Lava-Mātra: A Moment with Jayapatākā Swami by HG Prahlāda Nṛsiṁha Dāsa & HG Lalitā Devī Dāsī

Namashnu Pataya Krishna Namacha Japadaya Nitashri Krishna Chaitanya Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Hariyom Tachar Hare Krishna. Your devotees Dandavad. Guru Maharaj Kandavat pronounce. My name is Prahlad Nashinda Das Adhikari. I met guru Maharaj in 1981. 1982 in Bogota, Colombia. When he traveled for first time leaving Mayapur. After being almost 10 years there developing Chimayapur Dharma. And the first time that he traveled to South America, he passed to Colombia. I was there as a Bhaktar. It was something out of this world. For first time I was meeting someone who lived in Mayapur Dam and who was very close to Srila Prabhupada. There were also disciples of Guru Maharaj in Bogota, Colombia. There was Alar Swami who was from Germany and Dina Vandu Prabhu from usa. It was wonderful to have them. They informed me that inform all the devotees that Guru Maharaj was coming. So it was a wonderful festival. He arrived in the airport with hundreds of devotees being there to receive him with kirta etc. I stayed back in the temple cleaning and I picked the moment he arrived. He came out of a van. It was amazing. The saffron rose and he stunned there. And he climbed up enter into the temple was not so wide the temple. So he started kneeling down to give his Dandavas. Even though I was against the wall, he looked at me like saying, please move. So I move. And then he extend his arms and was his whole body was covering the whole length of the width of the temple. So he stood up and sit in the asana. Then with his eyes closed, he chanted the Jayarada Madhava and continued the lecture with his eyes closed. Describing the beauty of Lord Caitanya and the beauty of Lord Nithyananda. He described their features, their eyes, their arms, the softness of their personalities. For all the dwarves we will transfix, we will transport. He didn't speak Spanish at that time. But just to look at him was more than enough to be transported. What speak to hear from him describing Lord Caitanya. Every time he described Lord Caitanya, it was like seeing him. Because he was saying he has large eyes like lotus petals. But he himself had large eyes like lotus petals, saying he's very tall. And he would raise his arms, his arms and himself was very tall. So it was just like, you know, a very close moment in the temple. The temple was packed and Never forgot the beautiful description of Lord Chaitanya, Lord Nithyanandar. At that time they didn't have Internet. We didn't have that kind of communication, cell phones or anything like that. So whatever we saw was the windows of the spiritual scar was the particat of mercy in the pictures in the books of Srila Prabhupada. But the description the Guru Maharaj made was like seeing Lord Chaitanya Nithyananda right there in the temple. Even the temple didn't have deities. We had a beautiful painting of Panchatatua and that's what we worship. When we sang and we adored. He brought Lord Chitani Lo Nityananda presence, personality right into the temple. At that time we asked immediately, I asked the temple president if he's going to give initiation is any possibility. But he was not the GBC of this song. So he was just coming to South America. So we were in fandom. No one can take initiation. So was one of the biggest impressions I had in my spiritual life. I became a devotee of Ka from the very first moment I opened the first book of Srila Prabhupada. I've been a devotee of Ka my whole life. I just didn't know who he was. I grew up in a very Catholic tradition. Cuenca is one of the cities founded by the Spaniards in 1590, 1532. Lord Chaitanya just left this planet and then this city was established. This city had four rivers and was a very beautiful valley. So it was one of the major worshipping places for the Incas. Here they have the Temple of the Sun. So apart from Cusco, this place Puma Pungo was like the biggest worshipping of the sun. They have a beautiful temple with huge stone, with marble. They later on were used in all the churches. They destroyed the temple and the main stones became the vase for the new churches. And Spaniards, they brought the cream of the religious movements of Europe. So La Salianos, Salesianos, Jesuits, Dominicanos. So many different branches of Catholicism. They were brought here, different priests and also nuns. So we have also the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Catalinas, etc. They were all here. So they have education facilities for the men and educational facilities for the ladies and the city himself. Because of her ancient tradition, all the native people were called Indians. Somehow it's a misnomer, but what's called Indians. They were very, very strong devotees. They already had like such a big heart dedicated to God. So they took the new tradition, plus they implemented their own, their own ancient Traditions. So was a lot of religious farewell here. That's why it established more than 20 different temples in this small city. Basically after 100 meters in every neighborhood you have a temple like Vrindavan almost. I grew up in pure religious festivals, all kinds of processions, the time of the seven churches. The big celebrations were followed by the Indian traditions. Like here in Cuenca. You know all the place in the world they have the tradition of the Pasa del Nino, they call it, or the Baby Jesus being worshipped. And they make cars and horses full of fruits. And people dress themselves as coucher boys and they bring cows and horses, etc. Just like Jesus was born in a place with cowshed and they make this procession with the little Jesus and the whole city moves into that. So it was very interesting, very, very fulfilling. Spiritually speaking. We didn't start class without communion, without a mess. So even as children we grew up with a strong religious. Women here were very much dedicated. Was no such a thing as free union or divorce. All the families, they were very traditional, really good. Mostly European families. Many came with the Spaniards obviously, but also the geodesic French group came here in 1700s to measure the quadrants of the earth, latitude and longitude. And there came many scientists from Germany and France. My grandfather was from Germany, family was April. So it was a very strong, you can say traditional families. So I was very happy growing up this way. But when I was 13, 14, the desire to know more about religion and India and other traditions, Buddhism, Hinduism especially, came very strongly. The first time I saw Indian monks, Buddhist monks was in a magazine was Life magazine. It was the most famous magazine come from New York. And in the middle of the pages there were some monks, Buddhist monks incinerating themselves, protesting in Saigon or some political mistreatment from a new Christian government. So the Buddhist monks, they were putting themselves gasoline and lighting up themselves in the middle of the streets and trying to show the world the oppression they were feeling. And some pictures came out of there and there were these monks in complete meditation with flames flowing out of their bodies without showing any pain. And it was amazing. They were dying there they died. This was the top monks you can see even now on Internet you can find these pictures. For me it was such an impression how possible they can tolerate, how possible that they can stay like this in the moment of death. So my father, who was military by profession, he was in the army by profession, that his heart was a musician, an artist, a painter, a poet, but also very well known and anything worldwide well read. He explained me Words that at that time only sounded like words. Himalayas, Buddhists, monks, India, meditation, mantras. He was talking about fakirs. So all these words, reincarnation, meditation, make a big impression on me.

And you were five years old?

Seven. Seven. I was in the second grade of.

The school because that's what it was, 1961.

1961. I don't know when I saw this picture, but I was like around 6, 7 years old. Because I remember also asking the priests and they didn't give me an answer that my father gave me. And there are the interesting part about this, that I tried to do the same. I was always putting my hand over the flames and, you know, trying to concentrate and meditate and tolerate it. Then I start hurting myself with needles and trying to make crosses. You can see I have some crosses that I was scratching until blood will come out. And trying to maintain my face without pain and then trying to tolerate pain.

Youngsters, they commit kind of suicide?

No.

But you were about tolerating the pain.

