Memoirs and Realizations of My Guru Maharaja
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
by Initiated Disciple Visvakarma Dasa
(Past President ISKCON Toronto, 1975-1985, Regional Secretary Eastern Canada, Chairman World Presidents Council Mayapur, India 1977, Chairman North American Temple Presidents Association 1978)
I had the great honour to meet Srila Prabhupada in Detroit in July 1971, when I received my first initiation from him personally, in a very crowded, incense filled Temple room.
I had joined the Hamilton Temple in January of 1971 to the shock of my family, friends and fans. Those were the glory days of ISKCON, as many devotees have described them. Two devotee couples had set up the Temple in my house at 152 Cumberland. Dharmaraja and his wife at that time Gunamayi along with another devotee couple Minakirtan and his wife.
I was dragged into Prabhupada’s movement by the Lord’s divine mercy through my friends, especially Ron Marinelli and the missionary Vaisnavas who came to Hamilton to chant the Holy name with us in our home and on the streets back in 1970.
It was like our group of people in Hamilton, in 1970-71, had been hand picked by Krishna to join Srila Prabhupada’s movement. The core of it was our band, the Jameson Roberts, which Ron and I had founded, and our many fans that became friends and devotees of Prabhupada’s preaching mission.
We were very successful as a group of young musicians in the 60’s, who had become drawn to the truths of The Bhagavad-Gita As It Is and India, the land of Krsna, through Srila Prabhupada’s books. We were genuinely searching for the truth about the purpose of life and by Krishna’s divine mercy we met Srila Prabhuapda through his books. His books changed our lives.
We had a large group of friends who joined the movement from Hamilton and were initiated by Srila Prabhupada. Below is a list of initiated Srila Prabhupada disciples from our early Hamilton preaching centre. More people joined from our Hamilton centre, than any other centre in Canada at that time of the movement’s evolution here in eastern Canada.
There are new Hamiltonian’s in 2020, taking up the process of Bhakti yoga, as Prabhupada taught and showed us through his personal example of daily practise. Through our various preaching programs and leadership groups including Drupada Prabhu in Wiarton Ontario and Abhimanyu in Moscow Russia who are both Presidents in our Prabhupada ashram network, located about three hours north of Hamilton.
1. Nakadi Dasa
2. Uttamasloka Dasa
3. Mahavira Dasa
4. Bhumna Dasa
5. Aprakrita Dasa
6. Visnudutta Dasa
7. Gariyan Dasa
8. Bahirshmat Devi Dasi
9. Aprakrita Dasa
10. Purusa Dasa
11. Visvambara Dasa
12. Soucharya Devi Dasi
13. Pasupati Devi Dasi
14. Lila Kirtan Dasa
15. Devananada Dasa
16. His Wife
17. and myself, Visvakarma Dasa
The rule for first initiation required that any new members into the Temple had to strictly follow the four rules and regulations, chant 16 rounds of japa a day, work selflessly for the mission and go out to the streets and do Sankirtan for a minimum of 6 hours, for 6 months without fail. (6 hrs per day or week?)
We lived very austerely, in a small temporarily rented house, called the Hamilton Temple. Sleeping on the floor with no possessions, I never complained and worked very hard. I sold my prized 57 Fender bass to help pay the rent to keep the Temple doors open and a roof over our heads.
At the time, Jagadisha Dasa was the President of the Toronto Temple. He and Dharmaraj recommended myself for initiation along with others. This would commit us to go much deeper into Srila Prabhupada’s mission, to spread Krsna Consciousness in this part of the western world, including South America it turned out, with Mahavira traveling throughout South America and finally ending up in Brazil.
The Hamilton initiations in July of 1971 really kick-started the preaching work for Srila Prabhupada in Eastern Canada. It was Lord Chaitanya’s prediction, that the Sankirtan movement would spread to every town and village in the world. The Hamilton Temple was proof that it had become a reality.
News came to us that Srila Prabhupada was coming to visit the devotees in the Detroit Temple headed up by the charismatic Bhagavan Dasa. Dharmaraja, our Temple President made the arrangements for us all to travel to Detroit, to meet our new Spiritual Master.
We arrived a day before Srila Prabhupada and found the Temple atmosphere surcharged with transcendental excitement. Bhagavan and his team were very focused in their service to Srila Prabhupada and that inspired all of us to do the same.
The devotees were fixing up the Temple for Srila Prabhupada’s visit. They painted the entire building and built a new kitchen. Prasadam is a big part of Krsna culture and a good kitchen was vital for operating effective Deity worship and prasadam distribution. The Detroit Temple devotees under Bhagavan’s leadership, were preparing for some aggressive preaching programs to please Srila Prabhupada and that was very inspiring.
I really liked Bhagavan and the lectures he gave the day before Srila Prabhupada arrived. He understood the principle of serving and pleasing the Spiritual Master, as the way to please Krsna and a stepping-stone to Spiritual success. No money or effort was spared in preparation to greet our new Spiritual Master, the authorized representative of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and Lord Chaitanya.
It was exciting! We could barely sleep, so Mangal Aarti at 4:30am came fast. We didn’t finish service until 12 midnight. Some devotees didn’t even sleep, being so inspired with so much youthful energy and dedication.
This was Srila Prabhupada’s first visit to Detroit and another important part of his master plan to spread Krsna Consciousness throughout the world in the few short years that he walked among his Western Disciples.
ISKCON was building momentum based on its early successes in the 60’s in New York, Los Angeles and Montreal. Now, new initiates from the steel city of Canada, Hamilton, had come to Detroit for their initiation and to take their role in helping to fulfill Lord Chaitanya’s prophecy.
We had already taken the first Kirtan party across Ontario from Hamilton. We had gone with a group of nine in one van on a tour to Northern Ontario chanting the Holy names. We had been so blessed to be the first people to do that in this part of the world. The positive effects are still there in the atmosphere.
With the paint still wet and tacky, everyone piled into our fleet of devotee vehicles and headed out to the Detroit airport to meet our beloved Guru.
A few hundred devotees from Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Buffalo, Hamilton and Toronto were on a mission to get to the airport. The Detroit devotees had set up an elaborate book display in the airport reception lounge. That was what Srila Prabhupada wanted to see and that is what Bhagavan Dasa and his team understood. Book Distribution was at the centre of the mission. Many of us decided to serve the Spiritual Master rather than see him personally.
We stayed out at the airport doors distributing BTG’s. I eventually realized that I didn’t want to miss Srila Prabhupada’s arrival. Running through the airport and arriving at the reception area just as he came through the doors. When he appeared, the whole devotee community went crazy and started chanting like crazy. We were all absorbed in the transcendental moment with our beloved Srila Prabhupada. That first encounter was no different than touching the transcendental work. The first meeting was further proof of the transcendental reality of the Krsna Consciousness movement. (what is meant by this? Should it be, word? Or works or books?)
