19930614 || Remembering Śrīla Prabhupāda #JayapatakaSwamiArchives

This is the special sanction of old men and little children. They can go anywhere and they can say anything. So we said, you cannot imitate. So don't you know, Brahmacharis, don't try this at home. So it was Prabhuan Sahib. Then there was another time in Detroit when Prabhupada came once again. Like I say, Prabhupada took us by surprise, coming early like that. And he wanted to sit out in the garden because it was Deva Siddhan Mandir and it was designed so that there's a few months of the year everything would bloom. And it was like the hawthorn and the myrtle and the flowering crab app.

It was beautiful.

So all the trees, pinks and purples and yellows and all the tulips and everything. So Prabhupada wanted to sit in the garden. When he got there, we thought he'd sit in his room, but he wanted to sit in the garden. We didn't have a seat. So Govardhan was the president. So Govardhan said, just, you know, grab this and grab this. So we had these two low tables that were very varnished, very slick. So we grabbed one, put one down, flipped the other one up behind it, made a back, threw Govardhan's chowder and threw a couple pillows on it. Looked pretty good. They said there's pictures of prophets sitting on it. Govardhan had a flare like. But because it was varnished so slip. When Prabhupada sat on it, he almost slid, right?

Whoa.

He slid off, you know. So they. We had to have Prabha Nanda sitting on one side. I think Kirtananda or someone was on the other side against the pillow. Prabhupada station. And they were holding the pillow back. And then Prabhupada sat down. So every now and then he'd look at them. We'd make sure they were still in position. But he sat in that garden and he talked for such a long time. And there were some priests who came, and the priest was. It was a long story. First Prabhupada, the man was saying, it's the same you're doing, you're doing, you know, he was a little combative. And what is the difference in this and that? And then Prabhupada said to him, why is men suffering? Why are men suffering? And the man said, because they're separated from God. Priest responded the prophet, what is separating man from God? And the priest said, sinful sin. Sin is separating us. Then Prophet said, then why aren't you teaching how to become sinless? We are teaching how to become sinless. And the man got it. The man could understand what the difference was. So after the man became a little charmed, you know, he became, you know, in so many ways, no problem. And he was a big plate of sweets, Bengali sweets. And he kept taking. It was gulab jam and then raskula and there was some nice zenvesh and he had some juice. And the man, you know, he was taking nicely. So then after a while the man said, you know, he noticed. He said, you know, you have so many young people are coming to you and they're so devoted. We have, you know, we're full of old priests and old nuns. We can't get any young people. What. What is your secret? Prabhupada sat back and Prabhupada said. He said, I understand you have one ceremony, he said, where you offer a dry biscuit. Prabhupada was talking about communion like a wafer, you know, he said, you offer one dry biscuit. Prabhupada said, you introduced these Bengali sweets. Full attendance. So Prabhupada said, instead of communion, you should have gob jamun for communion. But I was thinking, even on a deeper sense, Krishna Kannas is full of juice. This just prosaic or ritualistic, without any deity worship, without knowing how. Krishna is a person without bhakti, without so many things, without leelas or pastimes. It's very dry and you can't actually do it. And Krishna Kannas is full of juice. So it was a nice analogy, full of tendency. And then after the man left, the man said, as he was departing, he said to Shila Prabhupada, he said, I feel like I've become your descendant. It was really a nice transformation. And Prabhupada said some pleasantries and the man left. And Prabhupada quoted the verse from the Upadesh Amrit. He said, one who controls the tongue, belly, mind, genital words like that. Said he can make disciples all over the world. And we were impressed that here was a real Goswami Shiva Prabhupada Sachin. That even this man had become completely transformed from being inimical to thinking I'd become their disciple. So what else about Srila Prabhupada? I remember the first time I saw Srila Prabhupada. The devotees had told me that Prabhupada said it was Rukmini. I'm always indebted to Mother Rukmini because she actually, that's my personal life. Who cares for that? But she told me that Prabhupada is like a swan. Kept saying, prabhupada is like a swan. I was thinking, I could think. I was thinking, graceful must mean graceful. And then she was saying, he's golden color. I said, no one is golden. I was thinking like gold. What does that mean? Golden, you know, I was trying to think, what does golden mean? So when Prabhupada came, he came to the lax and the way the airport was designed in those days, and I was a guest. I had long hair. The devotees had put it into turbans. It wasn't such an embarrassment. There's no tilak. We made some tealak out of soap, you know, that you push up the soap and it comes out in powder. So we had some soap t lock on like this, you know. And, you know, there was an ecstatic kirtan. Vishnujana Gargamuni was there. I mean, so many people. It was a really nice kirtan. Dayananda karanda, so many mohanananda. Really nice kirtan. So there was a low divider, maybe about three, maybe it was six feet. And there was a space between the divider and the ceiling where people were coming off. So you could see that people were coming and then they'd pop out at the end, but you couldn't see who they were. It was kind of translated into opaque glass or something. Little kirtan was getting rewinding. Where is Prabhupada?