No, it was nothing about suicide. It was about trying to see how to tolerate pain. Then I start putting needles through my cheeks. It would not be good movement, my arms without pain. And my mother always was, where this cross come along? Why you have this? So then suddenly books starts appearing about India. And one priest became a follower of Yogananda. So this father was, even though he was a Jesuit priest, he made a school called the Self Realization School. It was amazing because he was a priest and he was accepting the Hindu tradition. He was teaching meditation and reading Bhagavad Gita. So I joined this school and they were teaching what is called Kriya Yoga. And then immediately appeared another school called Guru Maharaj saw in India who was saying was Krishna himself. When I was 14, 15 and accepting all these things that coming from India, I started practicing meditation and mantras. And by Krishna's mercy, Rla Prabhupada's books arrived just in time. I was quite confused because with the Christian tradition, you imagine or you at least were sure that there is a supreme God and that we are his eternal servants. There is a heaven where he lives and we can meet him one day. And it was kind of confusing. The idea of the Trinity, that Jesus and God were one, was not clearing really clear. And if you ask, they will say it's a mystery. So. But I was really eager to find these answers. And I was convinced by 13 that I wanted to be a priest. I wanted to be a monk. But I was not sure about the Catholic tradition because I was seeing in my school most of the priests. They were teaching, even science. They were teaching, you know, the theory of Darwin. So I was confused. It was like not a real ministry towards making the children into priests, but more like making them into successful materialists. So. And I was trying to go against that. And now hearing about renunciations here at the Bairagya Nyaya and Ashtanga in Kriya in Yoga, I was becoming even more sure that the goal of life is to apart oneself from the world and just absorbing God. At that time, a copy book from Brahmananda Bharati appeared. It was really Vedanta, really impersonal. Later on I found out that this Gentleman was actually Dr. Mishra who was giving shelter to Srila Prabhupada in New York. When he just arrived, his name, initiated name or whatever was Brahmananda Bharati, something like that. And I started reading this and I was very disappointed because silicat has no form, has no legs, has no qualities, down manifest. Suddenly Srila Prabhupada book arrived. I got Easy Journey from Other Planets and was so perfectly written, so perfectly explaining what Bhakti was, the supreme top of the letter of the Astanga of the Yoga, what is Jnana, what is Karma, what is Hatha? And this, what is Bhakti? And then the picture was a Sputnik flying in the sky and a devotee also flying, just very gentle with the sea. Kind easy journey to other planets. That's what I'm looking for. And on the other side, Wasila Prabhup was smelling a rose and looking in the distance with each other, like meeting God himself and reading and looking at him, reading and looking at Him. And the tears were like gushing out. I had to constantly dry up myself too, because the realizations were perfect. And from that I was just looking for Prabhupada's books. And by the mercy of the devotees in Miami, they were always catching the tourists from South America. And I have a good friend whose father had a travel agency. He was taking people to Miami, to Orlando, to Disney to shop. And then when they come back, they all come back with books with the devotees in the airport, Mother Narutaka Gopal was signing some of the books of the devotees too. And they said, Peter, you like these books? Here is for you. Heartbound 1st Canto Srimadbhata Heartbound 2nd Canto Krishna Book 1 and 2. That's like too much. And absorbing this so easy was to absorb, to read Prabhupada Was just maybe one word was, you know, Ka. Krishna's mercy was absorbing everything completely. Then it was just question of time until meet the devotees. Enjoying past six years until I met the devotees for the first time. And from that time on, I was already feeling myself at the body of Krishna. Now I was feeling, following everything the Srila Prabhupada was saying. I was chanting, but I was chanting. One swami came from New York, passing through New York. He was from Ananda Marga Amarananda Swami. And he came here to Ecuador, to Cuenca. And he stayed in the ashram of the Self Realization Fellowship. And I was the only one who knew some English. He didn't speak Spanish. So he came to live with us in this little ashram in the mountains. And I was with many of my friends that day and he said, they're going to teach you the Swami step. And he obviously learned it somewhere with the devotees. And he showed us. He was in Rathayatra in New York and he showed us left hand and one arm, the other Hare Krishna harvest. And that was chanting. So I spent a lot of hours chanting until my arms were tired from the. Because we didn't know about Japan, it was not clear what Japan was all about. But I will use the mantra constantly. But I didn't give up the other practices. I also did yoga pranayama, Invading in the rivers and trying to control the senses. Yeah, TM Transcendental Meditation. I receive early Yogananda. TM was the first mantra I received. And the mantra they gave me was Sharinga. And they told me it's a secret mantra. So sorry, Sharinga. So I asked him what it means and he says, for your protection. And I chanted Sharinga, Sharinga, Sharinga silently in the mind. And it was no more geography or mathematics. Everybody was doing things that were sharinga. Sharinga was the best. Entering some state of consciousness was very wonderful. Then I found out later on there was actually the bowl Lord Vishnu, the boa, Lord Ram of Parasuram, the bowl of Vishnu as Sharinga. So it was for protection. Interestingly, Lalita also started Transcendental meditation in the 80s and they give her the same mantra.

2000, you know, 2000. 2000.

Oh yeah, 2000 something.

They gave me this mantra like, I.

Don'T think she existed in the 80s.

I didn't promise it.

They couldn't really take mantra at that time.

They gave me same mantra.

And they normally give so many different mantras that they give a Sharinga too. So I was practicing all this like a kid. Tree of things. But I knew the Goddess was supreme personality. But it was Krishna. The bottom was his brother Madaya, Shoda, Devaki, etc. I was lucky enough to see a Prabhupada sama or other. And I don't know Krishna kindly feed me with a lot of books. And also I had a good friend who was from the Peace Corps. And this gentleman came here to Ecuador to do some of his service and bought a farm near the mountains. And he was from the SRF Self Realization Fellowship. He was also following Yogananda. He was already initiated with Kriya. So he invited me to live with him in the mountain. My mother gave me permission. I had a motorcycle, go to school, come back to the mountain. But there we did a little lash down. We did a little open. And we start the first health food store in the city. We call it La Primavera. And I remember myself painting at the Land Fort. And now they have more than 17 primaveras in this city. We opened this in 1975, something like that. So he, when he came from Los Angeles, he brought many things from the Ka temple. He brought cartoons, he brought books and brought many albums of music. One of them was Change of Heart from his name Mangalaganda pro David Cassidy. Another one was the album of Govinda from the Radhakrishna temple and George Carson. The album was called Goddess of Fortune. And inside have a little page with all the lyrics. And the songs were just incredible. It was. We were memorizing these words and hearing the song over and over also. And also mystical songs like Yamuna. David was singing with so much mysticism, George Harrison and the guitar. So it was just too much. And I memorized them immediately. And this was like our way of worship. So the years passed by then I just only wanted to meet Prabhupada. But I tried to get a visa and they reject me. The gentleman said what are you going to do in the United States? States? If I go to meet my master, my guru, Swami Prabhupada. Oh, how much money you have? I have no money because I'm a renounced. I want to be a renounce or to be a Yodi. Okay, sorry. When you have 20 years old come back, we will talk about it. Didn't give me the pizza. So I wrote to all the temples in South America, whatever it was, the names of temples and they answered from Colombia, Leelanath, Peru, disciple of Srila Prabhupada. And he said, Sriman Pedro, so nice sentiment. You have to surrender to Krishna. We have A house for you here. We have a temple for you here. You're much welcome. Don't remember the respite. It's a very beautiful long letter from obviously a cultured person. And there he went. I went there in 1980. And then I find out the Sila Prabhupada is not there anymore. And what I was thinking, there is ashram, you know, mountains and waterfalls and peacefulness. Was just two streets or three streets from the Caracas. The main busy street, a little neighborhood there. It was really a small house. There was, you know, not even green space, nothing. One house after another. And we were just in one house. And I entered there with my backpack and was nobody there. I entered, I pushed and was open and I entered and I was sitting with my backpack there. And I wandered around and there was Srila Prabhupada. So I painted my dandelots and I was like, what? I said, what I do now? But he didn't say nothing for a while. So now I look again, I notice that he is actually a Murti mustache. I was wondering for an hour. Then someone came from the kitchen. Lala Samaye Prabhu. And then Leelananda Prabhu arrived. And since then a smooth rise in Srila Prabhupada's movement. Understanding that the way to pay back all the great mercy of Purakna Mahapur is to work hard for his mission, for trying to share the holy name to others, make people fortunate. So to distribute Srila Prabhupada books was the greatest way to do that. And everything was all the classes, everything was geared towards book distribution. Book distribution. Book distribution. I also saw the devotees who were doing book distribution. They were getting the Maha sweets and they were like. Everybody was playing dangas and cartels. So that's the way to Priest Prabhupada and priest the devotees. So I got into book distribution. I put myself a quota of 108 books a day. Less than that, I will not go to the temple. Many devotees were doing 120, 150. So I did this as a quota and I became one of the Maharathis there with the devotees. So as I wanted to destroy. I never climbed in a bus in my life before. Had a very, you know, you can say comfortable life Here in Cuenca. It was the Last 1 of 7. So everybody was like, how they call, spoiling me. My mother also thought I was the king. So I just have to say something. And she would dance in the palm of my hand. So to go to Colombia to go distribute books and to receive the rejection of people. Or sometimes the complete indifference was tough. But there were also people who were so nice, received this with open heart. Someone said, what books news you have? I'm reading this, I'm reading that. That's amazing. We always give one incense to the chauffeur of the bus. So he let us in, we will jump over the tourniquet and then we will speak to people and talk about we are students of yoga. Then one man stood up with a crucifix. Get out of here you devil. You are telling me. And he stood up and started trying to put me the crucifix in my face like I was the devil. And the people was looking at him like he keeps going and going. Get out. In the name of Jesus, get out. So the bus driver put the brakes really hard and this guy flew over and fell on the floor. And the bus driver catch him by the head and throw him out of the. Get out of here yourself, you fool. Just throw him out. Go on boy, go on. Keep going, keep going. So as like, you know, there's two sides of people. You always find these really hard headed and other ones who are just so kind such experience.

But when he came just joined. Therefore you already knew whole budget because you were listening this well.

I was already six years in contact with Srila Prabhupada.

So just imagine you first of all start to make kirtan and rn.

You know, Dinavandhu Prabhu was there. Dinavandhu Prabhu was very kind to take me his way and pushed me to lead kirtans, do harinams, etc. That was a wonderful association. So I joined. I took initiation by Pancha Davida. Swami Maharaj was also a disciple of Srila Prabhupada. Obviously was like the second group of devotees who give initiation. Panchada Vedra Maharaj Lokarnath Swami and Upal Krishna Goswami. So he was put in charge of Colombia because Vidyana Maharaj was unable to do it anymore due to physical reasons. So he was the guru of that area. So the denunciation by him gave me the name Prahlad Maharaj. After I had met Guru Maharaj, I was very satisfied to be part of ISKCON the Guru Parampar under their refuge, Guru Sankirtan the same as Srila Prabhupada. Disciples did take prasadam. Good morning program, Good job Prasadam and out and come back in the night for a little bit of milk and cake and to Sleep. So I was very happy to follow in the footsteps of the devotees. I always feel the reciprocation of the devotees, especially Srila Prabhupada, Krishna. I was lucky enough to fall in love with Krishna before falling in love with any woman. So I fell in love with Krishna when I was 13, 14, 15. It was just too much, this information that one can fall in love with God and not to fear God. God is the best wish, the best well wished. The world even ended this. And you couldn't even forgive your father.

