leyh

hi beemasane: I am a karmi dog outside the camp of Lord Caitanya's army,waiting for merciful leftovers from the Vaisnavas...Please be merciful to me!

Yesterday evening,I was at my local bus interchange waiting for the bus when I saw a man holding his child and smoking a cigarette at the same time and I mentally derided the man for exposing his child to the poisonous nicotine. But almost instantly it dawned upon me that I was not much better then the man.So many times have I,out of weakness, knowingly taken posion for my soul and body. In Chinese,there is this saying:"wu shi bu xiao bai bu",which means "Fifty steps laugh at the hundred steps." If I'm not wrong,the "fifty steps" and "hundred steps" refers to an anecdote of a soldier who fled fifty steps from the battlefield and laughed at another soldier who fled a hundred steps. We shouldn't be proud and deride others as fallen souls when we ourselves are fallen.Let us never forget that.

A similar statement is in the Skanda Purana, which says, "Persons who are decorated with tilaka or gopi-candana [a kind of clay resembling fuller's earth which is produced in certain quarters of Vrndavana], and who mark their bodies all over with the holy names of the Lord, and on whose necks and breasts there are tulasi beads, are never approached by the Yamadutas." The Yamadutas are the constables of King Yama (the lord of death), who punishes all sinful men. Vaisnavas are never called for by such constables of Yamaraja. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, in the narration of Ajamila's deliverance, it is said that Yamaraja gave clear instructions to his assistants not to approach the Vaisnavas. Vaisnavas are beyond the jurisdiction of Yamaraja's activities. (From Nectar of Devotion By His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,Chapter 9)

A similar statement is in the Skanda Purana, which says, "Persons who are decorated with tilaka or gopi-candana [a kind of clay resembling fuller's earth which is produced in certain quarters of Vrndavana], and who mark their bodies all over with the holy names of the Lord, and on whose necks and breasts there are tulasi beads, are never approached by the Yamadutas." The Yamadutas are the constables of King Yama (the lord of death), who punishes all sinful men. Vaisnavas are never called for by such constables of Yamaraja. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, in the narration of Ajamila's deliverance, it is said that Yamaraja gave clear instructions to his assistants not to approach the Vaisnavas. Vaisnavas are beyond the jurisdiction of Yamaraja's activities. (From Nectar of Devotion By His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,Chapter 9)

A dog on The Peak We returned to again walk on The Peak,with its lush green foilage and varities of evergreen and decidous trees.The view of Hong Kong and its harbor below (not yet awake to its passionate,grinding workday) was incredible. As our small group of five walked beside Prabhupada on the paved footpath,we saw a Chinese man with his large German shepherd.The dog was not on a leash, and it suddenly bounded playfully toward us. The dog's master stood at a distance and called him back,but the dog seemed intent on smelling us and pawing our clothes.The Chinese man,still at a distance,dropped down on his knees and began clapping and calling the dog,"Come on,boy.Come here.Come.Come." The dog finally left us and returned to his master.The man was jubilant.He affectionately patted the dog and repeated over and over,"Good boy,good boy.Good.Good."The dog slobbered,licked the man's hand,and pawed his chest."Good boy,good boy." Prabhupada's demeanor was serious as he watched the scene.Finally,he turned to me,intoned an incredulous "Good?"and quickly resumed walking. *** Prabhupada didn't say anything about a human wasting his affection on a dog."Good?" was all we heard.Prabhupada's point seemed as clear,however,as if he had written a book:the concept of good in Kali-yuga has degraded to the level of dog-hood.Gone is the concept that good means austerity,cleanliness,truthfulness,mercifulness,and God consciousness.Now in Kali-yuga,an ordinary,slobbering,lowly dog is considered good.How fallen is contemporary civilization! Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami defines eloquence as "truth spoken concisely."How wloquently Prabhupada summarized Kali-yuga's devolution in that one incredulous "Good?" At a later time I also heard Prabhupada concisely express truth.In Melbourne in 1975,as Prabhupada took his massage,I releated to him elements from an exchange I'd had with a Christian."Prabhupada,"I began,"a Christian man I spoke to defended meat-eating by quoting a Bible verse that says:"It is not what goes into a man's mouth that degrades him;it is the words that come out." Prabhupada's six-word reply was truly eloquent:"You mean if you eat stool?" (From My Glorious Master by Bhurijana Dasa,Hong Kong,1974 --- Part II)

