Prabhupada's Coming, by Paratrikananda dasa

[Guest guest]

Preface

 

Although I joined the Krsna consciousness movement many years ago, I can't

honestly say I've been a devotee a long time. Over the years I've drifted

away from devotional practices I once followed. Many of us have drifted away

to some degree, and it's a great tragedy. However, if we help each other

remember our spiritual master and the wonderful times we had serving him,

I'm confident we can turn things around. "Prabhupada's Coming" was written

to reflect my impressions of the time His Divine Grace was physically with

us. Truth be told, we had our share of problems and personality clashes, but

somehow we managed because of our mutual love for Srila Prabhupada. It's

this mutual love for him that moves me to reflect on those times with the

deepest admiration and affection for all the devotees who were there, who

shared the experience and who accepted me as a brother.

 

 

The high regard with which I write of my God brothers and sisters of that

era is not to imply that devotees of my generation were in some way better

than those of subsequent generations-many devotees from newer generations

are equally dedicated and hard working and their devotion to Prabhupada is

inspirational-rather, I simply beg to share some of my memories. Hopefully

they will help stimulate your love and appreciation for Srila Prabhupada,

his family and the missionary spirit embraced during a happier time.

 

 

I began writing, "Prabhupada's Coming," in 1987. It started as a poem, but

after writing a few verses I realized that newer devotees may not relate to

all the references, so I decided to tell some of the back-story. Over the

years the back-story grew larger as I compiled more details and anecdotes to

help set the scene.

 

 

Setting the Scene

 

 

In May of 1970, Srila Prabhupada sent the following message to his temple

presidents:

 

lease accept my blessings. I hope everything is going on well in your

center.

 

As each and every ISKCON Center is my life and soul for preaching this

movement, I hope you are doing your best to conduct the regular routine

duties of the Temple--chanting regularly the beads, observing the

restrictive regulations, taking Sankirtana Party to the streets, and selling

our magazines and books...

 

 

 

The men that received this letter were each responsible for one of

twenty-six temples. It had taken the first four years of Srila Prabhupada's

International

Society for Krishna Consciousness to establish these centers.

 

 

 

In June of 1971, during the Rathayatra Festival in San Francisco, Prabhupada

asked Karandhara, "We have got fifty centers., how many centers now?"

Karandhara replied, "Almost sixty, fifty-eight." In slightly over a year,

thirty-two new centers (almost three a month) had been opened and the number

of temples had more than doubled!

 

 

 

That was my first Rathayatra and I remember standing in the hall at 4 A.M.

with scores of other men waiting to use the only bathroom available.

Karandhara prabhu was planted next to the sole bathtub with his stone cold

mug fixed on his watch, counting down the time to make sure no one took more

than their allotted thirty seconds to shower. Some devotees had risen

earlier and some were still doing service from the previous night but there

certainly were well over a hundred men who used the single bathroom that

morning and everyone made mangala-aratik on time. Karandhara and Kesava

talked about how Prabhupada would be pleased because there were so many new

devotees this year.

 

 

 

During the festival I overheard one devotee, who apparently was overlooked

for initiation, tell his friend with all sincerity, "It doesn't matter. I

can serve Prabhupada whether I'm initiated or not." This struck me and made

me a bit ashamed because I had received initiation a couple months earlier

but my motive was to insure my own liberation. This prabhu only wanted to

serve Prabhupada.

Here was a real disciple and a vivid example of the selfless attitude that

enabled the movement to grow at such an astonishing rate in the seventies.

 

 

 

My journeys on traveling sankirtan in addition to my own wanderlust during

this time allowed me to observe the differences and similarities among Krsna

temples from coast to coast in North America. There were many more

similarities than differences. For example, a devotee visiting any temple

was immediately greeted with obeisances (the kind where you actually get

down on the floor) followed by a hug, a flower garland and a big plate of

maha prasadam. There was a palpable comaraderie and unity of spirit among

devotees during this period and the service rendered by my God brothers and

God sisters was accented by dedication, simplicity and unwavering attachment

to Srila Prabhupada.