Beside the book display, a Vyasasana had been set up for Srila Prabhupada to stop and address the press and his disciples before proceeding onto the Detroit Temple. Srila Prabhupada was a master marketer for Krsna Consciousness and the Maha Mantra, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
Before his departure in 1976, throughout the world, Krishna had become a household name. He founded over 100 Temples of different sorts in many countries and initiated over 4000 disciples. On that hot summer day in July at our initiation ceremony, we were becoming part of that history.
We had all been patiently waiting for the arrival of his flight. Then finally we saw the plane and the excitement grew. While standing in the crowd of devotees I remembered Srila Prabhupada’s instruction that we should always distribute his books and in this way we could please him.
I looked around and saw that there were no books in the devotees arms. I immediately ran from the arrival area back out to our van in the Airport parking lot. It was a long run. I picked up two large bags of BTG’s and headed back into the terminal. When I returned to the landing area Srila Prabhupada the pure devotee of Krishna had already arrived and was sitting in a Vyasasana the Temple had brought to the airport for his greeting.
He was surrounded by a large group of people including devotees, karmis and the local press, so I couldn’t see him at first. There was a tumultuous Kirtan raging in the reception area. A large percentage of the devotees were weeping tears of joy. The Detroit Airport had been totally transformed due to the presence of Srila Prabhupada, the Holy Name and his enthusiastic disciples. It felt like Eternal time had replaced material time in this transformed transcendental atmosphere. There was no more birth, death, disease and old age. The Faith, belief and selfless devotional service of our group provided a realization of the Absolute Truth in the association of Srila Prabhupada. We all knew Krsna had blessed us with the presence of his authorized representative.
Srila Prabhupada was still hidden from my eyes by the crowd of devotees in front of me. I was also afraid to look. I felt too fallen, too low and very unqualified. I understood here was Krishna’s transparent, via the media of the Supreme Lord.
I knew it and I was afraid to look. Then Krsna spoke to me. “This is ridiculous Bobby. The perfection of the eyes is to behold the form of the Pure Devotee of the Lord’s, look.” I peered out and finally the form of my Guru Srila Prabhupada was there in my sight. I lost my breath. The perfection of the human eyes had been achieved, I felt like I was transformed in time to the Spiritual kingdom of Krishna here on earth. That was the impact of first meeting Srila Prabhupada. We all tried to grasp the meaning of the moment as best as our meager level of self-realization allowed us to. But I still felt a special blessing coming from that moment, from Krsna. A taste of the Spiritual world in the material plane by the grace of the devotee. As my journey continued after initiation in Srila Prabhupada’s service, he revealed more of the Spiritual world to me while I was living in the material realm. We were fearless because of it.
Srila Prabhupada was drinking water. It was the first time I had seen anyone drink water from a goblet without touching the goblet to his mouth. We hadn’t even met an East Indian person in Hamilton up to that time. In fact an East Indian was a novelty, practically non-existent. The water streamed down from the cup like a shining silver stream into Srila Prabhupada’s wide-open mouth.
He swallowed as he drank, so the water streamed down through his throat, to his stomach without stopping. Srila Prabhupada was a perfect Yogi all the way.
My mind began to drift to another place. Srila Prabhuada had appeared as a grand Sage before us. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Realizations of the Absolute Truth were very intense and deep. As everyone kept chanting Srila Prabhuapda gazed around at the devotees smiling with great pleasure and transcendental joy. All the disciples became overwhelmed with ecstasy reading the situation.
We were a very sincere group of followers and Krsna bestowed his mercy on all of us in that first meeting in Detroit in ‘71. This was the real beginning of our journey of service to Srila Prabhupada and his mission to spread the Sankirtan movement of Lord Chaitanya.
I began weeping along with my God brothers and sisters upon seeing the merciful smile of the Pure Devotee. The darshan brought great ecstasy to the hearts of all the assembled vaishnavas and the reality of the Bhagavad Gita to real life. It was a very special privileged moment in time. We all felt honored and blessed to be called to this meeting with the Pure Devotee and solidified our commitment to surrender and serve his mission of mercy.
We had learned that the bona fide Spiritual Master is the transparent, via media of the Supreme Lord and by seeing the form of Srila Prabhupada I realized and could see how, his senses were completely under the control of the Supreme Lord Hrishikesh, master of the senses. As he moved I realized he had completely surrendered his senses to the service of the Lord.
The kirtan raged on and then finally came to a grand end. We paid our obeisances and when we rose from the floor Srila Prabhupada gave the most beautiful insightful speech right in the airport lobby. He spoke on how we are not these bodies but spirit souls and the eternal servitors of Krsna.
While he was speaking, his voice had the sound quality of eternal youthfulness. It was the first time many of us had seen and heard Srila Prabhupada in person and it was as if Krsna, the king of Braja was speaking directly to us through our Guru. Krsna had come through his mercy representative, to deliver us from the cycle of birth and death. His message was being delivered from the Spiritual plane to the material plane through the via media of his Pure Devotee. That day in the airport we all felt that Prabhupada had come to deliver us from this material world. What a beautiful gift!
After Prabhupada finished his lecture we all got up and started chanting, following Prabhupada out of the airport. The narrow hallways exploded with the sound of the Holy name. At the front door of the terminal a car was waiting to pick up Srila Prabupada and drove him to his quarters near the Temple.
Srila Prabhupada came in the evening for class. The Temple had a very transcendental Spiritual world vibe. At the front of the small Temple room there were the three deities Jagannatha, Balarama and Subhadra. Srila Prabhupada’s vyasasana was to the right of the altar and the room was jammed packed shoulder to shoulder with devotees.
There were thick clouds of incense pouring out from the incense trays resting on the altars and Bahulasva was leading a gigantic kirtan as we danced and chanted together to the pleasure of our guru Maharaja and the deities installed on the altars. We had been taken from the mundane material plane and transported to the eternal transcendental plane of existence for those moments in time. All due to the mercy of Srila Prabhupada.
Srila Prabhupada sat on his vyasasan with his kartalas. He began to play but was not chanting. He was looking around slowly, at all of his dancing disciples and relishing the nectar to the Holy name. He appeared so pleased to see the chanting and dancing of his disciples. I felt I had been transported to the Spiritual sky as Srila Prabhupada nodded his approval on behalf of Krsna towards us. The Kirtan raged on. Being a new bhakta I felt swept away to the Spiritual world even within the confines of this material body in the association of Srila Prabhupada, the Deities, other bhaktas and the kirtan. It was the first time any of us from the Hamilton Temple had been in such a large gathering of devotees to speak of the personal association of Srila Prabhupada.
The next morning, when Srila Prabhupada arrived at the Temple, Bhagavan had made elaborate arrival preparations. When Srila Prabhupada got out of the car, the devotees formed two lines all the way from the street up to the Temple front door, and Bhagavan had given Srila Prabhupada a basket of flowers. As Srila Prabhupada walked down between the line of devotees he carefully handed each one a flower while everyone chanted and danced. When Srila Prabhupada finally reached the front entrance to this elegant mansion, a group of devotees on the second floor showered him with flower petals. As the flower petals poured down on all of us Prabhupada looked upwards and then turned to all of us and very brightly smiled showing great appreciation for his reception. He was truly a humble saint and acted that way in all circumstances.
Everyone became ecstatic to see Srila Prabhupada’s pleasure and the kirtana increased with intensity and transcendental emotion.
That morning Srila Prabhupada held initiation for all the new devotees that had come from the various Temples including all of us from the Hamilton Yatra. I think there were about thirty or forty new initiated that day. We all sat on the floor in the crowded Temple and waited patiently as Srila Prabhupada announced each devotee’s name and came forward to receive their initiated beads and new names from him.
We were all very nervous and when my name was called out I carefully moved through the people in front of me to get in front of Srila Prabhupada and pay my eternal dandavats at his lotus feet. I don’t remember either getting down or up but I know I did.
Srila Prabhupada asked me what the four regulative principles are. I answered quickly, no meat eating, intoxication, illicit sex or gambling. He asked how many rounds I agreed to chant upon initiation and I answered 16. Srila Prabhupada looked at me and said, “Your Name is Visvakarma Dasa”. At that moment there was a light roar of approval of the name from the assembled vaishnavas. In the glory years it was the tradition at initiation when new devotees received their new names from the Pure Devotee to cheer approval.
Srila Prabhupada then again spoke and said “But you should never think that you are the chief engineer but the servant of the servant of the servant of the chief engineer and this way you will become great.
I got down, paid my obeisances and returned to my sitting place. I couldn’t remember my new name. I was still in a state of transcendental shock. When Srila Prabhupada handed me my beads I looked at him. He looked back at me. I felt he saw my struggle for existence through so many births and years in the material world. It was like he penetrated into my entire existence in this material creation with that one glance and he knew everything about me: my past, present and future. That is the power of the Pure Devotee.
In the evening I was invited to the darshan at Srila Prabhupada’s quarters, the bathroom I had meticulously cleaned prior to his arrival.
Check conversations in the library for what was spoken……..(should this be left in?)
After the question and answer period prasadam was brought for Srila Prabhupada only. Prabhupada took a small fraction of what had been prepared and the leftovers sat by his side. All of us had not taken prasadam. Everyone was anxious to get Prabhupada’s remnants but no one had the nerve to ask for the leftover prasadam. That is one of the topmost achievements for a disciple in our disciplic succession, to eat the remnants of the Pure Devotee. No one said a word.
Srila Prabhupada sensed the situation and offered his leftovers to all of us. None of us could believe it. Due to fear and shyness no one still dared to move forward to start distributing the sacred of all sacred prasadam to us.
Finally he insisted and said “Never be shy when doing business and taking prasadam.” This is a lesson I have never forgotten all my life.
That was a very special evening in July of 1971 in Detroit with Srila Prabhupada and the new initiates from Hamilton Yatra. This encounter cemented us into the mission and from there we all undertook a vow to wage war on maya. That was a true adventure.
The next day Srial Prabhupada came to the Temple and then we took him to the airport so he could carry on with his current global preaching tour. Srila Prabhupada was always traveling. He had no permanent resting place, except at home with his disciples. His missionary zeal inspired all of us to take up the torch and push the SKP movement into the forefront of our local communities. That was one of the goals of his visit.
Finally his visit was over and we all piled into the many vans and cars and followed Srila Prabhupada back to the Detroit airport to see him off.. We had arrived before Prabhupada did, and when he pulled up, a big kirtan began and he climbed out of the car and walked into the airport.
Prabhupada led the procession of ecstatic devotees down the corridors of the airport which were long and narrow, to the boarding area, where he was to take the plane.
I distinctly remember how Prabhupada walked, how he walked in a proud majestic manner, in the front of the tumultuous kirtan party he was leading. All the people in the airport we passed in the halls had no idea what a great transcendental pastime they were participating in.
They gazed at us with great curiosity as we loudly danced and chanted behind Prabhupada.
I was right in the middle of the kirtan party and as the kirtan moved along the corridor and dipped down, I got a clear view of Prabhupada in the front walking quickly and majestically. Being surrounded by all the devotees, in the middle of the kirtan and being led by Srila Prabhupada I felt transported to the eternal pastimes of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
We all felt like his blissful children, and he was our Spiritual father who was here to deliver us from the miseries of material life.
We finally arrived at the departure lounge and Srila Prabhupada sat in one of the airport lounge chairs. The kirtan finally stopped and Prabhupada began to speak to us as we sat down around him. I very boldly made my way up to the front of the group and sat right in front of Srila Prabhupada.
All of a sudden a non devotee broke through to the front and went right up to Srila Prabhupada and asked him, “What do you do with all the money you collect?” Prabhupada looked at him and replied, “We print books and construct Temples.” It was the perfect, to the point answer. He was completely satisfied with that simple answer and then got up and immediately walked away from all of us.
Everyone was weeping tears of joy as Prabhupada got up and boarded the plane. All of us waited in the departure lounge chanting kirtan until the plane disappeared in the sky.
I did see Srila Prabhupada the following year in New York city in June 1972. I came down to New York in the back of a mini van from Toronto with 10 other devotees including Draupada Prabhu. It took us 10 hrs and was very austere but we passed chanting kirtan. Jagadish Prabhu the President had already received my approval for a second initiation by letter from Prabhupada, but he decided we would go to New York and get the intiations done personally for us by Srila Prabhupada. What a stroke of genius by Jagadish considering the great spiritual honour it was for all of us to be personally initiated by a jagad guru.
When we arrived in Brooklyn the temple was packed with devotees from the entire east coast, The temple programs were completely filled with disciples and aspiring disciples of Srila Prabhupada who as
Wherever Srila Prabhupada came to visit any temple the atmosphere became truly spiritually surcharged by his transcendental presence.
Initially the leaders had a plan to initiate 60 devotees at once with second initiation. I was very eager to get that opportunity and had served very sincerely for the entire year to get this opportunity. It meant so much to all of us to receive the sacred thread as his initiated brahminical students.
Srila Prabhupada thought there were too many new people getting this initiation. He asked that all of those who had been recommended be scrutinized again for their qualifications. Bali Marden at the time carefully reviewed every candidate. They removed two thirds of the list of candidates for second initiation and included me on the list. I was in shock.
I went to Jagadisha and asked him why I had been taken off the list. He told me it was a mistake and he would speak to Bali Marden the President of New York and hopefully get me back on the list because I had been pre approved in a letter sent to him a month prior confirming my Brahamin initiation. The invitations were almost completed.
Jagadisha Prabhu went to Bali Marden and convinced him to put me back on the list. I was in the temple room chanting japa as Prabhupada was finishing the second invitations and leaving New York later in the afternoon. Time was running out. I was so worried.
I finally got the approval by Bali Marden Prabhu to receive my sacred thread and gayatri mantra personally from my Guru Maharaja Srila Prabhupada and he was placed last on the list.
I was called out of the temple room and hurried to Prabhupada’s quarters and stood in line with a few of my godbrothers and god sisters who were still left to receive this blessed second initiation.
This would be the first time I would be left alone with my Guru Maharaja and certainly wanted to make a good impression. Looking back I was very neophyte but Prabhupada could see the reality of how Krishna was working to engage us young western men and women like myself at 23 years of age, in the prime of young adulthood, into the Skp mission of Lord Chaitanya for him.
I was wondering what I should say when I entered the room. I would have to say something spiritually to convince him I was qualified to get initiated. I was standing in the hall nervously reading Prabhupada’s new Krishna Book while waiting to be called.
In that new paperback Krishna book Prabhupada wrote, “ a brahmachari should approach the spiritual master and request him to please instruct him in the science of Krishna consciousness.”
So I thought that would be the best thing to say when I finally got to speak to him personally. Just repeat what he says back to him what he has taught me, that is the perfection of the student. Our entire advancement in Krishna consciousness is based on our personal relationship as the disciple of our Guru who is the authorized Guru in the line of disciplic succession from Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Finally I was called to enter his room where he was sitting behind his desk. I bowed down and paid my obeisances. My mind was racing again. I slowed it down and I thought the best way to please Srila Prabhupada was to simply focus on listening to my prayers to him. Hear and chant!
I finished my obeisances and Srila Prabhupada responded with a strong “Hare Krishna”. I think that first move saved me from being cancelled again by him personally.
Then I asked him the question I had just read in the new Krishna Book I was reading in the hallway prior to coming in. I spoke in a humble soft voice,“Please accept me as your disciple?” and he responded, “Yes”!
Saved! I thought I finally made it, maybe but not so fast.
Srila Prabhupada picked a new Brahman thread from his desk and proceeded to unwind it, as the strings that made up the sacred thread were entangled. The entanglement was similar to the traps of Maya Prabhupada he had freed me from to get here. Here I was in this treasured moment in 1972, in New York City sitting before Srila Parabhupada, this fallen Canadian Kali Yuga Vaisnava from Hamilton Ontario ready to surrender to his SKP mission.
There are three material modes of nature: goodness, passion and ignorance. They are also considered to be ropes that bind the conditioned souls to repeated birth death. The wheel of reincarnation or birth and death is also known by the sanskrit word samsara. The spiritual master is the only one that can free the conditioned soul from the modes of material nature.
Srila Prabhupada tried to untangle the twisted strings but was unsuccessful. He asked me to go into the hall and retrieve another brahmin thread. There didn’t seem to be any left. I thought this was going in the wrong direction. I was standing in the hallway for some time and then finally a fellow brahmacharya ran up to me holding the treasured Brahmins thread necessary to complete my 2nd initiation ceremony. Thank Krishna someone was able to find one and I returned joyfully to his quarters with it.
I came back into the room, got down on my knees and paid my obeisances. I passed the thread to him and again Prabhupada was unsuccessful in disentangling the threads that individually make up a sacred thread which is essential in the performance of the ceremony
Now I began thinking maybe Krishna was intervening to prevent my second initiation. In desperation I was going to save the day.
Foolishly I asked Srila Prabhupada to pass me the thread and let me try to do the impossible it seems.
Prabupada passed the brahmin thread to me. I took it from his hands and then I was really worried. I realized at the moment I had no idea what I was doing. I had never touched a brahmins thread before in my life. How could I possibly solve this problem my Guru Maharaja wasn’t able to solve.
In desperation I fumbled with the thread and suddenly, miraculously, the individual thread strings fell into line and I passed the unraveled sacred thread back to him.
Success BUT still not done. He asked me to move around the desk and sit beside him and He wrapped the thread around me and handed me the gayatri mantra written out on a piece. He instructed me to chant this mantra three times a day morning at sunrise, noon and evening sunset.
Then he said “learn this mantra” and pointed to words on the paper in front of me. I totally misunderstood what he wanted me to do. Here I go another stupid to follow.
I thought ok he’s not going to speak the mantra to me and got down to pay my obediences.
Wrong.
He spoke to me in a raised voice “No__Listen!”.
I jumped back up in shock and tried to look calm. I sat down beside him again. He tried to show me next the finger movements to count the prayers with the thread but I was so spun out by this time I couldn’t really think straight. I kept failing.
Prabhupaad looked frustrated with me.
I started to panic. I’ve blown it. I’m such an idiot. I thought maybe he’ll cancel my second initiation right there on the spot. I had ruined my chance. There already had been 40 people dropped from the list earlier in the day. My mind was racing.
Prabhupada continued on despite my stupidity and chanted the gayatri mantra in my left ear, pointing to each word on the sheet as he spoke the actual words to me. He finished and there was nothing more left for me to do except pay my humble obeisances and escape before I continued to mess up and he changed his mind.
Like I said I was so worried it wouldn’t happen. I really wanted my second initiation from Prabhupada no matter what. I danced down the hall back to the ashrama to celebrate this great spiritual achievement with my fellow godbrothers, my full initiation as an official disciple of my Guru, Srila Prabhupada.
Of all the achievements that Krishna has blessed me with in this life, this was my greatest success, to become an accepted disciple of the greatest man in modern history A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.
This is also one of the highest posts in the material world, according to our Vaisnava teachings. Krishna tells us “He who says he is my devotee is not my devotee. He who says that he is the devotee of my devotee, that person is my devotee.” Srila Prabhupada had also mentioned that to me when I had received my first initiation in Detroit. At the naming giving ceremony he instructed me never to think I am Visvakarma, the Chief Engineer of the demigods, but the servant of the servant of the Chief Engineer in this way he instructed me, you will become great.
This relationship of surrender to him is the means by which a sincere disciple can make advancement. That surrendering process is a transcendental affair between Guru and disciple. I acknowledge that Srila Prabhupada has forced open my eyes with the torch light of knowledge.
The material world is compared to an ocean, ocean of misery. If a person wants to cross over the ocean he needs to board a safe ship with an expert Captain. Srila Prabhupada is the captain of the ship, and the boat is made of his transcendental literature. By carefully studying all of his books which include the Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam and Caitanya Caritamrta we will find complete success in spiritual life. Prabhuapda taught through personal examples and provided the necessary leadership to successfully traverse this material journey and depart back home back to godhead at the time of death.