A dog on The Peak We returned to again walk on The Peak,with its lush green foilage and varities of evergreen and decidous trees.The view of Hong Kong and its harbor below (not yet awake to its passionate,grinding workday) was incredible. As our small group of five walked beside Prabhupada on the paved footpath,we saw a Chinese man with his large German shepherd.The dog was not on a leash, and it suddenly bounded playfully toward us. The dog's master stood at a distance and called him back,but the dog seemed intent on smelling us and pawing our clothes.The Chinese man,still at a distance,dropped down on his knees and began clapping and calling the dog,"Come on,boy.Come here.Come.Come." The dog finally left us and returned to his master.The man was jubilant.He affectionately patted the dog and repeated over and over,"Good boy,good boy.Good.Good."The dog slobbered,licked the man's hand,and pawed his chest."Good boy,good boy." Prabhupada's demeanor was serious as he watched the scene.Finally,he turned to me,intoned an incredulous "Good?"and quickly resumed walking. *** Prabhupada didn't say anything about a human wasting his affection on a dog."Good?" was all we heard.Prabhupada's point seemed as clear,however,as if he had written a book:the concept of good in Kali-yuga has degraded to the level of dog-hood.Gone is the concept that good means austerity,cleanliness,truthfulness,mercifulness,and God consciousness.Now in Kali-yuga,an ordinary,slobbering,lowly dog is considered good.How fallen is contemporary civilization! Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami defines eloquence as "truth spoken concisely."How wloquently Prabhupada summarized Kali-yuga's devolution in that one incredulous "Good?" At a later time I also heard Prabhupada concisely express truth.In Melbourne in 1975,as Prabhupada took his massage,I releated to him elements from an exchange I'd had with a Christian."Prabhupada,"I began,"a Christian man I spoke to defended meat-eating by quoting a Bible verse that says:"It is not what goes into a man's mouth that degrades him;it is the words that come out." Prabhupada's six-word reply was truly eloquent:"You mean if you eat stool?" (From My Glorious Master by Bhurijana Dasa,Hong Kong,1974 --- Part II)