 

 

In those days we had no furniture, and everyone slept on the floor.

Offensive language was never spoken. and seeing a movie or watching TV was

unthinkable.

All Laksmi was turned over to the temple treasurer and all personal

possessions easily fit in a BTG box. These usually consisted of a

Bhagavad-gita, japa beads, a toothbrush, and perhaps a couple articles of

clothing. No one ever took a day off or went on vacation. From the moment of

waking 'til the time of rest, devotees would be busy serving Krsna. In fact,

it was a general practice that if someone finished their assigned duties

they would report to the temple commander with folded hands and request more

service.

 

 

 

Most of the buildings that served as temples were rented houses. It wasn't

hard to find the Sri Sri Radha Krsna Temple. You knew you had the right

place if you came across a house painted with a somewhat psychedelic

combination of pastel yellow, orange, peach or blue and saw long, narrow

strips of saffron cloth hanging out the windows (curiously, one might also

see similar strips of cloth hanging out the backside of the men's dhotis).

To help support the temple, devotees spent time each week stuffing incense

sticks into Spiritual Sky Incense packages and these were wholesaled to

local head shops and retail stores. A fair amount of the flowers used to

decorate the altar were appropriated from neighboring homes, much to the

aggravation of the homeowners.

This, and hounding people for donations on sankirtan, were our most

notorious indiscretions of the time. With the exception of a few large

centers, most temples had an average of ten to twenty members, some with as

few as two or three. But these small groups of devotees would regularly

perform sankirtan at every major venue in a metropolitan area. Although the

entire body of devotees numbered only in the hundreds, people would often

remark that they saw us everywhere and therefore believed we had many

thousands of followers. They didn't realize they were seeing the same

devotees over and over again.

 

 

 

At that time very few devotees had gone to India and almost all our

devotional articles were makeshift western facsimiles. One temple I stayed

in had no mrdanga so during kirtan a devotee would play the drum beats on a

plastic one gallon jar. We strung our own japa mala from colored beads-red,

yellow, green or blue-purchased from local bead shops. Our tilak was made

from Fuller's Earth which turned white when it dried on the body. Our dhotis

and saris were cut from bolts of polyester cloth. Householders wore yellow

then, and the single men and women both wore saffron. We usually wore

t-shirts or button- down shirts, and at one point the turtleneck became a

fashion trend. At times, even Srila Prabhupada wore such shirts. A standard

element of the Krsna uniform, for both men and women, was the cape-a

rectangular piece of cloth tied at two corners, draped over one shoulder and

across the chest (now worn exclusively by sannyasis). Genuine Indian kurtas

and saris were rare commodities and if anyone happened to acquire one they

became the envy of the temple. For the most part, clothing was communal

property and you took what you could get. Dirty clothing was thrown in a

barrel, washed and returned in the same barrel. To find a matching pair of

socks was like discovering gold. To find matching socks without holes was as

rare as pure devotional service. During winter months devotees wore hooded

sweatshirts. In colder parts of the country they'd wear a hooded sweatshirt,

thermal underwear and an extra pair of socks, which made it really hard to

keep flip-flops on when trudging through snow.

 

 

 

Before coming to Krsna Consciousness, most of us had been hippies and had

led lives devoid of any regulation. We were used to going to bed at sunrise

and sleeping ten or more hours a day. But as devotees we rose before the sun

after five or six hours sleep and often less. The transition was painfully

difficult.

It took me four years before I was able to stay awake during mangala-aratik.

One friend told me he'd been jumping up and down during kirtan and had

fallen asleep in mid air.

 

 

 

Nevertheless, in the morning everyone would rise by 3:30 or 4:00, including

those who'd been up most of the night doing service or finishing rounds.

