Arrival at Farm
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
July 29, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm)

Bhagavan: Most are at the farm, waiting. Here there is about sixty; the rest are there. They told me that after I told them that you might not come, the next morning at mangala artik no one was dancing.

Prabhupada: (laughs) I know that. Therefore I come in this old age to encourage the devotees. (coughs) Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare.

Bhagavan: There is nice water here, from the source, we have a source.

Prabhupada: From?

Bhagavan: There is a source, a natural spring not far from here, and people take there water.

Prabhupada: You all bring all drinking water from there?

Bhagavan: No, yours. (pause) Here, we are an hour ahead.

Prabhupada: Huh?

Bhagavan: One hour ahead, 12:20. We have bitter melon and all fruits and vegetables, everything.

Prabhupada: Who will cook?

Bhagavan: We have Mandakini?

Prabhupada: Mandakini has not cooked very nice last…

Bhagavan: There is Aditi, there is… The wife of Hari-vilasa, she cooked for you before.

Prabhupada: All right, she can cook.

Bhagavan: What is bitter melon?

Prabhupada: Bitter melon, you teach them how to do it.

Bhagavan: Samosa?

Prabhupada: Not necessarily, simple prepare nice dahl, nice rice, vegetables, some bitter melon, and two, three chapatis, that’s all. Not cumbrous. Must be well cooked, rice. That’s all.

Bhagavan: Mung dahl is all right? Mung dahl?

Prabhupada: Mung dahl, yes.

Bhagavan: Mung dahl.

Prabhupada: It boils nicely? Any dahl which boils nicely, that’s all right. Without being boiled, it is useless. (long pause) Is it working or not? (referring to the bell)

Devotee: We tried it yesterday, it was working.

Prabhupada: I don’t think it is working.

Hari-sauri: It’s not working.

French devotee: Yesterday we tried everything. It was working, I know.

Prabhupada: Is there any buzzing? Is there any buzzing? No. (coughing) (devotees fix the bell)

Bhagavan: Where is that lota for Prabhupada?

Harikesa: I told them two o’clock their time, which is one o’clock your time from London, because there’s a compromise of…, in between the two, and in that way it would adjust. I also told them not to make anything fancy but to make very simple.

Prabhupada: Who? They will not be able.

Harikesa: Hari-vilasa’s wife? Parijata?

Prabhupada: Oh, she’s,…

Harikesa: She’s here.

Prabhupada: All right.

Harikesa: So I explained to her, and Arundhati’s going to show her the cooker and everything, so…

Prabhupada: Arundhati cannot. She cannot.

Harikesa: No, she’s not so… She knows the mechanics of it, but the details are difficult. When we get to the farm there is a separate kitchen, and every spare minute I will be with him and just teach him everything in great detail. [break] (lecture:)

Prabhupada: So I am very glad to see you again in this village.

Devotees: Haribol!

Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. It was the prediction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu that in every village, in every town on the surface of the globe, there will be preaching of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s name and the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. It is to be translated? (translator translates into French) So by your transcendental endeavor it is being fulfilled, otherwise who expected that in this remote village of France, Hare Krsna maha-mantra would be chanted? When Caitanya Mahaprabhu said in every village, in every town, he did not mean that every village and every town in India. He specifically says prthivite, means on the surface of the globe. So the purpose is that without spreading of this Krsna consciousness movement, nobody can become happy. That’s a fact. The opportunity of human form of life is systematcially being refused by the modern civilization. This material activity only for the bodily comforts of life, that is not human civilization. Human civilization means the human being must know the supreme controller and the aim of life. The real fact is that God is there, the supreme controller, and we, living entities, we are His parts and parcels. As parts and parcels of God, we, being separated, we are suffering. An example can be given in this connection, just like a small child is the part and parcel of the body of the mother. So the child is happy when the child is on the lap of the mother. That means the part and the whole must live together. Then there is happiness. Otherwise, there is distress. The modern godless civilization is making the part and the whole separated. Therefore the whole condition is chaotic. You have got experience in your this part of the globe, within fifty years there have been two big, big wars and… Many other parts also. People are not in happiness on account of godlessness. So actually if we want to be happy in this life and the next life, then we must take to Krsna consciousness. And it is not at all difficult: simply chant the Hare Krsna mantra. So I am very glad that you are accustomed to chant this Hare Krsna maha-mantra. Stick to it and you’ll all be happy. Thank you very much. [break]

Bhagavan: These are all smelling flowers. They’re very sweet, like gardenia.