When he said, who is these people? When devotees came to your house, it's.

Such a beautiful reminding me everything. Sorry.

Yes, such a beautiful story. My favorite.

Well, I never saw the devotees, but one time, one friend of mine was the only one who understood Krishna later became initiate in three Adishtas. He called me and said, peter, the devotees are here in the park, come. So he took the motorcycle. I was there in a flash. And then I can hear the kirtan. And I saw the devotees dancing so beautifully with the ringangas, always suffering, all with sikas. I don't know where they come from. They look like from Nepal or from somewhere. Actually they were all Equatorians. They all really looked like from India. And I had my pair of cartons, so I was playing there between the public. There was a lot of people surrounding them. They saw me with the carpet and brought me in. So I danced with them and played with them. And they let me lead the kirtan like half an hour dancing with them. And then they distribute books and talk to the people. And then when everything was down, I told them to please come to the house, come with me. They were saying that they just arrived in the city and they're looking for a hotel to stay. I said, please come to my house so that we can cook there. So I was pushing the motorcycle and I have like what they call Gila fila in here, you know, I had like seven, eight devotees following me in line and was talking to them. And I arrive at home, I knocked the house and my mother opened and she saw this, you know, she may be thinking, where is the Omni? You know, where is the ufo? Because they were all shaved up, teal up, all hit by the sun, all brown. Because who knows how many hours they do harinate the city. They look wonderful. But where my mother was, oh, this is serious. For the first time she noticed that my beliefs are serious now. They came to take me.

And you were like 15 years old?

No, no, I was already born in 19 and she went and talked to my father, said that these Krishnas have come to take our son. My father was so quiet, so nice, who tolerated everything. He came out all like military. Who are you old gentlemen? Who are you? You're not going to take my son? I noticed it was my mother, the one who just said, well, my son, you have never treated like this. Any guest who step in your house. Why you treat them like that? These gentlemen are conscious to, you know, to share. My father was confused, but I was wild because for the first time they mistreat someone they really love. Said now I really want to go with them. I really want to go with them. But the devotees. I'm really sorry, Mr. Velez. I'm really sorry. We don't know your son. What is your name? Pedro. Pedro. We just met him. Really sorry. It was too late. I was already determined. So after six months or something, I give up my medical school, my philosophical school. I was studying philosophy in the night, Vegas artist was painting in the afternoons and in the morning I was in medicine because that's what my mother wanted. I was happy to learn physiognomy, to use it in Ayurveda. So I gave up everything and I went to the temple. I was just going to become 20, so very happy to be sheltered under Srila Prophet Sisko. And later on, in 1984, after being three years in Colombia, I came to Ecuador by the order of the Hevese here with AR Fernando to help to open temples and restaurants. We opened nice restaurants and temples in Colombia. So I came to do the same here. But at that time my Guru Maharaj Pancheta Vida soy Maharaj left ISKCON because was a kind of turmoil between Allana Swami and the so called reform movement. And in 1985, so when I heard that my Guru Maharaj left ISKCON was such a big shock that Arunath Swami called me. At the time he already had another mission. He asked me, now your Guru is also there, so please come join us. Become, you know, the secretary for South America. You can be one of the leaders in South America. I told him I joined Islam to be in Srila Prabhupada's family. He's going to Srila Prabhupada's family and in my group of Maraj has left. I'm very sorry, but I will never leave iskcon. I am safe. My life is because of his government. I don't want to hear nothing against it. Maharashtra, with all due respect. So he respected my opinion and I was like falling from Whoa. I called immediately Kito and they told me the Guru Maharaj is coming in two days. I don't know where. Guru Maharaj was in some Rathayatra somewhere. And he flew right away to Quito to solution the problem. And he arrived in Quito. I came with the devotees from Quaker overnight in a bus. And when I arrived at 7 o', clock, Guru Maharaj was giving the class. So he saw me coming in and said, ramaraj, so what do you need? And I came right in front of his assana throw myself. I said, I need your shelter. Guru Maharaj. He so kindly took both of his feet from the asana and put it over my head. So the moment I felt his lot to speak in my head everything was fine. Didn't pass two, three days since the announcement that my Guru left. Then I already had Guru Maharaj giving me shelter. So that night he made arrange for a jagya and give me the name Prahlat NER Seminal instead of Prahlad Maharaj Maharaj Prahlada Nasinga does. So I was serving Naomi, not Prahlad, but Prahlad Nasinga. She was very nice. Obviously, I am dust. I never tried to fall into the illusion there had nothing to do with Prahlad Nashinga. I am just Das.

I am so connected with Mayapur.

Well, Guru Maharaj, connect us with Mayapur. Guru Maharaj Stuart, from the very beginning, connect us with Maripo. So since that moment, I fulfilled this desire that I had when I met him to be his disciple. And also I never felt myself separated from Pancha David Soy Maharaj. He's also a godbrother of my Guru Maharaj, disciple of Srila Prabhupada. He never left his Sannyas Ashram. He just left the service to his not to see the Prophet. He had some offenses that he had made towards Sridhar Maharash. He thought the way to pay the offenses is to surrender to his mission. So he did that out of his own personal reasons. But I always have a lot of respect. He gave me initiation. Guru Maharaj reinforced his initiation and gave me his shelter. So I feel so lucky to have many devotees in ISKCON who have been so kind with the Tran disciples. You can say our uncles and they give us full friendship, full kindness. Indrajuna Swami Maharaj, Radhanath Maharaj, unlimited names. And also Prabhupada is also maybe not gurus that were so dear to us. So the family ISKCON is a family and is the movement of Lord Chaitanya here we are trying to please Guru Maharaj with our endeavors.

Rahul, can you tell us about the second initiation and also personal dealings with Guru Maharaj. Personal initiation, personality.

Well, I took first and second incision from Panchadavida Swami Maharaj. So I always chanting Gayatri. But one day I realized I have not. I don't have a Brahmin thread chanted by Guru Maharaj. So we were in the farm. They have a beautiful farm in the coast of Ecuador called Neomayapur. And Guru Maharaj was in the ocean. We were bathing and it was a Kadasi day. And Guru Maharaj was chanting in two threads. He was chanting in two threads. And after he finished chanting, he disposed one of the threads, throw it in the water. So I swarmed and took it. Sadura Maharaj said, you can only use part of this because sannyasid, we have extra. So I took the part that was extra. I said, cannot use it. Can you kindly chant it for me? And Guru Maharaj said, I was waiting that you asked for it. I'm really sorry, Guru Maharaj. I hadn't thought about it. So he was giving a wonderful class in the farm. And then he stood up and said, well, now I'm going to give the Gayatri to Prahlad. He took me inside the temple and he gave me the Gayatri and continued with the jagya. Was an unforgivable day. I still have the binos. Very funny day, actually, because in the morning when we were in the ocean, I found a piece of bamboo. A very stink of bamboo like this. With a piece of bamboo here that was just like a spool, you know. So I think with a piece of bamboo and the part that is close. So it was perfect for a jagya. And I knew there was going to be a jagya. I said, guru Maharaj, look what I found. I said, whoa, perfect. Can I do the Jagayeshu? Who else is going to do this? You know, I was the one who knew some of the things. But there was a Colombian devotee there who was actually Prabhupada disciple. It was in the Brinda mission and he just came that day. So when he heard that it was going to be a jagya at the moment, he was going to start the Jaga support. Can I be the priest, please? Can I be the priest? So Guru Maharaj also didn't want to cut the etiquette, you know, he said, okay, you know how to do? Yes, yes, yes. Okay. So he sat There and then, you know, and I was like, frustrated. I really wanted to do that. So they make a tent with bamboo sticks. They make a big tent from the shade between banana trees. Where. And after Guru Maharaj gave me the Gayatri Mantra, he starts the Jagyam. So the devotee was going to start the Jagger without calling any fire. Chivura Maharaj is teaching him, you have to call the fire.

I have a video.

He come in and he's like showing how to make the devotees trying to follow there. And it's all trying to make his hands, you know, when you have the good milk into, you know, so he didn't know what to say. Okay, okay, just do it. So he starts with the whole mantras, you know, swaha, swaha. Sorry. You can see in the video, he stood up and went to get, who knows, more rice or something for throwing. And he took some of the big sticks, you know, bamboo. And the bamboo came and boom. Into the head of the priest.

They couldn't you video this stick, you.

