Prayers for HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja Speedy Recovery

Now we're going. We're going to glorify Guru Maharaj through His grace Ishwaku Prabhu. This is for Guru Maharaj's. This is for Guru Maharaj's health as we all know that he's going through difficulties at the moment. So, so we'll start off the program by. By me introducing Ishwaku Prabhu. He is a senior disciple of His Holiness Jabhatoka Swami of Guru Maharaj. Ishwaku Prabhu is a global preacher originally from Ecuador, South America where Prabhu started his preaching mission. He then traveled to India to support in the preaching activities of Guru Maharaj. Later he settled down in Australia in Perth and return again to Mayapur. He is now serving as the Outreach Coordinator of ISKCON Congregational Development Ministry and established the Gita for Everyone initiatives which helps make the Bhagavad Gita accessible to all through the introductory 6 sessions course and 18 to 1 hour 18 sorries 6 sessions course and 1 hour session of each chapter of the B Gita. He has personally helped establish many Bhakti Vriksha Bhakti Rickshaw's program in Perth with the devotee congregation there and takes his grace Bhurijana Dasa Prabhu as one of his mentors. He's a social worker and mental health counselor and has conducted many trainings and courses globally on this subject through ZOOM and personal visits from teachings of Srimad Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavadam. Prabhu speaks Spanish and some Portuguese, Bengali and Hindi over the many years in iskcon. He also assists his dear wife to coordinate in initiation interviews and ceremonies for devotees from South America with JPS office. So Prabhu now lives in New Golden Farm in Muralamba, New South Wales and is helping preaching activities there and also travels to Perth and Brisbane for preaching and training sessions. So we are very honored to have a senior devotee like Ishwaka Prabhu to give us a small insight as to his pastimes with Guru Maharaj.

So Prabhu, all yours.

Prabhu.

Can you unmute yourself?

Okay, now we can hear you.

Dear devotees, please let me offer my obeisance to Guru Maharaj and Srila Prabhupada and then we can glorify them. Thank you Prabhu. Thank you everyone for this opportunity. This is perhaps amongst the different items in devotional service by Guru Maharaj. Mercy. The most relishable thing that for me at least some devotees are expert cooks, some are expert Pujaris Some are expert, different things. But if anything, that I like to be an expertise, to be a good servant of Guru Maharaj. So kindly Hari Prabhu has invited me to share some. Some things from Guru Maharaj. First of all, as usually I like to say that some of us who had the opportunity to be with him for some time, whether a few years or many years, those times next to Guru Maharaj are not more important that maybe some of the few minutes or a few hours in totals that other devotees have had in terms of associating with him. The Shastras explain that even an instant in. Sorry, am I audible now? Yeah. Yes, yes, yes, you went off for a minute. Okay, so I want to appreciate also all of you because all of you had. Have had the opportunity to associate with Guru Maharaj at different times. And one of the main things that I generally like to hear is your realizations, your experiences, because it's pretty much the same mercy that comes to all of us. So in saying that I had the opportunity to witness Guru Maharaj greatness in different locations in the early 80s, I went to live with him in Mayapur. He very kindly told me if I wanted to be his servant while I was a devotee in South America. And I remember in the good old days with Marici Prabhu, Seva Saroop and others in South America, we. We will, I mean, at least try to give our life to him, serving him, opening temples, distributing prashadam, preaching, making devotees, organizing festivals for the first time in some of these locations in Ecuador and other cities in South America. But I still remember when I arrived in Mayapur. And the first thing I did is I asked someone, where is. We used to call him a Charyapa. So the first thing I did was to ask some devotees, where is Acharya? And then they told me, they looked at me with strange faces, all these Bengali devotees at that time. There were no or hardly any Westerners in Mayapur at that time, or very few handful. And so I remember running up the stairs of the Lotus Building and. And just basically stormed into Guru Maharaj rooftop quarters. And then I prostrated myself and. And. And Guru Maharaj was there. I think he was meeting with Banu Maharaj and maybe Bhakti Purushatan Swami at that time. And in his always humorous mood, Guru Maharaj said, this is Ikshaku Das. He is the king of Ecuador, and he has come here to become a pure devotee. And everyone had kind of a giggle, you know, And I felt very embarrassed because you Know, being proud as I am, then I thought, here I am to take a chance in serving Guru Maharaj day and day in and day out.

So I saw his, his greatness.