Where is Prabhupada?

Where's Prabhupada? Finally we saw Prabhupada heard the devotees and he took his bead bag off. And he was holding his bead bag above the partition. So you could just see his hand and this bead bag kind of dancing down the thing. And then I saw Srila Prabhupada come around the corner. And he was just. He was effulgent. And I could understand. This is gold. And had that beautiful, you know, swarthi Bengali complexion. Prabhupada actually did look cool. And then he sat down. There was a little reception area. He sat down and he went to take a drink of water. And I'd never seen one drink like this. First time I saw a devotee drink water, you know, by not touching the glass master's lips. He walked. He was a brahmachar. He walked and he poured the whole thing over his face, all over his shirt, put it back down. I was a guest I thought it was some kind of far off baptismal or something. After a couple days I got my courage up. I asked him to put.

He said what is the ceremony that.

They do after the class? They do this self baptismal.

What is this?

He said oh that's baka klutz. But then I saw the real thing. I saw Srila Prabhupada hold the cup and it looked to me like at least from a foot away. Prabhat just poured the water like this and put his hand down. And he was so graceful. Every move was so graceful. Hari Sari told me that Prabhat had a self winding wristwatch. He moved so gracefully that the watch, you know, it didn't get enough movement. Although he was traveling, he was a jet age Paramahansa traveling all over the world. He was so economical and completely conscious that not a movement was wasted. He couldn't even have enough energy to watch. The executive battery operator wasn't minded. So Prabhupada was so graceful, just like a swan. So that. I remember the first time I met you.

Well, let's see what else?

Ask me some questions, like memories.

Were you ever in the room when Prabhupada would talk about the distribution or on the morning walk or in a class.

This is something that people that already know about, you know, Bengali sweets, that thing in Berkeley. Should I relate it?

Yes.

There was a Prabhupada told the story about. They were encouraging Bahu also was encouraging Srila Prabhupada about that they had this they set up in front of Berkeley, UC Berkeley. They had a prashadam style him and they were selling Bengali sweets and he was going on and on about this and Tripurai was there and Prabhupada stopped and Prabhupada asked him, he said how many books did you sell? What was the story? Because Tripari told him and some amazing figure. Prabhupada said this is the real Bengali siege chafed on a charge from Ritza. So Prabhupada preferred that. I mean Prashada Museum was nice but Prabhupada was obviously specifying and Tejas told me the story that Prabhupada came to Delhi, hadn't been to Delhi for a long time and they had a reception in the airport and I think the mayor was there and so many big Life members and they had a big RT and they had the Vyasasan in the airport and everything. Prabhupada came and he came to sit down. They Were just. Tejas was just about the garland. Shilla Prabhravad. Everyone was there gathering. Prophet, stop what was. And everyone's listening. Prophet, what was the collection last month? Tejas said, some number. How much did you send to my book fund? And he gave a number which was 50%. Begin the RT. That's the first thing Prabhupada said he wanted to know. He wanted to make sure 50% was going to. You know, so many things when you walk out.

Did you ever cook for Prabhupada?

