Crying for Krsna

[Guest guest]

In early 1968 I flew with Srila Prabhupäda and a few of his other disciples

from Los Angeles to San Francisco. We were taken to what had been the

brahmacäri äsrama, an apartment on Willard St. The brahmacäris had moved to

the temple, a few blocks away. Srila Prabhupäda and his personal servants

would now live in the apartment.

 

Since I wasn’t one of the servants, I was going to stay at the temple, but in

the meantime I decided to spend a few more minutes with Srila Prabhupäda. It

was almost time for the evening program, and Srila Prabhupäda told one of his

servants to send word that he would not be going to the temple that evening.

Then, while we were all talking with Srila Prabhupäda, he changed his mind and

decided to go to the evening program, so we all set out for the temple.

 

In those days, the evening program was kirtana followed by a lecture and then

more kirtana. Evening ärati had not yet been introduced into ISKCON. When we

arrived at the temple, the first kirtana had just ended, and the devotees were

bowing their heads to the floor, reciting prayers. None of them expected to

see their spiritual master, and none of them saw him come in and sit on the

vyäsäsana. When they looked up, there was Prabhupäda.

 

Suddenly the room was filled with smiles and cries of “Jai!” and “Hari bol!”

Prabhupäda lectured and then led a sweet, mellow kirtana. The disciples were

all on their feet, chanting, swaying, hands in the air or clasped and pressed

against their chests. Prabhupäda was here.

 

The next morning, Prabhupäda and a few disciples were walking in Golden Gate

Park. “Were you chanting last night?” he asked a disciple.

 

“Oh yes,” he answered.

 

Prabhupäda asked another, “Were you chanting?”

 

“Yes. It was wonderful.”

 

To another, “Were you dancing?”

 

“I wanted to, but there were so many people, I couldn’t move.”

 

Prabhupäda turned to another. “Were you chanting?”

 

“No. I was afraid I would cry.”

 

“When you are with ordinary people, you should not cry,” said Prabhupäda,

“because they will not understand. But when you are with devotees, you can cry

because they will know that you are crying for Krsna.”

by Umäpati Swami