Satsvarūpa: Should you count every day how much japa you do?

Prabhupāda: That is... He's doing at least sixteen times.

Guest (4): No, suppose if we don't count?

Prabhupāda: No, the mālā is counting.

Guest (4): No. Suppose if we don't follow it, it's not beneficial?

Prabhupāda: Beneficial, but you must fill up your promise, vow, that "I shall chant." Dṛḍha-vrata. First be dṛḍha-vrata. If your chanting is not finished, you should give up your sleeping. You must try to finish. That is called dṛḍha-vrata. So whatever promise, quota—"I must finish it." Stop all other business. That is called dṛḍha-vrata. Bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ. Find out this verse, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha (B.G.9:13). No, then satataṁ kīrtayanto mām (B.G.9:14).

(Room conversation-------Bhuvanesvara).

Makhanlāl: So a neophyte devotee who's following the principles of sādhana-bhakti is still considered pure devotee?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.

Makhanlāl: So at different levels of advancement of pure devotional service.

Satsvarūpa: Prabhupāda once gave the example of a mango, that when the mango is raw, it's still a mango. Then it becomes ripe—also a mango. So pure devotional service is different when we begin.

Prabhupāda: So raw condition and ripe condition is not the same. The mango is the same.

Devotee (1): The captain of that boat must know that you're here on the island today, because those whistles that he just blew were salutes. It's a master salute from the best man to the best man. He must know that you are here.

Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!

(Morning walk------detroit).

Devotee: Swamiji? Should we read just one chapter a day or...

Prabhupāda: It is very nice if you read one chapter Bhāgavatam daily. It is very nice. You make it a point to read one chapter daily. That is very nice.

Devotee: No more?

Prabhupāda: No, if you can do more, that's all right. Just like I ask everybody to chant 16 rounds. But if you can chant 1600 rounds, then who prohibits you? You can do that. But we should make a regulation of our life, that "So many times I chant. One chapter I shall read. I shall go to the temple at this time." In this way we must have routine work. Then we'll get practiced automatically. Yes. And Gosvāmīs, the Six Gosvāmīs, they were following routine work. Even they... Sāṅkhyā-pūrvaka-nāma-gāna-natibhiḥ. They were doing regularly counting. Just like you are counting sixteen rounds. Not only chanting in that counting, but they were offering obeisances also by counting, that "Hundred times I shall offer my obeisances." You see? This is regular routine. Yes.

(Room conversation-------San Francisco).