Krishna is the Original Cowboy! [A 1984 BTG Article] Srila Tamal Krishna Goswami Gurudeva is one of the present spiritual masters in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. He oversees ISKCON's affairs in the south-central United States and parts of the Far East, and is the author of Servant of the Servant, a memoir about his activities in the Krishna consciousness movement. ISKCON Television taped the following interview in Dallas on May 30, 1984. Reporter: Why did the Hare Krishnas participate in the Cotton Bowl Parade? Srila Gurudeva: We feel that we are as much a part of Texas as anybody else. In other words, we are the Texas Krishnas. We were out there marching in the parade with our float. And we got a special prize, and everybody loved it. They loved it. Reporter: All right. Given that, it seems to me that a parade is all pomp and flowers and glitter and so on. Where do you fit in? Srila Gurudeva: We're festive. We're always singing and dancing. That's what we're famous for. We are the biggest parade people in the world. We're always singing and dancing and making festivals. Reporter: It seems on the surface that this somehow flies in the face of the anti‑material position you report to profess. Srila Gurudeva: No, no, no. I'll tell you why. There's a distinct difference. The difference is that when we sing and dance and hold festivals, it's in praise of Krishna, in praise of God. And we hope that we inspired other people at the parade to do the same. Reporter: Are you saying that you alone, out of all those other people in the floats, were there to serve God, and everyone else was there to serve the population on the streets? Is Hare Krishna, the only way? Srila Gurudeva: I don't feel that way at all. Reporter: How does Hare Krishna differ from other religions worldwide? Srila Gurudeva: We have a lot of detailed information about God and God's kingdom. That's one big difference I see. And we practice strictly what we preach, also. But I don't say it's the only way. When I speak to someone about Krishna consciousness, I'm trying to think how to inspire him to serve God. Just to give you an example, I was recently at the airport in San Antonio, and this state trooper came in. He must have been about six feet four. I was sitting there waiting to get on the plane. The state trooper came right up to me and I thought, "Okay, what did I do wrong?" Then he looked at me, and he said, "Do you accept Lord Jesus Christ?" I said, "Certainly I do." He was a born‑again Christian. My feeling was that this man is a man of God, so I started to encourage him to preach to me. If I thought that we were the only way, I wouldn't have let him get a word in edgewise, and I would have just preached to him. But I thought, "Okay, this man is doing some witnessing on behalf of the Lord. Let him witness. That will increase his love for God, and I will have helped to do that, so I would have been His servant. And that's good." Reporter: Any good salesman knows that you let the potential buyer do the talking first. Is that what you were doing? Srila Gurudeva: Oh, no. This man wasn't about to buy anything I had to sell. Reporter: Is that why you didn't witness to him, so to speak? Srila Gurudeva: No, because I could see that it was good for him to preach. He was going strong. He was speaking about God, so I thought, "Let him speak about God. It's nice." Reporter: Did you feel because of his closed­offness he was not going to be open to you by the time he was finished? Do you feel that your religion was still better than his? Srila Gurudeva: No. I was in ecstasy letting him speak about God. I thought it was great. I thought, "This is really fortunate. How many people would have a state trooper come up to them and start preaching about God?" Usually the only thing you do with a state trooper is you get a ticket. I thought, "This is certainly an arrangement by God that this happened." Reporter: You are obviously doing well for yourselves, both financially as well as in numbers. Do your numbers grow daily? Srila Gurudeva: That would be nice. Reporter: It's not true? Srila Gurudeva: It's true. Sometimes they grow daily, sometimes they grow weekly. It's hard to predict. After all, when you're dealing with Ph.D. courses, you don't expect too many candidates. Reporter: Develop that point. It's an interesting metaphor. I would like to hear it translated. Srila Gurudeva: We give many guest lectures in colleges around Texas. It's a good forum for our message, and while on campus you can see the composition of the student body. Freshmen are the top number. Sophomore students, a little less. Juniors, less. Seniors, still less. And the postgraduates, masters, and Ph.D. candidates‑‑very few. Similarly, ours is the Ph.D. course of religious studies—Krishna consciousness. That means we are demanding the most rigorous adherence to God's principles of any religion in the world. And we are giving the loftiest philosophical explanations of the science of God of any religion in the world. Krishna consciousness is the topmost knowledge. Look at these books that are right behind us here. Here you see a whole library of knowledge. And these books, this knowledge, can change a person's life and teach him how to realize the goal of life. The goal of fife is to become self-realized. The goal of life is to understand who you are and why you are on this planet. It's not just to become another confused, lost person groping for some temporary satisfaction and ultimately ending up in frustration and death. The real purpose of human life is to avoid having to take another material birth again. The real purpose of human life is to go back home, back to Godhead. Reporter: Let me put a hypothetical situation to you. I'm a normal Dallas kid, normal experiences, and so on. Let's add to that that my father is a Christian clergyman. Let's add that I have gone to a private Christian school, where every day began with the Apostles' Creed and the Pledge of Allegiance. At fourteen or fifteen I began to think that perhaps my father doesn't know everything I thought he knew all along, and, like many other American teenagers, I'm out of there. Does this happen among your children? Srila Gurudeva: Not very often. Reporter: Does it happen? Srila Gurudeva: Sometimes. It happens with our adults, also. It's not just the children. In other words, many are called, but few are chosen to enter the kingdom of God. Even in the Bible that is stated. We don't expect that every single person who comes here is going to remain a devotee for life. Ours is not a place of indoctrination. It it is a place of teaching. We're trying to teach people more about the science of self-realization. If someone learns two percent of that science, we consider that their visit here has been a success. That's our outlook. Reporter: Is it fair to children, who don't have the choice, who are not at an age where they can make that choice? Srila Gurudeva: Can I ask you a question? Is it fair for children to be subjected to four hours of television a day? Is it fair for a child to be subjected to the type of thing that practically every parent subjects their kids to in America these days? People feed their kids junk foods. Is that fair to that living entity, that organism, to be fed things that are going to harm his body and rot his teeth? Reporter: I know of no religion that requires a child to sit down and watch television for four hours a day and eat Twinkies. Srila Gurudeva: No? There is a religion‑‑it's called "The Great American Way." That's the religion I'm talking about. I'm talking about Americana. I'm talking about the “good old American way.? Reporter. If anything, that would be viewed as an a-religious expression that has nothing to do with freedom of choice for a religion. Srila Gurudeva: It's heavy indoctrination, and that's my point. All parents, according to their way of life, subject their children to indoctrination. Reporter: Indoctrination carries with it an assumption of will. Conditioning carries with it an assumption of response to an environment. I would suggest that a child watching four hours of television a day and eating Twinkies is not being indoctrinated but is in fact being conditioned. I would suggest that a child being drilled on catechism responses by an authority