We'd brush our teeth with a toothpaste made from baking soda, salt and

mustard oilYYY-a formula given by Srila Prabhupada. In the dead of winter we

dutifully took bone chilling, cold showers. Kirk's was the official soap of

the devotees.

To save money, bath towels were cut into two or three pieces, so after

showering we'd dry off with a terry cloth rag about the size of a hand

towel.

Fresh razor blades were uncommon and when it came time to shave up, heads

were scalped and sikhas hewn with ancient, jagged blades, by God brothers

anxious to get to aratik on time. Bloodshed was profuse and occasionally a

careless stroke of the razor would transform someone into a Mayavadi.

 

 

 

As Prabhupada said, our recreation was chanting & dancing. This was the

grandfather of all aerobics and we really got a workout, often jumping up

and down or back and forth non-stop through the entire aratik. This also

helped us stay awake because, more often than not, if someone sat down

during the morning program it meant they were going to sleep. Even the

person giving class would sometimes nod off in the middle of a sentence. But

snoozers didn't dally long with maya because there was always one irritating

devotee who would place his mouth about three inches from his sleeping

victim's eardrum and shout, "Hare Krsna!" The typical response was to

indignantly insist, "I'm just resting my eyes!" But no one could stay awake

long while sitting down. The only exception to this axiom was when devotees

took prasadam. Then the principle reversed-during prasadam, no one could

fall asleep even while sitting down. But if you sat down any time other than

prasadam, it was just as good as waving the white flag to maya.

 

 

 

The alternative was to stand but then you ran the risk of dozing off and

falling over, which is exactly what happened to my God brother, Pratyaya

prabhu. Pratyaya had been working non-stop to prepare for Prabhupada's first

visit to San Diego in 1972. In addition to neglecting sleep he told me he

had also been neglecting his rounds, believing his service was more

important. One morning while he stood listening to Prabhupada's Bhagavatam

class, he nodded out and tumbled over like a bag of rice. Despite Pratyaya's

sacrifices, Prabhupada made it decidedly clear later in his lecture that

nothing is more important than finishing your rounds.

 

 

 

Prabhupada: So similarly, how to see God. You will see God with these eyes

when it is clarified. Premanjana-cchurita, by the ointment of love of

Godhead. So these are the function, how to love. One has to rise early in

the morning. He doesn't like, but, "No. I will have to satisfy Krsna." This

is the beginning.

 

 

 

Then Prabhupada panned the room and when he came to Pratyaya he stopped and

looked him dead in the eye.

 

 

 

Prabhupada: "Oh, I have to chant sixteen rounds." He is lazy. He doesn't

want to do it. But if he loves Krsna, he must do it. He must do it.

 

 

 

Pratyaya was stunned by Prabhupada's perceptivity, but also elated to be

personally disciplined by his spiritual master in regard to chanting japa.

 

 

 

The holy name was the linchpin in our relationship with Krsna and devotees

went to extreme lengths to stay alert while chanting rounds in the morning.

One God brother, in order to hear his rounds clearly and avoid distractions,

would chant japa with a 5 gallon plastic bucket over his head. I also heard

of one small-framed devotee who chanted his rounds in the utility room while

curled up inside the clothes dryer. Pinching, straining, stretching,

slapping yourself in the face, running around the block, chanting japa

loudly while leaping up and down, plundering the maha sweets, standing in a

bucket of cold water, taping eyelids to the forehead, lightly banging one's

head against the wall and shooting each other in the face with squirt guns;

these were some of the zany devices devotees employed to stay awake during

the brahma-muhurta-the most sacred period of the day. For visitors, it

probably looked like an episode of The Three Stooges.

 

 

 

But devotional service was a declaration of war on the external energy and

at times one would lose the battle. This could be something as innocent as

getting discouraged on sankirtan, or it could fall under the heading of a

bloop. There were three types of bloops. The least serious bloop was when a

cook ruined a preparation by burning it, adding too much salt or some other

carelessness. The most serious bloop, of course, was when someone left the

movement. And the marginal bloop was when someone moved to another temple

without authorization

from his temple president. Ironically, in this case the other temple would

usually see it as Krsna's arrangement rather than blooping because more

often than not, someone had just blooped from their temple and they needed a

replacement.

