Mr. Vance had hung up.

The night of the big party arrives. With freshly pressed dhotis and clean shaven heads, the devotees are ready to present the Holy Names in the living room of Mr. Vance's suburban home. This is definitely not the same feeling as going out on the streets. The guests all hold glasses of their favorite drink, and some are checking out the "act" to see if it will be a money spinner. They certainly have their own look, but will it catch on Mr. Vance introduces the group to his guests. "I first heard them in Hollywood, and I was impressed with their talent and dedication to their art. Their music is an original adaptation of an ancient art form called Kirtan. They are genuine monks who practice what they preach. They live together in a former church that is now their temple. I am grateful that they have accepted the invitation to perform at my home for your pleasure."

After this pleasant introduction, the devotees take up their positions exactly as they had rehearsed. They begin chanting the prayers to the spiritual master, then the Panca Tattva mantra, followed by the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Vishnujana has composed beautiful melodies for each section, and the audience reveals its appreciation with resounding applause.

After the kirtan, Tamal gives a short talk on Krishna consciousness in spite of Mr. Vance gesturing for him to finish. "So, in closing, I'd like to thank our host, Mr. Vance, for arranging such a nice program, and I'd like to present him with a garland of flowers." The guests enjoy this gesture and applaud as Mr. Vance is garlanded. "I think we can now accept that Mr. Vance is officially one of us, a devotee of Hare Krishna. Therefore we feel that he needs a spiritual name also. We have chosen one which we think is especially suitable. From now on he shall be known as 'Mudha Godasa.'" The audience applauds once more at the official presentation of the new name. The devotees are all smiles. Everyone is having fun.

For the rest of the evening, Mr. Vance beams with pleasure; especially when his friends greet him as "Mudha" or "Godasa." The naming of Mr. Vance is an indication that the devotees are not happy performing as an act. They would rather just do sankirtana and give people the opportunity to realize their constitutional position as eternal servants of Krishna. Prabhupada had been apprised of the situation and his reply is not long in coming.

A few days after the house party, his letter arrives. "I am pleased to note that there is interest in having our sankirtana party perform in various public engagements. The same thing is going on here, and they have been invited to such places as Amsterdam and Germany. So if you can also do this, it is nice. But do not change our principles. Practicing is already done by kirtan. It is not required for us to become artists. Our main point is service to Krishna, not to please an audience. We shall not divert our attention too much to adjustment of musical sounds. People should not misunderstand that we are a band of musical artists. They must know that we are devotees of Krishna. Our devotional practice and purity shall be so strong that wherever we chant, there will be immediately an impression in the audience for devotion to Krishna." Letter to Tamal Krishna, October 30, 1969

Prabhupada's letter leaves no doubt in the minds of the devotees. They decide that Tamal should notify Mr. Vance that they are no longer interested in show business.

Tamal Krishna: I phoned Mr. Vance and told him that our group had decided to just chant Hare Krishna on the streets. After all, we were not professional musicians; we were devotees of Krishna. Mr. Vance could not understand. Had we gone crazy to pass up such a golden opportunity, especially after he had gone to the trouble to arrange for so many important contacts at his party? Everyone had loved us. The next step was a national TV spot! But I was firm. We were satisfied to chant Hare Krishna in our usual manner, even if it meant we would not make it to the "big time." There was a long silence and then the sound of the receiver disconnecting. Mr. Vance had hung up.