figure within a church or movement is in fact being indoctrinated. Srila Gurudeva: Well, call it what you want, but anybody who sits in front of a boob tube for four hours and eats Twinkies is a vegetable, as far as I'm concerned. He's just a vegetable. He may be a "free" vegetable as opposed to an "indoctrinated" vegetable, but he is a vegetable. So we want to turn out some intelligent beings. We feel that there's enough vegetation already on the planet, and we would like to see some advanced creatures walking around on the face of the earth giving some direction to the world instead of having to open a newspaper every day and read about how every single country is at war. Reporter: Well, how does your Dallas Palace help the world situation? Srila Gurudeva: The Dallas Palace is really Kalachandji's Palace. "Kalachandji" is a name for Krishna. As you've seen in our temple room, there is a Deity of Krishna. The Deity is like a statue of Krishna, but He is not just a statue. We take it that this Deity form of the Lord is a transcendental form that's worshipable. This is stated in scripture, and we have personal experience of it. When I first came here, I thought, "This Deity deserves to have the best care. We have to build Him a palace." And that was my whole motive. I was thinking that somehow Krishna is going to be pleased. It was an inspired feeling I had. I felt that this Deity is like covered fire; this Deity is so powerful that if He is worshiped properly He is going to attract all the people of Texas. All the people of Texas, because Krishna is actually a cowboy also. Krishna is the original cowherd boy. Reporter: I beg your pardon? Srila Gurudeva: In Texas, everybody feels they are the original cowboys, but the original cowboy is Krishna. Krishna's activities five thousand years ago are described in our scriptures, and He used to take care of the cows. He was a cowboy. So, I feel that Kalachandji will be recognized as the original cowboy here in Dallas and that gradually the Texans are going to come and worship Him. Reporter: You talk about Kalachandji as the Deity to be worshiped by Texans. It sounds almost like you are introducing idol worship to a rather conservative state. Don't you expect a negative reaction from folks to that? Srila Gurudeva: Well, I don't base my actions on whether someone reacts negatively. In other words, I consider that if someone doesn't understand something, it's my duty to educate him and not back off if his reaction is based in ignorance. No. It's not idolatry at all. An idol is an image. And the word image connotes something about the imagination. You imagine something, and you just start to worship it as God. That is not what we're doing. Our Deity‑‑Kalachandji, or any other Deity Of Krishna‑‑is described in great detail in our scripture. This Deity was made exactly according to scriptural directions as being a likeness of the features of God. When you put a letter in a post office box, it will go to its destination, whereas if you make your own box, the letter won't go anywhere. Similarly, if you just worship some kind of stone statue according to your own imagination of God, it's not going to help you. But if you follow the scriptural advice and make a Deity exactly according to the scriptural references, and if you worship that Deity according to the very strict principles mentioned in the scriptures, then you will find that your worship is accepted and received by the Lord. So we don't call it idolatry. Reporter: All right. But we're talking about an East Indian culture, as compared to a cowboy culture. Do they have anything in common at all? How can they be related? Gurudeva: The similarity is in the cows. Krishna is the original cowboy, because one of Krishna's activities when He was present on earth five thousand years ago was to take care of the cows. And similarly, here in Texas, there are cows and there are cowboys taking care of the cows. Unfortunately, they are not taking very nice care of them. So the common factor is the cows. The distinction is how we take care of them. We want to introduce the original cow culture, which is based on the protection of the cows. Another name of Krishna is Govinda, or one who gives protection to the cows. We feel that the Texans should now learn that there is a better way to deal with cows than the way they've been dealing with them. In fact, we would say that if the Texans want to avoid massive karmic reaction they had better stop slaughtering cows immediately. We know if you keep up this type of sinful behavior of slaughtering cows, then there's going to be a very severe karmic reaction. There are a lot of heavy karmic reactions coming. Reporter: So everyone involved in the cattle industry who does not come to Krishna consciousness by the time of his death is moving in the opposite direction? Srila Gurudeva: Not only individually, but as a group. Reporter: Societies can suffer death? Srila Gurudeva: Yes, there's such a thing as national karma That's what's going on in the world today. And there is international karma. For all the abortion and all the slaughtering of animals, there is huge karma being created all over the face of this world, and the result comes in the form of unseasonable weather conditions‑‑drought, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes‑‑and ultimately, if it gets too heavy, atomic war. That's international karma. Reporter: And the Texans' response to that might be, "If I want to avoid economic ruin, I've got to continue slaughtering the COWS." Srila Gurudeva: The arrangement of Krishna, God, is that man should cultivate the land and protect the cows. Everything that you need for a balanced, healthy diet can be gained from these two things‑‑wheat you grow on the land and the products that you can derive from the cow. But not the cow's flesh. Once you kill the cow, you lose all the valuable things you can get from milk. And, from a moral point of view, we feel that the cow should be protected. If she's going to give you eight or ten years of her milk, that's quite a contribution. So, as a matter of thankfulness, gratefulness to her, we feel "Let her live out her life peacefully. " And if someone is really into eating meat, well, she's going to die a natural death anyway. Then you can go ahead and eat the meat. Maybe the cow will be a little thinner and there will be a little less meat. In fact, there was a very interesting study that revealed that if you produce beef rather than grains, it takes five times more land to get the same nutritional value. So this is a very sound economic policy‑‑to grow grains and vegetables and fruits and to take care of the cow and get her milk products ‑because then you have the food problem solved. Reporter: Isn't the idea of God as a cowboy kind of laughable? Srila Gurudeva: In 1968 I was preaching on the streets of Los Angeles, and I met this preacher from a Baptist revivalist church. He was a very nice man. He appreciated what I was saying to him, and he said, "I want you to come to my church." At the church meeting, I gave my sermon, and he gave his. And he was telling everybody in the audience about God. He said, "You know, no one has ever seen God. And do you know why? Because He's so big that you can't get far enough away from Him to actually see Him." That was his explanation. Another explanation I heard is the common one that God is an old man with a long, white beard. He's sitting on a big throne, and He's got a line of people stretching out into infinity‑‑people with so many things they want to talk to Him about. When I hear these things I don't laugh, even though I could, because this is all speculation. They don't know what God looks like. When you turn to most scriptures of the world, they don't give very much information about how God looks, except to say that man is made in God's image, which simply lets us know that God has a more or less humanlike appearance. But in the Vedic scriptures from India you get detailed information about the appearance of God. And just for your information, He happens to be, in His original form, a very beautiful, transcendental personality with exquisite features and qualities. That's why we can develop love for Him. And one of His favorite activities just happens to be taking care of the cows.

