states. Bhagavan: They like to read. When they distribute the hard-cover books door to door, many people always look at the binding, how the book is made, and they like the pictures. Prabhupada: We have got our own mung dal? Bhagavan: Mung dal. This is the first year we’re growing. We have a large patch. Prabhupada: Not yet harvested. Bhagavan: Not yet harvested. But the plants are all very healthy, strong. Prabhupada: So in the morning you can give. We have got other mung dal? Soak it, soak it, and raw mung dal also. Ginger and this cucumber. Bhagavan: When we installed the Gaura-Nitai Deity last January, many villagers came, and they all came, they were touching the floor, they have never seen such a nice floor, how smooth it was. (laughing) Prabhupada: Such marble floor they never saw. (pause) [break] …who has paid you more than five thousand dollars and he has joined, that does not mean that he’s a foolish man. He’s a businessman. So what about his business? Leased to somebody else? He leased out to somebody else? Bhagavan: He’s finished. Prabhupada: Oh, stopped that business? Bhagavan: Yes. He’s full time here. He had plumbing business, so he does all the plumbing here. And he meets all the officials, the police, and they like him. He is older man. He has a very nice way of presenting himself. Hari-sauri: He’s been here over a year now. Bhagavan: Several months ago we had a parents’ meeting. Because on account of this man Moon, there was much agitation about groups taking young children away. So we had a very nice meeting with prasadam and slides, and one of the parents was saying that “We want to be angry at you, but the problem is that you are all so nice that we cannot be angry.” Prabhupada: One gentleman has joined, he has paid five thousand dollars. His whole family has joined. Harikesa: Just now? That’s nice. Bhagavan: His wife’s the same too. Harikesa: Oh? [break] Bhagavan: I wanted to get Krsna book published while you are here. So I really pushed our printer to work very hard. I told him, “But the thing is, I have no money to pay you right now,” because we had just printed Srimad-Bhagavatam. He said, “You try to give me five percent down and I’ll give you eight months’ credit.” Prabhupada: Accha. (laughs) Bhagavan: So I didn’t have the money because we were fixing up. So one girl joined, and she gave eight thousand dollars. Prabhupada: And what is the whole bill? Bhagavan: That was…, the whole bill was about forty-five thousand dollars. So that was sufficient for the downpayment. Prabhupada: It is about more than ten percent. He wants five percent. Bhagavan: But I gave him. (end)
with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
August 3, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm)