PRABHUPADA AND THE MOVEMENT Part 2
Lecture April 25th 2008 House programme in Leicester
…in one sense Prabhupada’s mission goes way past our imagination, who can understand his vision, Prabhupada went to New York, stayed at the lower east side and at the lower east side the devotees thought that that was it, that Swamiji was going to stay at the lower east side forever and that that was as far as it would go.. a far out Swami in a far out storefront in like the village in New York, which is a far out place, lower east side and the whole thing was just amazing and come and see what an amazing swami we have here and then, then he suddenly wanted to go to Sanfrancisco. Sanfrancisco 7.37“ Err, Swamiji we can not go to Sanfrancisco”
But he was terribly detached, terribly detached. He just didn’t seem to care at all, although everyone said “ Howww will we carryon! “
He said “ Well just do what I did” He said “One of you will read and then you will comment something, then read something more, hold Kirtana and just carry on.” He even said they could put his picture on the Vyasasana and that was it and off he went to Sanfrancisco, Where before arriving he was greeted by a hundred hippies all in different outfits…a Merlin the magician, Japanease kimonos all kinds of far out outfits were present there and it is said that Syamasundara was dressed in sheep skin and he even smelt like a sheep! And they all bowed down to Prabhupada and chanting Hare Krishna and so Prabhupada was very happy. It was very promising, but no one could understand or no one could believe the extent of the Prabhupada’s desires and vision and Prabhupada pushed ….all into a big international movement.
He would just send, he would send devotees all over the world, devotees to Japan, devotees to Hong Kong… Bhurijana Prabhu describes how he was sent to Hong Kong and all by himself….. lots of Chinese and which if you are from America, you sort of walk around “ I’m the only American ..amongst all the Chinese, where am I !?”
There were a few Indians who supported him but not that many, they were not supporting that much and it was very lonely…he wrote to Prabhupada “ I’m too alone………. it’s too difficult I can not carry on”
Prabhupada wrote him a letter back “ Alright, no problem I will send you a wife”
And two week later she arrived… not in the mail! but by plane, by plane and introduced her self, please to meet you I’m your wife!
And they are still married and stay together so that’s actually very respectable but Prabhupada did things like that, Prabhupada was not just what to say creating a few temples, Prabhupada was really taking over the world and each time everyone was amazed at how big his plans were and not only amazed , worried also!.. such plans are just inconceivable, Prabhupada was such a preacher that in the Caitanya Caritamrita there is that verse….Bengali…..who ever you meet, that person you speak about Krishna. Until Prabhupada appeared that verse really didn’t have no meaning, no one did it, it was there in the Caitanya Caritamrita..but no one did it, But Prabhupada just lived that verse, he just whoever he met just spoke about Krishna, anywhere, all of us. And he was so convinced, he told Mukunda when they were in Chicago in the Ohare airport to go to the management and ask them to call it OHare Krishna airport….. Good joke… That’s a good one Prabhupada ……..but… Prabhupada was serious! And Mukunda was shocked and he didn’t do it. Prabhupada had great faith in Krishna and simply he was convinced Krishna will help. He told that also to Syamsundara who had a connection with the Beatles, here in England and that he should go and ask him for a donation of printing the Krishna book and Syamsundara “ohh, this ain’t good… George is very sensitive about money, everyone asks him a about money but me , I don’t have that type of relationship with him, I’ve never asked him for money because everyone has asked him for money and I am afraid that if I ask him for money it will break the friendship.”
Prabhupada said don’t worry, just ask him and Krishna will help you….so what to do with?...So that night there was a private gathering in some house and George Harrision was also going to be there so Syamsundara went there and Syamsundara was next to George and it was already getting to dessert and he still had not asked the question, oh no, I can not ask him, I can not ask him but if I don’t ask him I am disobeying the order of the spiritual master and then my spiritual life is finished, now what will I do. So he plucked up the courage and said “ George?” “Yes?” “ You know George, Prabhupada has translated a new book”
“ Oh really”
“ Yes, it is all about Krishna” “ oh very nice” “ Yeah, it is called the KRSNA book, but you know you see yeah errrmm wellll err a matter of the fact that it really is the case that there is not enough fund for the printing”
George’s face got tight, it became pale and white and a very serious look and Syamsundara was sinking into the ground and thinking everything ..finished.
Just then a terrible thunderclap and lightning and all the lights went out in the house and after about thirty seconds the lights came back on.
And george was smiling and said “ How can I refuse after this!” and he gave him the cheque and….Prabhupada said, “See I told you Krishna would help”
Prabhupada had this, not only had he great faith but Prabhupada was so close to Krishna, Prabhupada did not just believe Krishna would help, Prabhupada knew that Krishna would help! After all he was Krishna’s instrument,.. once he came down the staircase and as he came to the bottom of the staircase he made a little pirruoette, and everyone’s looking like what is this, coming down the stairs and making this little pirrouette and said my spiritual master made me into a diamond.
Yes a diamond he had explained many times, a diamond is transparent, a diamond is not obstructing the light in any way, rather whatever light comes in distributes that light in all directions , that is a diamond….Yeah so just a few memories of Prabhupada like this to sketch, a little sketch of Prabhupada I have given….cont’d tomo