I really like the slogan:""WE KNOW WHAT GOD LOOKS LIKE, AND HE'S SWEET AND BEAUTIFUL" Seems quite appropriate for a T-shirt decorated with a nice picture of Krsna playing his flute. "What are the teachings of Krsna?" People sometimes ask when I tell them I worship Krsna (I hesitate to use the word "devotee") and maybe the next time someone asks me that,I'll say with a straight face."According to the teachings of the Vedas which are the scriptures revealed to the sages of ancient India,God is a sweet and beautiful person and we can be friends with Him."

One can say that we unconsciously know that there is something within the material body which can be independent of the body.When someone dies,we say:"He has passed away." Although the material body,which has now become a corpse is not gone.So what is it that has passed away? The soul is the difference between a living person and a corpse.When the soul is present within the material body,it is alive,but when the soul departs from the material body,it becomes inert and ready for decomposition.

How can a bhakta be an impersonalist? An impersonalist may disguise himself/herself as a bhakta,but a real bhakta can never be impersonal.

Prof. Kotovsky: But at the same time it seems to me that surrender is to be accompanied by revolt. The history of mankind has proved that mankind has developed only by revolt against some kind of surrender. In the medieval age there was the French Revolution. It was revolt against surrender. But this revolution itself was surrender to the rank and file of the people. You are agreed? Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Prof. Kotovsky: So it is not enough to come to a full stop. Surrender is to be accompanied with revolt against some and surrender to other people. Srila Prabhupada: But the surrender will be fully stopped when it is surrender to Krsna. Prof. Kotovsky: Ah, ah. Srila Prabhupada: That is full stop--no more surrender. Any other surrender you have to change by revolution. But when you come to Krsna, then it is sufficient. You are satisfied. I'll give you an example: a child is crying, and people move him from one lap to another. Oh, he does not stop. But as soon as the baby comes to the lap of his mother... Prof. Kotovsky: It stops. Srila Prabhupada: Yes, full satisfaction. So this surrender, these changes, will go on in different categories. But the sum total of all this surrender is surrender to maya. Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gita it is said that this surrender, neglecting Krsna, is all mayather you surrender to this or to that, but final surrender is surrender to Krsna; then you will be happy. The process of surrender is there, but surrender to Krsna keeps one quite satisfied, transcendentally. (Science of Self Realization By His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,Chapter Six: Spiritual Communism)

