Is the spiritual master non-different from his picture?

[krsna]

Meeting Srila Prabhupada

 

by

Sivarama Swami

 

 

 

First meetings

I first met my spiritual master on March 6th 1975 in Dallas Texas. Srila Prabhupada had just been in South America and had toured the Southern United States. I was on travelling book distribution with a sankirtan party and had strayed quite a distance from Montreal my home base. While reporting to the temple president about our scores, we were informed that Srila Prabhupada was flying from Atlanta to Dallas the next day and would be there for some time.

 

We immediately drove west to see with the idea to meet Prabhupada at the airport. By the time we arrived both Prabhupada and his reception of devotees had left. All that remained was a trail of flower petals through the airport. Disappointed we sped to the temple, but by the time we arrived, gurupuja was over and Srila Prabhupada was finishing his talk. I came in the temple room, offered obeisances and saw my spiritual master for the first time.

 

For almost five years I had seen and known Prabhupada visually from photos. His pictures were on the altar, vyasasana, books, magazines, framed on temple walls, in fact everywhere. But I had never seen Prabhupada in person. My first impression was that here was that same photo, but now it was moving. It was such a strong impression, seeing the person I had worshipped in inanimate form for half a decade come to life. Through the rest of the lecture I continued to see Prabhupada in that way. Then I understood that the spiritual master is non different than his picture.

 

That was the first personal contact with his Divine Grace, although I had been an initiated devotee for two years.

 

There were a limited number of meetings with His Divine Grace in the two years that followed. As before our first meeting, so to the present day my association has been more with Prabhupada's vapu than his vani. It was Krishna's arrangement. After all Caitanya Caritamrta states "guru krsna prasade paya", "by the mercy of Krsna one gets guru".

 

Krsna had arranged just so much association with Srila Prabhupada. It was a perfect arrangement. I have seen many devotees who after countless hours of association with Srila Prabhupada, been his secretary, cook and travelling companion abandon his service and compromise the principles of Krishna Consciousness. Prabhupada had written that one should be careful not to associate too closely with the spiritual master lest one think him an ordinary man. Krsna had protected me.