Arrival Conversation , Tokyo , 1972-04-20
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 saṅgosā.
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 kicharī. 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): Lugdu.
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 prasādam, little, everyone.
Devotee (1): This lugdu?
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 prasādam] 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] Give them.
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]
[sound of Prabhupāda eating prasāda.]
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]