Prabhupada Nectar

[Guest guest]

Memories of Srila Prabhupada

 

Recalled by Sacinandana Maharaja and Tribhuvannath prabhu. Aug oo

 

 

Govindadwip Ireland.

 

Tribhuvannath Prabhu ...........

Seeing as its the anniversary of the inauguration of ISKCON in 1966, one of the

things we would like to do is recall some of the early days of ISKCON .

Before the institutional aspect came about. Of course when I first joined it

was at the end of 1969. Srila Prabhupada was already in the UK. With John

Lennon and George Harrison. And the devotees were staying in Betteden street in

coven gardens.

And my own experience when I came to the temple was that there was a tremendous

amount of love for Srila Prabhupada. Its something I don't see so much

nowadays sadly in the same intensify. It was a complete experience I had never

experienced a group of people in love with the one person before. And it

wasn't,t until I met Serial Prabhupada; that I realised what was that

attraction. My

first experience of seeing Srila Prabhupada was that he had this what was

called oceanic smile. His smile was like oceanic. It was like living in the

spiritual world but almost peeping into our world. Where as in our reverse

experience we are trying to peep into the spiritual world. But it became very

clear to me that Srila Prabhupada was actually living in the spiritual world

and almost like forcing himself to stay in the material world just to give us

some association. So the early days in some points of views they where very

intense. Basically we did,nt,t have any books

We didn't,t have any restraints our farms all we had was mrdanga and kartals.

Our days where very much getting up in the morning and we would have a full

morning program then we would go out on a harinama all day until about 1O O

'CLOCK. We would stop at lunch time I'Oclock out in the park have some Prasadam

then we would go back out on Harinama until 6 'o clock return for the evening

arti and Prasadam . Then go back out again until I O ' O'clock at night.

And that happened every single day every single week, Maybe Sundays we

would,nt;t go out. I remember that the morning programs where very estate there

was an amazing lack of mentalism. Which again I don't see so much nowadays.

So of course when Srila Prabhupada would come we would have these gigantic

kirtans at the airport and suddenly the doors would open and Prabhupada would

appear in our mists. And I always remember the feeling of looking at Prabhupada

and everyone would just cry. And one of the things also which I noticed was

that Prabhupada seemed to have an individual relationship with all the

devotees. He had

somehow a way of reciprocating exactly with every devotee. I became aware of

that because there was quite a few characters in the temple and Prabhupada

seemed to know each of them. There was only about 8 Brahmacaris and about 6

Brahmacarinis.So one of the nice things was that we had a lot of time to be

actually in Prabupada's room. we would just walk in. Sometimes even when

Prabupada was having his Mangalarti I would just walk in. And Prabupada had

his own Deities in the early days. Radha Govinda I believe they were. And

Prapupada Prabupada would do his Mangalarti and this little girl called

Sarasvati would just come in. Prabhupada had an amazing relationship with

children. One of the

things of course about this recent court case that hurts probably more than any

other thing that ever happened in ISKON is in the fact that somehow anyone

would try and implicate Srila Prabupada in these horrible affairs, because

Prabupadas own mood with children was completely deep it was never casual. It

was actually a very deep relationship. Sarasvati would crawl all over

Prabupada at Mangalarti and then she would go up to the Deities and take things

off the altar and Prabupada would just sit there. And she had a Jagannath she

carried on a piece of string. She would just drag this Jagannath all around.

Everyone would just freak out at her because they didn't think it was a nice

way to treat Lord Jagannath. Somehow even that Prabhupada tolerated- it was a

Jagannath toy doll. And basically she could go into Prabupadas room at any

time and she could sit with Prabupada and sometimes Prabhupada would just play

with her for ages- not just

for a couple of moments. And I saw him do that with a number of children- I

think his intimacy with her was so strong that even Prabhupadas servant

Parusatam -he later on blopped but I don't think he could handle the fact that

Prabupada used to let her run riot around his room the way that she did.

