SDG Sanga Part 2 Remembering Srila Prabhupada by Giriraja Maharajaand Satsvarupa Maharaja

[Guest guest]

The last anecdote now pertains to the gift that Dr. Patel gave us, the

twelve

sets of bedding. On one morning walk, he began to complain to Srila

Prabhupada

that the devotees hadn't taken care of his gift. You know devotees--

at first

there were twelve sets; then, after a while, there was one less

blanket, two

fewer pillows. Then after a while we were down to about seven sets,

then

three

sets, and then in the end there was nothing left of the gift. So Dr.

Patel

complained to Srila Prabhupada that he had gone and begged and

organized the

gifts and now there was nothing left. There was not a trace--not a

single

shred

of a mosquito net. Prabhupada said, "These boys and girls from Europe

and

America who have come to serve me, they don't care for their bodies.

They

know,

`I am not this body.' So why should they care? As long as they can

serve

their

spiritual master and chant Hare Krsna, they are happy. They don't

mind if

they

have to sleep on the floor or get bitten by mosquitoes. They are

completely

detached from the body. All they care about is their devotional

service."

And

then he said, "They are already liberated. That moksa that you so

much want,

that moksa they already have. That is why there is nothing left of

your

gift--they don't care for the body or the comforts of the body. They

are

liberated, which you so much want to become."

 

That was a profound answer by Srila Prabhupada, expressed with a wry

twist.

And

it is true that devotees are automatically liberated. Pure devotional

service

begins on the liberated platform:

 

brahma-bhutah prasannatma

na socati na kanksati

samah sarvesu bhutesu

mad-bhaktim labhate param

 

"One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the

Supreme

Brahman

and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have

anything. He

is

equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains

pure

devotional service unto Me." (Bg 18.54) Even a neophyte devotee is

beyond a

Mayavadi who just desires to become liberated. So in a subtle,

tactful way

this

time, Prabhupada put Dr. Patel in his place and exalted the devotees

in

comparison.

 

Baradraj dasa: I was just remembering one of those morning walks with

Dr.

Patel. I happened, fortunately, to be there also, to enjoy that rasa.

It was

quite unique and wonderful, actually, even though it was annoying in

its

outer

appearance. But I remember those walks when Prabhupada talked about

one

so-called saint. Who was the guru who passed away but his disciples

did not

realize he had died? They thought he was in samadhi and so they kept

him for

a

long time in the room. Prabhupada said, "So they didn't know the

difference

between a living body and a dead body. Such foolish disciples . . ."

[laughter]

"They kept him there for some time until it began to smell."

[laughter] He

quoted a parable about an axe speaking to a tree. The axe says, "I am

powerful.

I can cut you down." And the tree says, "No, you cannot." The axe

says,

"Yes, I

am sharp and strong and powerful. I can cut you down." And the tree

says to

the

axe, "No, you cannot. Only with my help can you do anything. If you

take one

of

my branches for a handle, then you will have something and can do

something."

That was in connection with Prabhupada's being so critical of the so-

called

saints. He mentioned several personalities and remarked, "They are all

Bengalis. They have created trouble. Because they are Bengalis, they

have

this

power. And they have created so much trouble." Then he said, "But

there is

another Bengali from the same tree. And just as the axe is able to

cut down

the

tree of inequity"--Prabhupada was portraying that the Bengali so-

called

saints

and philosophers had actually created so much trouble--"I am that

Bengali,

that

limb from that tree, that will cut them down." I believe it was on

the same

walk. It was early morning, and Dr. Patel had not come that morning.

This

was

my first walk on Juhu Beach with Prabhupada, and I did not know the

story of

Dr. Patel. I had never met him.

 

Prabhupada stopped many times. He stopped and looked back and

said, "Dr.

Patel,

he is not coming this morning?" And he walked a little further and

stopped

again. Again he looked back and said, "Where is Dr. Patel? He is not

coming

this morning?" And then Dr. Patel showed up. I don't know which of

those

times

it was--if it was a reunion, one of those times--but Prabhupada

seemed very

happy that finally Dr. Patel had come. For him, it was a great sport.

He

really

enjoyed it, and you could tell that there was also affection. On that

particular morning walk, I remember Prabhupada had chastised him--I

cannot

recall exactly what it was that Dr. Patel had said, but Prabhupada was

suddenly

incensed. So Prabhupada told him, "You are speaking foolishly. You

are a

fool."

He said it to him directly. Then Dr. Patel stopped and

said, "Swamiji, I am

always respectful to you. I call you guru, swami. Why do you call me

these

names? You say, `fool, mudha.'" And Prabhupada looked at him and

said, "If

you

call me guru, I have to call you fool. [laughter] It is my duty."