20141101 Śrīla Prabhupāda Kathā Day 6

Śrīla Prabhupāda Kathā Day 6

Date:

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Collection:

Inspiration series - 2014

Audio player:

Shrila Prabhupada katha Day 006 November 1st, 2015 So you know that in order to passify …(0.27) Das I offer him to be secretary and Jagadish prabhu to be temple president. After some time I realize being a president is lot of more responsibility. As a treasurer, I felt under engaged. So I wrote to Srila Prabhupada about the situation in Toronto that I was the treasurer and I felt under engaged. But whatever he wants me to do that I was happy to do that. Then he wrote me back and he said I want to send you to India to join Achutanand Das, so please come and see me I will be in Los Angeles. So then I flew to Los Angeles. Then I went to see Prabhupada when Prabhupada came and received was a gathering of devotees. They were throwing flowers at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada. He went in and he saw deities Nitai guar, Shri Shri Rukmini Dwarkanath and Jagannath Baladev Subhadra. I know so much memory of deities there but upstairs of Srila Prabhupada quarter I have very clear picture. I went upstairs I paid my prostrate obeisance. So that movement Srila Prabhupada reading a letter from Achutananda and he said that he was staying at the Gaudiya math. I remember Srila Prabhupada said this is not good so he brought him back and he said he has to get his own place. Those days Devanand was his personal secretory. He responded to Prabhupada and said Yes it is not good. Prabhupada turned to him and he said you have no right to speak they are my god brothers, not yours. Somehow I thought this was right. So then Srila Prabhupada said stay for a few days we will see what happen. I was there in Los Angeles I went in the morning with Jayanand who went to Beverly Hills at 4 am in the morning to get some flowers. Someone shouted us. So Jayanand Prabhu came back and reported to Srila Prabhupada that we were shouted. Srila Prabhupada said this is not good you should not have gone to take flowers any more. When Srila Prabhupada will go on morning walk he went to some beach I didn’t get to go. If he was walking in the area, we walk with him alone. One time he walks around the street and there was a church around the Wartsila Avenue. So he stops and he said in the future our temples will be like this like churches. There were some devotees who will stay in the temple premises others will come on weekends and he stop and he went on. On the way, he said that later I became a minister of congregational preaching. Our congregation is like this they attended on the weekends but otherwise they are busy working. I think either it was either Saturday or Sunday the small deities came out, the devotees came out they offer their weekly reports what they did for deities and that was well moving. For a long time in Mayapur, we were doing that. We are having regular deity reports. So like that blissful time we spent with Prabhupada. Then Rupanuga was going to the East so he offered to take me East. Bhagawandas he needed help to open Chicago temple. It is called Alton the place is Alton. That’s where many young people gathered. I didn’t have driver license so Rupanuga had me driven everywhere. We went straight to the east and sun was rising up. It was hypnotizing gradually I felt to sleep. It was Volkswagen bug and the tier started heating gravel of the side of the road. Rupanuga he woke up and he grabbed the steering wheel and he bunk it over. So like that the tyres went under the car and car started rolling. I was chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare. Car was rolling again and again and again. Rupanuga was thrown out of the car. Then car came to stop. Rupanuga said that’s the difference between bramhachari and grihastha. You are just chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna I was thinking of my wife and my child. So he said you stay back and I said I was driving otherwise you won’t get insurance. So were in Arizona some were and he was in the hospital I forgot to tell before Srila Prabhupada told me go with him to help Bhagavan das once things get ready in Kolkata I will call you. So I went to see him in the hospital he told better you get lost. So then the nearest temple was in boulder Colorado I went there, there was a new bhakatin I don’t remember her name. She was later known as Kanta dasi. She asks me how to wear saree? I said I never wore before but I can try. So I try something like this she said thank you. Then she tried and she was more expert than me. Later she became the wife of Manibandha I think and she came to Kolkata to live. So then I went from Boulder Colorado to Chicago. There I was cooperating with Bhagavan das. We were preparing to temple to be open. There all street like a high ayshwaraya. All like historical places. So there we built a temple, did Harinam, we brought young people to join the temple. I remember that there was