Know, coming from the back. Bang. And he's getting bounced twice. And then he forgot all the mountains was, you know, only what has happened this. And then we moved him steps and where I was, we told him where he was. He keep chanting, finished the juggling. There was like. I was thinking, wow, that's a nice initiation. Initiation with the priest. Yeah, it was really cool. Personal, you know, relationship with Guru Maharaj. There are so many because Guru Maharaj gave us very personal association here in Ecuador. He loved the farm and the coast. He loved the projects of Ecuador. He loved the way we preach. We're always trying to make it first class. Everything. We get theaters and hotels, very expensive places. And we invite the people there not to the temple. We have seating places for the guests so they don't take the shoes off so they all can sit nicely. To give a special place for Guru Maharaj, we make announcements. We invite always important people from the city, mayors, etc. We give them VIP seats. Very good people. And we always did music with guitars and flutes and sax. Trying to build something that is more related to the people. Is set to making a very, you know, rambosious kirta. The devotees dancing and throwing the sandals here and there. So we always make it sure that it can be Pakaya. So Guru Maharaj will hear the whole introduction with music and flutes and mantras, with Spanish songs. I did a song that is Masaya del Sol Amane se ibes la Montana. And he loved that song. Hare Krishna. Guru Maharaj always Was like singing, you know. Then Guru Maharaj sit and give such a. Not instructions, not preaching, just such a friendly way to relate to the people. First say hello to everybody, relate to everybody, Talk exactly of topics there. About family, about tradition, about religion, about Christianity and how we are very similar with bhakti. He was never like, you know, this heavy preaching they were accustomed to hear in the Siddhis, for example, of Kriyananda Maharashtra, where he was like, you know, going on top of. Everybody is interested in Agridananda. Maharaj is doing Krishna west more soft with, you know, carving clothes or whatever because the message keeps seeming the same. Actually, I like this kind of. We started this kind of preaching here in Ecuador. Soft, easy. We didn't go with datis and kurtas. We went very nicely dressed, sometimes with a polo shirt and things like that. Tilak we will have sometimes a little bit of hair. It's just a way to relate to people so they don't see something like sect, something strange introducing slowly. Guru Maharaj was very expert at that. So after these big nice preaching programs, we will go to the temple and have the super kirtan with the devotees and Guru Maharaj running around in front with his big wampers and you know, the wild kirtan, you know, we call tenas. We all get satisfaction in both ways. And whoever follows there, then they say, wow, how wide is this? Then Prasadam? Then when it was 10, 11 o' clock at night sometimes, then we start the National Council of Brahmanas. Oh my God. Each one with his problems of each temple. How to do this, how to do that. The Guru Maharaj, like a fresh vegetable, was there ready for the council because he had very short days. So we have to put preaching and organizing all together. You are so kind to listen to us and to give us solutions and to always find a way to keep united, to never break apart. Can you give example? Yes. You know, at that time was a lot of philosophies coming up, you know, great big philosophies. And you know, the only problem was the only guru, anything like that. And Guru Maharaj was one of the major gurus. But he never tried to push us against any other philosophy like defending him, like really fanatics. Because one thing is to be a disciple, otherwise to be a fan. And then from fan to fanatic. Defending no, Guru Masu was always very philosophical. And show us what Srila Prabhupma said. And also what's easy to understand if Srila Prabhupma is Chintamani it's a touchstone. Whatever he touched turns it into gold. To say the only Prabhupada is the last guru, means the prabhup was unable to make people into devotees. Means he was not attached to them because he wasn't able to transform metal into gold, basically karmis into devotees. Srila Prabhupada is the epitome of the person who transformed Westerners into devotees. This ISKCON movement was not created by Srila Prabhupada. He was created by Srila Prabhupada disciples, the ones who follow his example, the ones who follow his instructions. You know, if I said to 20 people, Put these bricks here, put this window there, put the building is going to manifest because they're obeying what I'm saying. So these devotees were so surrendered. They built this ground. They went to Russia, they went to South America. Srila Prabhupada never came here to Ecuador. It was his disciples came here to do it. So Srila Prabhupada was a touchdown. Whoever he touched, he made them into Dutchmans too. So Guru Maharaj was always so expert in explaining. Srila Prabhupada has no power. He cannot make into. But you can see, even when Srila Prabhupada was alone in New York, he wrote so many letters to the Gaudiya Mat asking for some help, some money, some Brahmacharis, some Bridangas, some cartels. They never answered. They never sent him any Indian devotees. Why? Because Chaitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to prove the power of the Holy Name. Just with the power of the Holy Name, he transformed everybody. And this movement was made by Westerners. Even the Indian devotees that we have, like bhakti, charu, swami, etc, they were introduced by Westerners. He was studying in London. He became a devotee in London because the devotees who opened London Temple, they were all Westerners. So his big white elephants, dancing elephants, Prabhupada even opened India with the Westerners. The temple presidents were Tamal Krishna Goswami was Guru Maharaja Maharash, where the temple presidents in and Vrindavan and Calcutta and Mayapur in Mumbai. So Krishna wanted to show the power of this process. So how they can say that Srila Prabhupada is the only one? So Guru Maharaj explained us all this so nicely in a very, you know, reasonable, clear way. So Guru Maharaj was like epitome of humbleness. He was not defending himself, was defending the Guru Parampara, who has to continue because why will stop? Why will be interrupted? Why? Better I don't jump to Prabhupada. I want to be disciple of Bakimi Otaku. Why not to be disciple of, you know, Goswamis? I'm going to be disciple of Sanata. Why? And it happened exactly the same. When Srila Prabhupada arrived in Mayapur, many of his godbrothers they were against him using the title Prabhupada, saying that he is not qualified. Why he is not qualified? So it's more like a particular envy that is natural in itself. When someone becomes a leader other one, instead of helping the leader, they get envious. I'm not a guru, so nobody can be a guru. I have no mystic powers. So whatever they tell me that Krishna lifted the governor healed must be mythology. Because I cannot do it. What is this for a philosophy? What Srila Prabhupada did and what his disciples did is amazing. What Guru Maharaj have done, you know, he followed the instruction of Srila Prabhupada and there is Maya Buddha. And this is made by his disciples. How many Brahmachari's disciples of Guru Maharaj there? Disciples of Bhakti Charmy, disciples of Avananda Prabhu who took this very seriously. Disciples of Harikeshtra. Many of them, they marry many of them. They even give up the sannyas Ashram. But this was, you know, Srila Prabhupada was a pioneering person. So he saw the need of making sannyasis out of these boys. Boys who were 22, 23. Guru Maharaj was 21 when he took sannyas. And then after a few years, Prabhupada left and left with these young boys. A huge institution with hundreds of temples, schools, parked communities and the weight of the purity of Vaishnavism. To behave like a vaiava, pure Vaiava. Like he was such standard, you know. Prabhupada was only 12 years in the planet. Some of the disciples were now gurus. They didn't even meet too much with him. So Prabhupada left and lift this huge thing on top of their shoulders. So obviously there's going to be some mistakes. Obviously there's going to be some habi Manjus who die in the middle of the war. Obviously there's going to be some Satyakis who die in the middle. It's been perfectly maintained strongly Prabhu and Siskom. So that Mashla Prabhupada shows us himself. I am part of iskcon. I one member more of iskcon. And that's what Guru Maharashtra has given to us. To maintain the purity of iskcon. Faith in iskcon. Respect to all his godbrothers, respect to the orders and rules of the gbc. Suburu Maharaj is the perfect example of that. He always abide to the rules. Even though sometimes he's trying to preach Namahatra and Bhakti. Brixha was not accepted in the beginning. He peacefully waited and kept presenting. And now it's done. So everything has its right, time, place and circumstances. Guru Maharaj has always been so kind, so abiding, so open, so immense to wait peacefully, patiently knowing that Krishna is in control. The Guru Parampara is in control. The Gauravakta Vrinda are in control. The Gauranga Mahpra was the ultimate consciousness of the universe. Now and if Gorandra Mahaprabhu decide to illuminate the hearts of everyone, everybody will accept this movement. But first we have to be prepared. Prepared to accept the world. Look, it's not even 55 years or what 60 years since Srila Prabhupada left. And we already are well known around the world and respected. Four years ago 77. Yeah, but he established his conscious 60 years ago 1965. In three years more will be so. Just imagine in such a short time this movement has catch fire. Buddhism took so long and still not catching the world. Christianism was Jesus again turns down Judaism the same. Islam is tried by force, by weapons. It's not like that. But this Ka Consciousness movement is not trying to break, make another piece more separation. Trying to unite all these traditions in one consciousness, Ka Consciousness. So Srila Prabhupada's books on Srila Prabhupada procedure how to achieve this end is being carried out by ISKCON so intelligently. So Guru Maharaj shows us that with patience and respect, non offensive he carried out. At one point he was known as a Chariopath. That's how we knew him. Sila Charyapath, that's our Kami we called him. But at one point the GBC decided to take all the titles away because some of them they were misused. The Guru Maharaj Charyapad is at the feet of the Acharya Guru Srila Prabhupada. That's correct. But he abide to it and he told us we abide to it that the son of the Guru cannot be inside the temple room. We abide to it because Guru Maharaj told us and explained us was all perfect. So there's so many personal ways to analyze Guru Maharaj's behavior. His lack of even empathy to himself is completely surrendered. If we have a little bit of dryness in our eyes, we are like, oh my God, I need a doctor, I need some drops, I need something. He cannot close his eyes since the time of the stroke. His eyes are constantly red. Red because they are irritated and they're itching, they're painful and the devotees have to. We have to notice these things. But he's tolerating what he's tolerating now nobody can tolerate. And he's still moving and preaching and non stop. So we have seen this from the very beginning and that's our reference. We Social apartment a 70 year old starting a movement like that. So we have no excuse. We're still young, we have all our energy. And then we see Guru Maharaj not giving up his preaching activities. He can be very peacefully situated like a sadhu in Mayapur and visiting Gibdarshan sometimes. No, he's daily thinking, preaching. Nothing has stopped. And he's conscious of how to keep expanding the movement of Srila Prabhupada, protecting the movement and establishing relationship with all these disciples.

Can you tell us about your first time meeting Guru Maharaj in Mayapur and some experiences there in India?

Well, Guru Maharaj was very kindly to also arrange my life on such a person. Perfect way. One point he told me, I want you to go to New Orleans. New Orleans, Guru Maraj. It's the place of jazz and music and bars and Moulin Rouge. It's a French place. You know, saints and joy is number one. You can't preach in the universities. You can. Are you always with you in the poke groomers? I go to New Orleans, but there I met Manarupa. My destiny was part of it. I preached very nicely in Tulane University, Loyola University with a Jesuit community. Loyola University is a very Jesuit in New Orleans. The majority of the high families, they're all Catholic. So because I grew up Catholic, I made a connection with the priest there, Mr. Kevin. And he was so happy to meet me. We talked like three, four times and then he opened the university for me. So I was going and giving comparative religion, talking with all the different groups about the seriousness of purity of following principles. And the priest was just so happy to allow me to go. He was calling me prolat. You have not come few months. What's going on? Why was it South America? Please come, come. And Tulane was also the University of the city. The secular university may also have a very nice connection with a gentleman who was from social services. And then I was preaching in Baton Rouge University, who was the main state university, University of Louisiana. I was very happy, engaged. The devotees gave everything, car facilities, books, prasadam. We opened with another circle of Guru Maharaj was open a preaching center right there in Baton Rouge University. And I was going there to the free speech alley. Every Thursday they have a free speech with all the students can come and talk and say anything they want. Outside in the gardens, there are almost like a thousand students there laying down. Relax. But they have some people who are organizers and they give the mic. And so they were. They were always these followers of Jimmy Swaggart who was like very strong Christian, you know, we're gonna go to hell if you keep doing this. Hell in hell and hell. And then people are woo, making like a stop. But then when it was my turn. And now here's the followers of the Krishna tradition. You know, I was just seeing someone with a guitar. Can you give me the guitar? And child, let's jump together. And my sweet Lord, we all sing together. And they were like clapped my sweet Lord. And they were Hare Krishna. And then I said, well, we have a very nice vegetarian feast waiting for you tomorrow. We'll be happy and cook. I cook with old friends, very delicious food. Please come. And we were having like. We never preach against just following Guru Maharaj moon.

Countries.

So following the mood, the mood and vibration of Guru Maharaj is just my reference. That's how I act every day. I. I talk with different people, especially when they do readings through Russia or Germany. First I have to meditate in Guru Maharaj just to remind myself to be soft, to be kind, to be embracing, to be friendly, to be almost like a brother, an elder brother or a younger brother to someone. And to just be an instrument to bring the holy name to them. So thinking Guru Maharaj is so easy. Everything. So he also gave me the connection with Manarupa. And he has been the one who guides my destiny. So then when my kids were elder enough, Madhubali was going to be seven and Chidana was going to be five. They were born in the day of Srila Prabhupada appearance day. So with Manarupa we already decided we're going to put them in Gurukul. So we decided it was time to move to India. And just then Rita Dwaj Maharaj asked us to be ashram teachers in Mayapur because they were opening again. The Gurukul for little kids. So we moved to the with that service and we became the ashram leaders of 15 kids with two of my sons and then all other kids. So with Manarupu, we were waking them up at 3:00am, put them to sleep at 6:00pm, you know, as like a home trip. We were like the parents of the kids. You put the toothbrush in them and they were got the doctrine. Then we will go to the temple Mongol arthi and like a little army. So that the bhotisma were getting more and more confidence of the gurukul. Because there was some problems with gurukul at one point. But now we were a couple taking care of them. So it was very successful. And after a year, then Bhaktvedya Purnaswaram and his disciples decided to open again the gurukul. So then I put my sons and the young kids that were guided by us with them. So Guru Maharaj was very pleased that we were there in Mayapur. And obviously we have so many pastimes with him. But more, more they were like, you know, these little things that you enjoy with Guru Maharaj. Like going early in the morning to Mongolarti and then after to start chanting japa with him. It was always at the time of corpor nima where he will come. Because he continued traveling. We were also waiting for him. The bodhisattvas will bring these neem balls. They were green and super bitter. And Guru Maharaj will chum one round and pop one ball. Don't make a face. They keep chanting. So they knew the water is in Matas what sweet he's eating, you know, green sweet. Like all thought there was some sweet. So then when Guru Maharaj stand up, everybody said, prabhu, prabhup please. Of Maha Sabah said, well, this tree with these green balls. And Guru Maharaj was looking and they will put the inside. Their eyes were ready. Guru Maharaj would put the tongue out and laugh completely. And then we go to the gosala, same thing. They always give him his glass of cow urine fresh. So Guru Maharaj would sit very nicely and drink gluk, gluk, gluk, gluk, gluk, gluk, gluk. So the ones who just arrived because was a long line of people following him. They saw that he's taking coconut milk or something. So again from Rupri Sumha. Sure, take. Oh my God. Guru Maharaj we will go around. He will chanting his japa. Sometimes he will climb in our apartment. He will go up and all the line of devotees following him enter through one door, take darshan of the deities, but open other doors, give him some sweets. And we go out and go to his. The big kitchen for his kombucha. So these are pastimes and pastimes. Then safaris with Guru Maharaj. Just imagine he was completely there the whole safari. So he always want us to did I bring my guitar and did I sing Mazal ya del Sol anywhere. And also he always instructions not so much. But he was like he was enough. And I never wanted to bother him with anything. We never as a couple came with problems or anything. We never came like wanted to have a darshan of Guru Maharaj or something. No, we didn't want to take his time. He already enjoyed so much his company. But he was the perfect example. Just by hearing how he was dealing with other devotees. With Manarupa also very dear. And when Manuppa was leaving the body, Guru Maharaj was right there with her, coming to see her every night, giving her wonderful readings and pastimes of Lord Chaitanya. So he was giving her all the blessings to go perfectly to the other side of the spectrum with peace. Even the last night, just few hours before Mari Rupa left, he brought gamshas and souls and tilak in a bowl of tilak, etc. Give it to her. I thought this is for crossing the Vaitarani river, which is a division between the material world and the spiritual world. And Maruba was taking this bowl of dilac and rubbing, taking the gamsha, the salt, smelling it. Thank you. She didn't have voice, Guru Maharaj looking at her, she didn't have no more energy. I've been fasting for almost a month and no water. Guru Maharaj one of these days he was very concerned and he said, I want you to drink something. You cannot just stop eating. It's like suicide. So I said, Guru Maharaj, this poor lady has done all the exams, which is never wanted to call you and tell you what she's going through. But she already did radiotherapy, chemotherapy. She went with all the heart. Now her lungs are full of water. The doctor says nothing can be done. And just to tap water out of his lungs so she can arrive to Mayapor was such an ordeal. She cannot stand by herself anymore. But just to take X rays, the people don't let her, that we help her. So she. I don't know how she holds. She's not like you that you're such a strong, powerful hero. She is just, you know, done so she said that at least drink something. His body is not anymore receiving anything. It's just peacefully going away. So Vedman Rupatuhir Guru Maharaj. The next day she took little bit one sip of grape juice. Immediately was some struggles because the body was closed. So I told him in the night in Hawass was not working. Roman was some blood. It's okay, just some drops of water. It was his concern, you know, he didn't want her to suffer that she saw. You know, doesn't look like she's always so happy. Big smile. Hearing the holy name. There is Kirtan constantly. All the GBC is coming here in different hours to ring to her. She was so surprised. Radhana Maharaj was coming. The Janaligas Pankajangari Bhaktavidya Poorna Maharaj. So many devotees were coming to ritual that they don't Maharaj for one week to give association so very dear to Guru Maharaj. Guru Maharaj giving her all his love and affection. So you know, he has been there for all the Samskaras of my kids has been there in different places. We have been preaching. He has been always, you know, putting even his personal hand to help us. So no nothing to you can say to. To ask him only try to give him back. Even wherever I do the preaching. I don't want to put him with so much material and videos and things because I just know that he knows we are trying to do our best effort with it. So I think I stop there. If you have any other question.

Yeah, could you. Well, you can present Lita and maybe she has some also time experience with Guru Mirage or her Guru Maharaj.

