Monday 5 May 2014

Is it happening on other planets as well?

Yogeswara Dasa concludes:

Some of the questions I asked him on morning walks in Paris:

“Srila Prabhupada this Krishna Consciousness movement seems so wonderful. Is it happening on other planets as well?”
-          “Why not! Krishna is everywhere therefore His movement is everywhere!”

“Srila Prabhupada sometimes the devotees ask me… they express some discomfort over the fact that they don’t get to see you very much. You’re always travelling. And they don’t know what their personal relationship is with you.”
-          “What do you answer them?”
“Well I tell them that they shouldn’t feel that way, that you’ve invested yourself personally into all of your books. And if they read the books they can experience your association.”
-          “You should first ask them if they’re chanting their 16 rounds! Unless someone follows the basic principles where is there any question of entering into a deeper relationship!”

Saturday 3 May 2014

Srila Prabhupada was a master of the quick repost!

Yogeswara Dasa continues:

Other people took the morning walk as a opportunity for engaging in polemic, a debate.
And that was one of the favorite things we used to do. Srila Prabhupada would throw out a challenge to us or we would throw a challenge out to him and there would be a discussion.

Srila Prabhupada was a master of pare; a master of the quick repost!

“Well I think sex is spiritual what do you say to that?”

-          “Oh! That’s a dog’s philosophy! Are you a dog?!”

“I understand you’re Allen Ginsberg’s guru..”

-          “I am nobody’s guru… I am everyone’s servant!”

Friday 2 May 2014

What a morning walk with Srila Prabhupada was meant for!

Yogeswara Dasa recounts:

People had different ideas about what a morning walk with Srila Prabhupada was meant for!

Some people thought it was meant for establishing their position as one of the inner circle. They would always jump in there early; making sure they were the first ones out the door of the van or the first ones out the door of the temple.

So they’d be right next to Srila Prabhupada. Usually he would do then them one better…by turning around and go in the opposite direction so the ones who were in the back became the ones to the front.

Or sometimes there was one disciple in Paris, he had this strange crunched up kind of voice and in his French accent would ask, “Srila Prabhupada so Lord Shiva says in the Shiva Purana …”

Srila Prabhupada just looked at him and said, “Don’t agitate your mind!”, and kept walking.

Thursday 1 May 2014

...then you reject the Guru to become God!

Bhavananda Dasa remembers:

Srila Prabhupada was taking his morning walk in Mayapur; he walked up to the Yoga Pita.

When we came back to go into the temple, through the gate, Srila Prabhupada decided he wanted to go the Ganga. So there was that steep embankment and you go to those fields; it was fairly steep.

I got down to the side of the bank and put my arm up. So Srila Prabhupada was leaning on my arm and I helped him down the bank. Then he pushed my hand away. Like very abruptly! And I was a little shocked!
Srila Prabhupada said, “That is the Mayavadi!...They take your help and then push you away! You take the help of the Guru and then you reject the Guru to become God! That is the Mayavadi!”

It’s simply not even nice to be a Mayavadi is what I understood. They have to concept even of manners... on a transcendental level: take your help and then push you away!