Prabhupada never told her off. Of course remembering back to those days also

the striking thing was of course the morning walks and the kirtans- classes

but also Prabhupadas desire to preach. Practically speaking everything that

we did with Srila Prabhupada at that time was based around preaching. We would

go on a morning walk around London and Prabhupada would be looking for

buildings. Prabhupada would go to so many different areas of London looking for

suitable buildings. And there where so many journeys we undertook with Srila

Prabhupada to look at various churches.

Sometimes he would comment on the empty churches. And many times Prabhupada

would be looking at buildings and he would mention that we should get

astronomical buildings that we could never afford one of those buildings of

course was the highest building in London .Which one time Prabhupada was

walking past and he said why don't you buy this building? At that time I think

we had about three pounds in our pocket,and we said Prabhupada it would be very

difficult to buy that building. And he said 0h at least you get one floor.

Another wonderful thing was that because there were so few devotees,there at

that time after we had morning class , many times we would sit in Prabhupadas

room listening to the class again. Prabhupada would stop the tape and ask

devotees

So what do you think of this point? And Prabhupada would get into debates.

He would particularly like it if you took the atheistic point of view and

argued with him. I remember one time a number of times actually that

discussions would lead from those classes. And one time one devotee kind of

cheekily asked Srila Prabhupada . Srila Prabhupada why do you listen to your

own classes?

And Prabhupada looked at him and said because I did not speak them. And then I

could understand what Prabhupada really ment was that the communications to

Srila Prabhupada where comming directly from supersoul. And therefore even

Prabhupada would be enlivened by listening to them. So that was one thing that

I became vividly aware of that Srila Prabhupada wasn't;t acting on his own

false ego.

Prabhupadas activities where totally directed by Krsna from within his heart.

One time when Prabhupada listened to Krsna book tears where coming down his

eyes, it was the description of autumn,and when devotees asked Prabhupada why

these tears where coming he said because such beautiful thing how could I

write? So Prabhupada was appreciating Krsnas mercy. Tribhuvannath prabhu

........

so maybe Maharaja will speak? Sacinandana Maharaja ...May I ask you where you

there when Srila Prabhupada was living with the Beatles and having contact with

the Beatles because many times devotees ask me about this and how it was.

Tribhuvannath Prabhu... Well I came they where just moving out of John Lennons

estate. We had just got Bury place, so technically we were just staying in

Georges house at the time. So most of the contact that I saw was between George

and Prabhupada. Aithough I saw him mix with other Beatles also. But not as

intimately as at John Lennons estate. John Lenin's estate was in a sense where

the most enthusiasm from the Beatles towards Prabhupada came.

I think that after the episode at the estate Prabhupada didn't,t very much like

John

Lenin or Yoko ono. Because they where on drugs at the time. They where into

heroine . Theres actually one funny story. John Lennon had written a song

called cold turkey. What happened was that John had asked Prabhupada to come

listen to this song. In order to get Prabhupadas view. John was very impressed

with the song so he asked Prabhupada to come. Now John had this amazing

equipment which obviously being a very rich beetle he had built this recording

studio in his room. And this equipment was probably the top of the range of its

day. So Prabhupada being polite obliged him and so Prabhupada Syamasundar and

Guru dasa they went and sat in John Lennons front room,and Yoko Ono was there.

So then John was telling Prabhupada about his song. So then he said so let me

play you this song . So he put the record in and it wouldn't,t work , and he

couldn't believe it. And then he went fiddling with this and that and he was

getting really frustrated because this was really expensive equipment . And

then Prabhupada said Oh I also have a song and John I guess by this time ne was

getting really fed up with his song so he said well lets try your song so he

put Prabhupadas in and it played. So another time which wasn't,t so great was

where Praphupada was coming back from a morning walk. And they caught

Prabhupada in a room and in that room there where pictures of John Lennon and

Yoko Ono naked together.

So Prabhupada wasn't,t very impressed with that ,and they wanted to get

Prabhupada privately ,so they called Prabhupada into a room and they said to

Prabhupada how are you doing this . So Prabhupada basically asked them how am I

doing what? How are you making your disciples so completely dedicated to you?