 

 

 

Despite all the wacky behavior there was something very noble about the

assembly of devotees. They were sincere and they were trying their very best

to please Srila Prabhupada. In addition to following the regulative

principles and chanting sixteen rounds, which was inconceivable to the

overwhelming majority of the population, devotees had taken upon themselves

the enormous task of helping Prabhupada bring Krsna consciousness to

millions of forgetful souls.

 

 

 

After the morning program everyone would help clean the temple and then we'd

all go on sankirtan. We'd cram into one vehicle and drive to a business

district or college campus, chanting rounds along the way and trying

valiantly to stay awake. Within ten minutes we'd be out cold, but Krsna

usually made sure there was at least one conscious person in the vehicle who

could wake up the driver.

 

 

 

When we reached our sankirtan spot, we'd scramble out of the van and form a

line facing our audience. The men would be stationed at either end of the

line with the women in the middle, to insure their safety. A brief pep rally

prefaced the chanting as the sankirtan leader called out, "Back to home!"

with devotees responding, "Back to Godhead!" We really felt we were going

home, and this call and response was repeated three times with escalating

enthusiasm. Then the mrdanga came in with a couple bars of pounding rhythm,

followed by the sizzle of kartals and prayers to our spiritual master. While

chanting, we'd dance in time to the music and in step with one another.

Every ten minutes one devotee would address the onlookers with a brief

explanation of Krsna consciousness. We'd also chant and dance in procession,

moving single file or double file up and down the street while remaining in

step with each other. After thirty minutes we'd break into two groups. Half

the devotees would continue chanting and the other half would distribute

BTGs, trying to get a quarter for each magazine. Every half hour the

chanters and distributors would trade places. At that time it was considered

a good day for a small temple if the entire sankirtan party distributed two

or three dozen BTGs and collected fifteen to twenty dollars. To sell even

one hard back book was nothing short of a certified miracle. But later, when

we realized Prabhupada's precedent desire was to distribute his books, we

made that our priority and amazing things happened.

 

 

 

In 1971, as book distribution was getting off the ground, an average

distributor could easily sell four, five, even six big books a day! And we'd

always stuff about twice as many books as we could sell into our canvas book

bags, just in case we got lucky. Before the discovery of airports and wigs

we'd spend the entire day running door to door in devotional clothing with

thirty pounds of Krsna books bouncing off our hips. If we went to the store,

ran errands or went out to chant japa, we brought our book bag along and

made sure everyone that crossed our path had a chance to know about Krsna.

And though sankirtan often meant being ridiculed by the public or harassed

by the police, we were determined to please our spiritual master by this

service and convinced that Krsna consciousness would take over the world

within twenty years. It was exciting and blissful being in the vanguard of

Prabhupada's mission.

 

 

 

While preaching, one of the most frequently heard comments was, "You guys

have an answer for everything." And we did, because we had unshakable faith

in Srila Prabhupada. Even if we didn't know the answer to a challenging

question, if we were preaching intrepidly and depending on Krsna, He would

provide the answer on the spot. It would come to you like a lightning bolt

and you could just stand back and watch in amazement as Krsna used your

tongue and your mouth to silence the opposition by revealing something even

you weren't aware of.

 

 

 

We were a handful of youngsters. We had almost no resources. We had almost

no experience in spiritual life or in the ways of the world. But we did have

Prabhupada as our spiritual master. And this singular asset gave us

unabashed confidence to face any adversary-students, professors, scholars,

scientists, politicians, atheists, impersonalists or yogis-it didn't matter.

Srila Prabhupada made a similar declaration during his morning walk at

Cheviot Hills in 1973:

 

 

 

Just like we dare to face any chemist, any scientist, any philosopher. Why?