Srila Prabhupada is still guiding all of us through his Vani incarnation in this current pandemic era. There are two ways to associate with Srila Prabhupada one is called Vani and the other Vapu. Vani means sound vibration through his books, lectures and interviews. He has left us a prolific amount of instructions and knowledge during his short life in a variety of media formats. If you have access to the internet then these articles are freely available to us.
All the items can be purchased as well as tangible spiritual assets.. I recommend to new people that are interested in learning Krishna Consciousness to purchase or read the books that were edited pre Srila Prabhupada’s departure in November 1977. My personal favorites are his writings he published in India before arriving in America in 1965 to carry out the mission from His Grace Srila Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati.
I especially relish the first canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam and highly recommend to everyone to carefully read and learn the teachings he provides in these books for any aspiring new disciples. Everyone that’s sane should desire to become a true disciple of Srila Prabhupada. Let’s be honest there is only one Jagad Guru who makes no doubt. When you learn about the life of Srila Prabhupada you will be convinced that I have spoken the truth and it can’t be denied.
Vapu means personal associations. Of the two Prabhupada taught the best is Vani association because he told us familiarity breeds contempt. Many of our godbrothers fell down because of this problem.
When one becomes a devoted disciple of His Divine Grace and a servant of his mission to spread the Krishna Consciousness movement under orders from His Guru Maharaja and beginning with Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the 15th century starting in West Bengal India, he becomes eligible to go back to Godhead in this lifetime. If we get the opportunity to serve we are truly blessed by God Himself.
The day was ending in New York and The temple authorities had scheduled a photo session for Srila Prabupada along with his published books that I was allowed to attend just before he was about to leave.
I remember one incident from that event that stuck with me over my life. The camera man didnt know anything about our process and the role of the Guru in the life of a disciple. Prbahupada could see the person had no real idea how to photograph a Guru. Prabhupada instructed the camera man to photograph his entire body and especially his feet as this is the meditation of his disciples.
This is confirmed in the first verse of the song written by Srila Narottama Dasa Thakur called “Sri Guru Carana Padma”, a very famous Bengali Vaisnava bhajan
“The lotus feet of my spiritual master are the only way I can obtain pure devotional service. I bow down to his feet with great awe and reverence. By the grace of the lotus feet of my spiritual master one can cross over the ocean nescience.”
I saw Prabhuoada again in 1973 in India where I attended my first of many Mayapur Festival celebrations. I was satisfied to see Prabhupada twice every year, once in India, during the Mayapur Festival and once in North America during his preaching tours, from 1973 to 1977.
Prabhupada had asked the World Wide Temple presidents to come once a year to Mayapur with some and celebrate together the skp of successes of the previous year for Lord Chaitanya and make plans to continue to spread the mission of Srila Prabhupada globally.
The next time I saw Srila Prabhupada was in New Vrndavana in 1973. I was leading a Toronto skp party on a brand new blue school bus they had purchased from Vancouver temple under temple president Bahudak Prabhu. Bala Krishna Prabhu was operating it for them before I was put in charge of the program.
This was before the Radha Damodara tskp party days. There were two buses on the road in the states, our bus and the bus of a renowned Kirtan leader at that time Visnujana Swami. We had been travelling in the states selling Krishna books and sending our money back to Toronto to help support the burgeoning ashrama. We crossed paths with the Swami in Houston Texas where he joined us on the bus for a kirtan,
Driving up from the deep south, when we arrived at the New Vrndavana community we got a rather cold reception from Kuladri Prabhu the reigning temple President at that time. This was the first time I ever encountered sectarianism in Iskcon. To say the least I was very disappointed with their lack of good qualities. As time revealed the leader of that community was envious of Srila Prabhupada and the result was his deviant lack of Krishna conscious behavior filtered into the people working under him his administration. That was really the first time our group experienced a high level of disappointment from fellow godbrothers.
The Canadian spirit was much more compassionate and cooperative but the American devotees were quite the opposite. That was probably because the President Keith Ham turned out to be an offender at the feet of our guru A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. When a disciple offends his spiritual master in the way that history has recorded Keith Hams behavior it is called the mad elephant offence.
Our devotional life is compared to a small plant. If a mad elephant runs through a garden patch, because of the size and fury of the elephant he tramples the little plants. Similarly when a disciple offends his spiritual master his devotional creeper is destroyed and all the accrued benefit from his previous devotional activities for his guru are also eradicated in the same manner. In other words you’re doomed because of your offences more or less according to the laws of karma. There are books written on this Keith Ham so we won’t bother to discuss them in these memoirs.
Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, “Whatever great men do, common men will follow and whatever standards they set the whole world pursues.” Keith Ham also named Kirtanananda dasa left a legacy of disaster for himself and his followers in New Vrindavan. Yes he was leading by example no different than the blind leading the blind. His only qualification was his early acceptance of Srila Prabhupada as his guru. His troubled karmi background never left him even after he joined Prabhuoada’s mission in 1966 in New York and this haunted him throughout his devotional career, right up to his death.
The seeds of their destruction were already present in 1973 when we arrived there and were so disrespectfully treated. We had been on the road working hard to serve Srila Prabhupada for months away from a temple, so excited to see him again and we were treated like second class citizens by the members of that community during his visit. It did spoil our visit unfortunately.
My personal experience since Prabhupada’s demise of the Iskcon leaders like Keith, have misled new people on the path back to godhead. Even though they show no signs of pure devotion, many of them whimsically represent themselves as pure devotees, and on the authority of Srila Prabhupada, to initiate new people as their disciples. This has led to sectarianism throughout the pre pandemic Iskcon era. Personally once burnt twice shy it is said.
In the summer of 1974 we all travelled to New Vrndavana to see Prabhupada this time with Jagadisha Prabhu the President of the temple. He was able to work with their West Virginia administration this time round and things were much civilized during our stay. I even got to go on a morning walk with Srila Prabhupada. Of course there were alot of disciples on the walk, so I was basically lost in the crowd. That was a big deal back then just to be invited on a famous Prabhupada walk so it was still blissful. I had been on a walk previously in March while attending my first Mayapur Festival in West Bengal India home of the famous bengal tigers and the Yuga Avatara Sri Chaitanya
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared as a devotee of Krishna in Mayapur, West Bengal, India in the late fifteenth century. He introduced sankirtan, widespread congregational chanting of the Supreme Person’s names, as the most effective means by which anyone can achieve spiritual perfection.
By His influence, many of India’s leading religious scholars and their followers became devotees of Krishna themselves during his short time on this earth. Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is considered by disciples, scholars and followers to be the latest avatar of God, Krishna Himself.