When I arrived in Mayapur, I didn't have that same conception. When we used to see him in South America, he literally was the king. That was the impression that I had. You know, the way that he carried himself, the way that everyone respected him, it was just, you know, mind blowing. I was, you know, that expression that you get stars, truck, star struck, that you see someone who's very famous and you just don't know what to say, don't know what to think, don't know what to feel. In the same way, when I saw Guru Maharaj in Mayapur, I could see his potency, his, his. His magnanimity in every way. He will deal with the Bengali devotees and every devotee. Actually, they're in a very kind way, like a, like a big father, right? And I remember having that impression the first time I saw him in 2009, after he had the stroke in 2008, for the first time, he came to Mayapur and we were there to receive him. And I remember when we brought him.

To his quarters, not on the top.

On the rooftop, but at the bottom on the ground in the conch building, some of the senior members of leaders, devotees from all over ISKCON and from Mayapur were there to receive him. And one by one, sometimes in pairs, they will come and enter Guru Maharaj's room and talk to him. Some kind of intimate things. So I was assisting Guru Maharaj and the devotees. Mahabharah, Prabrahuyekanad, Bhakti, Prajan. Swami told me to, to be there for, for some time at different, different the times during the day. And I remember one senior disciple of Guru Maharaj came and told him, jaypataka Maharaj, you are our king. The king has returned to Mayapur. And I remember the emotional mood that was in the whole Mayapur campus because we thought that Guru Maharaj is not.

Going to make it.

But as usual, he came back. And I remember when he told that to Guru Maharaj, Guru Maharaj said, no. One time someone told Prabhupada, you are our king in Mayapur. And Prabhupada said, don't you ever dare to say something like that. Madhava is our king. Radha Madhava is our king and our queen. So I thought, you know, here it is. Guru Maharaj almost died again because I was with him in 89 when he was attacked.

So here he is reflecting on things.

That Prabhupada has told them.

You know.

30, 40 years ago at that time. And so I wanted to mention that it's not only the greatness of Guru Maharaj that he manifests in his Persona. Yeah. In every circumstance, in icu, in the emergency department, in any situation I have seen him. He always, always remains as an Acharya. That's. That's pretty much the topic that I want to mention. We used to call him Acharya Path. And later on, due to certain resolutions, there was concluded that no one will be carrying an honorific title as such. There were different devotees called Guru Pad or Acharya Dev, etc. But I always thought that that name.

Acharya.

Is so fitting to Guru Maharaj.

So fitting.

And he, Acharya means exemplary. And exemplary is something that Guru Maharaj has always been. Until today I observed that he is an exemplary disciple of Srila Prabhupada. He's an exemplary godbrother. And I will tell a few things about each of these areas. He's an exemplary guru. And when I say guru, I don't mean someone that only gives you the.

Beads and gives a few classes here.

And there, lots of classes in the case of Guru Maharaj. But he's an exemplary guru in the sense that he protects you. He is constantly asking devotees to write to him. And he has teams of devotees. I. I forgot the number of devotees. I. You know, briefly, I would say maybe 30 or 40 devotees trying to deal with his correspondence. And every time we tell him, guru.

Maharaj, let the deities be named by.

Somebody else, let the babies be named by somebody else, he says, no, I'm their guru. They are asking me to give them their names. They're asking me to give them their blessings. They're asking me to help them in this problem or that problem. So he's totally exemplary in what he does. So. And finally. Or one of the things, because we don't have that much time, one of the things that I wanted to mention is his exemplary behavior as a preacher. So in regards of a disciple, it's just an anecdote. A few years ago, maybe five, six years ago, before I left Mayapur due to covet, every night, Guru Maharaj will give class. And after class, he will give darshan. He will give blessing with his Jagannath stick. Some of you surely have received the blessed touch of that stick. That stick, it's a special toothbrush. They say in Jagannath Puri, everything he does, it's very calculated. He doesn't. He's not random.

He's not a random person that something happens.

No, no. Everything is practically orchestrated by Krishna.

So he takes this toothbrush they use.

To offer to Jagannath.

So he takes this stick.

And then sometimes he carries.

In his travels. I have seen two or three of these sticks.

And one time he was going and he turned around and stopped his wheelchair with the brake. And he turned around. He says, are the blessing sticks there packed? And then they say, yes, Guru Maharaj, we have here in the back.

He says, no, don't take one.

Take two or three. So I foolishly, as usual, ask Guru.

Maharaj, why two or three?

You already have one. No, he said, but if I miss. But if one of them goes missing, then what happens? Then I cannot give Jagannath's blessings to everyone.

So he's always thinking. He's always. It's incredible.

You know, in a regular, any time of the day, Gurmarsh would have from six to ten people around him. I'm not exaggerating between servants, secretaries, assistants, etc. And I have observed this many, many times.

You entered his room and every one of them, all of those six to.

10 people, I have counted them. I'm not making numbers up.

Everyone is busy, Everyone is on their toes.

That is his intensity.

And everyone is blissful.

Another thing that I have noticed, one may be cleaning, one may be cooking, one may be serving, one may be reporting something.

Everyone is just blissful.

One thing in regards of that. I remember one devotee I saw in Mayapur, old friend. And he had had some problems. He was struggling with some differences, some miscommunication, misunderstandings. And he was a bit sorrow. And he used to serve Guru Maharaj a long time back.

So I told him, prabhu, why don't you come and see Guru Maharaj?

But everybody knows that it's very difficult to see Guru Maharaj. And then the devotee said, no, no, it's going to be difficult. They're not going to allow me. I said, no, no, no. Come, come.

Come with me.

Come with me. I'll take you. I somehow had the inspiration to take him along upstairs.

And I said, what I'm going to.

Do, what I'm going to say?

I said, nothing. You just pay obeisances and sit there in the room.

I promise you, I'll try my best. So we went up. Guru Maz was about to take lunch or breakfast. I forgot. And the devotee entered. He paid dandavas and he sat in a corner and everyone busy bees, everyone.

Running and bringing and moving things and standing him up, seating him and asking him this and this and that.

Guru Maharaj was asking about so many.

Things all the time.

He's like that.

And the devotee was just sitting there and you know, we were cleaning his table, bringing that, putting the, the, the.

The beep and, and so many things like that. And then I forgot about this devotee and I was concentrating on Guru Maharaj. And Jerry went, guru Maharaj, because I, I'm serving in the congregational ministry, he will ask, what's the report? What's happening with this is that. And the devotees will say, gurmars, don't talk. Please honor your prashad. And then he'll just do it. Yeah, I forgot about this devotee. After I don't know, maybe 10, 15 minutes, I look at this devotee. This devotee was beaming. He was beaming. He was chanting his japa.

But he was such a smile and his face was beaming. And I noticed that he was just looking at Guru Maharaj, just observing him. Anyway, long story short, at the end.

Of the pastime, when we put Guru.

Maharaj to rest and everything, he was.

Also able to come and clean Guru mas table, take his plate, maybe help.

Him to move him from the chair.

To the bed, etc. And then we pay obeisance and Guru Maharaj went to rest. And then I asked him what happened? How, how come you change?

I mean, you, you, you're effulgent now.

And then he said, guru Maharaj is like a powerhouse of spiritual energy.

I was feeling so mental. All what I could think is all these problems.

Somebody said this, this and that. What's going to happen here?

And just like magical, like a magical effect.

I just sat there and just was.

Close to Guru Maharaj and all of a sudden all my troubles went away.

All my worries, all my mental speculations.

And I felt so happy.

I mean, that's Guru Maharaj. Guru Maharaj is like a. I often say this. He's like a powerful router, like an Internet. And you put the Internet and then he's hotspot, right?

And anybody who comes in close proximity.

To him feels that the energy of Guru Maharaj. Not only that, I also have heard because with my wife Ganatoshita, we support or try to help the devotees in South America. And sometimes we hear these fantastic stories from South America. He hasn't been there for five years, I believe. Five years, five or six years. And sometimes we talk to these devotees. You see, South America, this is the world Here it is Mayapur. And on the other side of the world is South America. The farthest place on the planet from Mayapur is South America. And sometimes we talk to these devotees. And we are so impressed that these.

Devotees, although they haven't seen him for six years, they don't understand English right.

The reports have to wait at least 24 hours or so, in the worst case to be translated. But they are so in contact with Guru Maharaj.

Just by thinking of him, just by.

Remembering his pastime, remembering his instruction, following his instructions, these devotees feel electrified. Just like that devotee that I took to Guru Maharaj room. In the same way, his potency is such that we don't have to be.

Next to him if we can, good.

But if we are not through the vani that he has given us, we can be connected to him. So these are some things that come to mind. But one thing that often impresses me the most, I would say from Guru Maharaj is like, by all means, by all accounts, everybody in ISKCON now knows the greatness, the glory of Guru Maharaj. Even got brothers that sometimes have differences with him. I have seen them come into his room during Gorpunima time and pay obeisance, touch his feet, hug him and discuss different things.

Although I know these big leaders, sometimes.

In particular situations or for particular projects.

May not agree with Guru Maharaj.

And sometimes amongst brothers, you know, there may be some, some words of differences, etc. But everyone at this point acknowledges the heroic nature, the glorious nature of Gur Maharaj. But amongst all that, one thing that I always appreciate the most is his loyalty to Srila Prabhupada. And a little anecdote I would like to tell in regards of this. A few years ago, this girl, I believe was from New Zealand, if I'm not mistaken, was there in the roof after the class. Guru Maharaj gently gives the Blessings, gives prashadam, etc. And all the devotees come offer flowers, and then he exchange a few words or touch their heads, etc. So this girl came and she said she wanted to talk to Guru Maharaj and she told him that. And then he said, okay, I'll, I'll, I'll see later. Because you know, there are queues and queues of devotees offering obeisance to Guru Maharaj. So at the end, when he was taken in his room, this is late at night, he said, find out what this girl wants. So surely I ran and I stopped her before she left. And I said, kurumaz is wanting to know what is the topic. What's the matter? And then she said, I want to talk something about initiation. I said, okay, Guru Maz doesn't have much time, but I just will report back to him, what did you say? And let's see what he says. So just wait here for a few minutes. So I went in and he asked. He asked me, so what, What. What does she want to talk to me about? And I said, initiation. So he says, initiation with me or initiation in general? So I run again. That's typical Guru Maharaj. Never simple and easy like that. He's always. He's always perfect. So I ran out again. Please, sorry. Gumas wants to know. You know, I repeated the question. He says, oh, initiation in general.

And then I thought to myself, you.

Know, because I generally do these things, I'm. I'm not a nice person.

So sometimes this.

This bad quality of me comes out trying to protect Guru Mahjin.

I'm thinking, why this girl wants to.

Waste Guru Maharaj time. You know, he has thousands of disciples, thousands of devotees who want to take initiation from him. And here she comes, speculating something about initiation. I was just thinking like that.

But as the loyal dog that I.

Am of Guru Maharaj, I just returned because I know that he would chastise me otherwise.

And I told Guru Maharaj, and I did mention something. I said, guru Maharaj, I don't think it's so important.

And.

And then in his usual style, because.

He has a very particular style to deal with me, he just asks me.

He says, what do you know?

Just go and get her. So I went and I told her, guru Maharaj wants to see you. So I went in. The devotees there are getting ready for the night duties, preparing his dinner and things like that. And so I was there repeating what Guru Maharaj had to say. We have a few more minutes. Is that all right?

Carry on.

Carry on, please.

All right. So. So this girl comes in, and Guru Maharaj ask her, what is the issue? And then she says, guru Maharaj, I am Maharaj. He said, maharaj, I am on the side, undecisive. About whom should I take initiation from?

I have this swami.

I have this Maharaj, considering. And then Gurumar said, okay, no one else. And then he said, oh, and you no like Guru Maharaj, okay? Then he put his hands together, like in. In gratitude, like that.

He says, okay, what's the issue?

And these names, I can guarantee you, perhaps they are some of the most popular, especially in the west. Preachers, The. The biggest preachers, the most disciples Very, very popular. And Guru Maharaj started glorifying them. Say, oh, I owe so much to this Maharaj because he has helped me here, there, this and these other Maharaj, I admire him so much because he's.

Doing so much preaching, etc, so he.

Was glorifying them, right? Is glorifying them. And then, you know, the conversation went by and Grimace is asking her what.

She studies and what she plans and.

Where she wants to live, etc.

But at the end he said, look.

My advice to you is. He said, my, my advice to you.

Is that you choose a guru.

I'm trying to remember the exact words.

You choose a guru.

That exemplifies the best. He said, exemplifies the best Srila Prabhupada's instructions. That's what he said. Choose a guru that exemplifies the best Srila Prabhupada's instruction. So in that way, but you following that guru by serving that guru, by learning from him, you can learn how to become a good servant of Prabhupada.

He said that like an ending note.

And then I noticed this girl put her hands down and then I saw.

That she was hearing.

And then Guru Maharaj, by the way.

Especially this goes to the ladies. Guru Maharaj doesn't like to see the ladies crying.

He gets, he told me, I get mortified, it aches my heart.

Many, many times he told me this. So every time I see that Guru.

Maharaj observes one of the Matais crying.

He always asks, why are you crying?

You know, and sometimes I have heard him saying, did I say something wrong? Did I do something wrong?

Etc. So he asked this girl says, why are you crying?

And then, you know, she controlled herself. And then she said, because I was thinking when I was hearing your class.

Just a few minutes before that you.

Truly represent what Prabhupada has taught us, what Prabhupada is teaching, what Prabhupada says in his commentaries. Etc. And then, and then Guru Maharaj again put his hands together and he thank her. And then, okay, like Guru Maharaj, you know, he says, okay, so, and then the girl pay obeisances and, and before she left, just before she left, I.

Was just thinking, so who did she choose? No, in my mind. And Guru Maharaj asked her, so who did you choose? Just like very simple, very, you know, nothing esoteric.

He doesn't like to.

So have you made up your mind yet?

And, and then the girl says, yes, Guru Maharaj, I choose, I choose you. And then he again put his Hands. Okay. And then she left. So my point is that, you know, there are. There are many, many pastimes. Honestly, my wife, she's here in the room and she checks and she. She tells me when I have to stop because I can go on for hours. But. But the point is that in this situation where Guru Maharaj is such a dire health condition, we may say emotional, we become worried, we become panicked even. But amongst all these, we may say external factors that worry us about Guru Maharaj health, we need to always remember that the most important thing that Guru Maharaj is giving us and he wants.

To keep giving us is the example.

The example of a true disciple, the example of. Of a true devotee. There are many pastimes also that I have observed in regards of his godbrothers. When he deals with God brothers, when.

He deals with other people that have seen him with.

With.

With politicians and with.

With priests, and sometimes with, we may say, Karmis.

I have seen him because I traveled with him with him several times.

Such a gentleman, such a polite person.

One time we were traveling, I forgot from where? Maybe Chennai to Bangalore or something like that. And.

And he was late.

Guru Maharaj.

Always he squeezes time.

And I'm going to conclude with this because I don't want to go over time. And so Guru Maharaj was, I believe, was in. I forgot now where. Somewhere in South India. Trivandrum, Bangalore, Chennai, one place.

And he brought some fruits from idle East. So the plane.

In those days, things were different. I'm talking 88, 87. 88. Actually, it was in 87, July 87, I remember that. And.

And he had brought some particular fruits.

To the deities of that temple.

So he knew that the. The flight will stop.

As I said those things, the things were different in those days. So.

He left the plane, he walked down the plane, he went into the airport. He told me to wait. Sitting on the plane, he brought these fruits, dates and things.

You know, Middle east is famous for the dates and certain fruits, dry fruits. And he gave to the devotees. And the devotees were doing a little festival there in the roof of the airport. Forgot now exactly which one forgot. Sorry.

So the plane was about to leave and they were calling Mr. Swami. Where is Mr. Swami?

On the loudspeakers in the plane. And the. The air hostess, she was coming and say where?

And then I was.

I'm not, as I said, I'm not a good person.

But generally I am not a liar.

I don't like to lie.

But that day, for those few minutes, I Told all the possible lights that.

Came to my mind.

I said, you see, Swamiji has some heart problem.

He just went down because somebody was.

Bringing some heart medicine. If he doesn't take his heart medicine, you know, it's very risky for him to fly. And I was on and on and on, lying and lying, just. And these people. I remember the face of the air hostess. Even the pilot came and he was behind.

I forgot he was a sadar or something like that.

And all these people. And everyone in the airplane was listening to my lies. And there he comes, Guru Maharaj, walking all strong.

I'm talking 88, 87.

Always strong, shining with these sealed clothes.

This.

It was early morning, mid morning, perhaps.

10:30, 11 or something like that.

And the sun was shining.

You know, South India is hot. And he was coming like the sun was coming out of the. Of the airport terminal tower on the tarmac to walk on the thing.

And I was thinking.

And everyone, I think, was thinking the same thing.

And this is the heart. The person with heart condition, with heart disease that can barely walk or live if he doesn't take the.

And he was such a powerful figure at that time, by the way. He didn't have the. The. The. What do you call the stick. The walking stick.

And here he was coming all smiley and. And, you know, shiny. And the whole airplane was watching that spectacle. It was like a show.

It was like a movie star, like a superstar, like a rocket start. And. And everyone's just watching, you know, and then he comes up and anyway, so the air hostess, you know, they're trying.

To be all serious.

Swami, please, please, please come to your seat.

Yes, yes, yes.

And then Guru Maharaj, he knows how to play his role. And then he went quickly and he.

Sat like nothing has happened. Like nothing has happened. I was mortified by the delay.

The plane has been delayed for I.

Don'T know how many minutes.

Anyway, so finally we take off. And then he said, so how did you go?

Said, I can't believe. Groom Raj, I can't believe how you do these things.

I was like, you know, partly annoyed.

By the stress that I had to go through. And he was just, don't be mental.

And he just, you know, channel something like that. Anyway, we landed wherever we were going, it was in South Indian tour. And then Guru Maharaj is. So.

At some point he told me, so what happened?

And then I told him briefly, okay, this happened. And then he said.

He said, did the air pilot came out?

Did the pilot come out? And I said, yes. I said, okay, that's all what he said.

So we landed, and as usual, Guru.

Maharaj is carrying, you know, bags and the computer and all that. In those days, he carry a big, big computer bag. So I was carrying everything and taking. Taking things at a hand luggage. And he was pretty much the last one to leave.

So when he was coming out, he.

Knocked on the pilot's door. Sometimes it's open, you know, but he just. Sorry, sir. And then he went. I think it was a Sadarji, if I'm not mistaken, you know, with the turban and all that. And he went and he apologized personally for. For the delay. He says, you see, I have.

Was bringing a very important gift to the deity. And he was preaching to him and the person. He was obviously evidently angry at the whole situation.

When Guru Maharaj delayed the flight, his.

Face, I could see his face just transformed. Seeing the purity, seeing the innocence of Guru Maharaj, he just melted.

He.

He says, no, no, Swamiji, no, no, Swamiji, please forgive us. You know, we're here at your service.

Like, in no time, in no time, Guru Maharaj immediately changed the whole thing. And I was thinking, here I am worried, stressed, anxious, you know, feeling so awkward, so self conscious. Guru Mahas is such a transcendental, powerful figure that any circumstance, any circumstance, he.

Will turn it around just by his.

Magic, by his not only beauty, person, personality, prashadam. He always. I remember once we were packing his.

Bags, I think it was from Mayapur.

He was going somewhere, two, three big suitcases and a lot of duffel bags. And, you know, the old.

All sort of stuff.

He doesn't. He doesn't care.

I always get very anxious in regards of how much luggage I carry.

Guru Maharaj doesn't care. He just said, put the one purse, put this, put that book, anything.

He just doesn't care.

And one time he was packing that. I was so anxious because I had.

To put all these clothes and all these things in those two bags.

And poor me, poor me.

If something was left out, I. I tell you, the, the. The chastisement that I used to get because.

And they will call me all sorts of names. You fool. You this, you that. I taught you how many times you have to pack this. You have to fold the clothes. You'd have to do it like this. Anyway, so there I see these two or three bags of.

What do you call those? Like, like muesli bars, you know, like.

Muslim bars that you sell, though in South America, in Peru, there is a muesli bar factory. It's called Govindas. So he gets the devotees from Peru to bring packs and packs of those to Mayapur.

You know why?

Because every time he travels, he carries two or three of these big bags with very many tiny, what do you call, muesli bars?

Govindas, Right?

And then what happens every time he.

Has excess baggage is a delay in.

His flight, something happened with his tickets. Then he gets and he starts giving.

The famous muesli bars to everybody. And one time, I remember, I think was in Mayapur. I forgot now because, you know, to be quite frank, you know, many times when I was serving Guru Maharaj, many, many times happened to me even in Navadi Parikram. I think it might have been 1990, 89 or 89 or 1990. I have. I have been twice or three years already with Guru Maharaj in Navadi Parikram. And I remember, I think it was Kavichandra Maharaj was with other swamis. They are sitting.

And then they knew me because every.

Time they came or every time we travel, he was the GBC in Bangkok as well. You know, I will serve them Banu Swami Chandra Maharaj and other swamis.

So Gavichan Maharaj said, hey, Shoko, you're so fortunate.

You, you.

You must know by heart all the.

Places in Navadi Parikram, you know, and Guru Maharaj will give his lectures and.

Tell all the details.

And honestly, I told him, I don't know why he came to me. He says, maharashtra, I don't even know where we are at this point.

And they all laughed at me. And then I said, oh, what I can think of is, where is Guru Maharaj's water? Where is his camera? Where are his wampers? Where is his sunblock? Where are his sunglasses? Where are his gamshas?

Where are he still at?

That's all what I'm thinking if I forgot anything. And I was just. Because it's not because I was a good servant, but because, poor you, if you were serving Guru Maharaj and you weren't right there to give him what he needed, so that's his blessing.

And that's why I said, he's an exemplary acharya in terms of being a guru, because he is like that. So going back to that pass, and I promise my wife is here telling me that I have to stop now.

It was late.

Guru Maharaj almost missed his flight.

And then it was a funny thing, especially in Calcutta in the old airport.

Nowadays we have the new construction, new building. It was a funny thing because that.

Was Like a bus terminal, right?

But Guru Maharaj, literally, I felt that.

He thought he owns that terminal, that is his terminal because that is the place where he traveled the most. And guess what?

Every time, as they call him Joy Potokashami will have some problem.

Like this occasion where he almost misses flight. And we were flying, I mean in.

You know, in India, how people drives.

We were flying. I was thinking, oh my God, this is so. But anyway, we made it. And once he's there and when he gets the boarding pass, I told Guru, Guru Maharaj, you're late, you have to run. He says, listen, once you have your boarding pass, they're going to leave you behind. Okay? So know what I'm doing. And this was the dynamic. Everybody knew that Jaipata Kashami was flying. And when they saw that he was late, people were happy. You know why? Because all the cleaners, all the, the.

The, the, the, the ones who carry.

Your bag, the people in the counter, everyone came, I don't know, 20, 30 people from everywhere. They knew, they knew that Guru Maharaj.

Will give them Mahaprashad.

And he will give them. And he, in Bengali, he will explain this. Mahaprashadam comes from the Radha Raspi Hari, deities that are on the other side of the world. So imagine they were all fascinated. They will get a little piece of prasadam, a muesli bar with the name Govinda and everything else written in Spanish. And he will translate for them. They were fascinated, you know, and I could see that here I was suffering.

Anxious, stress, self conscious.

And Gurmaj, in no time, he just transformed the whole airport.

And everyone's like, you know, and then people putting garlands to him. And then he'll give garland to the person across the counter. He'll say, oh, go, go and give this garland to that one there. Or the, you know, so. And, and okay, I have to say this one, Prabhu, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I have to say this one. Okay.

One time he missed his flight.

One time he missed his flight in Ecuador. And there was this Mataji Anandakrishna, some of you may know her.

She was praying because she wanted to.

Take initiation and she missed.

Something happened and she missed the initiation. So we went as usual, late to the airport.

Gurmaj misses the flight. He tried everything. He went inside the airline office and he missed the flight.

So he comes out and he said.

I have to stay tomorrow. I booked another flight for tomorrow.

And then she was ecstatic. And grandma said, you must have been.

Praying to the gods very hard because I. I always make. Anyway, I remember it was, I believe, American Airlines, huh? Because American Airlines would fly to Ecuador in those days.

And I remember that the general manager.

Came because Guru Mahaz has gone in. In those days. He will travel with two books that were as thick as the phone books.

Remember those who are older, the phone books.

In the good old days, he traveled.

With those two big heavy books. And in those books, all the connections.

Of the air flights in the world.

Were there from A to Z.

And Guru Mask knew exactly. And then he will do like that.

So he connected. He rearranged his ticket and the. The general manager came out with a.

Big, big smile in his face. He came out with Gumraj.

They were best friends, okay? After all this disaster, he lost his fly. We were all so mortified. And he came out and the general.

Manager of the American Airlines told Guru.

Maharaj, sir, if one day you need a job, please come and talk to me. American Airlines will love to have you as a general manager of international travels.

I've never have seen someone like you.

So you know, Gurmaraj, it means many things.

But one of the things is that means being happy.

I ask Ekanad Prabhu, Prabhu, how is it that you have lasted so long?

I lasted five years and I. I.

Almost die out of exhaustion and mental stress.

I'm such a bad, weak person.

How you last so long, you and Mahabharata have been for long, for so long. And Ekanad Prabhu didn't miss a bit.

And immediately he says, because being with.

Guru Maharaj is the most joyful experience.

That you can ever have in this world. He said that. And I said 100% high five.

100%. This is exactly my feeling.

You know, we worship him because he's our guru. We worship him because we have to worship him. But we worship him mostly because we love him. Because the person and the exemplary person, devotee, disciple, guru and godbrother that he is. So I'm going to stop here and forgive me as usual, because talking about Guru Maharaj, as I said, is the most relishable experience that we can have in this life. So thank you, everyone. All glories to Guru Maharaj.

Thank you so much, Prabhuji.

That was a wonderful, glorious pastimes you.