Yeah. Well, as you all know, Guru Maharaj blessed me to be married with Manarupadevidasi. We married in 1989 in New Orleans. And since then we came to Ecuador with his blessings to buy a farm community. And we bought a piece of land, very beautiful and donated to Iscon. And. And we also built a beautiful temple with traditional construction methods, Adobe, etc. Make a beautiful temple with marble, et cetera, inside. And we with Manarupa stayed there for many years building this community. Later on we went to educate our kids in India. In 2015, Manarupa passed away. She had some weakness in her astrological chart. From the beginning that I saw her, I knew that she would stay only 25 years with me. So before the children were even graduating from Gurukul, she passed away like I was printing. Guru Maharaj was very much important part there. And Manarupa was Always asking me to please marry again because I always had manufacturing. Manarupa was like 10 Brahmacharis. She was all the male. I just have to dictate to her. She was so fast typing in correspondence. We traveled with her around 24 times around the world from New Zealand, Australia, but speaks Southeast Asia, preaching to even royal family, meetings of Malaysia etc. With my good brother Marici Prabhu. We preach in Germany, we preach in South America. I have been always preaching here in South America with her because people knew her, knew my children. I have a very large family, friends. So we make the effort to travel and we collect all the money that came from her. And for me we always put it into preaching, traveling and preaching. So we used to leave Mayapur with around 500 Nimbits, bathe them in the Ganga, get the blessings from Guru Maharaj and half of the suitcase was just nimbits. We traveled around the world trying to distribute these 500 japas in the hands of new people. So that's what we did with Manarupa. She was very dear intimate devotee, associate for preaching. So she knew that if when she left that I'm not going to be able to do this service because it takes many people to able to do this. And she was able to do many things at once. Help me to worship our Salagram that travel with us. Plus washing my clothes, arranging nicely. Because I meet with very important people, ambassadors etc. Very fancy invitees. So she always asked me to marry again. But I never paid attention to it. I was just so focused in helping her to cross. So Krishna wants that he will arrange. So then after Manarupa passed away, 25 August 2015. She passed away in February. 25 August 2015. I was traveling from Ecuador to Malaysia to Rujan Mastani. And I had some invitation from the King of Malaysia. And also I needed to see the ambassador of Venezuela, my very good friend who also loves Ka. And I had a personal invitation from him. So I was traveling there and I send my 2 kids to Malaysia so we can have a meeting after the passing away of their mother. We have never really talked. So when I arrived In Malaysia this 25th of August, somehow or other Lalito Saki, connect me through the Internet, ask me for some astrological advice. So I asked her while I was going from Quito to Atlanta, I asked her for her Tata, time of birth, place of birth. And I was so amazed to see in her chart it was so similar to Manarupa. When Manarupa left like the clock of our family. Like stone was very difficult times. But Lalita was like this piece that was missing to make work everything again. So I really wanted to know who was this lady. And the connection come long way back. Once when we were with Manarupa and Mayapur for a marriage. We were just walking towards the marriage in the Grijastra area. One young girl came by with very poor English. She mistook the words and asked me, can you tell me when we gonna get married? Excuse me. Say yes please. Can you tell me where we gonna get married? I said, are you sure? I said, Marupa and I, we were like looking at our faces. And she gave me, when we gonna get married? Do you want to know where is the marriage? She lives over there. So she left was Valita Saki. We laughed with Manu and at the same time we were sad because of her. She understood that she committed a big mistake. We didn't saw her again until Manarupa was coming back to Mayapur to leave the body. And then the devotee care office appointed Lalita Saki to take care of Manarupa.

It will be your case. It will be your case.

This will be your case. Please help this couple. They are a dear couple from Mayapur. She's in terminal cancer. Please help. So she came 6am to knock the door of our room near the temple. I didn't recognize her. But Manarupa immediately recognized. They took for five minutes. And when she left, she said, you remember this girl? You know, this is the same girl who asked you when is going to be your marriage with her? Please read the signs. You're always reading signs. Is Krishna talking to you, right? You pay attention that moment tomorrow. Now that I was seeing the chart, I was bringing all this to memory. So I understood that maybe Krishna has a plan. When I arrive in Kuala Lumpur, very happy to meet my kids. The first talk to her. They asked me to please. Pita. We want you to consider the words of our mother that they want you to marry again. First they asked me if I gonna take Sannias. And I told them they will never leave them alone. Your mother just died. How are you gonna become now a VIP and forget about you? That's not what is correct. The whole people, they have preached around the world. And they say what he did, he abandoned his kids. Even they are not even married. What is this? This is not preaching. They said, I'm not going to abandon you. For the country will be put to help you. You get established. So both of them said, Please. Why you don't consider getting married? So because I was already decent in mind and hearing them. And also talking with a good friend of Manaruba who was Sultana, the Queen of Malaysia. She also mentioned the same. So I talked to Marici, my good friend. He also mentioned the same. So then I give chance to Lalita to meet. And then when I meet her and we talk a little bit, we are already understood. We were talking, chatting with the Internet. So I told her that I would consider. Maybe in three years after I able to set my kids in marriage. I will consider and I will let her know. But two days after she wrote me saying that her mother just died in Russia. And the mother was the last connection of any familiar person. She was very close to her mother. So I was what I should do. I am in my. I cannot reach in time. And in the hospital they don't know to who give the body. So I organized with her to call her. Their friends, devotee friends and the devotee priests immediately came to the hospital. They arranged everything for the cremation. They did everything, everything. Kirta and everything. And then the urn with the ashes. Some devotees were coming to Kartik at that time to Mayapur. They took the ashes and did a wonderful ceremony in the Yamuna. So she was so happy that all this took place. And I immediately understood I'm not going to let this poor kid alone. Yeah. Because last night the mother died is alone. And I wanted to give shelter. But I'm talking three years. Obviously Krishna is putting me basically in my lap. So I arranged Urlalita to meet and we did a little ceremony for my salagrams. Exchanged garlands, exchange rings and bows. And that's it. So since then Lalita has been part of seven years now. And she opened a complete new field of preaching all the Russian speaking people. And by Krishna's mercy I have done some service there. Very nice. Meeting so many new people. All the Russian speaking countries. Latvia, Lithuania, Russia. And until now we have zoomed constantly with them. And we have namahantas with thousands of people. So Lalita very eager into presenting the message of Lord. She turned Lolita all around. Now here we have Bhakti Tree. This beautiful project with vegetarian restaurant, Good Karma Bistro. We have this beautiful place for yoga and Kirtan Yoga. We have again re established the farm. The farm that we built with Manarupa was a disrepair. Now with Lalita we put so much energy and all our money and effort we'll bring it back into life. So Lalita is very instrumental in fulfilling these desires to preach and to continue sharing the holy name. She's like Manarupa, never stop. From the moment she wake up in the morning to the last hours in the evening, engage in service. So I'm extremely grateful to Guru Paramparai Goranga Mahaprabhu to give me such a wonderful associates with and family life. Hare Krishna.

