You were all there

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This is a story told me perhaps in the late sixties by Subal Dasa, a

disciple of Srila Prabhupada who joined ISKCON before I did. (Years

later he took sannyasa, but then later left ISKCON.) Although the

story rests on his account only, unverified by any second party, I

have a fairly high degree of confidence in it.

 

Here's the story:

 

Some devotees, Subal included, had heard that Srila Prabhupada had

said that all the ISKCON devotees are eternal associates of Lord

Caitanya.

 

So one time Subal approached Srila Prabhupada and asked, "Swamiji, is

it true that the devotees who've joined ISKCON are all eternal

associates of Lord Caitanya?"

 

Srila Prabhupada answered (and Subal imitated to me Srila Prabhupada's

way of drawing out the word) "Yes."

 

Subal sat there in front of Srila Prabhupada, with an ecstatic feeling

of wonder and specialness.

 

Then Srila added, "Everyone is." (In other words, all living beings.)

 

Hare Krsna!