Prabhupāda: You can forego your sleeping and eating.
Satyabhāmā: Haribol.
Prabhupāda: The Gosvāmīs were doing like that. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau. They were discharging their duties, and if sometimes they still could not finish the chanting, they would forego their eating and sleeping. Eating and sleeping, say, seven to nine hours—then we have to sacrifice our sleeping and eating.
Paramānanda: But the Gosvāmīs, they didn't swing axes all day, did they?
Prabhupāda: Yes. (chuckles)
Paramānanda: They didn't do hard physical work.
Prabhupāda: No, they were writing books. So they were writing. You have to manage. You see? How can I suggest, "You can do this, you can do this"? Everyone has to do. Just like I do my work according to my own routine, you see, similarly, one has to . . . but if sometimes, by chance, you do not get any time for reading Bhagavad-gītā, that does not harm very much, because you are already engaged in Bhagavad-gītā.
Any duty here in New Vrindaban . . . just like Kṛṣṇa was inducing Arjuna to fight. That fighting was also within the program of this devotional service. Similarly, anything working within this New Vrindaban, that is also counted reading Bhagavad-gītā. So in some day if you don't find . . . read Bhagavad-gītā, but that chanting must be finished. That is very essential.
Hayagrīva: Can one chant when working?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Why not? Chanting is the basic standing of our life.
Kīrtanānanda: I think here, as I look at it, we're spending about five hours a day in ārati and kīrtana, which, I think, is really good, because I think that is the heart of Vṛndāvana.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is the life of Vṛndāvana.
Kīrtanānanda: So I don't want to sacrifice that for anything.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That must be . . .
Kīrtanānanda: That must be there. That's the heart.
Prabhupāda: You can forego even reading Bhagavad-gītā, but that must be continued.
Kīrtanānanda: But now, right now, of course, this is not time for pruning, but I'd like to prune to show people that we really have something.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Kīrtanānanda: It would be nice for our community. It would be nice for the people who visit us so that they'd be able to see that, "Ah, they're able to carry on with their gardening."
Prabhupāda: No. You also require some fruits for your existence also. Kṛṣṇa will like it.
Kīrtanānanda: Actually, it will help morale if they just have a little better prasādam.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And now we require some assistants, more assistants. Yes. So Kṛṣṇa will send. Kṛṣṇa will send gradually. You'll have more men here, and engage them.
Devotee (1): Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja?
Kīrtanānanda: Yes?
Devotee (1): This couple who are staying here now with their child, are they going to stay?
Kīrtanānanda: Not that I know of.
Satyabhāmā: Yes. They want to go back to Athens and get their things and then come back here and stay. (break)
Prabhupāda: . . . in charge of that particular department? Why it . . . supervision? But casual supervision can be made.
Devotee (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda? I was thinking that so far . . . (break)
Kīrtanānanda: . . . after that? Or does that work better?
Prabhupāda: Yes, why not? Prasādam is finished at two? Then up to four they are free. Or up to . . .? No.
Kīrtanānanda: The way it works out, the afternoon, they never seem to get much done anyway. There's a lot of frustration. Because sometimes I have a feeling like it's a lot of time being wasted, but still it seems very difficult, because you figure . . . well, suppose prasādam were offered at two and you didn't finish up until about three. And then they rest until four. By the time they bathe and everything, it's time to start getting ready for kīrtana.
Hayagrīva: We finished ārati and kīrtana by six o'clock this morning, which means that the early morning prasādam must be ready at six o'clock so we finish by seven and then work from seven to eight to nine to ten to eleven to twelve to one to two. That's eight hours' hard work in the morning. And then the rest of the afternoon off.