No, I never cooked for Shiloh. There was another time in Nurrindavan. Prabhupada was sitting out on the lawn and I was the temple president in Ann Arbor. So temple president. And some man had come. He was a neighbor and, you know, West Virginia, right? Almost heaven. Well, that almost is in capital lenders, I assure you. But this man was a simple man. He showed up and he just. He was a retired judge or something, and he heard the Prabhupada there. He pulled his pickup truck, got out of his pickup truck, walked right up to Shiva. Prabhupada said, got something for you, Swami. And plopped this grocery bag on Prabhupada's lap. And you know, Prabhupada on one hand, he was very large. You know, he had a presence that he could fill the whole room. But in reality, you know, Khlost Prabhupada was not actually that very tall, and he was very delicate, actually. So we had Prabhupada sitting there and this big grocery bag was on Prabhupada's lap. Just plopped it right there. So Prabhupada reached inside. It was full of vegetables. Prabhupada pulled out the zucchini Prabhupada. He showed it to everybody. Prabhupada said, when someone brings you something from their garden, that is love. So the man with this big, rough hillbilly, you know. And when Prabhupada said that, the guy got like tears in his eyes. He couldn't believe it. So then later on, so there's so many big sannyasis were there, and so many things I got unnoticed. They were Prabhupada. But he turned to Akendra with Manuba's son, who I guess was maybe seven or eight, said Akendra, lead Kirtan. So little Akendra, you know, he plays key with, you know, Nama Om and Sri Krishna and Hare Krishna like that. When he was done, Prabhupada called him over, reached him to his Dodi gave him a ten dollar bill, five dollars, ten dollars. And he said buy yourself a red fire engine. And Prabhupada said children like the color Rin and they just went on. It was like one of those things, you know. Prabhupada. But later on some man was saying to Srila Prabhupada One devotee Prabhupada When I joined I was only 18 and a half and I made so many promises and it was easy for me to follow the principles. Now it's so many years later and my life has changed. It was going on and on. I'm like Prabhupada slammed his hand down and said why did you promise? He said only an animal can't keep his promise. That was another memory for me. Prabhupada said about those deities when they showed him a picture. Prabhupada said about Radhavan Davincandu maybe you have to exit this whole part out, I don't know. But Srila Prabhupada said they're just like American movie star. When Prabhupada saw the deities in Detroit they leaned way over Krishna's car to lean way over. And Prabhupada said to his dumb when he came in he said this is Bhakta Vatsava leaning favorably towards his devotees. Prabhupada like the Krishna was bending like that. Whatever you want to do, we can cut off now.

Let's see.

Did you ever. Were you ever in a room properly starting with like a born again or Maya body or. Or how he would defeat them or deal with opposing philosophy or atheism.

Ka.

Consciousness seeking a guru or spiritual master.

Or.

How did that come to be?

And if so, what quality?

Oh, I remember the first thing. The first time I came to. The first thing I ever heard Srila Prabhupada say I came to the temple. It was on Masayanaga and it's a long story how I came to the temple. I actually. Anyway, I'll spare you that but. So I was convinced by my brother IP prevailed on me to come to the temple. I thought the Hare Krishna devotees, I thought that you have to sing for your suppers at the Salvation army and you know, they throw out a free meal and you got to, you know. But I was reading Prabhupada's Gita. I hadn't connected the Gita with the devotee somehow I hadn't made the connection. Anyway, so he convinced me that I came to the temple and then there was some devotee gave the lecture. I don't remember so much what the devotee said. As I was walking out, I saw Prophet's git on the book table. And I said, oh. I said, you studied this book? I thought maybe they'd read the Tibetan Book of the Dead one day and you know, the tarot, the other Torah the other day. And then, you know, Koran or whatever. And they said, no, this is our basis. So then I became interested. I started coming regularly. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I was coming to Gita class. Then Prabhupada came and he was in Los Angeles and he was giving. He would give a lecture Monday night. Every Monday night. Oh, I do know a great server guy. Prabhupada Keto Caltech. So Prabhava would come. Think about that one. Now.

He came to give a lecture on Monday night.

Well, let's just tell that story. Well, the first thing I heard Prabhupada say, that's weird. So anyway, I became friendly with the devotees and they didn't have a car. So I used to drive up to Laguna beach in my car with the devotees, and they had a feast on Monday night. And when I walked in, Rla Prabhupada said. First thing he said, he said, a male ghost hunts a woman. A woman ghost hunts a male. You do not know these things. And at the time, there was a tape by a comedy group called everything you know is wrong. And I was thinking, fire sign fever, Everything you know is wrong. And I thought ghosts. I thought, like Pascra, the ghost. I didn't. I had no conception of what. And I thought. But because I had some faith in Srila prophets, what I'd read so far, I thought, everything I know must be wrong. I've got to rewire myself and whatever this man says, because everything I became convinced that whatever Srila Prabhupada said actually was true. The more I studied it became convinced. So that was the first thing Prophet said. But this Caltech, the way they had the altar set up, they had, I think they had Gornatai deities, small Gornatai deities, and they had small Radhakrishna. Remember, they didn't have big. They had small brass and they had the big Jagannath. And then they had Prabhupada's vyasasana. Either it was on the front on the gonatai, or it was at the end. But it was a stage. It was all like on a stage and all the altar and then Shiloh. So this Prabhupada had Given a lecture. Nice lecture, of course. And there was a Caltech professor who introduced himself as a professor from Caltech and who had studied Vedanta and appreciated the. Prabhupada had given a simplistic presentation appropriate for the neophytes in the West. But the further one went into Vedanta, one could understand how it. Form becomes formless and, you know, the whole thing to give. And he quoted a little bit. He knew a little Sanskrit, a little this and that. And Prabhupada sat. Prabhupada didn't even look at him. He was standing. There was a rug there, and everybody sitting on the rug, big rug. And this man was standing. Prabhupada didn't even look at it. Prabhupada was just looking at the Radhakrishna. Enchanting. And the man went on, went on. Prabhupada didn't even look. You could see Prabhupada's noble profile, you know, like a lion. You could just see he was like a lion. And the man finally ran out of steam, you know, Prabhupada said, are you finished yet? And the man said something. You know, there was like an intimation. The man could see that, you know, maybe he'd gotten into something. Prabhupada turned, and Prabhupada said in this Purana and in this Veda and in the Vedanta Sutra and this Upanishad and this Samhita. And he was just like hammering a nail into the ground. The man just, you know, it was like body blows. And then finally the man was kind of. He was stooped a little bit, and then he was like on his knees. And then finally he was, you know, he was like, if he could have melted into the floor, he would have melted into the floor. And Prabhupada had his hand in his bibang, almost made point after point after point. And Prabhupada finally came to a crescendo, and he finished. Do you have any further question? Man said, swami, can we have kirtan? Because that was his complaint, you know, that we're just chanting and dancing like sentimentalists. And Prabhupada just in the DOI's Jai Prabhupada just transcendentally, you know, the man had seen the light, so to speak. There's another time when I came down, but this time they moved.

Let's just change one tape.

We mentioned how when our party arrived in the village, we all would jump out of the car and go in the front Start Khitan. And we sent two devotees, one on either side of straight the shoulder bags. So as party the cart moved. With the Kirtan party, the devotees going door to door also moved along. And they did book distribution, small books, flyer explaining who we are and where are we going and explaining about Maha Mantra. And then our devotees would ask for some grains, some arta, wheat flour, vegetables. And then in the evening we'll do the whole cooking, make offering to the deities. Then we'll take Kushrad. And after, towards the end of the program, we would get all the villagers to sit down and feed them Kushradam. A lot of the would come with their own plates and enjoy prasadam. So Prabhupada like this lifestyle, however completely depending on Krishna and whatever Krishna supplied, we're happy with it and we're also feeding people. Sahil was fully content by hearing what simple thing he did. It was kind of Vedic way of doing things. When he saw his followers were practicing that.

He was pleased. Could you tell them to just keep it down a little bit for me please? Were there times during that Kumbhumela, Were you with him? Did he speak at all or have any discussions with any other leaders of other movements or any other personalities? Do you remember any discussions?

People were coming. People were coming and Prabhupada was giving darshans. I don't remember any meetings with the big people. Our location was not great and he was a bit disappointed with that. But then he came up with a formula. He just sent us on on the road. The Waiti Life friends. There are several hundred devotees there. And that work was going all over Kumbamela, doing Khitan and distributing small books and collecting donations. So that we considered a not bad because there were not good sized crowds coming in the direction of the orphan dog.

So there weren't many morning walks in either?

No. That time? No.

Were there any other time? What about Prashadam? Do you remember how he was?

Kamumela Prashadam?

Yeah, his stories that you can tell about Prashada at that time or any other time that he went to Prashad, how he ate, what he liked.

The first time I went to Vrindavan at the time I was initially, which I also think, yeah, it must be this first Vrindavan festival. That's the time in Prabhupada Yogurt's nectar of devotion lecture series in the backyard. When you hear those tapes, you still hear those birds chirping or peacocks. By that time Prabhupada I was surprised. Prabhupada asked me to go to Loy Bazaar and purchase some jalebis for him. So I went to the Loy Bazaar and went to the shop and they were cooking fresh jalebis and I got them.

And he ate them all.

Or.

Would he always finish his meals with the sweet? Do you remember what is the order of his evenings?

I won't be able to. I was not into personal servant services. Yeah.

Did he give you any instructions about in what manner to preach to the Indians that you would meet on the bullock card? How to approach them? Just, you know, was there any progression of how to preach to them as far as getting them to engage in bhakti Yoga? In other words, just to kuprashadam to get them to chant, to read books or Bullock.

The stress, his stress was enchanting for our program.

And.

He did want us to give book distribution. One time I wrote to Prabhupada while we were on the way to Mayapur with his bollock cards in Gita giving some hints that we needed some financial help to maintain this program. And Prabhupada wrote to me and he sent Bhik Sankhitan score how many books are being distributed. And he said, this is how we are maintaining our institution by book distribution. And you also have to do. And he said, outside help is not healthy. And he said, if your program is being appreciated by the public, their appreciation has to be practical. Let them help. Let them assist you. Otherwise just a lip service. To that effect. He wrote us letter and encouraged us to increase work distribution also.

Excellent.

Sannyas. Did you accept sannyas from Prabhupada? Or is that anything you can tell us about that story, how that came to be, how it came to your becoming?

I was kind of. When I was two and a half years in the movement. When I asked Prabhupada after one event in Darshan, there was no one around. I prayed Prabhupada the desire of taking sannyas. But he said, wait. So I was waiting for one year. I didn't talk further. Then this is in Bang Bay. I again found trauma by himself one day and I approached him like that. This was in fact the time Sridhar Swami, who was my colleague in Bombay, he was recommended for sannyas. He was asked to go to Vrindavan by Prabhupada. So he was going to get sannyas. So that time I also pray for. And when he heard that he wanted, I wanted say Sannyas and his first response was, you are already sannyas. And when he said I was not satisfied, he started preaching to me. The first verse of the sixth chapter in Bhagavad gave the true Yogi is the whole. So talk about that person defining sannyas Vadana. I was not budging an inch, keeping some pressure on.

And.

So towards the end he said so you want to undergo the formality of sannyas? And I said, yes, Prabhupada. Prabhupada said yes. So you go also with Sridhar and meet me there in Vandala. This was December of.

So we both.

Jumped on the train and Prabhupada had gone with Ambarish and Hansa Duta and Prabhupada. Krishna Hare Krishna took Kuruksheta. He returned and the courtyard of Kushtabara took.

Anything during that ceremony that.

Strikes.

You that you remember about his instructions or any words to.

Yeah. After taking Sannyas, after the end of the initiation ceremony, myself, Frida Mirage and Prithu Putra singers from France, three of us were. We went into quarters of Philipopath to check two things. Whether our names were going to change and whether new assignments. And of course our assignment did not change. And also regarding the name just add Swami to your names. So that was one thing. And then he talked to us about Manmana Bho, Madhavukto Madhya ji Mam namaskuru. That verse said, Krishna is asking us to do four things. And if we just do these four things, remembering Krishna worshipping and offering more senses and becoming his devotee, he said without duplicity that were duplicitous, then your preaching will be very, very effective and people will take you very seriously. So that was one instruction. It is personal. Be.

Anything else that you can remember. Any extraordinary comment or the way he behaved or that you would like to.

Well, there's whole thing about him wanting to go on. Go on a bullock. Last days he wanted to go on the Bocart. Yeah, he wanted to travel the bullock.

Tell me about that. I didn't know where was that.

There's a sweet. During his last days in Vrindavan.

In Vrindavan?

Yes.

Again we had. Prabhupada was very sick in Vrindavan and that time our party was traveling in North India. In fact, we had just. We were in Badrikashra when we heard Prabhupada was getting more sick. We. We rushed back to Vrindavan and soon upon our arrival there we were allowed to go into his carcass for Darshan. So we spent quite some time with him. Was lying on bed for months, you know. But he seemed to very enthusiastic to hear the Sankir reports and the inquiries of which book is selling the most.

And.

