Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Personal: His Indifference and

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Personal: His Indifference and Detachment

 

 

Prabhupada was never indifferent or uninterested in

anything connected with the Krsna consciousness

movement. If he sometimes wouldn't respond to a

disciple's question, that was his gravity, instructing

us by ignoring us.

 

He was indifferent to his own health. In his desire to

spread Krsna consciousness, he didn't rest as he

should have for someone his age. He continued

traveling because he could not be indifferent to the

fallen souls and to his disciples. He had created by

his preaching and traveling the worldwide Krsna

consciousness movement, and he had placed himself in

the center as its upholder. He could not be

indifferent. He said if a body is cut in the finger,

the whole body suffers. When ISKCON in Argentina was

closed by the government, Prabhupada worried and wrote

in his Bhaktivedanta purports how he was worrying in

the mood of Vasudeva: Vasudeva knew that his son Krsna

could not be harmed, but he was in the ecstatic mood

of anxious protection.

 

Prabhupada was detached from the bad names people used

against Krsna consciousness in newspaper accounts,

mostly because he saw the bright side of it -- the

fact that the newspapers were mentioning Krsna's name.

He cared for many things, yet on Krsna's behalf he was

also indifferent. Although much money came in,

Prabhupada was not concerned to keep any of it. He

said his author's royalties for writing so many books

was to take two capatis a day. He was detached from

the Fisher mansion purchased in Detroit and from other

mansions. He was indifferent towards any books being

printed about himself. He wanted Krsna glorified. He

was also not very eager to meet big heads of state.

When someone asked him, "Why don't you try to meet

President Nixon and tell him these things?" Prabhupada

replied, "What good would it do?" He was prepared to

meet with the Pope, but when their schedules did not

coincide, he did not pursue it. He knew that posing

for a picture with a head of state did not mean much.

 

He was certainly indifferent to women's charms. He saw

his female disciples as daughters and granddaughters

and he respected their service to him. He saw them as

spirit souls, but did not meet with them much in

comparison to the meetings he had with his men

disciples. He was not interested in sitting with women

or looking at them for enjoyment.

 

He was indifferent to any kind of invitations to take

tours in different cities he visited. He didn't want

to go somewhere to see special downtown centers or

tourist places, shopping places, and he never went to

cinemas or sports events. He did like nice parks where

he could walk in the mornings, and he liked big

meeting halls in the city if there was an audience

there to hear him speak Krsna consciousness. He was

interested in buildings for possible purchase as

temples. Although he visited alluring cities like New

York, London, and Paris, he was not interested to see

the libraries, palaces, museums, natural wonders such

as caves or waterfalls, seasides, or mountain resorts.

They held no attraction for him. He preferred a simple

room with a low desk where he could speak to guests

and be among devotees for the best furthering of Krsna

consciousness. If by his service he was thrust into

some situation in the midst of opulence or

distraction, however, he was indifferent to the

situation, even though externally it was in opposition

to his way of life.

 

Especially in the first years in America, Prabhupada

was indifferent to the fact that his hosts in

Pennsylvania ate meat or that he was moving into the

hell of the material world known as the Bowery. He was

indifferent to the fact that his first disciples were

very sinful before becoming devotees. In such

situations, he accepted and tolerated and was detached

even from the desire to be in the most spiritual

surroundings of a holy place. He was indifferent to a

place being holy or unholy, as long as he was able to

preach.

 

He kept a simple diet and wasn't interested in special

foods such as the special cooking which the Italians

could offer, or the French, or the Americans. Even

within the Indian diet, which was his preference, he

was not interested in fancy things, but in simple

rice, dal, capatis, and sabji.

 

He was indifferent to clothes and would not sport any

bright scarves or colorful cadars or special shoes or

coats or hats. His simple sannyasi dress he kept

constant. He liked bright clothes for the Deities and

the opportunity to spend money to build wonderful

buildings and new ways to spread Krsna consciousness,

such as through dioramas. He also liked and

appreciated the best quality in book printing and

color reproduction of the paintings. In these things,

even in their worldly aspects, Srila Prabhupada was a

connoisseur, a keen appreciator of quality, and he

asked his devotees to compete in the market for the

best quality and price; they should get the best deal

and the best product for use in Krsna's service.

 

Satsvarupa dasa Goswami.

 

- From the Prabhupada Nectar by HH Satsvarupa dasa

Goswami Maharaj

 

 

 

 

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