Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Meaning of 'Good Morning'

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Meaning of 'Good Morning'

 

The temple was almost an hour away and so we left the hotel before dawn, while

the sky was still dark. Hawaiian singing and guitar music were piped into the

elevator, and Sudama, the Honolulu temple president, remarked to Prabhupada

that Hawaiians were famous as melodic singers. Srila Prabhupada acknowledged

Sudama's remark but commented that Bengalis were also famous as melodic

singers.

 

In the lobby American tourists -- mostly elderly and carrying cameras, the men

wearing Bermuda shorts and Hawaiian shirts -- were moving about, getting taxis

or walking to the beach. On the road, as far into the distance as the eye could

see, a line of cars with headlights shining approached the city.

 

"This is the best part of the morning for spiritual life," Srila Prabhupada

said unhappily, "and they are all up for sense gratification and for going to

work"

 

The sun had not yet risen when we reached Waikiki Beach for Prabhupada's walk,

but there too, surfers and fishermen were already in the water. "They have

gotten up so early just to kill the fish," Prabhupada said. And, referring to

the surfers, he remarked, "It is a suffering for them to enter the water so

early, but for this they will do it."

 

About half a dozen devotees joined us in a park by the ocean, and we walked

behind Prabhupada, who went briskly, marking the ground with his varnished,

bamboo-textured cane, holding his head high. The devotees had brought him a

wonderful garland of freshly-picked magnolia and pikake flowers, and he

accepted it around his neck with pleasure. He also seemed to enjoy the nice

ocean breezes. His shiny saffron silk clothes looked very elegant on his body,

and his thickly crocheted white scarf, which he had asked me for at the

beginning of the walk, was draped loosely around his shoulders.

 

When one of the devotees mentioned that the government had cut all the coconuts

from the tall palm trees out of fear that they might fall and hurt someone,

Srila Prabhupada scoffed that this was ridiculous. "In India," he said, "there

are many coconut trees, and there is no instance of anyone being hit on the

head. Krsna knows when to drop the coconut so no one is underneath. This is a

demoniac government, the tree loses its beauty when the fruits are taken off,

just as a woman without children loses her beauty."

 

As other people out strolling approached us, Prabhupada often greeted them by

saying, "Good morning." After several greetings he stopped and asked us, "What

is the meaning of saying, 'Good morning'?"

 

"It is a kind of friendly exchange," I said.

 

"It is a way of wishing each other good," said Sudama.

 

"No," said Prabhupada. "The real thing is that in England, it is rarely a sunny

morning. So when finally there is sun, people say, 'Good morning' Similarly, in

the material world there is always darkness, and that dark cloud is the desire

of the living entity to be master."

 

As the sky lightened, we saw distant mountains and a nearby skyline of tall

hotel and apartment buildings. Many small fishing and tour boats were in the

harbor, and directly overhead large jets, both arriving and departing, flew

over the island.

 

"As man wonderfully manipulates the material elements to make airplanes," said

Prabhupada, "there must also be a Supreme Being who has made the material

universe. A plane, for example, is not created accidentally or automatically.

It is produced and piloted by man. Similarly, God creates and controls the

material universe. But the atheists deny God by saying that nature works on its

own. They have lost their intelligence."

 

Speaking for the opposition, I gave what I thought was a feasible argument.

 

"Prabhupada, the atheists believe that they can control nature, and therefore

there is no need for God. After all, they are able to fly their planes. " I

gestured to the 747 jet overhead as evidence of man's power to control.

 

"They have some control," Prabhupada replied, "but some control means no

control. They are unable to control death, birth, disease and old age. So what

is the value of some control?"

 

- From the "Life with the Perfect Master" by HH Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami

 

 

 

 

 

CHANT HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE

HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE AND BE HAPPY

Your humble servant

radhabhava gaur das

 

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