What is your daily collection? As we had just returned from Badikashram in the humorous way I mentioned the program that Srila Prabhupada we presented your Bhagavad Gita as it is to Srila Vyasade. Because in Badrikasham there is a cave of Srila Vyasadeva and he is supposed to be residing there. So we had visited the cave. Of course we did not see him. We were caring Bhagavad Gita and we imagined that Shrila Vasudev saw it. So he said the president of Bhagavad Gita to feel obviously as part of.

One sec. Hold that thought.

Just change tapes one last time. That's a meeting sound.

Are they filling up like that?

Yeah, we've done 40 minutes already.

Go ahead.

Sorry.

But as we had just come back from Bajikashram and we had visited place where Bhima left his body place is called Bhim Bridge. I just happened to stay there and later on I was just tired for bringing up that topic of Dhima leaving his body. So the day we had this first meeting for after our return from Badri Pashram we gave the whole report.

Sat.

To wisdom some time before. But we were our party was gradually leaving his quarters and I was the last one in his quarters to leave. When I was about to walk, I looked back that time Prabhupada signed over. I went back and sat next to Prabhupada. His question was was very, very grave. He asked I want to talk to you from. I said, what time suits you? That's too much. I said, there's no question at what time? Seriously, 10, 4 o', clock, all night. And so we settled at 4 o'.

Clock.

So all day I was wondering, you know, why what is that? Something must be serious that he wants to talk to you about the thing of this that I couldn't really come to any conclusion. So around 4 o' clock I started going forward Prabhupada's partners. Before I entered his apartments, I was diverted to the reception area of the guest house. And I went in there. I saw all big leaders were sitting there. And then they told me Prabhupada what he wanted to me that what Prabhupada wanted to talk to you about, he already Spoke to us and that was that he wants you to go get some bullock carts. He wants to go on a bullock cart. He wants to travel. So that was a big surprise. So myself, Panchitravir Swami and Srivikram. I'll say that again. So it was myself, Panchitravita and Srivikram Swami who were asked to go to Mantra. So we went. It was the day before Govardhan Puja festivities. So idea was to go and circumamb that goer with a bullock cart. So we had a hard time getting farmers to agree to. They were not willing because there's some custom that on Govardhan Puja they don't use their bones. But we managed getting two farmers to agree. So two cars. We gave some down payment and we returned. And most of us we went to sleep at night anticipating that next month is going to be traveling full of cards. But the middle of the night something else transpired because all devotees were not convinced that this is. This should happen. So they all surrounded Prabhupada and.

And.

Begs him not to do this, not to go on.

Allah.

With a balakkar meaning this death is leaving us. So the next morning. So at night the cars have come and apart in parenting Kaara temple. So in the morning we realized that this is not going to happen. So a few days have not passed. But Prabhupada never forgot this. He wanted to, as he always said he wanted to die fighting. So again he brought on the topic of traveling.

Tell me about the. You were in the room with all the other devotees when Prabhupada was. When he left his body there.

Well, there's more. One more thing I want to say. So this time as we were talking with Prabhupada again Prabhupada part of the topic of travelling. And after some discussion we settled with the idea of travelling with the vehicles.

And.

