Hayagrīva: I'm president.
Prabhupāda: You are the president. And who is secretary?
Hayagrīva: Śyāma dāsī is secretary.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Hayagrīva: Śyāma dāsī.
Prabhupāda: Śyāma dāsī, secretary. And who is treasurer?
Hayagrīva: Hṛṣīkeśa.
Prabhupāda: Hṛṣīkeśa. And what is Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja's position?
Hayagrīva: He is maṭha commander?
Devotee 1: Prime minister.
Śyāma: Advisor. Advisor?
Hayagrīva: General advisor, maṭha commander.
Prabhupāda: The maṭha commander... Of course, so far the management of the New Vrindaban affairs is concerned, that is within maṭha commander's jurisdiction?
Hayagrīva: I don't know.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Maṭha commander means the, everything of that place under his command.
Hayagrīva: That's not good. Then advisor is better. Advisor would be better.
Prabhupāda: Advisor means his advice will be final?
Hayagrīva: Advice final? That means the advice would be depending on the president.
Prabhupāda: Confirmed by the president. So honorary advisor. Advice gratis?
Hayagrīva: Yes.
Prabhupāda: (Chuckling) No. Another thing is that, as I suggested, that Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja, being sannyāsī, he should be given the top post to give honor to the position of a sannyāsī. Otherwise in our society there is no meaning of a sannyāsī.
Hayagrīva: So you want him to be president?
Prabhupāda: I think he should be, like that. You become secretary, and Śyāma dāsī become assistant secretary. Of course, everything should be decided in a meeting, and president may be have as a casting vote, but the decision of the meeting will be actually the decision. Not that president autocracy, no. Or he may be president, you may be vice president and others, Śyāma dāsī, secretary, and treasurer he is. From sampradāya point of view, sannyāsī has to be given the top post. Do you think he will overrule you? (Laughs)
Hayagrīva: Well, I have to make one request on that.
Prabhupāda: What is that?
Hayagrīva: That I not stay here.
Prabhupāda: You do not stay here?
Hayagrīva: Yes. I don't want to stay.
Prabhupāda: Unless you become president?
Hayagrīva: Unless I am in charge, I don't want to stay. I mean there are too many responsibilities that I've already assumed, and not to have the decisions as to what to do with the vehicles, what to do with this, what to do with that, I'd rather not have any part of it.
Prabhupāda: No, anyone who can manage everything, he should be in charge of the whole thing.
Hayagrīva: Well, factually he's in charge. Actually we very seldom have any disagreements on things.
Prabhupāda: All right. That's all right. Then you remain president. And let him become vice president. That will be all right? In case of your absence he will preside in the meeting. Will that be all right?
Hayagrīva: No, that's all right as long as I have final decision in certain matters, as to what to do with my vehicles, what to do with this and what to do with that.
Prabhupāda: No, you will hold meeting and decide in that meeting. If you form a committee, then whatever you do, something serious, you should consult the committee and do it.
Hayagrīva: Well, you make the final decision. You can have anybody you want in charge here. I just make a request, personal request, that I not stay here. That's all. So I mean you can put anybody you want in charge. What I have given of the place is yours. I don't even care to have it.
Prabhupāda: (chuckles) This is not a good proposal. Then where you want to stay?
Hayagrīva: I'd like to go to India. Well, maybe I could travel with you. That would be nice.
Prabhupāda: No. That is not good idea. You have started this New Vrindaban. You must finish it. So you must be in charge of this place. We have to do so many things. So...
Hayagrīva: What about... Why can't two people be in charge? Why can't we both...?
Prabhupāda: No. Then he will work as vice president? Or what do you want? Temple command?
Hayagrīva: I don't know. The title doesn't make any difference. The title doesn't matter. It's just that we agree on basic issues which I think that we should agree on, not that an issue comes up, and I have one idea about, and he says, "No. I want it this way," and I can't do anything about it. For instance, say I don't want to cut down the tree there, and he says the tree must be cut down. That doesn't leave me anywhere. See? That leaves me to say, well... He can pull rank on me, which is something... I mean I'd just as soon not be involved.
Prabhupāda: So you disagree in every point?
Hayagrīva: Not every point. We don't often disagree. But I might want this tree to be left here.
Prabhupāda: Or what you decide and he must disagree that? Whatever you decide and Kīrtanānanda Mahārāja must disagree with that point? Is that the situation?
Hayagrīva: That's not necessarily so.
Prabhupāda: But suppose if Kīrtanānanda says, "Then I'll leave this place," then what will be the situation? As you say that "Unless I am in charge, I leave this place," similarly, if he says that "If I am not in charge, then I will leave this place," so would you like that he should leave this place?
Hayagrīva: No.
Prabhupāda: Then both of you are required. Then how you can say that "I'll leave this place," how he can say he'll leave? You must jointly work because both of you, you have started this New Vrindaban, and you have to work jointly. There may be sometimes disagreement, but you should settle up. Otherwise how you can make progress? He's a sannyāsī. He has got the right to travel. That is his business. He can go and preach. That is actually his business. His business is not to stay any place. Just like I am also; in this old age I am traveling, parivrājaka. So if you think that you can do without him, then he can travel and sometimes he may come here.