Prabhupada Calling?

[ethos]

Ya know, it occurs to me that Prabhupada never used the telephone––cetainly not managing from several phone lines into an office. Nor did he correspond with his disciples and their inquiries that way.

 

Is all this correct? And if so, why would Prabhupada have opted not to use telephone technology? Any comments or answers out there?

[leyh]

Dear ethos:

 

In Srila Prabhupada lilamrta by HH Satsvarupa das Goswami, it is recorded that once, some of Srila Prabhupada's disciples who were preaching in England did call him on the phone:

 

'The devotees, thrilled to see their group expanding and Prabhupada's potency working, decided to phone Prabhupada from their landlord's office. The telephone was a conference phone, and Prabhupada's voice came over the little loudspeaker on the desk. The devotees sat around the desk, listening tensely.

"Prabhupada," Mukunda said, "we have some new brahmacaris here."

"Oh, are they cooking capatis?" Prabhupada asked from across the ocean. The devotees laughed uncontrollably, then hushed to hear more.

"No," said Mukunda. "But they will be now." The devotees each told Prabhupada how they missed him, and he said he missed them too and would come as soon as they could get a place.' (Srila Prabhupada lilamrta, Volume 4, Chapter 1)

 

Then in the same volume, another exchange is recorded, and the narrator here is Bhagavan dasa:

 

I was in the shower when all of a sudden someone banged on the door. "Prabhupada is on the telephone. He wants to speak with you." I was sure there was some misunderstanding --- how is it possible that the spiritual master could be on the telephone? Anyway, I ran out of the shower, all wet, and picked up the telephone and said, "Hello?"

There was a long pause. Then all of a sudden I hear Srila Prabhupada's voice on the other end: "Bhagavan dasa?"

"Yes," I said. "Srila Prabhupada, please accept my humble obeisances. How can I serve you?" I was completely stunned. Then Prabhupada's voice came slowly on the phone. "There are many things that you will do, but the first thing is that you must come here immediately." I said, "Of course, Srila Prabhupada, I will be there right away." And with that we both hung up. (Srila Prabhupada lilamrta, Volume 4, Chapter 3)

[Mxyzptlk]

I recall that his disciples, usually the TP's and GBC, used the phone quite extensively, even while Srila Prabhupada was personally present, and even moreso after his Disappearance. I never heard of him objecting to this. Probably his mood was in keeping with not having the time, due to his monumental translation work, although as Leyh has described, he did apparently use the telephone on occasion. He delegated leadership roles to various men, hoping to free up time for writing books. It may also have been in part due to the cost of long-distance calls, and his attention to finances and resources that "not even a farthing" should be wasted. I remember that the "common" devotees were advised (by the GBC anyway), not to even write to Srila Prabhupada, so as not to take time away from his intense writing/preaching/travelling schedule. So, he may have used the phone sparingly, but it appears that those calls were to his leading men, men with positions and responsibilities. It may also have simply been a case of personal preference; that he preferred to correspond via letters and telegrams. He seemed not to have any objection to utilizing modern technology for propagating Krishna Consciousness, whether it be the dictaphone, the automobile, the airplane, and so many other things. Sorry I don't have a definitive answer. I never really thought about it before. But, that's my "take" on the situation regarding telephones.

[stonehearted]

I remember at least one occasion when Srila Prabhupada called the Honolulu temple. A devotee answered the phone, and Srila Prabhupada asked for Goursundar, the president. He wanted to make sure the devotees spent some time with Swami Chinmayananda, who was in town at the time.