# Room Conversation About New Vrindavan — May 18, 1976, Honolulu <audio controls preload="metadata" src="https://media.prabhupada.io/audio/1976/760518R1-HONOLULU.MP3"></audio> Govinda dāsī: ...oh, as soon as Jayānanda come back. **Prabhupāda:** Why have you [indistinct]? [long pause] Govinda dāsī: May I put a little flowers around the, erm, you know, the little topknot? I don't know what it's called. The bunch of hairs on the Deities? **Prabhupāda:** Put flowers there? Govinda dāsī: Yes, put a little flowers there. [long pause] Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: What time is Gaurasundara coming? Govinda dāsī: Ah? Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: What time is Gaurasundara coming? Govinda dāsī: He said tomorrow afternoon, maybe. [indistinct] Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: No. But are you going to call him? Govinda dāsī: Yes, I will call him. Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: He could bring me that other typewriter. You need to remind him, or he'll forget. **Prabhupāda:** I have already... He has admitted. "Whether my presence in New Vrindavan is more needed now that we are being requested by Your Divine Grace to make an attempt for self-sufficient." The hint is already given. Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes. So he's doubtful. **Prabhupāda:** Hm? Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: He's doubtful that they can do it. I think the next sentence? **Prabhupāda:** "We trust in your higher wisdom that self-sufficient can be realized somehow or other, and we will try for it." Yes, self-sufficient, try to develop. Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: He doesn't sound like he is very hopeful. **Prabhupāda:** Hopeful, then how he can do it? Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Someone else should manage, who has enthusiasm. **Prabhupāda:** It's not possible to pay him for [indistinct].They... If they think that they can do some business, let them do it. What can be done? If they cannot produce food, then let them do business. Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Make soap? [laughingly] Make Hare Kṛṣṇa soap? **Prabhupāda:** Anything can be done. For doing business, there are so many things. Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: There is something that can be arranged on that farm. **Prabhupāda:** Huh? Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: There must be some craft or various... **Prabhupāda:** But the whole New Vrindavan idea was that milk and production, something from that, that's all. And that is possible. But they don't work. Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: No. **Prabhupāda:** That is the... Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: That's the trouble. **Prabhupāda:** That's the trouble. So you can see it that is why. They think, "Now we have become devotee of Kṛṣṇa, why we shall work?" Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: And most of the men who live there, they only stay a short time, and they go away. Then someone else comes, and go away. So there is no one to maintain it. **Prabhupāda:** They come and eat and go. Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Vacation. Vacation in the country. Govinda dāsī: We have one married couple here that came from New Vrindavan, but they're not living in the temple; they're living on the big island. But whenever the devotees went to the big island, they wouldn't even feed them, the devotees on the preaching mission. **Prabhupāda:** Hm? Govinda dāsī: There was, there was one family of devotees that came from New Vrindavan. They were sort of semi-hippy, semi-devotee. And..., and so they got, and they moved to Hawaii—not to this island but to another island in the country. And we sent one party of devotees there for starting a temple, for doing preaching work. And they were just getting started, so they asked, "Can we stay at your house just temporarily?" And they said, "Oh, all right. You can stay there for a few days." But they wouldn't even feed them. They would go into the other room and eat; they would... **Prabhupāda:** Hm? Govinda dāsī: They wouldn't even feed the devotees. It was not very nice. And then the children were performing āratik, and they were saying, "Oh, how cute. How sweet," and everything. But when it came to practical..., practically helping to start our temple there, there was no help at all. It was... It wasn't very helpful. **Prabhupāda:** [aside:] Give me some file. [end]