Hare Krishna. Dear devotees, please accept a humble basis. I think by entering to this ISKCON movement, I start to collect the greatest blessings whatever may happen. And I even become addicted to collect blessings from devotees. Because I understood they make me really happy. And then it's 2012, I I met Jehadaka Maharaj Guru Maharaj in the temple. I think I already got initiation from Chaitanya Chandra Charan Prabhu at that time. And he just asked me, who is your Guru Maharaj? It was almost empty temple after program, morning program. By asking this question I already understood. He gave me blessings by a personal approach. He when it was 2015 when Manarupa already passed away. When was happening, I asked advice from Prahlat Narasimha Prabhu. I asked astrological advice. So many things I want to say because so many events happen and you cannot say everything briefly because of that. I don't know what is more important. But 2015, when my mama passed away, I already was connected with Prabhu by Skype, Facebook. My mom passed away. It was for me the greatest event may happen. But the biggest event. What happened with me on that time already I was fully with Krishna. Fully surrender I would say I already personally asked Krishna please I am here. I understood I will be never happy in family life. I reject this idea. I gonna live in Mayapur. I gonna serve ladies for Matajis in Mayapur. Do whatever you want with me. I just surrender fully in my heart. Because every lady she may think, oh, I would like to get married anyhow. So rarely you can find lady who surrendered to Krishna rejecting desire to be married. And I get that point. I got that point. What I reject that desire to be married after very little time. Few months passed after my prayer to the Lord Prabhu. I asked him advice because I knew he did happy his wife. It means he can guide me properly. I asked his advice. It was day of my birthday. I thought this is good time to ask advice. I contact him. He said I'm not giving readings now. Please contact me later. So I realized actually this not Krishna's will for me to ask advice from astrologer. Actually I missed the time. I asked him before and on my birthday I asked again after conversation we didn't have a reading because connection and Internet was very poor. He just tried to make rectification. And he analyzed my chart without me. But my desire was more not listen about myself but to know about Manarupa. Because when I met Manarupa, I immediately I was shocked by seeing her beauty. I was just lost my words. I look at her. She. She was shining like a saint lady. And I asked. I voice my thoughts. I asked who is this Mataji? And somebody heard what I asked by voice who is this Mataji? If some lady start to Some Mataji was nearby passing by something like this. She started to explain for me. Oh, this is our Mataji Manarupa. She is very pure and so many wonderful things. She told me about her also. She said she's paying obeisances to her husband. She's carrying his shoes from the temple. I was fascinated how such a beautiful European lady can pay obeisances to her husband and carry his shoes. And I thought I also want like that. I also to be like that. My stolen is after all this time passed passed man. Rupa passed away and many months has passed. I asked advice from Prabhu. How can I continue my life and connection was not so strong on Internet. Next our conversation. We start only about Manarupa. And until now I don't hear my chat from Prabhu. Because on that day when we started with him our connection through Skype. Every day we've been speaking about only Manalupa. And for me it was amazing. Because it was only my dream to know about her more. We've been crying together. It was such intimate moments to hear about such a great Vaiavi so closely. And I afraid to tell to share even with the stone about what I entered to such a world of devotional life. Oh my God. It was such a time. And between all these beautiful events, what happened? What? I had this association with Prabhu about his life. My mama passed away. It was such a shock for me. And I didn't want to disturb such a beautiful interaction about devotion, about Krishna, about devotees. I didn't want to disturb it with passing away of my mama. I didn't want to make this event big deal. Because I thought this is something material that's happening. And I didn't want to tell for Prabhu how much money it cost. All this ceremony just was such material things. I saw. I ran away to temple. I started to pray. I wanted to pray for Krishna, what can I do? It's such a big deal. And I'm in Mayapur Mama in Sochi. Everything was closed. And I met my friend. I wanted to offer Narasimha plate for Lord Narishimha. So to pray for my mom. And I saw. I saw one of my friends. She was carrying huge plate. I asked her, vrindavani, what you carrying such a big plate? She said this is prayer for Lord Narcimha. That's very special. I said, I also want very special. I went, I bought this plate I carried to the Lord. Pujari was not here. I was thinking, oh my God. Because they told me my mama and Reanimatsya in intensive care. And I wanted to pray so much. So she alive. But actually she was already dead. She was not alive in that moment. I didn't know these details. I was waiting this altar on that time Jayapattaka Maharaj giving class for some kirtana. They bought huge buses. It was such a big event. And everybody home. Pujari was busy to listen to his lectures. And I was so stressfully waiting because it was very important moment for me. Finally, Finally Puchari came. He did such a beautiful puja offering this big plate. You know, this moment, what I was worrying, what I was waiting. It was such a big deal. It was actually for me to get Darshan of Jaipadaka Maharaj. Because after. After he finished class he came to get darshan from Lord Narasimhadev. And usually here so many people around him. But on that moment was only me and him and his servant. We've been only us in front of Lord Narasimhadev. And he gave me two sleeves to my hand. And you know, I don't remember. Maybe he asked something, I don't remember. But I looked to his eyes and I understood. He knew everything. I don't want even to ask him blessings about for my mom. Nothing. He just gave me Tulasi leaf and I everything will be perfect. That was my personal, personal connection with Guru Maharaj. With Japadaka Maharaj Prabhu gave me blessings. He said everything will be okay. So everything was okay. Devotees taking care of everything by mercy of such personalities. Yes, it was wonderful. Many things I want to share but we don't have time. I don't have so much English to properly explain my thoughts. But wonderful life was wonderful. When I met Manarupa Prabhu I realized these are devotees who I actually wanted to meet to. To follow, you know, to follow their example. And I was so Much fascinated about their life. And I couldn't keep it only for me. What I did. I just created the movie of Manarupa. That movie. It was separate story. I was. It was secret. Big secret from my husband. What I created in this movie. It was night work. Because during the day I. I was always busy during the night I did this film. Because on that time we were in Ecuador in videographer. She was in other country. So her day was my night. And just imagine wife of Vaishnava Pramana chatting in the phone whole nights. What you can say about her? Such a teenager. Worse than teenager. But it was such a great service. What I hype from everybody. Actually I was tolerating every. Actually anger from Prabhu because he was angry. What are you doing with the phone all nights?

Nothing. To sleep. To sleep.

Yes. I was thinking. Lalita, be patient. Everything will be. He will be happy. He will be happy. You know, even when Amali told him Peter, be careful what Mataji is doing such a film. I said everybody will be happy. Lalita be patient. Be patient. Because the film. I was happy to see that film. I always crying when I saw what videographer did you know? Because I told her how it's supposed to be each photo after each. So I just guide her. And all this beauty arrangement was made by her. We were very much connected at that time with her. Like one body. It was so wonderful time. One episode we did with her about Vanamani, about his life. Because to show film about Manarupa you cannot show only about her. Because Manarupa is her son. It's her husband, it's her guru. You cannot show only Manarupa. We desire to show life of Vanamani, life of Shiva. And when we desired that we did episode about Rana Madhi. After that I received the video. I cried so much because it was so beautiful. I was crying from happiness to see all these pastimes of Vanamali in this episode on that night I saw the dream. I saw the dream like I am sitting on some sofa. Some ladies. Line of ladies staying next to this sofa. They passing by me. I don't know what it was. I noticed Manarupa on that line and she was with a garland. I immediately stood up and I wanted to pay a basis to her. Because I was amazed what I saw her. She said no, no, no, no. Don't pay a basis. Next was Prabhu. He said follow what she said. I said okay. And she put on me the garland and she hugged me with the words thank you so much. Thank you so much. Because she was so happy to see what I care about her son, you know. I realized like that it was beautiful.

It was beautiful either movie birthday present for me. But she wanted to make just like a little movie with pictures. But actually was a very good presentation of what Malarupo was. And this movie has catch up fire in Russia, Russia speaking countries. Because it's in Russia made in Russian language and they love it, you know.

Actually videographer, she thought it will be 20 minutes video. I thought it will be huge movie. Because in my heart the past wave of these Vaishnavas is huge. Each of their day I can make a film, you know. And I wanted big film. But from my humbleness I didn't want to bother you. Because she just wanted to make some 20 video presentation, something like that. But she wanted to make it like for free, you know. And I thought, oh my God. Oh my God. I didn't want to bother her so much. But in my heart I was praying. I want big film. I want big film. So maximum what we can do is 1 hour 15 minutes. But this is enough. Even with that, my memories, what I had in that time, it's already become like a beautiful full movie. Devotees everybody, they really love it. And during of Pandemia we realized we cannot travel anymore and show this movie in some. In some kind of places.

The interesting part of this is that I have traveled with Manarup all over the world. Here in Cuenca, they all grown up with our children, etc. In America, Germany, etc. So now I marry again. The majority of the people will judge me. The house that you love so much and now you marry again. So I even was receiving some rejection from some people because they didn't know the Krishna's arrangement is then was actually perfect arrangement. And to have someone who was attached to Manalupa and who liked the life that we have created with our preaching and love, our friends and love, our family was perfect. Because now when we travel around, Lalit is accepted everywhere by our friends. And they. They turn around. Even people who are giving me the bag, they gain. Now they're intimate with Lalita. All my girlfriends were married with my girlfriends. She said in Spanish. Amigas from childhood, friends from childhood, male and female. Now they love Lolita because she has a connection with man Rupa. Normally another wife would reject this and try to put put everything away. Berenita is the opposite. She wants everything to know about Manarupa's behavior and lifestyle and how she was a chaste Wife and a mother, etc. Devotee, disciple and try to emulate or to follow. So this has made our preaching more successful because people love parents. It cannot be someone who comes and interrupts the flow. Was natural to see that. Also I've been traveling so much, we never stay one month in one place. Even in Maya Pro. We'll come only when the kids have vacation corporations like that. But the rest, we were always traveling. So I didn't want to marry again because, you know, who's going to be able to carry this lifestyle. But the father of Lolita was a pilot and the mother was a stewardess for more than 30 years. And what is the name of the.

Because she was from family of also.

Yeah. The father of the mother of Lolita was a captain who teach. Has a school for teaching how to become pilots. So the mother was staying in different cities every day because was flying all over with Aeroflot Airport was my home.

Because I grew up in airport.

Grew up with suitcases, packing nicely.

Mama been working in the airport. So I was this hero.

So when I married Lolita, it was so nice to see how nicely she parked. Expert in parking. So she was expert in packing everything iron nicely or perfectly set. So I was like, wow, that's perfect for me. So we continue traveling. But now since the Pandemia, we are here in Ecuador. And because we are here, we were able to develop all this nice Eva.

We got nothing to do and we arranged this nice seva for us. Yeah, it's amazing what to do. Just to preach. We cannot travel, nobody cannot meet each other.

So is Krishna's arrangement.

It's okay, it's okay. In the Spanish Guruma memory you mentioned.

About.

Story with Gurma and how she became devotee and disciple. So would you say do the same for the English?