On the strength of Krsna, we believe that "There is Krsna. When I shall talk

with him, Krsna will give me intelligence." This is the basics. Otherwise,

from qualification, standard, they are very much qualified. We are common

laymen before them. But how do we challenge them? Because we know. Just like

a small child He can challenge a very big man because he knows, "My father

is there."

He is catching the hand of the father, and he's sure that "Nobody can do

anything to me."

 

 

 

In the evening we'd head back to the temple for prasadam, aratik, and

Bhagavad-gita class. And before taking rest we drank hot banana milk and

read from Krsna book. We read from each of Srila Prabhupada's books every

day, 6 classes in all-Bhagavatam, Nectar of Devotion, TLC, Sri Isopanisad,

Bhagavad-gita and Krsna book. Reading Prabhupada's books was paramount

ecstasy.

He was our absolute authority and practically everything that came out of a

devotee's mouth was prefaced with: "Srila Prabhupada said...". Everything

fell into one of two categories-bona fide and bogus. All that came from

Prabhupada was bona fide and anything else was simply bogus.

 

 

 

During the week, prasadam was served on sheets of wax paper to save money.

We ate with our fingers and refrained from conversation while honoring

Krsna's mercy. The lunch staples were rice, capatis and spicy hot dahl. Dahl

chaunces were so devastating that when the chaunce pan was flung into a

boiling pot of dahl, flames would shoot up, blowing the lid off the pot and

filling the kitchen with a dark, pungent cloud that sent everyone scrambling

out the door, coughing and wheezing.

 

 

 

When Sunday came around most, if not all, the devotees would stay back to

clean and decorate the temple or help prepare the Sunday Love Feast. The

kitchen was considered an extension of the deity room and the jurisdiction

of Sri Radha. Some devotees would offer obeisances before beginning kitchen

service. Karmi clothing and prajalpa were strictly forbidden and only

initiated Brahmins could work with the fire. And the word was, Krsna would

not accept an offering unless the kitchen was spotless. Pots, utensils and

tables were rinsed immediately before use, even if they'd been cleaned

minutes prior. We even kept Krsna's pots shiny on the outside and often

spent an hour or more scouring the carbon and rust off the underside of a

wok. Preparations were made with utmost care, while struggling to refrain

from savoring the aroma of the un-offered food. The entire process was a

meditation on pleasing Krsna. Many of these standards were described in a

letter Srila Prabhupada wrote to Aniruddha in 1968:

 

 

 

Kitchen should be considered as good as the Lord's room, and nobody should

wear shoes in the kitchen, smelling and tasting of foods being prepared for

the Lord should never be done, talking within the kitchen should be only

what is necessary for preparing the prasadam, or about the Lord.

 

 

 

Daily prasadam was irresistible but Sunday feast prasadam was simply beyond

mortal conception-sweet rice flavored with camphor, butter oozing from the

halava, puris puffed like balloons, gulabs exploding in your mouth, saffron

rice with fried curd balls, samosas the size of your fist, exotic lassis,

fresh milk burfi, crispy golden pakoras, subjis and chutneys so hot your

forehead would sweat, and everything floating in puddles of ghee. We always

took to our full satisfaction, and then some! After the Sunday lecture we'd

have two or three massive plates of prasadam while preaching to guests. When

the guests went home we'd finish whatever was left on their plates. When

that was gone we'd wipe out whatever was left in the serving containers and

pots. And when the prasadam supply was finally exhausted we'd have a kirtan.

We knew prasadam was spiritual because it was physically impossible to

consume as much as we did. During my first year of devotional service I

heard repeatedly, "Prabhupada said new devotees should take so much prasadam

that they waddle like a duck."