So they said it in a cynical kind of way. As if Prabhupada was some kind of

cheap yogi who was using his mystical hypnotism to get his disciples so

dedicated.

So Prabhupada just kind of looked at them in disgust and said Hare Krsna. So a

little while after that Prabhupada said let us go. So we left Ithink it was

about a week after that. So John Lennon I think was basically a very arrogant

sort of guy

although people always look at him as some kind of hero but he was very self

centred arrogant . I think as far as George goes there was much more

appreciation of Serial Prabhupadas dept in spirituality. One of the things

about Srila Prabhupada was that he never compromised in preaching so he never

tried to flatter anyone. Many times big people would come and see him. I

remember Donovan came actually nowadays is nothing but in those days at least

in England anyway he was a big star. But Prabhupada would preach so heavily.

Donovan was

getting seriously interested and he brought some groupies with him. They where

not really interested . So these conversations are quite interesting because we

can see how Prabhupada never tried to flatter anyone, their material situation

he was always just interested in there spiritual welfare. Prabhupada he could

see that these friends of Donavon,they just sort of wanted to have a Guru,

because in those days it was sort of fashionable to have a Guru. Sort of put a

picture on your mantelpiece and then everyone would come to some dope and they

could see your Guru on the mantelpiece. So Prabhupada said to Donovan Guru is

not for mantelpiece. And he started to kind of chastise Donovan and then the

girl who was with Donovan she said Oh your becoming a little angry Swami thetas

not very spiritual . And then Prabhupada said what do you know about spiritual.

And that kind of shut her up. I think the word was uncompromising . Prabhupada

was very uncompromising. One time one devotee asked Srila Prabhupada Is the

supersoul

standing or sitting. And Prabhupada closed his eyes and said he is standing.

Another thing I remember was that on morning walks one of the beauties of them

was that Prabhupada could bring out very wonderful philosophical depth through

practical material circumstances. There used to be these tiny little crabs,

thery were like little bugs on the beach, so as we were walking along these

little things would be racing to get to the sea and sometimes Prabhupada would

stop and watch them and would look at us and say, Why are they going that way

and not that way ( pointing away from the sea ). He would say because supersoul

is directing them. One of the things that used to happen just to show you

Prabhupadas tolerance, I don't know if devotees know this, Prabhupada used to

get kicked in almost every morning walk with the devotees because all the

devotees used to scamper up to be near Prabhupada and inevitably when

Prabhupada would stop to make a point someone would stamp on the back of

Prabhupadas heel. I remember one distinct morning, we were coming out of Bury

place and P rabhupada stopped before we actually went on the walk and said,

Keep distance and pointed with his stick and as we were going around the park

that morning poor old I don't know if I should mention his name, one godbrother

of mine stepped on Prabhupadas foot so much that he took Prabhupadas shoe off

and we all just stopped there and we were all just shocked. Prabhupada just

stood there and looked around at him and it was like Lord Siva at the end of

the devastation, poor old prabhuji, he was never the same since but anyway, so

one of the things when we were on morning walks from Bury place many times we

would pass the British museum and there would be people walking into work

wearing bowler hats. Some of them would say Good Morning in a very British kind

of way and P Prabhupada would say Good Morning back and we were all kind of

staunch brahmacaris and we would be thinking Good Morning, that's not very

Krsna conscious. And sometimes Prabhupada would say Good Morning to a gentleman

when he hadn't even said anything so one time Prabhupada just said Good Morning

to someone and he said Good Morning back and the devotees said Prabhupada why

did you say Good Morning to him and not Hare Krsna. Prabhupada said, Because if

I say Good Morning then naturally he says good morning back and when he says

good morning back then he is doing service for the devotees because he id

offering the devotees a good morning , so we are engaging him in Krsnas

service. In vrndavan, when we first opened the temple there , there was sort of

a rasa going on between Prabhupada and the management. One of the things was

that Prabhupada wanted to hear the night watchmen ring the bell every hour and

Prabhupada no matter ehat he was doing throughout the day, he would know when

that bell was not been rung. And even if it was 1 o'clock in the morning he

would wake up the temple President, he would wake up the GBC secratary and

bring them down to his room and chastise them. Now many people would think that

was a bit extreme but actually those night watchmen are the only difference

between getting murdered if the thieves come and staying alive because at least

they can raise an alarm and Prabupada was worries about that. Now one of the

things that Prabhupada asked was thet the bell should be hung from a tree.