Prof. Kotovsky: But at the same time it seems to me that surrender is to be accompanied by revolt. The history of mankind has proved that mankind has developed only by revolt against some kind of surrender. In the medieval age there was the French Revolution. It was revolt against surrender. But this revolution itself was surrender to the rank and file of the people. You are agreed? Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Prof. Kotovsky: So it is not enough to come to a full stop. Surrender is to be accompanied with revolt against some and surrender to other people. Srila Prabhupada: But the surrender will be fully stopped when it is surrender to Krsna. Prof. Kotovsky: Ah, ah. Srila Prabhupada: That is full stop--no more surrender. Any other surrender you have to change by revolution. But when you come to Krsna, then it is sufficient. You are satisfied. I'll give you an example: a child is crying, and people move him from one lap to another. Oh, he does not stop. But as soon as the baby comes to the lap of his mother... Prof. Kotovsky: It stops. Srila Prabhupada: Yes, full satisfaction. So this surrender, these changes, will go on in different categories. But the sum total of all this surrender is surrender to maya. Therefore, in the Bhagavad-gita it is said that this surrender, neglecting Krsna, is all mayather you surrender to this or to that, but final surrender is surrender to Krsna; then you will be happy. The process of surrender is there, but surrender to Krsna keeps one quite satisfied, transcendentally. (Science of Self Realization By His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,Chapter Six: Spiritual Communism)

During their preaching in Kuala Lumpur, the devotees had met one of the most prominent members of the Indian community,Tun sambanthan,a government minister.Knowing Prabhupada was coming, he asked thed evotees if Swamiji would come to his house for lunch on Friday. In the minister's chauffer-driven car,Prabhupada and the devotees entered the driveway through the large gates.A high dais had been arranged for Prabhupada to sit on.Mrs Sambanthan sat at his feet.Mrs Sambanthan had a reputation for singing bhajans, and an interest in Sanskrit. Prabhupada preached to her very intently, hoping that she would help to spread Krsna consciousness.Being the wife of the minister,Prabhupada saw that she could be very influential and helpful in spreading Krsna consciousness --- a strestha or leader of society. As Prabhupada explained the process of Krsna consciousness he quoted many Sanskrit verses.Mrs Sambanthan said:"Yes that is so true.You quote Sanskrit so nicely Swamiji."After some time Srila Prabhupada said:"So you are appreciating our philosophy very nicely.You must help us spread this Krsna consciousness movement."She answered:"With your mercy,Swamiji."Srila Prabhupada said;"Mercy is already there. You simply have to take it." She answered again:"With your mercy,Swamiji."Then Srila Prabhupada gave an analogy.He said:"If someone is drowning in a well and crying out 'Help',and another person hears him and throws down a rope so he can catch it.If the person drowning in the well cries,'Help me take the rope',it is not right.It is up to him to take the rope and be pulled out.The mercy is there.You simply have to take it and become free from all illusion and lamentation." (From Prabhupada in Malaysia, Chapter 8:'I want a temple like this')

During their preaching in Kuala Lumpur, the devotees had met one of the most prominent members of the Indian community,Tun sambanthan,a government minister.Knowing Prabhupada was coming, he asked thed evotees if Swamiji would come to his house for lunch on Friday. In the minister's chauffer-driven car,Prabhupada and the devotees entered the driveway through the large gates.A high dais had been arranged for Prabhupada to sit on.Mrs Sambanthan sat at his feet.Mrs Sambanthan had a reputation for singing bhajans, and an interest in Sanskrit. Prabhupada preached to her very intently, hoping that she would help to spread Krsna consciousness.Being the wife of the minister,Prabhupada saw that she could be very influential and helpful in spreading Krsna consciousness --- a strestha or leader of society. As Prabhupada explained the process of Krsna consciousness he quoted many Sanskrit verses.Mrs Sambanthan said:"Yes that is so true.You quote Sanskrit so nicely Swamiji."After some time Srila Prabhupada said:"So you are appreciating our philosophy very nicely.You must help us spread this Krsna consciousness movement."She answered:"With your mercy,Swamiji."Srila Prabhupada said;"Mercy is already there. You simply have to take it." She answered again:"With your mercy,Swamiji."Then Srila Prabhupada gave an analogy.He said:"If someone is drowning in a well and crying out 'Help',and another person hears him and throws down a rope so he can catch it.If the person drowning in the well cries,'Help me take the rope',it is not right.It is up to him to take the rope and be pulled out.The mercy is there.You simply have to take it and become free from all illusion and lamentation." (From Prabhupada in Malaysia, Chapter 8:'I want a temple like this')