This was one instruction I took to heart. But later on, when I tried to

become more serious about Krsna consciousness, I came to dread Sundays,

knowing I wouldn't be able to control myself during the feast. I felt like a

werewolf on a full moon night and once I actually asked Bhakta das, my

temple president, to lock me in the office so my senses wouldn't get the

best of me. But he didn't take me seriously and I remained a servant of my

tongue for a long time. Controlling the senses was difficult but at least

prasadam was non-different from Krsna. He appeared in this form to help us

become attached to Him. In becoming addicted to prasadam we became addicted

to Krsna.

 

 

 

Chanting, dancing, feasting and philosophy. This was Lord Caitanya's

movement-Prabhupada's gift to the world. And although Krsna Consciousness

was sometimes a struggle, it was always wonderful. Perhaps the most

wonderful part was how much Prabhupada cared about us despite our

deficiencies. We were all lost souls who had given up on God, turned our

backs on religion, and rejected the moral standards of our parents. Some of

us were drug addicts, some of us were suicidal, and some of us were just

crazy. Some of us were even civilized and educated, but none of us had a

clue. It was not until we met Srila Prabhupada that we understood the

purpose of life. He brought us hope and gave thousands of young hearts a

reason to live.

 

 

 

In Prabhupada we realized a gentle father, a trusted friend, an exalted

teacher. He guided us beyond the insanity of materialism and offered us the

precious gift of devotion to Krsna. In return we were fiercely loyal. At a

time when it was fashionable to sport hair below the shoulder, we shaved our

heads clean to please him. When sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll were a way of

life, we gave them up because he asked us to. When love and peace were

bywords, he taught us to stand and fight for Krsna. When others were

preparing for their future, we gave the best years of our lives to him. And

although he always directed our love toward Krsna, that made us love him

even more. Whenever he would visit our temple and we had a chance to see

him, it made all our sacrifices worthwhile. The week prior to his arrival

would always turn into a 'round the clock marathon-remodeling, painting,

cleaning, sewing, decorating, cooking and publicizing the arrival of, "His

Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Spiritual Master of the

Universe". The non-devotees had their "Miss Universe" and "Mr. Universe"

contests but with Prabhupada there was no contest. He was the undisputed

jagad-guru, Spiritual Master of the Universe, and we were proud to announce

his arrival that way, no matter how strange or pretentious it sounded to

outsiders.

 

 

 

For most of us, physical association with Srila Prabhupada was during

guru-puja or Bhagavatam class, and occasionally we'd get a chance to offer

some personal service. We were happy to be menial servants of such a great

personality, though most of the time our service was in separation. That did

not imply, however, that we weren't greedy for Prabhupada's physical

association. No one could deny there was something magical about being in

his presence.

 

 

 

When Prabhupada came to California in the summer of 1972, he spent much of

his time in Los Angeles, but he also visited smaller temples in the area to

enliven his disciples. I was on a traveling sankirtan party at that time and

somehow our itinerary just happened to coincide exactly with Srila

Prabhupada's (hmmm.must've been Krsna's arrangement). Every time Prabhupada

landed at an airport or arrived at a temple on his '72 west coast tour, we

were there to greet him. In Los Angeles, ours were faces in the crowd but

with consecutive appearances in a string of smaller temples, those same

faces stuck out like sore thumbs. But we had no shame-we'd do anything to

see him. From Southern California to the Pacific Northwest, we were

Prabhupada's unofficial west coast welcoming committee. And Prabhupada

didn't seem to mind. Perhaps because all along the way we were distributing

his books-we didn't decrease our service.

 

 

 

For Prabhupada's visit to Portland, the devotees had made accommodations for

him in a fancy hotel suite, as the tiny temple facilities were crowded and

inadequate. But Prabhupada wanted to be with the devotees and elected to

stay at the temple. As no arrangement had been made for him there, he

patiently waited for us to prepare a little space. With expeditious

devotion, I helped scrub and clean the small room and adjacent bathroom that

would serve as His Divine Grace's quarters during his visit. Prabhupada's

humility and love for us made a deep impression on me.

