Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Your name is Tamal Krishna

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Your name is Tamal Krishna

 

My attachment for Prabhupada grew daily. For the first time in my life I had

found someone whom I could trust completely, without any reservations, someone

who cared for me more than I could care for myself. I felt so satisfied to be

connected with Srila Prabhupada.

 

Sometimes I would spend an entire afternoon sitting on the steps of his

apartment building just to be near to him. Though there was little chance that

I would get to see him, I would imagine what he must be doing while in his

apartment. Occasionally one of his servants would come out on an errand and,

seeing my eagerness, spend a few minutes relating some of Prabhupada's intimate

activities. Wanting to keep closely sheltered, I would chant many rounds

sitting on his apartment steps. It felt so wonderful to be completely under

Prabhupada's protection.

 

By the association of the pure devotee I was being propelled forward on the

path of spiritual life. I was chanting sixteen rounds, austerely living as a

brahmacari, following the regulative principles, always attending classes, and

trying to render service in whatever way I was asked. But I was not yet

initiated.

 

Initiation meant a lifetime commitment, a final severing of all material

connections with old memories, past friendships, and mundane relationships. It

meant my accepting the spiritual master as my eternal father, the Vedic

teachings as my mother, and the devotees as my family. Initiation would

establish my actual connection with Krsna.

 

I had no doubt that Srila Prabhupada was a bona fide spiritual master,

qualified to take me back to Godhead. He was in an unbroken line of disciplic

succession from Krsna Himself. He was in perfect knowledge of the sastra and

never spoke anything that did not agree with Vedic conclusions. His actions

were above suspicion. Prabhupada was Krsna's pure devotee, and I was ready to

surrender my body, mind, and words to him. I had very little idea who Krsna

was, but I was certain that Prabhupada had an intimate relationship with Krsna

and that by pleasing him I might one day also be able to please Krsna.

 

The devotees told me that after initiation the Hare Krsna mantra is more

powerful. At the time of initiation the guru takes all of the resultant actions

of the disciple's past sinful life. To have a bona fide spiritual master was an

absolute necessity if one hoped to make advancement and end the cycle of

repeated birth and death. And although Mark and I had been living in the temple

less than a month, Prabhupada decided that we should receive initiation without

waiting any longer.

 

It was Easter Sunday. After his morning walk at Stowe Lake, Prabhupada returned

directly to the temple instead of proceeding to his apartment, as was his

normal habit. He entered the small storefront's double doors amid the

excitement of the devotees, who were busily completing the final arrangements

for the initiation ceremony. Everyone enjoyed initiations, when they would

formally welcome new members into their spiritual family. Prabhupada walked to

the rear of the temple room and offered his obeisances at the altar of Lord

Jagannatha. Then he turned around and walked a few steps to a cushioned seat

which had been arranged before the raised mound of earth where the fire

sacrifice would take place. Sitting in a meditative, sober mood, he began to

play his karatalas, singing prayers to the disciplic succession, Lord Caitanya,

and Radha-Krsna.

 

"Visnujana means 'one who serves the devotees of the Lord,' " Srila Prabhupada

said, handing Mark his beads. And then, looking directly in my eyes, Prabhupada

asked, "What are our principles?"

 

"No meat, fish, or eggs, no intoxication, no gambling, and no illicit sex." I

felt very close to Prabhupada. He was accepting me as his eternal son and

disciple, and his look was that of a most loving father.

 

"Your name is Tamal Krishna. Tamala is the name of a tree that grows in

Vrndavana. Because it is the same color as Krsna, the gopis, out of separation,

sometimes mistake the tree to be Krsna Himself. Especially Srimati Radharani

would embrace the tamala tree and always take rest underneath it whenever She

was feeling separation from Krsna."

 

All of the devotees cheered. They were happy to have two new Godbrothers, and

they liked the names that Prabhupada had given.

 

- From the "Servant of the Servant" by HH Tamala Krsna 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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