Had with Guru Maharaj. And I also had so much of wonderful pastimes with Guru Maharaj whenever he visits Brisbane and to Murvalamba Farm as well. But those, those days, we can only.

Cherish at the moment.

And thank you so much. And I know there's no end to.

The.

Happiness and the motivation we get just by talking about Guru Maharaj pastimes. It just enlivens us. Thank you so much. In fact, we are so fortunate to have you to give these pastimes because last week we had another South American disciple who gave Prabhu Prash. Yeah, he gave past lands for both of you from South America. So what a coincidence.

Yes, we were servants together. Yeah, yeah.

So you know, I remember. Have you got one minute? No, I just wanted to tell you. I want to tell you about his eternal pastimes. Whenever he comes, time is not a factor for him. I remember once he was giving a class and he was supposed to catch a flight and I was. Normally I drive him to the airport or anywhere he wants to go. So I remember having to rush through the time. I had such a short time to reach the airport. I was literally flying, taking him to the airport. And he was very surprised that I managed to bring him to the airport. He didn't miss this, it is flight this time. So in his diary he mentioned Murari, my spiritual driver, has taken me to the airport on time. And so when you mentioned that, you know, time is never for him, time is eternal. So we all understand what you're saying here. And about his compassion, I remember not only to his disciples or his well wishes, but to anyone he sees.

He has so much of compassion.

And one incident that I cannot forget was in Byron Bay. I was driving him with some other God brothers and we were in a narrow lane. Actually it was New Year's, New Year's Eve. And there was a siren behind. Ambulance siren behind. It was such a narrow. And it was very crowded being a New Year's Eve. And I was trying to move to the side, but I know I will knock down someone. But Guru Maharaj simply yelled at me. Move to the side. He shouted at me and somehow I managed to move to the side and let the ambulance pass by. And then I was wondering why did Guru Maharaj shouted at me like that, you know? And then he didn't say anything for a long time. And then he said to me, do you know that person in that ambulance is crying for his life? I had to go through this long time ago. I know what it is like. So I understand. His compassion is unbelievable. His compassion for anyone is unbelievable. Small, small sharing of my pastime with Gurmaraj. So we are very grateful. We have Guru Maharaj as our, our spiritual godfather. So thank you very much for sharing. You can join us.

Thank you.

Yeah. And you can carry on. But I think you got some other.

Yeah.

It's because we have a. We have a program here and we have a number of people waiting. We have. We told them to not make so much noise because they are downstairs. So we. We need to attend to them. Okay.

Thank you.

My apologies. And next time with my wife is here.

Yes. Hare Krishna.

Yes.

Nice meeting.

So we. We. We hope we come back and. And we're going to Mayapur right now. We want. We arrange our trip to Mayapur because Mahabharah Prabhu I told him that if. If it's okay I go and visit. We go and visit Guru Maharaj in Delhi and Guru Maharaj say no, no, I'm going to Mayapur. So that's why we are going to Mayapur for one week. But most probably he won't be there. But I heard last night in the health report that he is magically. Somebody wrote magically recovering magically. But it's the prayers that you all are making for the Lord. So his well being is there. So good news. Good news.

Thank youk Prabhu.

Thank you for sharing that.

That's wonderful news. Thank you Hare Krishna.

So now we're going to have.

So Hare Krishna.

Thank you for coming.

So we have wonderful pastimes from.

From Prabhu.

So I take your leave. Thank you everyone. So happy to see you all.

Thank you.

So what we'll do is it's 1220 now. We will start with Ganwanthari prayers and then we will have national habitat followed by national prayers and then we'll have to.

And then probably a small kirtan.

Probably if you can have Kristen for five minutes or so and followed by. Where is your family?

My daughter slept in the sleeping.

She come by the time.

Oh okay.

Put her in the bed here please.

No bro. The thing is once she woke up.

And she can so graduate. Okay.

Okay.

Probably we can do the.

We got.

We got that downloaded prayer.

Okay.

You can share.

Okay.

Can you do it? I'm not technology.

No, no.

Can you do it on the screen?

WhatsApp.

Okay. You don't sit here. Then the picture shows all of us. Not just.

Yeah.

Maybe I'll move the camera a little bit more connected to the laptop. No.

Not for me. Is it that sh. Ram Sam.

Ra.

Sam. Okay, now we do the national culture.

Can you all see.

Ram Sa Sam Sa.

It.

Jam Ra. Ram Sa Jam Sam. Now we can do the national. You know Sam.

Sa.

It Sam RA that Sam Jam.