 

 

 

While Srila Prabhupada was in Los Angeles, I was fortunate to be there also.

In the morning he'd go for a japa walk then return to greet the deities and

give class. The devotee that first saw Prabhupada's car in the distance

would enthusiastically cry out, "Prabhupada's coming!," and the message

would quickly echo throughout the temple. This was our curtain call and upon

hearing it we'd rush around making final arrangements for the reception of

His Divine Grace and the greeting of the Lord. Someone would start a kirtan

and we'd form two lines facing each other in front of the temple. When

Prabhupada arrived he'd walk between us carrying a basket of flowers. He'd

stop in front of each devotee, accept a flower from them, reach into his

basket and offer a flower in return (to the best of my knowledge this

pastime was unique to LA). Then he'd proceed to the temple room for darsana.

 

 

 

When greeting the deities, Prabhupada would always offer full dandavats at

each altar. As he sat on his vyasasana we'd sing the Guruvastakam prayers

and offer flower petals at his feet (the offering of aratik paraphernalia

had not yet been introduced). Afterwards he'd lead us in an electrifying

version of, "Jaya Radha Madhava" and deliver a brilliant lecture on Srimad

Bhagavatam.

 

 

 

And then the grand finale: Kirtan began slow and purposeful like a

locomotive leaving the station. Gradually picking up speed, the momentum

soared until the energy of hundreds crystallized into a single mass. We were

Prabhupada's army and no force on earth could stop us. The power of serving

him was almost more than we could wield. Our enthusiasm could not be

contained, and it exploded like a volcano. Chanting and dancing in rampant

ecstasy, we affirmed our allegiance and gratitude to our eternal spiritual

master, His Divine Grace A.C.

Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

 

 

 

Inevitably Srila Prabhupada went on to visit other centers in other parts of

the world. But even when Prabhupada wasn't physically present, the devotees

in some centers would still relay the "Prabhupada's coming" mantra

throughout the temple when it was time to greet the deities. This was our

way of remembering him and making the pain of separation a bit more

tolerable.

 

 

 

Although many years have passed, we can still foster this mood today. We can

still serve Srila Prabhupada as if his arrival was just around the corner.

We can meditate on him traveling and preaching throughout the world or the

universe and hope that someday he'll visit us again. And if we believe and

act as if Prabhupada's coming, he will come. For the only thing that truly

separates us from him is our own consciousness.

 

 

 

 

Prabhupada's Coming

 

 

 

 

We stand waiting for you in front of the temple-

 

a field of orange and yellow

 

 

 

With flowers in our hands, we hope to win your smile

 

We live to serve you

 

 

 

No kurtas or khadi or gopi-candana

 

These are unknown to us

 

 

 

Just western shirts and polyester saffron,

 

Fuller's Earth and off-beat kirtan

 

 

 

Crazy-quilt teenage sadhus

 

You've made us devotees

 

 

 

Vaisnavas in tennis shoes

 

with socks that never match

 

 

 

A most unusual batch of souls

 

waiting just to see you amidst a surge of, "Hari bols",

 

as someone shouts, "He's coming! Prabhupada's coming!"

 

 

 

Hearts and drums beat frantically

 

As your car draws near we realize our great fortune

 

You are Krsna's pure devotee...but so much more

 

No one else could have done what you did

 

 

 

You came into our world of darkness

 

when the others would not venture West

 

It was you who saved us...No one else

 

 

 

You've become our teacher, father and friend

 

-our spiritual master

 

 

 

However many lifetimes it's taken,

 

somehow we've won the privilege of serving you

 

 

 

We've dedicated our lives to the sankirtan movement

 

and your books have been distributed in quantities no one could've imagined

 

This is what pleases you most

 

 

 

"Prabhupada's coming!"