Winning a heart;saving a soul GIRL:Srila Prabhupada,would you please explain why Krsna consciousness hadn't come to the West until now? Why didn't it come earlier? PRABHUPADA:Because you were not born. After your birth we have come here to take you back to home, back to Godhead.Now take the opportunity; come with us.We were waiting for your birth. *** Prabhupada's answer endeared the questioner to his lotus feet. (From My Glorious Master by Bhurijana Dasa,Melbourne,1976)

Winning a heart;saving a soul GIRL:Srila Prabhupada,would you please explain why Krsna consciousness hadn't come to the West until now? Why didn't it come earlier? PRABHUPADA:Because you were not born. After your birth we have come here to take you back to home, back to Godhead.Now take the opportunity; come with us.We were waiting for your birth. *** Prabhupada's answer endeared the questioner to his lotus feet. (From My Glorious Master by Bhurijana Dasa,Melbourne,1976)

Remaining a fool Prabhupada sat at his low desk,satisfied and smiling.He spoke about the humility of advanced devotees.I was in a light,superficial mood."My only qualification,"I added,"is that I am a fool." Prabhupada looked at me sharply."Yes,but you should not remain a fool." *** Prabhupada's answer cut through the superficiality of my childish comment.Actual devotees are humble,but they are never fools. (From My Glorious Master by Bhurijana Dasa,Melbourne,1974)

Remaining a fool Prabhupada sat at his low desk,satisfied and smiling.He spoke about the humility of advanced devotees.I was in a light,superficial mood."My only qualification,"I added,"is that I am a fool." Prabhupada looked at me sharply."Yes,but you should not remain a fool." *** Prabhupada's answer cut through the superficiality of my childish comment.Actual devotees are humble,but they are never fools. (From My Glorious Master by Bhurijana Dasa,Melbourne,1974)

The power of Krsna --- the power of the scientists Each afternoon, Prabhupada sat on a hill under a persimmon tree. Resting his hands on a makeshift wooden table, he spoke casually to whoever gathered to hear him.One afternoon he waved his hand dramatically across the lush,green valley and spoke about the scientists' limitations. "The scientists can drop a bomb. Then all the leaves from these trees will be finished."He pasued as the devotees watched his hand move again to span the vealley,"But they cannot again bring the leaves back." "Krsna is so wonderful,"he continued,"with so much more power than any scientist.he can make all the trees leafless in winter and again bring back all the leaves in summer." *** We were satisfied just sitting with Prabhupada and hearing hin speak simple krsna-katha. (From My Glorious Master by Bhurijana Dasa,New Vrindaban,1969)

The power of Krsna --- the power of the scientists Each afternoon, Prabhupada sat on a hill under a persimmon tree. Resting his hands on a makeshift wooden table, he spoke casually to whoever gathered to hear him.One afternoon he waved his hand dramatically across the lush,green valley and spoke about the scientists' limitations. "The scientists can drop a bomb. Then all the leaves from these trees will be finished."He pasued as the devotees watched his hand move again to span the vealley,"But they cannot again bring the leaves back." "Krsna is so wonderful,"he continued,"with so much more power than any scientist.he can make all the trees leafless in winter and again bring back all the leaves in summer." *** We were satisfied just sitting with Prabhupada and hearing hin speak simple krsna-katha. (From My Glorious Master by Bhurijana Dasa,New Vrindaban,1969)