Prabhupada started taking some more juice and milk. So Kavirai, the doctor's opinion was in about two weeks time Prabhupada would be strong enough to even travel if you wanted to do so. Keeping that in mind, we started making some plans for traveling with the vehicles. And Prabhupada's cart was full of devotees, all senior men, TV senior around him. As we settled with the traveling plant and all the devotees were kind of wanted to go on with such a party. So one by one they started enquiring from Prabhupada that they could go on this party. I remember Dr. Soda Mundarmares said, as we go to the big towns or cities, there are always scientific minded people there and we could organize some conferences which I would like to do. Then you can come and address, speak to them. Say, is it okay if I high goat Prabhupada this Pari? Then Giriraj Swami, he said I have good experience with the life membership and certainly we need to make members and the support is needed for this program. So I can coordinate that aspect. Could I go Prabhupada? Prabhupada Chetyaguru from Chandigarh was a good driver. He said I will drive. You probably don't care. So could I also go? Yes, you could also like that. So it went around and then I also kind of asked whether I could go and go past it. I could draw and see. You will be our leader. We were kind of very happy about this development. Of these travel plans there are two things. One thing was we all were feeling relieved that Prabhupada is planning to travel like this. We meaning he's not going to leave us, he's going to stay longer with us. And the other thing was not only Prabhupada going to stay on longer with us, but we'll be traveling with him, all of us. He's allowing us to go with him. This is another golden rare opportunity for these reasons. Very, very jubilant about this development. So we there was Ramakrishna Maharaj and Bmananda and myself as we had maps purchased and were kind of chalk out trying to chakra of the program and you know, other devotees were getting other things looking at the vehicles. So few days had passed like this and we were kind of trying to get a traveling party together with the traveling part. Prabhupada also had given us a guideline about the Sri Lan party and advance party party advanced party goes ahead and the main party catches up with the advanced party. The whole mechanics were discussed. So we had assigned different duties. But then that unfortunate, most unfortunate day of our life, 14th of November. And while we were in the middle of all these plans, I remember Kaviraj Dr. Eve was going all over property. It did not take much time before everyone realized what was about to happen. So he spread the news that Prabhupada is getting ready to leave. So we dropped, dropped everything in the middle, mats were thrown and just rushed to pump those clickers. So we were in room full impact. His followers all around. There was big Florida cries and tears, uproar of chanting. I was just there standing 12 inches away from and they're trying different cotton setting about 7, 25, 25 years after 7. So that was end of the traveling point.

I saw some of the film that was taken there by Yadavar and what struck me, and maybe you can elaborate on this for yourself, was how in his condition, as you said, he's always so strong at preaching to the end. He was, you know, with his last breaths practically continuing to translate the bhakti. You know, I mean, to me it was like showing that he is like the ultimate crya. You know, not complaining or one thing or another about his body, but always, you know, thinking about Krishna and doing his life's mission. Did any of that strike you in any way?

Well, I was feeling the truth that was getting stronger and stronger. When people become old and invalid and kind of useless in a material sense, the family members kind of begin ignoring them. Who cares? And no one wants to follow their instruction. That was not the case with Hope. But in simple was approaching him closer and closer to his final breath. He was becoming more and more dynamic and his thinking was crystal clear and more taking it even more and more seriously. No one thought, oh, he's invalid. His lying on the bed here for six months and takes half dozen people to help him to just get up. And he cannot remove his own hand and cannot hold the dictaphone machine on his own. This wasn't. No one thought that the protoplasm was showing his power. I also always felt we talked like this. The grandfather Bhishma lying on bed of arrows. The ceiling was fixed on Krishna. So Prabhupada was lying on kind of soft bed, but kind of physical torture. Illness was like a bed of arrows. But he was fixed on his mission, giving directions so that everything would go.

Did you have something you wanted to ask her to?

You wanted us? I talked about technical things up.

Oh, okay, that's. That's wonderful. I have no more questions unless something comes to mind for you. But that was really nice.

Sam Sa Sam Jay Sam.

He was always participating in the chanting of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu with his associates. But he was was very simple Brahmachari. So he would just go every day to five people's homes to request some for alms. Whatever they would give, he would accept. He wouldn't take money. He would just take some grain and vegetables that he would take and cook him and offer to his daughter. So sometimes he got very ordinary things usually. So one day he was carrying his.

Begging bag.

And by doing this, actually the grihastras Were very happy though because he was able to come and they could get some association from advanced devotee, do some service. So like Brahmachari's dharma is to accept donation, charity. And Rehasta or householder's dharma is to give charity to perform sacrifice. Everyone has different duties. So one day, Sukhumvaramachari, he is going with his bag which was filled with these things that he had collected. So some of that bag also was just flat rice. It was smashed, chewed up. So Lord Chaitanya came the other way. And then he saw Sukhumvarbamacharya. How are you?

Everything's all right.

And he said, what do you have in the bag? He said, oh, nothing. Some collection I would offer for my deity. Let me see what you have. Let me have some of it. You must have so many opulent things in your bag. Just give me some of that. Said, no, no, this is not suitable for you. This is very ordinary thing. We should give you the very nice things. He said, no, no, let me see what you have in the bag. And then Lord Chaitanya tried to grab the bag. And he was taking the bag away, not letting him get the little. Lord Chaitanya was seven feet tall. She was very strong, very long arms. She could reach right over. And somehow he grabbed the bag and took out some of the chira. And he just ate it. Just like Krishna, he had taken forcibly. The little chira that was being offered was brought by Vipra Sudama. One old classmate of Krishna, also brought some flat rice to give to Krishna. But then when he saw how opulently Krishna was living, he said, how can I give this to Krishna? It's not good enough.