In 1974 was a repeat of 1973 for me and I saw Prabhupada twice once again in India at the Mayapur Festival and in West Virginia at the Janmashtami Festival. Once again hundreds of devotees from all the temples on the east coast flooded to New Vrndavana. THis time I got invited on a morning walk.
I recall an incident that certainly effected me for the rest of my days. The temple in New Vrindavan was rather small. The morning Bhagavatam Class was given by Srila Prabhuapad and naturally everyone wanted to be there in attendance.
Somehow I managed a place on the floor near the front of the temple room near the front of Sri Sri Radha Vrndavan Candra. Because the room was fairly compact I had a perfect view of Srila Prabhupada as he spoke and gave class on the Srimad Bhagavatam.
It was rather uncomfortable for me as i always had trouble sitting cross legged in a yoga posture on a hard floor for long periods of time. This was exacerbated by the fact that we were packed into the room like grains of rice in a sack.
My mind was wandering when the class was ending. How could I get Srial Prabhupada’s mercy? I felt so insignificant especially in this grand gathering of surrendered disciples there to honour our Spiritual Master.
The class officially finished and Srila Prabhupada rose up off the Vyasasana and started to move towards the front of the temple to pay his obeisances to Radha Vrndavana Chandra and the devotees separated to allow him to pass through the crowd. It looked like Jesus parting the seas as told in the New testament. I tried to get out of the way and fell to the ground to pay obiecenses as things were happening very quickly. I dropped quickly and started to chant the nama om prayers. Suddenly I felt two soft feet on the top of my clean shaven head. My mind started racing. Who has their feet on my head? What;s wrong with them?
I looked up to see who it was and to my amazement I saw both feet of Srila Prabhupada moving away from his head as he stood up again. Somehow or other I had bowed down on the floor with my forehead touching the floor. The lotus feet of my Srila Master landed flat on my shaved head.
Krishna had answered my prayer instantaneously. As I mentioned previously the lotus feet of the Srila Prabhupada are the only way to attain pure devotional service and I had bowed down with great awe and reverence. This of course is the mercy of the Spiritual Master, to hear the message of Lord Chaitanya from his mouth and take up his mission, to serve him, is the perfection of human life.
The history of Bali Mahārāja and his charity to Vāmanadeva is described in the Eighth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. This spiritual pastime also reveals the benefits of having the lotus feet of your Guru placed on your head.
Bali Mahārāja had conquered all the planets of the universe by rightful possession. As a king he could conquer other kings by strength historically, and such possession is considered to be rightful. So Bali Mahārāja possessed all the lands of the universe, and he happened to be charitably disposed toward the brāhmaṇas. Krishna pretended to be a beggar brāhmaṇa, and He asked Bali Mahārāja for a measurement of three footsteps of land.
The Lord, as the proprietor of everything, could take from Bali Mahārāja all the land he possessed, but he did not do so because Bali Mahārāja possessed all those lands by king’s rights.
When Bali Mahārāja was asked by Lord Vāmana for such small charity, Bali Mahārāja’s spiritual master, namely Śukrācārya, objected to this proposal because he knew that Vāmanadeva was Viṣṇu Himself, pretending to be a beggar. Bali Mahārāja did not agree to abide by the order of his spiritual master when he understood that the beggar was Viṣṇu Himself, and he at once agreed to give Him in charity the land requested.
By this agreement Lord Vāmana covered all the lands of the universe with His first two steps and then asked Bali Mahārāja where to place the third step. Bali Mahārāja was very glad to receive the Lord’s remaining step upon his head, and thus Bali Mahārāja, instead of losing everything he possessed, was blessed by the Lord’s becoming his constant companion and doorman. So, by giving everything to the cause of the Lord, one does not lose anything, but he gains everything that he could never otherwise expect.”
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.7.17, Purport).
When I had just joined the Hamilton Temple in Hamilton back in 1971 the new temple ran into financial trouble and didn’t have enough money to pay the rent.
Before joining the temple full time with some of my fellow band members and friends I had purchased my only prized possession while performing in my band the Jameson Roberts Blues Band. It was a 1957 Blonde Neck 4 string Fender Precision bass.
This was the Holy Grail of bass guitars, very rare and collectable. It is said in the Nectar of Devotion by Lord Krishna that He becomes purchased by the devotee who surrenders his most valuable possession in his service.
The Hamilton temple was short of money and I thought if I can get Krishna’s mercy that way, I’ll sell my bass and give the money to the temple president at the time to pay the rent. I had given the money on one condition. Before joining the temple my house was raided by the Hamilton Police. The Police back then were rather red neck and looking to hurt people for no good reason other than pure power tripping. I was unjustly charged with a false claim and found guilty in court and fined $300.00. I told our leader to pay my fine and keep the rest for the rent which wasn’t very much. Instead of paying my fine as promised he used the money for the temple.
A few weeks later we were out on the street chanting on a Friday afternoon with our full devotional gear. Remember we were rather famous Hamilton musicians at the time who joined the Hare Krishna movement and had accepted a life of celibacy and poverty. Now that was quite a dramatic change from let’s say the exotic hippy lifestyle we were enjoying as young rising music stars here in the city. We had been voted the number one band in Hamilton for 1967. We were very popular amongst our peers.
The police pulled up in a patio wagon and took me away in the back toBarton street jail.
Barton street jail in those days was a very and frightening place to be put in but there I was locked there in the range with a shaved head and a pony tail hair from the back and my pink dhoti and white shirt.
I wasn’t sure what would happen to me but to simply remember taking shelter of Krishna in holy name. The jail guards thought it was too dangerous for me to be there with the other inmates. I had no problems at all but they felt that they had to put me in solitary confinement for 2 days. If you saw movies where the old jails were true hell holes. That’s where they put me for two days and all I did was give the money to the temple leader and he completely screwed to the wall. I grew up in a tough part of the City back then known as Inch Park. I had heard about this place but I had never been to jail before.
It was intense but I was never afraid as I took complete shelter of the holy name and Prabhupada’s books while I was more entombed rather than imprisoned considering the conditions of that famous historical Hamilton landmark Barton City Jail. Today there is a brand new modern jail where the old one used to stand.
On monday morning some of the devotees came to see me. They were trying to arrange the money to pay the fine. My best friend Ron Marnelli, who was also the co founder of our band was also a member of the Hamilton temple.
His Father was a successful cab company owner at the time in his mid forties he gave the money to Ron and he went to the courthouse paid the fine and finally they let me out of jail for 5 days three days in solitary confinement. Just Krishna, Prabhupada and myself.