 

 

 

Now our efforts are being rewarded in the best way

 

We want only to be with you

 

 

 

As your car door opens you step out and look our way

 

Appearance thin and small but you stand out like a giant,

 

towering over all your young disciples

 

We love to see you

 

 

 

Faces beaming, touch the sidewalk

 

Obeisances are heartfelt but quickly offered

 

We don't want to lose sight of you for a moment

 

 

 

You exchange flowers and smiles with us

 

Your glance maintains us and allows us to embrace impossible austerity

 

 

 

As you walk toward the temple

 

we scurry after you like anxious ducklings,

 

barely able to keep your pace

 

 

 

"govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

 

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami..."

 

 

 

You approach the altar and pledge your life to Lord Caitanya,

 

lying flat before the Supreme Personality of Godhead

 

 

 

We drop to the floor following your example

 

but we pledge our lives to you...

 

 

 

"venum kvanantam aravinda-dalayataksam

 

bharhavatamsam asitambuda-sundarangam..."

 

 

 

Radha and Krsna greet their beloved servant...

 

 

 

"angani yasya sakalendriya-vrittimanti

 

pasyanti panti kalayanti ciram jaganti..."

 

 

 

The Lord of the universe accepts a third wave of surrender...

 

 

 

"govindam adi purusam tam aham bhaja mi

 

govindam adi purusam tam aham bhaja mi

 

govindam adi purusam tam aham bhaja mi..."

 

 

 

Seated in red and golden splendor,

 

adorned with flowers and pure devotion,

 

the emissary of God appears before us

 

 

 

Crystal water cascades from a silver chalice held high above your open mouth

and your lotus feet are visible to those fortunate to be near the vyasasana

 

 

 

"Jaya Radha Madhava Kunjabi Hari,

 

Gopijana Valabha Girivaridhari..."

 

 

 

Your deep voice resonates

 

-not from this world but from Goloka

 

 

 

The temple is saturated with happiness

 

-an ocean of smiling faces

 

 

 

Your kartals ring sweetly, one cast decisively upon the other

 

as your fingers fan open and close like the tail feathers of a peacock

 

 

 

"Om namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya..."

 

 

 

The compassion of Krsna descends in your chanting

 

Our ears drink the pure sound of your voice

 

 

 

Surrendered devotees, only five or six hours of sleep

 

....there's so much to be done

 

"Krishna, please let me stay awake"

 

....heads bob up and down

 

 

 

Your glasses sit low on your nose

 

and sometimes you peer over the rim at us when emphasizing a point

 

 

 

You urge us to be serious

 

-Don't run the risk of taking birth again

 

 

 

And once more you comfort us with your promise:

 

"Chant sixteen rounds and follow the four regulative principles

 

....at the end of this lifetime go back to home back to Godhead.

 

Thank you very much."

 

 

 

"Jai! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!"

 

 

 

"Nama om Vishnu padaya, Krsna prestaya bhutale,

 

Srimate Bhaktivedanta Swamin iti namine..."

 

 

 

We sway to the sound of the music

 

 

 

"Namaste Sarasvati Devam, Gouravani pracarine,

 

Nirvisesa sunyavadi pascatya desi tarine"

 

 

 

All eyes are fixed on you

 

 

 

"Bhaja Sri Krsna Caitanya, Prabhu Nityananda,

 

Sri Advaita, Gadadhar, Srivas adi Goura Bhakta Vrnda"

 

 

 

Your gong propels the kirtan

 

and your head bounces slightly to the rhythm

 

 

 

"Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna Hare Hare

 

Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare"

 

 

 

Drums pound and kartals resound,

 

battering temple walls

 

 

 

"Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna Hare Hare..."

 

 

 

The untamed kirtan swells,

 

decimating our attachment to illusion

 

 

 

"...Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare"

 

 

 

Defying gravity, we leap to the sky, competing for your glance

 

Wild and wonderful, transcendental, jumping madmen

 

 

 

"Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna Hare Hare,

 

Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare"

 

Nothing can stop us

 

You are the life and soul of the devotees!