There was a tree there, it may have been the tree in the temple room. So Surap

said to Prabhupada But Prabhupada I built this special belltower and Prabhupada

said no no it should hang from the tree, so they wouldn't hang it from the

tree. So then Prabhupada, he would look and say Oh the bell is still not

hanging from the tree, so they said No No Prabhupada we're going to install it

in the belltower, so after they installed it in the belltower about a week

later the bell wasn't ringing at all. Prabhupada called them all in and started

chastising them and Prabhupada said But you have installed it in the tower ,No?

and they said Yes Prabhupada but overtime the string breaks, the rope breaks

because what was happening was that it was cutting in the cement for some

reason the bell never worked there.

Then another time, this will give you an idea of how meticulous Serial

Prabhupada was. I remember one time in Vrndavan, we were walking around the

rooms with Prabupada inside the Krsna Balarama temple and we got into one room

and Prabhupada sat down in the room with his cane and th devotees were sitting

down around him and this was going to be the life membership reception area as

you come in on the right, so we were all sitting around him and Prabhupada

looked around at us and said Why are you allowing illicit sex in this temple

and everyone started looking at each other. Oh this is a big revealment, and

everyone said Illicit sex Prabhupada and Prabhupada said Yes, there is illicit

sex going in in this temple and someone said really Prabhupada. Prabhupada said

Yes and pointed to the ceiling with his cane and there were two pigeons having

sex on the chandeliers, so we chased them out and then we put this wire meish

to stop the pigeons coming.

 

Now Sacinandana Swami speaks.

 

When Tribhuvanath prabhu was explaining about Srila Prabhupada I must tell you

very honestly that I have not seen Srila Prabhupada so many times in so many

situations but I will tell you a little bit about how I met Srila Prabhhupada

because you will be able to see a little bit through my own experience and my

own realisations with him a little bit of his glories. In the S. Bhagavatam

there is a very nice verse explaining about the pure devotee travelling and

spreading Krsna consciousness. In the Bhagavatam it says Oh my Lord great

philantrophic souls travel on the earth on behalf of the Supreme Personality Of

Godhead to show compassion on the fallen souls who are adverse to the sense of

subordination to the Lord. One of these fallen souls who was and may still be

adverse to the sense of subordination to the Lord is sitting here and I would

like to tell you a little bit how S rila Prabhupada operated on me, what he did

to move my heart and so on. I had come with the devotees from Hamburg to London

because we heard that he would come after the Ratha yatra ceromomies in

America, he would come to London, but he was delayed, he went to another

unplanned ceremony and therefore we had to do our Ratha yatra without him that

was 1971. I remember the temple commander

of the Bury place temple at that time was Tribhuvannath Prabhu who was taking

care of me and showing me the ropes. I still had long hair quite long hair and

although I came from a very rich family, I had to rest on the staircase of the

Bury place temple I remember it was very overcrowded. And Tribhuvannath Prabhu

had a

little motorcycle I remember to do his temple president erans on this little

motorcraft. Anyway so Prabhupada came late and his date of arrival was set we

went all of us from Bury Place temple to Heathrow airport. And his plane was

still delayed so the devotees where sleeping in the Heathrow airport in the

visitors lounge almost like the associates of Dantravakra in the forest

surrounded by Krsna and Balarama. We where all over the place. Untill finally

someone said to us Oh

Prabhupada is coming . This was the magical sound in the airport which would

bring life to all the devotees. So Prabhupada is coming this is a call which

came through the airport. I remember someone shuck me up and we all went to the

place where Prabhupada had to show his passport and deal with the immigration

people. Finally when he was finished he was comming from behind from the unseen

to the seen. He came from behind the gates somehow into our view. And we

started a soft kirtan. To not be stopped . And when Prabhupada came the kirtan

just exploded. And I remember I was full of mysticism at that time having

learned from different European traditions what they called spiritualism. And

when I saw Prabhupada entering into my view all of a sudden I saw a huge

unearthly light.