At the end of the week there was a startling announcement made to us at the temple. Ron’s Father suddenly died of a heart attack. From a philosophical point of view, the $300.00 he gave to get me out of jail guaranteed him at least a human birth, maybe even more blessings. Krishna is indebted to those people that selfishly serve his devotees. In the case of Ron’s Father, the famous Ross Marinelli, owner of yellow cabs, that’s exactly happened. Ross’s son Ron was becoming a Prabhupada disciple and now he was helping me get out of jail with no expectations in return. This type of sincere service by a conditioned soul, even unknowingly attracts the attention of Krishna. If a person can perform even one act of service in their lifetime that gains the attention of God, then that life is considered to be a complete success. I’m still grateful to Mr. Marinelli for bailing me out of Barton Street Jail.
I came back to the ashram with no hard feelings and continued on with my service to Srila Parbhupada and the mission of Lord Chaitanya.
I saw Srila Prabhupada in India on March 75 for the Chaitanya festival at the Lord’s birthplace in Sri Dhama Mayapur.
In July he finally decided to visit the Gerrard Street temple in Toronto for the first time since its inception in 1969. The temple was filled with many fired up Sankirtan devotees and expert pujaris in 1975. Toronto temple was renowned for it’s amazing kirtans and delicious prasadam.
The daily schedule included Yonge Street Sankirtan. Samkirtan in those days meant dhotis, kartals, mrdanga and book bags filled with small books to sell and accept donations to support the ashram. Yonge street in those days still had the aura of the hippy still lingering from the 60’s.
All of us were focused on our devotional service in the hope Srila Prabhupada would finally visit us in Toronto.
Little did we know that Prabhupada’s visit would spark a fire that would eventually change the skyline of Toronto for ever.
I believe SrilaPrabhupada truly knew the importance of the city in the global view of things. I believe he wanted to make sure that his movement had a solid base in the province’s capital to preach the mission of Lord Chaitanya.
In terms of economic development Toronto and the Golden Horseshoe are the main hub of commerce in Canada. Approximately one third of Canada’s population is located in this area.
I remember going to the airport to finally see our Guru Maharaja. For the Skp devotees this was really the ultimate spiritual experience, Prabhupada meant that much to all of us. The association of a pure devotee is the only way to achieve the mercy of krisnar and that is the only way to obtain pure devotional service. We bow down to his lotus feet with great awe and reverence. That was the mood in the Toronto temple amongst its fully surrendered members back in.
The bliss in devotional service comes when one truly surrenders everything he has to please his spiritual master.
Still none of us could really believe he was actually coming to visit us fallen Canadians. We were outside the arrivals gate chanting Hare krishna ferociously and surprising no one stopped us. It was the first time we had ever been in an airport and the airport security were not sure how to deal with us having been mostly taken off guard. We were simply singing the holy names of the Lord which had a therapeutic effect over the entire airport. That is the nature of pure transcendental. Along with the arrival of Srila Prabhupada in a few minutes nothing could go wrong except.
Prabhupada and his small entourage had cleared customs and immigration and finally appeared at the door at the other end of arrivals.
Are you kidding this was like a herd of wild elephants running through the corridor of chanting, ready to trample anything or anyone in their way. They were rushing to meet the greatest man in the world Srila Prabhupada.
Fortunately no one in the airport got trampled and we all arrived in front of our awaiting Spiritual Master. It must’ve been really strange for the people in the airport to see approximarely 50 devotees get down and pay their humble obeisances on the concrete airport floor to their Guru Maharja. This is a practise done by people of East Indian heritage without hestiation. Seeing both white canadiandevotees along with east Indian devotees bowing down together to honour a pure devotee of Krishna was a new first for Canadian soil. Whever the pure devotee walks he purifys the earth under him, according to Vaisnava philosophy. The pure devotee is considered the true ambassador of Krishna and carry’s all the mercy of Krishna in all his words, actions and deeds. The pure devotee is known as the Master of the senses. Through his complete surrender to his Guru and Krishna he becomes a transparent via medium for Krishna.
Every time I met Srila Prabhupada I saw him as a transparent via medium for Krishna. Prabhupada demostrated his pure Krishna Consciousness every time he spoke and many of those conversations have been captured and are now avaible to be shared by all on the internet free of charge,
We all got up and the few members from the East Indian community rushed at Srila Prabhupada to touch his feet. It seemed chaotic and disrespectful to us Western devotees, but Prabhupada knew exactly what was happening. This is the East Indian tradition for greeting a sadhu or Guru as the esteemed A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. They didnt really know who Srila Prabhupada was but they were blessed to be there and get Krishna’s mercy with his holy darshan.
Brhamanada Swami tried to pull the devotees away for fear of Prabhupada would get injured they were so forceful in their approach. Prabhupada knew what was happening and clamly stopped and let all his adoring disciples touch his lotus feet. It was over in a flash as we headed to the exit doors.
We covered Srila Prabhupada and his entourage in fragrant flower garlands as he walked down the ramp and out of the airport onto the sidewalk at the arrivals pick up area. The kirtan raged on in the background. None of us cared about what other people thought as we had the most valuable treasure our Guru Maharaja Srila Prabhupada who had finally come to Toronto!
During his visit Srila Prabhupada had no actual quarters to reside in. The temple was too small and too packed with devotees that he couldn’t stay there. There were no quaters arranged for Prabhupada.
Prabhupada was asked if he wanted us to rent a hotel for him to stay in but he declined. He said he prefered to stay with the devotees as close as possible. Quickly the adminsitration made an arrangement for him to stay around the corner in a grhasta apartment.
There was a small one bedroom apartment around the corner from the Temple on Pembroke street. Pembroke street at that time was a hookers hang out. There were hookers, drug addicts in that area because we lived across the street from Allan Gardens, because that was one of their main hangouts back then for them.
One of the householders gave his apartment up for Srila Prabhupada to use during his stay. What struck me most was Srila Prabhupada’s humility and focus back then. He wasn’t a travelling rock star guru but a very serious General in the army of Lord Chaitanya who had come to Toronto to inspire us to push on the Sankirtan mission with full determination, enthusiasm and focused effort.
I was a second floor apartment with a steep staircase leading to his second floor apartment. Prabhupada didnt mind the inconveince as long as he could near his devotees and the Dieties.
He was very interested in hearing about the vist of his godbrother Bon Maharaj. In 1935 Bon Maharaja had been sent to England to expand the mission of Lord Chaitany but had returned back to India after his brief efforts there. He was a respected senior member of the Guadiya Math founded by Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarsvati Prabhupada, the Guru Maharja for both of them.
Satsvarupa dasa had called us in toronto on behalf of Srila Prabhupada prior to his visit with a series of questions concerniing Bon Maharaj. While he was with us he reviewed Bon Maharja’s visit.