Yes. So Manarupa was born in Germany, in Munich, Germany. His parents are a fourth generation of engravers. They have done, you know, the engraving for the currency of many countries. So they do the artwork before you make the printing of bill or coins. They have made the Olympic coins for many generations. The coins that are from kind of centenary of the Queen of England, or Beethoven and Oba or centenary of any city, etc. So they have always make amazing work. So the father is an artist, very well known. They were from wealthy and traditional family of Germany and she grew up there. But by the age of 22, she heard something about Buddhism and then after about Bhagavad Gita and she traveled to India. She wanted to meet Gurus and meet. So following some actress in the back of the Bhagavad Gita, they follow and find the temple in Hyderabad where she landed. So she went to the temple in Hyderabad. It happens that Guru Maharaj was there that day. So she had a very long conversation with Guru Maharaj to plunge with other devotees who were there. Plus she came with another friends. And Guru Maharaj taught him a lot about Lord Caitanya and the holy name and to chant 16 rounds. And Manarupa took this to heart. Not only that, but also Guru Maharaj gave him his own Japa bags because he didn't have a jappa bag. So he asked for the servant for one extra japa bag of him. And she carried japa bag, this saffron japa bag as a Mahap. So she didn't stay with her friends. She went to Mayapur for the Gurpurima festival and stayed there with Guru Maharaj and later went to Vrindavan festival where Gorpunima was, Gorb, Purnima and Vrindavan at the same time. So she went to Vrindavan and somehow or other fell in love with Vrindavan and with the deities Krishnavalaram, Rasya and Sundar. Born Italy and decided to surrender to Krishna. So she surrendered in Vrindavan and lived there almost for a year doing the service of picking up Tulsi, ironing Srila Prabhupada's clothes, preparing the plates for the Puja and aarti and the plates of prasadam for offerings. She was fully engaged, extremely happy, cleaning the kitchen, cleaning the floors, hearing enchanting and then she left towards Paris, the Paris temple. She stayed like three months collecting money to go back to India and to get new visa. At that time they tried to initiate her with Bhagavan Prabhu presenting personally. She explained that she already had met her Guru Sri La Jaitaka Swami. She wants to go to India to take initiation from him. So like this she came back to Godapurnima and Gora Purnima. Guru Maharaj gave him initiation. So she wanted to go back to Vrindavan. The Muru Maharaj asked her to come to New Orleans. So I wanted to come to New Orleans to help me preach this is my song. So she immediately obliged and came to New Orleans. She brought some beautiful deities of Gornita and brass for some devotees there. So she traveled with Gornitai and immediately at the arrival of Nura she met Latika Bhakti who became like the most intimate friend. Together they did Sankirtan for many years. So Guru Maharaj Tuaita in New Orleans in 85 and then Guru Maharaj traveled to Ecuador. There was he gave his second initiation too. First and second initiation in 85. So in terms of being devotee of Guru Maharaj, I'm also initiated in the same year as manarupa. It's interesting, 1985. So Guru Maharaj considered her like a very dear disciple. She was very surrendered. Basically Latika Bhakti and her were the main collectors for the New Orleans temple. The New Orleans temple was an old, very beautiful wooden house from the ancient times when, you know, this area was full of beautiful houses that were for colonies. So it was quite expensive. The pay for the house they were finishing painting and plus all the expenditures of the food and festivals was at that time almost $30,000 a month. So that's an amazing amount of money. Flowers, garlands, food, electricity, etc, etc, etc. With the Tika Bakti in Manarupa, they were able to meet that amount and months distributing books, collecting with hats, collecting with anything as servants of the temple. I never saw nobody that surrendered as these ladies. Manurupa was also head Gujari. So 330she was already at the temple preparing the jewelry, preparing the outfits that she's gonna wear for dressing the deities, then making the offering to wake up the deities, then the Mungularti Aarti and immediately closing the curtains and start dressing the deities was three sets of deities. Jagannathe, Subhadra, Radha, Radhakanta and Gurnitai. So she was fully dedicated to this service. And by day 30 she would map the whole floor of the Pujari and out to Samkirtan, picking up a little bit of prasado and some Tupperware and going to Sankirtan, coming back at 6 o' clock to again shower and go back to take care of the deities. Where the artist of seven dress the deities in the evening, put them to sleep like this day in, day out, day in, day out. So I never saw girls as surrendered as these ladies and how much love and affection they have for Guru Maharaj. Every time the Guru Maharaj came, how they were so blessed out. So yeah, it was. You can say that they introduced me to a deeper side of surrender towards Guru Maharaj. And that's also Sienna Lita non stop working. She wake up early in the morning and non stop all day. Sometimes I woke up 11 o'.

Clock.

Where's Alita? She's downstairs finishing cleaning the kitchen singing. I said stop. Tomorrow you can clean more Come to sleep and just have this nature. The charts of both of them, they're very similar, very, very silly. So I'm lucky to have someone who are very much disinterested of themselves very eager to share and to help the husband, assist the husband in preaching Krishna counsel. And so it is a very amazing gift.

Sitting in. If you have any other pastime with Guru Maharaj you can share.

You are pastors with Guru Mahars meeting.

In one of you 2019 was unexpectable, just unexpectable because you cannot expect for Gurmakaraj to fly so far, you know, he gave us blessings, he gave us blessings to. He gave five years for Prabhu to establish again the Girit Khari desh farm. And we didn't know how it gonna happen, you know, because it was just impossible. But you see how blessings works. Somehow it happened, you know and we think even we gave all our energy enthusiasm to that project. It's so difficult. But we shouldn't give up. In my heart we shouldn't give up because we receive blessings and it's really manifested that blessing. So it seems Krishna's plan. So I don't have even idea to give up, you know. I know Prabhu always he likes to maybe make my life easy, whatever. But no, I don't want easy life. I want to continue and see what is Krishna's plus. Because when you give up it means. It means you are not accomplished, you know, it means you will not receive full blessings. And you remember I told you I am fond of getting blessings. I become addicted and I don't want to give up. I don't want easy life. I just imagine what Krishna arranged for us. A spirit of worship.

Like Lalita said, if you surrender fully then Krishna can work through you. Nimitta Matram, you become an instrument in the hands of Guru Ngoranga. This city is very religious city has been since 500 years. The biggest cathedral in all South America is here in Cuenca. And the people still very religious, the elderly but the younger generation they're giving, you know, towards the new world. So much nonsense, so much atheism, no practice, no spiritual practice. They all say they're spiritualists but they have no particular practice. And women now drinking, you know, cocktails and more and more this world with everything, whatever men do, women also do and you know, has been polluting this sacred city. But to have places like this one where the young people can come and learn principles that they can be followed very easily, nicely, naturally by wives who are dedicated to their husbands and Raja's wonderful couple. Now, Sri Gaura, my youngest son is coming with his good wife children. They see their beautiful children. So healthy, being vegetarian, so happy life. They live simple but happy. So as a great example to these younger generations who are coming, coming so obviously to stay here for a longer period will establish Ka conscious. And then Lord Chaitanya wants this will become clear to everybody. So, yes, we are here.

We have also wonderful pastime with Guru Maharaj. You know what's happening? We were in Moscow. In Moscow, devotees invite Prabhu to participate in Vyasa Puja. Guru Maharaj like a senior Vaishnava. So leader of this Yasa Puja they invite invited and. And he gave beautiful speech. It was wonderful Vyasa Puja on the end. Dear Vaishnavas, they introduced for us Jagannath stick how to toothbrush, you know. Yeah. What Guru Maharaj blessings saw. And they said, oh, this is our Maha from Guru Maharaj. He gave us. He somehow it end up in our suitcase, that toothbrush.

I told them they want to put silver.

Yeah, yeah. So Prabhu said, I gonna arrange with the silver so you can have a museum on Guru Maharaj later on. So everybody will see such a beautiful silver stick, you know. And we took this stick, we brought it, we made it in silver. We didn't have chance to give them back for devotees. And they stick in the necador.

This silver stick with us.

Oh, my God.

Then Guru Maharaj came to Guayaquil and he pulled out his little stick. You know, they never like it. Because such a sacred item should be most beautifully presented. Other people say, what is this stick here? What is. It's the toothbrush of Juggernaut. No, thank you. You know, there's people who don't know the devotees, obviously. So I have my silver stick and I said to Guru Maharaj, bring it to Guru Maharaj. Guru Maharaj, look. And he saw if I took it the other one. Guru Maharaj tagging me the other one. So I have the other one with me. And then he took the silver one, very nicely arranged with a handle for him in the little place where he put it. She carries very happily the new silver.

Yeah. Notice he has it in on photo. So this stick we must give back.

But now we've put this one also in silver. So now it's ready to go to Russia.

That was such a beautiful pastime.

One of the pastimes that I really have. Very personal with Guru Maharaj. And I think the most personal of my life is when the stroke happened. I was traveling with Manarupa in New Talawan, Mississippi. And in the middle of the night they came to wake me up. Around 2am Guru Maharaj had a stroke. As I move by, he's like he's leaving the body. So immediately open the computer. And Guru Maharaj gave me his time of birth with very private. He let me see his chart long time ago. So he opened the time of birth and I saw. So I wrote a long letter to Gurushottam Swami Maharaj. So I told him, Guru Maharaj is not leaving. But now you and Mayapur, you have to prepare a new elevator. You have to put an elevator so can carry Guru Maharaj to the top. Because he's not going to climb steps anymore. And like this he can live where he lives and live peacefully there. And we have to prepare ramps places so he can move around and explain all this to Maharaj that he's not leaving. He would stay, but definitely is not going to be able to walk anymore. So I sent this letter to Bhakti Purusha, to Marichi, to few people who can. And for me it was that moment I thought, what can I do for Guru Maharaj? So he said, I can give him five years. I can give him one year of my life. I thought, so this is what I want to do. So in Manarupa, we went back to India and went to Mumbai.