So.

A similar pastime happened with Caitanya Mahapani. We can take instruction that no matter what situation we're in, according to our own personal situation, we have to carry out our Ka conscious responsibilities. They may be different from one ashram and one situation to the next. But the principle of doing everything to please Guru and Ka, trying to get closer to Ka, go forward. These are the common principles for everyone. One the Lord Caitanya, he taught Grihei Tako bone, tako saga, hadi bone, dako. Whether one's agree Hasta, whether one Mary Brahmanchari or in the renounced order, everyone should simply chant, thank you for receiving me, for offering the puja. I'm only accepting on behalf of the previous Acharyas everyone. Because it's a humble representative. Do you have any questions? Anyone? Is everyone all right? Any question?

You said that There are no hard and fast rules for chanting Krishna's names. What specifically would this mean? If, for example, one has to do some service, can one go on chanting the name? Let's say the service is considered unclean by Vedic standards. So can one keep on chilling, cleaning toilet, whatever it may be? How does this apply? What does it mean? No hard and fast rules yet to keep a pure mind while doing any.

Kind of service.

I say there are many other mantras, fiction you should chant after bathing, facing in a particular direction. With clean clothes, there are so many restrictions. But Lord Caitanya said that nam, namakari, Bahuda, mitra, sarabha, shakti, pita, miyamita, hard and fast rule. In the Sanskrit, that's rules, Persona, time, place, circumstance, person. These things are not no hard and fast rule about that. So even if a person is not clean, even if their clothes may not be wearing, if they're doing some other activity, they can go out and chant. Sometimes chanting may be offensive, but the Holy name is so merciful that it's better to chant offensively than not to chant at all. It's better to be a little naughty child than to run away from your parents. But if you're a good child, so that way who can chant, who cannot chant what time? There's no such rule like in chanting other mantras. But for chanting japa and counting the japa, we try to chant. Chant more, more attentiveness. But if one cannot chant perfectly still, you should chant.

Unless you can. Now how about breitling?

Signal that they are well structured enough in their sadhana that they won't be distracted and that they can keep their mind focused upon Krishna while chanting? Would it be better for that person, if they have that kind of a doubt, to chant in the temple with other devotees? Or would it be for them to go out and go ahead and chant on the beach or any other such public place which is going to cause subject distractions.

Chant all the time. Even if we ever forced to go to some hellish situation, we still have to chant, isn't it? We have to keep our mind on Krishna. But as far as being able to chant, a nice concentration. If you start off enchanting, usually if you go on a walk in the.

Morning.

Majority of the consciousness days, chanting. That's why we chant out loud, so that we chant and hear. So that will bring the mind back to the church.

First two steps, Srevanam and Kirtanima, both taking place together at the same time.

Another question, what do I need to Do? Well, I want to take spiritual initiation.

For the New year.

What would you want me to do to prepare myself besides chanting?

Have you met chanting.

But 8 to 216 day she's chanting. Two years ago when I met you in New Orleans, I started chanting you. So that's two years. And for the past month I've been chanting eight rounds. And when I heard that you were coming a week and a half ago, I've been chanting 16 rounds every day.

And then she does Pooja in the morning and reads about Gita and does everything else she has to do.

You live nearby?

I'm working with a place called Iskcon. Ornaments or just people just open it up. So we're creating ornaments which can be used in building temples or refurbishing temples around the country, around the globe. He's trying to make them international. So it's like columns, ornate lamps.

Fixtures.

Which go on top of columns like the three three trunk elephant, various other.

Things we're working on.

So this is what I'm doing now and plan to go to chiropractic school next year.

San Diego Temple 2030 Grand Avenue Pacific.

Is California 921019.

It.

This true will.

Come it.

Give us a break Sat.

This.

When one is anxious of faith.

Security that frame of.

And they make as pleasure beyond the supreme pleasure for nature beyond this potency and attraction array helps us reaching law the material energy called as man is also one of the only potentials of the law. As such as we are also much.

Like conditions.

Realization is as effective.

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