It was not like the neon light of the Heathrow airport it was a light of a

different sort.

And it was emanating from Srila Prabhupada. And I remember being so shocked

that I threw myself down in my first dandavats obeisance's. I was remembering

at the time the burning thunder bush in the Bible. When Mosses received a sign

of God he saw a burning bush, which was full of light but which did not burn to

ashes.

And it was dangerous for Mosses to look into the bush because it was destroying

his eyesight. So I was thinking in my innocence if I look into Prabhupadas face

now my eyesight will be robbed forever. He is so illuminious . So I threw

myself on the ground like a German soldier who avoids to be hit by the atomic

radiation, or some bomb. So I remember I waited on the ground untill Prabhupada

with this unearthly light would pass me. And after some time I don't know how

long maybe a few minutes I slowly came up from my obeisances and saw right

before me a pair of house shoes . My first thought was coming from a so called

good family

who on earth has the nerve to go on house shoes on the airport on an

international flight. So I looked further up and I saw the dhoti . Then I

looked totally up and I looked into Prabhupada smiling face. He looked at me

with an expression WELOME WELCOME back . Many of Srila Prabhupadas disciples

had this experience that when they met Srila Prabhupada for the first time

they felt very

familiar and felt very much at home. Immediately they felt that I can give my

whole trust and my whole life to Srila Prabhupada. So also I had never seen

Srila Prabhupada before and I had expected a total different size of him

because from his lecture tapes he sounded so huge and so mountain like. But his

physical height was very small. But he commanded so much respect that I had to

throw myself on the ground a gesture which is highly unusual for a German. And

when Prabhupada stood before glanced at me saying WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME that

was my first impression. Prabhupada used to lecture every morning in Bury place

and the first thing which I realised when Prabhupada lectured is that I had the

feeling that he is talking only for me. When he made a point for instance I

felt that his eyes resting on me and its a point that was very relevant in my

spiritual life. Many devotees in the audience had this experience.

When they listened to Prabhupadas lecture had this feeling that he engaged them

totally and involved them totally and talked only to them. At that time in

Germany my family where very worried that I would become a spiritualist and

they would send all kinds of relatives and people to come and persuade me to

come back.

My Grandfather was dying at that time and he demanded that I come back to his

death bed but I had to say no I cannot because I knew when I would arrive at

his

death bed ,he would ask me to give up Krsna consciousness a thing which I could

not do . So I remember being under a lot of pressure , my girlfriend came and

requested me to come back into material life and so on and so forth and I was

always heavily engaged by Tribhuvannath Prabhu our temple president. And I

couldn't,t sleep because there was only the stairs. I was under so much

pressure you cant really imagine, So I decided what I had learned from the

German students

to bloop in anna and the only possible for me to do this was to involve Srila

Prabhupada in a contradiction which showed that his philosophy was not correct.

 

You can see now that its getting ready for a battle. So I asked Prabhupada a

question . You say that that Krsna is the creator of everything is this

correct? And Prabhupada said yes. You say that Krsna is all good ? and

Prabhupada said yes.

Then why did Krsna create maya which is not good for us? Prabhupada looked at

me first he looked at me to find out where I was comming from. Everything

became silent then Prabhupada made a transcendental explosion in the room. He

only said

one sentence . NOT KRSNA CREATED MAYA YOU CREATED MAYA. That one

sentence went like an arrow into my heart. I do not know what happened I cried

all my arrogance was really gone I cried because one thing was clear . I

couldn't,t put the fault at Krsna I was at fault for my miseries I didn't,t

understand his answer to be quite clear, now I understand his answer

philosophically. I didn't,t understand at the time all I knew was that I was at

fault. Krsna was not at fault. And I decided to join. I decided to shave it was

a big attachment in those days, the long hair Oh it was cultured over years in

tama guna. And somehow my attitude to Prabhupada changed.