Prabhupada: Oh, developed(?) in our garden.

Bhagavan: No, we bought. These we cannot grow. We bought these special.

Prabhupada: You have got a greenhouse?

Bhagavan: Yes.

Prabhupada: Still you cannot grow?

Bhagavan: It was too late, we started too late.

Prabhupada: Last time I stayed in this room?

Bhagavan: No, you stayed in another room. You stayed in my office. This is silk wallpaper.

Prabhupada: Oh.

Bhagavan: Saffron.

Prabhupada: Organize this center very nicely. So many people will be happy.

Bhagavan: The devotees are very ecstatic.

Prabhupada: Oh. Yes, there was no hope for my coming. Now I’ve come, they must be. (laughter) Sunshine will stay at least up to noon, huh?

Bhagavan: No, till five o’clock.

Prabhupada: Accha?

Bhagavan: Yes. It is going like this. It goes from this room into your room. All day long it is lit. They said it was hot in this room until six o’clock last night, very hot. If you’d like, I can show you how to use some things in the bathroom.

Prabhupada: Yes.

Bhagavan: All the taps, they are the same. The red here, this is hot. All you do is lift up. [break] And the cows are also coming here, you can see later. These are all big oak trees, they are very nice.

Prabhupada: Harikesa, have you came here?

Harikesa: Yes.

Bhagavan: All the marble, I had it made in Italy especially for you. This is all lotus flower carving they have done. And the bookshelves also.

Prabhupada: This also marble?

Bhagavan: Yes.

Prabhupada: Oh!

Bhagavan: Everything is designed for Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: So I can use this closet?

Bhagavan: All these are closets. These are many pillows, if people come, they can sit.

Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Very nice, so you can keep here. [break]

Hari-sauri: It’s coming in a few minutes. Have to order that. Tapioca.

Prabhupada: Is there any store near here?

Bhagavan: Yes.

Prabhupada: Not immediately. Just or you have got barley powder?

Bhagavan: They are getting this morning. They are taking it to get ground.

Prabhupada: Immediately, there is no stock?

Bhagavan: No.

Prabhupada:

yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau tasyaite kathita hy arthah prakasante mahatmanah [SU 6.23]

This desire to serve guru is the qualification. Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau. In the spiritual life, this is the secret of success. Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha… In many places. Our Gaudiya Matha people, those who were leaders, they wanted to supersede the order of Guru Maharaja. Therefore it was failure. Very, very nice.

Bhagavan: They have painted that nice picture. It’s special board.

Prabhupada: All books are here?

Bhagavan: Oh, yes. Some are missing from the Seventh Canto, but most are here. Here is Caitanya-caritamrta. And if you have books you need, they can go down here, your reference books. I got you this little box here if you want to keep anything special. They used to make things for the princes. This is comfortable seat?

Prabhupada: Oh, yes. Very good.

Bhagavan: Table is close enough?

Prabhupada: Oh, yes, everything is comfortable. These stones are not available in India. Maybe very costly. Italian.

Bhagavan: This is from Portugal. The white is from Italy. They have put the different marbles together, very expert.

Prabhupada: Combination.

Bhagavan: They have also made your Vyasasana.

Prabhupada: That one. So this side, marble is cheaper?

Bhagavan: Yes, it’s very…, it’s not expensive.

Prabhupada: Oh. They have done very nice this furniture. We cannot expect this furniture in India. They may make, but it will be very costly. (coughs) You bring one spittoon.

Prabhupada: How many devotees are there?

Bhagavan: Hundred and fifty.

Prabhupada: Very good. They are all happy?

Bhagavan: Oh, yes.

Prabhupada: Let them come and work little, grow food, eat and chant. Why should they bother going to the factory, running at five o’clock? Horrible life, horrible civilization? Motor accident, delayed, anxiety, “Oh, I am delayed, I am delayed.” What is this civilization?

Bhagavan: He is taking over there, you take here?

Prabhupada: All right, I shall begin there. Hare Krsna.

Devotee: Jaya Srila Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: Jaya. (end)