I guarantee it!

Deena Bandhu Prabhu recalls:

Srila Prabhupada gave a lecture on his big vyasasana in Los Angeles and at the end he declared,
“So… if you would just follow those 4 regulative principles… and chant 16 rounds…
then you will go back to home, back to Godhead; I guarantee it!”

Srila Prabhupada sort of posed and looked around at all of us, and re-affirmed, “I guarantee it!”

Come down and write those books

Bhavananda Dasa recalls:

Srila Prabhupada said, “I have so many palaces all over the world that I can stay in!  Practically speaking, there is no difference between me and the Goswamis, in terms of our lifestyle. They stayed under a different tree every night; I stay in a different palace every night. They wrote; I write!"

Srila Prabhupada confided, "Originally I did not want to come here. Not to America... but to this world!

Krishna asked, ‘I want you to write those books. Come down and write those books.’

And I said, ‘I don’t want to go to this material world!’

But Krishna said, ‘Don’t you worry; I’ll take care of everything. You write those books!’

He was such a mercy giver!

Yogesvara Dasa continues:

Srila Prabhupada was such a mercy-giver! He never asked us to fill any questionnaires. He never asked your history, what’s your background. What have you done good? What have you done bad? There was never any such auditioning for becoming his disciple.

Srila Prabhupada said, "Whatever you have done before that’s behind you. Now, from this point on, follow the rules and regulations."

That should be our disposition towards people in Krishna Consciousness. There should be such an effort to bent over…backwards... to anyone who’s trying to serve Krishna.
What to speak of people who may, for one reason or another, fallen away from the movement.  As Vaisnavas we are meant to see what their service has been, and find a way to encourage them; to bring them back by demonstrating to them the same kind of love, affection and concern that Srila Prabhupada showed us.

Don’t try to find some formula for causeless mercy!

Yogesvara Dasa remembers:

It was not a morning walk; it was a morning sit at Bhaktivedanta Manor. Sometimes we would sit around in a circle and chant japa. Sometimes we would ask Srila Prabhupada questions or sometimes he would ask us something.

So one morning I asked:

“Srila Prabhupada, there are two people…equally unqualified for devotional service; one becomes a devotee and the other doesn’t! What makes the difference?”

Srila Prabhupada shot me a look and replied, “Don’t try to find some formula for causeless mercy! It’s causeless! Ultimately it’s up to the mercy-giver.”

Middle Park Primary School Carnivale

Navadvipa Iswari wanted  to share with us how it all went last Saturday:

We had another successful school preaching program last weekend,  as we took part in the Middle park primary school Carnivale.
We have also been invited to return in mid March to conduct some Vedic culture work shops and perform kirtan.

If you are interested in bringing Krishna conciousness to your child's school
Contact: Navadwipa Isvari devi dasi
nala_aravind@hotmail.com

Here are some photos of the Carnivale.

Bhurijana Prabhu's Vyasa Puja

Yesterday we had a very sweet celebration of Bhurijana Prabhu's Vyasa Puja. It was utterly inspiring to hear all the heartfelt homages of the devotees glorifying the numerous qualities of Bhurijana Prabhu.

Indeed we are reminded on such occasions how fortunate we are to have such elevated personalities amongst our midst.

It strengthens our faith that if we stick to the process and steadily serve the Vaisnavas we too will get puriifed and will be able to serve at a higher level.

Here are some photos of the celebration.

‘What is there in Krishna's eye?’

Deena Bandhu Prabhu recalls:

One time in Los Angeles, Srila Prabhupada came from the back door; he paid his obeisances to the Deities then he sat on the vyasasana. As soon as he sat he cocked his head slightly and asked, ‘What is there in Krishna's eye?’

We only had little Deities at the time. From that back door I couldn’t even see that Krishna has eyes what to speak of seeing what in Krishna's eye.
Even the pujaris were right there; it took them two minutes. They were just looking, moving around trying to figure out. They finally found that when they had put Krishna's tilaka on, a little piece of tilaka had fallen down in His eye.

We were all totally shocked!

I was being more attracted to that than to Srila Prabhupada

Bhavananda Prabhu recalls:

They used to pick 2 or 3 devotees in Los Angeles who could walk behind Srila Prabhupada during his morning walk.

Usually not very much was said. However he did do one thing when I went along one day.
This was the first time when he had this little house in Beverly Hills. We drove him up to below Sunset; between Santa Monica and Sunset in Beverly Hills.

There were those huge houses and huge cars. Srila Prabhupada would walk along these palm-lined streets. I was walking right behind him, and of course my eyes were attracted to all of these magnificent mansions, gorgeous gardens; I was being more attracted to that than to Srila Prabhupada.

Just as I was thinking that, Srila Prabhupada coughs; he just turns around and he spits…right on the lawn of one of these big houses... with such disdain!

Bhavananda Prabhu laughs heartily as he concludes, ‘So I learned that lesson…'