Bon Maharaja was invited to Toronto by Professor Joe O’connel who was an associte professor of religious studies department at the University of Toronto specializing in Vaisnava Studies. When we heard through Professor O’connel invited myself and my friend and godbrother Utamasloka to come and visit him while he was staying at Joe’s house and take darshan. Darshan means to take the blessings of the association of a saintly person. Somehow we had a copy of his nector of devotion at the temple in Toronto I had read so we felt truly honoured that he was in Toronto with his history in the Gaudiya Matha.
It was a very pleasant meeting with him. I dont remember anything signifigant or enlightening that happen. We invited him to speak at the Sunday program. He came to the temple and spoke in Hindi to the audience because their were some East Indians in attendance. I didn’t bother attending his lecture but waited in the hall with the rest of our Brahamacary’s he finished the class and answered a few questions from the audience. We came in and led a huge kirtan Toronto style and really gave Maharja of how we practised Hare Nama Samkritan. Excellent melodies, intense drum and kartala syncopation and transcendental dancing. We had learnt the Swami Step from Srila Prabhupada and thats how we danced. It was civilized but very very enthusiastic.
I remember Uttamsloka Prabhu and I drove him back to Professor Oconnel’s house and respectfully dropped off him with a enegertic Hare Bol fairwell. On the way back to the temple something ominous happened, we got into a fender bender. I thought at the time we might have made a mistake.
Prabhupada asked us did he have a dunda?. The dunda is a stick that is carried by people in the sanyasis order of life.
Was his forward decorated with tilak, the sacred earth from the Holy Dhama, on his forehead?
DId he have a Brahmins thread for chanting the sacred gaytri mantra?
Did he have a sikha which is a shaved head and decorative piece of hair protruding from the back.
In these days most of the Prabhupada disciples have given up the Vaisnava dress except maybe for special events they may attend.
Lots of beards and long hair. No neck beads, no japa beads, no Brahmin thread, no tilak, no dhoti, not one sign of a devotional life.
Prabhupada asked both myself and Uttamsloka Prabhu to write out the details of Bon Maharja’s visy fo him so he could keep eveything on file for futue reference.
Prabhupada sent me a letter regarding Bon Maharja and any future visitors that come to vist us from the Gaudiya Math.
1975 Correspondence
Letter to Visvakarma — Bombay 9 November, 1975:
I am in due receipt of your letter dated September 3, 1975 with the enclosed statement about Van Maharaja. So I have now issued orders that all my disciples should avoid all of my godbrothers. They should not have any dealings with them nor even correspondence, nor should they give them any of my books or should they purchase any of their books, neither should you visit any of their temples. Please avoid them.
I have received your telegram that you have purchased the church which I have seen when I was there in Toronto. So this is very good news. Please send me the details.
Upon your recommendation I am accepting Rodney Mort as my disciple and his name is Jitakandarpa. I also accept Nakadi das Brahmacari for brahminical initiation. Enclosed is his thread and mantra sheet. So you should hold a fire sacrifice and lecture on the importance of following the rules and regulations, chanting 16 rounds and all the devotional principles. This is your responsibility as the president of the temple. You must do it yourself and see that they also do it. This is the perfect way of teaching.
I hope this meets you in good health.
Your ever well wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
N.B. What about that devotee from England who was to come to India? When I was in Toronto you agreed to send him. Now he is immediately required here in Bombay for construction supervision. I received your cable that you have purchased that church. Congratulations. What are the details? My blessings to Mr. Batra. ACBS
Letter to: Visvakarma
—
Bombay
10 January, 1976
76-01-10
Toronto
My dear Viswakarma,
Please accept my blessings. I beg to thank you for your undated letter. Yes, it is the mercy of Krishna that we have got such an important building in Toronto. It is a top-most triumph. If you can fix up a neon sign always moving with the maha–mantra Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, that will be a great achievement. The sign can be on from evening to mid-night, that will be the proper utilization of such an ideal building and location.
Christianity is now declining, therefore they are having to sell all their churches to us. Because they have got no clear idea of God, people are not satisfied with them. But we can explain what God is, so people are appreciating more and more our Movement. Now by Krishna’s grace you have a beautiful Temple, use it to preach very vigorously. If you all strictly follow the principles and chant sixteen rounds, your spiritual strength will be insured, and our Movement will become increasingly prominent.
I accept the recommended devotees as my initiated disciples. Their spiritual names are:
Errol Lewis—Ugresa dasa
Craig Harper—Asuramarjara dasa
Subash Batra—SubhaVilasa dasa
Asha Batra—Ashalata dasi
Now you have to hold a fire ceremony. Instruct everyone to faithfully chant 16 rounds and follow the regulative principles. Teach them by your personal example.
Regarding Bon Maharaja, in the future he should be completely avoided. We shall have no further connection with him.
Enclosed is a letter to SubhaVilasa which you may please deliver to him.
I hope this meets you in the best of health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta SwamiACBS/tkg
This an excerp from a morning walk i took Srila Prabhupada into the park under the Don Mills Parkway.
Hari Sauri Prabhu recalled that even though it was mid-June, until the sun came up the temperature was quite chilly, so as he walked and talked Prabhupada kept his folded cadar draped over his head.
Subhavilasa asked Srila Prabhupada,” why there is so much poverty in India, when it is the land where Krishna appeared. He said that this question regularly came up with Indians.
Srila Prabhupada told him that India is indeed the land of God, but the people of India are not following God’s instructions. He gave the example of the police. If a policeman is found guilty of stealing, he is punished more severely than an ordinary thief. He said the people of India are building factories rather than following brahminical culture, and therefore they have to suffer. “This ugra-karma of industry is for demons. This is not for brahmanas and kshatriyas. Brahmana, kshatriya, when they started to work as demons, as ugra-karma, then will they not be punished? Definitely they will be punished.“
This is quite relevant in this Pandemic era of 2020.
Prabhupad continued to make the point that although Lord Chaitanya instructed those who are born in Bharata-varsa, to make their lives perfect and then teach others, the Indians are not coming to the West to teach, they are coming here to learn from the mlecchas.
He said on an airplane he personally saw a Madwari man eating the intestines of a hog. “In big, big Madwari’s house this is what happens. Why? Because of bad habits. Bharata is a pious land but they started oil refinery. At present they will not give sanction to build temple. This is the government.“
Subhavilasa asked him how there would be any improvement. Srila Prabhupada shook his head. “Improvement will be there when they die. This is all reactions of sinful activities. Human life is meant for tapasya not for oil refinery.“
Every morning we went on morning walks and on one walk I actually got the courage to ask Srila Prabhuoada a question.. The fifith canto had just been released into the movement for distribution to the public. There was a detail description of the unvierses and the shape of planet earth. I asked Prabhupada, “What if we tell people the earth is not round but flat. Won’t they think we are crazy.” He stopped and turned to me and said, “All right tell them it’s round and then ask them to take one of our books.”