720420 - Arrival Conversation - Tokyo

Conversations by Date, 1972

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

720420R1-TOKYO - April 20, 1972 - 12:27 Minutes

Prabhupāda: So what prasāda you have prepared? Eh?

Cintāmaṇi: Um, Kārttikeya Prabhu?

Prabhupāda: Kārttikeya Prabhu . . . where is Kārttikeya? (laughter) So all right. Then . . .

Devotee (1): Śrīla Prabhupāda, there's some rice, there's some rasagullās and some fruit. We have some fruit and some vegetables.

Prabhupāda: I wanted some samosā.

Śyāmasundara: Ahhh.

Prabhupāda: Sudāmā Prabhu, can you prepare it?

Sudāmā: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So do it.

Śyāmasundara: You've got a nice little house down here. Just perfect. Your own house. Little kitchen is there, too.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Śyāmasundara: Isn't there a kitchen down there?

Prabhupāda: There is no kitchen?

Śyāmasundara: A little one.

Prabhupāda: All right. We can prepare khichadi. So Karandhara Prabhu, how do you like this place?

Karandhara: It's nice, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is for, I mean to say, spiritual advancement is nice place.

Devotee (1): Today for the first time in many years it is the nicest.

Prabhupāda: Yes. What did he said?

Trivikrama: He said because you are here, Prabhupāda, it is very nice.

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) No. So you have reached here last night?

Karandhara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: It is like our New Vrindavan. Eh?

Devotee (1): It is better.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) You had been in New Vrindavan. But there are other residential quarters also. Hmm?

Trivikrama: There is one rented motel for you, Prabhupāda. There's a section of a small motel. He has rented.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Who has rented?

Trivikrama: Just very close.

Śyāmasundara: Sudāmā.

Prabhupāda: Sudāmā.

Śyāmasundara: He rented one nice little cottage for Your Divine Grace, and a little cottage next door for the servants.

Karandhara: Here are some gifts from the devotees in L.A.

Prabhupāda: Oh. What is this? Something sweet?

Karandhara: Yes, Prabhupāda. (laughter)

Prabhupāda: You open it. Open it.

Śyāmasundara: You want a knife?

Prabhupāda: What is this?

Karandhara: That is sandalwood pulp.

Prabhupāda: Oh. What is that?

Devotee (1): You're not thirsty, Prabhupāda? It's water.

Prabhupāda: Keep it . . . (indistinct) . . . oh, so many letters.

Śyāmasundara: Checks. These are checks, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: That's nice. When you bring checks, I am very glad. (chuckles) So how much you have deposited?

Karandhara: In which account?

Prabhupāda: My account.

Karandhara: Well, Tamāla Kṛṣṇa was writing that he wanted that . . . I have saved up for Māyāpur thirty thousand. But he said to send it there. So I have been waiting. He wrote a letter and said to send the money there. So I wrote him and told him he has to have him and Jayapatākā sign a requisition, I think. I instructed . . .

Prabhupāda: No . . . what is that?

Devotee (1): Laddu.

Prabhupāda: Oh. What is this? Some picture?

Trivikrama: Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: Ten thousand was transferred from my account.

Karandhara: Yes, Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So that has been replaced or not?

Karandhara: I have it. I didn't put it in the account because I thought you wanted me to send it to Māyāpur. But I haven't sent it yet. I still have it in another account.

Śyāmasundara: You just informed Tamāla that from now on we would send only books, that we would prefer to send books from this side and let them sell them.

Prabhupāda: No. The thing is that you were collecting something for Māyāpur account?

Karandhara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So how much it has come?

Karandhara: Thirty thousand.

Prabhupāda: Thirty thousand.

Śyāmasundara: Separate from books?

Karandhara: Yes.

Śyāmasundara: That's separate from books.

Prabhupāda: So this ten thousand was given from my account. So this has to be replaced. And then, whatever you have got for Māyāpur account, that is to be transferred. That was a trial business. So we took from bank ten-thousand worth. So that is done. Now you transfer the ten thousand to my account, and balance you keep ready for transferring. That I shall advise you how to do. Besides that, out of the 33,000, you deposited eighteen thousand?

Karandhara: No. Eighteen thousand, six hundred.

Prabhupāda: Six hundred.

Karandhara: I still owe fifteen thousand.

Prabhupāda: That money is not yet done.

Karandhara: By June.

Prabhupāda: Oh. By June. All right. We shall talk further. What is this? So Los Angeles is . . . everything is all right?

Karandhara: Yes, Prabhupāda. Those are all . . . all the different envelopes are from the different departments: Spiritual Sky, Mail Order, ISKCON Media.

Prabhupāda: So you keep it in this envelope. Then I shall see.

Śyāmasundara: They have purchased $8,000 worth of equipment for recording your voice.

Prabhupāda: Oh. That will be very nice. So I can give lectures daily? No. What is the arrangement?

Karandhara: Yes. As soon as you come, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we're going to shoot the first TV show.

Śyāmasundara: You have a video tape machine here?

Prabhupāda: Now, if I explain some of . . . just like I explain one verse. In this way, if I do explain one verse, do you think it will be all right? No.

Śyāmasundara: Each day explain one verse.

Prabhupāda: Each day or as you like. Or what is your program?

Karandhara: Well, as far as this recording, we have a studio right there in the temple. You could record . . .

Prabhupāda: (aside) You distribute that prasāda, little, everyone.

Devotee (1): This laddu?

Prabhupāda: Yes. I will also take little. Distribute. Mm. What is your program?

Karandhara: Well, we thought we could do both, because we have a recording studio for sound. So you can come into the recording studio and record as much as you wanted, all day long. The shooting for the TV show . . . we worked out a program of shooting, each week forty minutes.

Prabhupāda: (referring to prasāda) Oh, you take more. Why little, little? Give more. Give me also little more.

Trivikrama: Jaya.

Prabhupāda: Mm. It is very nice.

Devotee (1): Prabhupāda distributes mercy to the world.

Prabhupāda: Who has made it?

Karandhara: Dhruvānanda.

Prabhupāda: Oh. He is good cook?

Karandhara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Mm. He has made nice.

Sudāmā: Shall I save one for later for you?

Prabhupāda: No. No saving. (laughter) Give me immediately. (laughter) Good job.

Devotee (2): Prabhupāda? Your Divine Grace? I have a question. I was always under impression or understanding from your teachings that one never eats in front of the Deities. Can you please explain that? 'Cause I understand you are pure devotee.

Śyāmasundara: He says that he always understood that one should not eat in front of the Deity. What is the difference?

Prabhupāda: Difference is generally we should not eat before the Deity, but there is another injunction: prasādaḥ prāptir mātreṇa bhoktavyaḥ. As soon as we get prasāda you should immediately eat. (laughter)

Take this. So we shall have to go there?

Śyāmasundara: Yes. We can go now. Here is some water. You can wash out the window. It's dirt below.

Prabhupāda: Everyone got? Everyone? No, I shall go there. (end)