"In the Srimad-Bhagavatam there is a list of the avataras, and there is mention of Lord Buddha's name. This Srimad-Bhagavatam was written five thousand years ago, and it mentions different names for future times. It says that in the future the Lord would appear as Lord Buddha, his mother's name would be Anjana, and he would appear in Gaya. So Buddha appeared twenty-six hundred years ago, and the Srimad-Bhagavatam, which was written five thousand years ago, mentioned that in the future he would appear. Similarly, there is mention of Lord Caitanya, and similarly the last avatara of this Kali-yuga is also mentioned in the Bhagavatam. It is mentioned that the last incarnation in this age is Kalki. He will appear as the son of a brahmana whose name is Visnu-yasa, in a place called Sambhala. There is a place in India with that name, so perhaps it is there that the Lord will appear.(From Science of Self Realization By His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Chapter Five, The Appearance of Lord Caitanya)

"In the Srimad-Bhagavatam there is a list of the avataras, and there is mention of Lord Buddha's name. This Srimad-Bhagavatam was written five thousand years ago, and it mentions different names for future times. It says that in the future the Lord would appear as Lord Buddha, his mother's name would be Anjana, and he would appear in Gaya. So Buddha appeared twenty-six hundred years ago, and the Srimad-Bhagavatam, which was written five thousand years ago, mentioned that in the future he would appear. Similarly, there is mention of Lord Caitanya, and similarly the last avatara of this Kali-yuga is also mentioned in the Bhagavatam. It is mentioned that the last incarnation in this age is Kalki. He will appear as the son of a brahmana whose name is Visnu-yasa, in a place called Sambhala. There is a place in India with that name, so perhaps it is there that the Lord will appear.(From Science of Self Realization By His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Chapter Five, The Appearance of Lord Caitanya)

A special ring As we entered and offered our obeisances,Prabhupada was grave.Slowly he removed a thin,gold wedding ring from his finger.He held it delicately between his thumb and forefinger and turned to Jagattarini."This is for you." Prabhupada extended his arm and placed the ring into her outstreched palms.He appeared thoughtful,gentle,and soft like a loving father.Jagattarini bowed her head and began to cry. *** Medicine is at times bitter and difficult to digest.Prabhupada,more careful than the most concerned doctor,was concerned for his patient's health.He knew that kindness was needed,and out of affection,he gave Jaggatarini a full dose. (From My Glorious Master by Bhurijana Dasa,Hong Kong 1974 --- Part I) [This message has been edited by leyh (edited 03-10-2002).] [This message has been edited by leyh (edited 03-10-2002).] [This message has been edited by leyh (edited 03-12-2002).]

Non-attachment to a good ring Srutakirti vigorously massaged sandalwood oil into Prabhupada's head.I sudenly noticed that he still wore the gold ring with the engraved "P" on it that I had given him when he visited Hong Kong in 1974. "You still have the ring,"I said in near surprise."Yes,"said Prabhupada,"It is a good ring." *** That Prabhupada not only accepted but wore my ring offering for years thrilled me.I saw him wearing the ring many times.Because the gold was pure and soft and the ring-size expandable,he would at times wear it on one finger and then move it to another.Years after Prabhupada's departure from this world,I learned what finally became of that ring.Prabhupada's "son" had come to see him in Calcutta and had requested him again and again for money and bangles for his daughter.Prabhupada finally gave him the ring and he left,satisfied.Prabhupada then turned to his servant and said,"I am not attached." (From My Glorious Master by Bhurijana Dasa, Melbourne 1975) [This message has been edited by leyh (edited 03-12-2002).]

The Respect of a Vaisnava When Prabhupada arrived,we had offered him a 24-karat gold ring with a raised "P" on it,a gold necklace with a "P",and a gold bracelet engraved with the full word, Prabhupada.We had also arranged a Rolls Royce to carry him from the airport to his luxurious hotel suite.Prabhupada appreciated our recognition of his position as the representative of Krsna and told Satsvarupa Maharaja,"This is a great credit for the one who has made these arrangements." *** I had asked Sudama Vipra Swami how to greet and honor Prabhupada,and I made opulent arrangements according to his advice.When I heard both Prabhupada's appreciation of our offerings and his strong criticism,I said,"Prabhupada,I know you appreciated the arrangements we made for you.I learned this from Sudama Vipra Swami.So he helped me." Prabhupada's reply was dour."That is nice.They may have helped you in the past,but they cannot help you anymore." "Then how should I treat him and Siddha-svarupa now? "You should treat them with respect," prabhupada replied."A Vaisnava treats everyone with respect,even an ant!" *** (From My Glorious Master by Bhurijana Dasa,Hong Kong 1974 --- Part I) [This message has been edited by leyh (edited 03-10-2002).] [This message has been edited by leyh (edited 03-12-2002).]