a big wall, that’s what I remember. So then I got a phone call from Gurgamuni Prabhupada want you to go to India to Kolkata. I ask do you have money for the ticket that’s your call and he hang out. Well, I knew I have to go to India but didn’t have any money. Then I went back to Canada. I saw some of the congregational members I got some money. That time congregation have a program in the church. So the person leaving their conference he says today they are going to speak about Indian mythology. In English mythology is like imagination. I was very upset. I said we should not refer Puranas as myth. They are histories and then I spoke and at the end I appeal for help so I got little money. So I flew to London by Iceland air. That was something like 100 $. Then in England Gurudas he insisted me to please stay for rathyatra. But I replied him that Prabhupada said me to go straight to Kolkata. If he gives me permission to delay for few days then I can do that. So I sent a message to Aley. I got no reply. Then I say I am so sorry, I have to go. The cheapest fare it was Brother’s airline from Belgium to Bombay, three brothers Aley, Mohammad and I don’t remember. They charge 114$ and it flew from Belgium to Rome, Rome to Cairo, Cairo to Yemen, Yemen to Karachi, Karachi to Bombay. He (28.30) one of three brothers and the airplane has no pressure. So when plane go up ears creak, it will go down the ears creak again. Then I went to Yemen, Karachi and Cairo and I reached Bombay. I called up all the numbers I knew, nobody answered the phone. There was no security there was an open policy so one lady came up with baby in front baby was in front say “bakshis bakshis”. So I was fricked out I got in to next flight. In the airport there was open exchange, currency and black market. I got money in cheap rate it was easy. Then I pay 15$ got next flight and I flew to Kolkata. I have some address of Kolkata. One taxi driver said ok I can take you so the address was Gaudiya Math. I remember that when they sent me down. They ask me:- When did you I take Initiation? So I gave them date they look aside and said you sit here because the seat was according to date of your initiation. Because the seat is according to your date of initiation you seat one sit off big trouble. All the bramhacharies and grihasthas they were all down someone said sannyasis upstairs. I was there for like two months. Apparently Achutanand has told Prabhupada he had a place and but they did not have any place, so because I stayed in the Gaudiya math. I was considered of half breath of Gaudiya math you are one of us you stay with us. Eknath prubhu asked gurumaharaj what was the first impression when they saw gurumaharaj white, blue eyes. Gurumaharaj said ask them I can’t tell my impression (laugh). They ask me:- How much you have to pay for a taxi? I said 6 rupees, 6 rupees you got ripped off. Those days petrol was 60 paisa a liter and raised up to one rupee. All taxi drivers went on strike, big hike in petrol price. We are in the fourth floor and third floor was Bhakti Pramod swami so I go and get something for him some yogurt. He has sour stomach. I thought ooh even local people you have sour stomach I also have sour stomach. There we can go by tram that was cheapest way 5 paisa tram. We will go and they will cross all English line and they will just keep Bengali so I learn Bengali very fast. But the most difficult was English words in Bengali. Glass house that’s English written in Bengali have that in Tamil? Shamrasika, any question? Some devotee said later on mataji Kantadasi, she contacted you her daughter or someone said her mother told she still remember gurumaharaj told how to put her saree. Things you have to do as temple president in those days. Now we have plenty of ladies those days no ladies. How was your Gaudiya math experience these months you stay? I will tell that tomorrow. Is there any questions? ‘…………’ Devotee:How many days took you to fly from London to Bombay? Gurumahaj: Take long time. Devotee:-Took Days or weeks?

Gurumaharaj: Propeller plane of Second World War took about day and a half ‘….’ Gokul gurangi devi dasi:- What was your first impression about Kolkata? Gurumaharaj:Better than Bombay those days Kolkata looks like heaven when communist took over all businessmen went to Bombay. ‘…….’ So you traveled by Indian Airlines or Air India? Devotee:-In 1968, you attended first Vyasa puja of Prabhupada. What was the celebration? Gurumaharaj:You see when devotees arrived in Kolkata they told about celebration with Prabhupada how the Vyasa puja in Japan. I can tell him that later. It was Dai Nippon book publishing company in japan. Srila Prabhupada ki jay! Bhakti Dyatya Madhav Maharaj now the president acharay is Bakti Vallabha Thirtha Maharaj he is in the same place. He was Prabhupada’s god brother. He lived there like a guest. You want to tell about yogurt past time. Ok. Srila Prabhupada ki jay! Gurumaharaj ki jay!

Transcribed by Subhadra Shubhangi Devi Dasi

Date:- 11 October 2015