Some time after Srila Prabhupada left this world, I had a very powerful dream….In that visionary dream, I saw Srila Prabhupada sitting on a huge lion-flanked and jewel-bedecked Vyasasana.   His Vyasasana rested on the brightly shimmering globe of Mother Earth, and was positioned just above the sacred land of India. Behind him, the vast curvature of the earth planet was visible. A silvery bluish-white light emanated from the center of the vision, forming a giant oval, in which Srila Prabhupada sat.

Below him were many crowds of people–all races, nationalities, and all ages–all the people of the world, reaching out from darkness.  They were pointing toward Srila Prabhupada, in awe and wonder, exclaiming, reaching out, praising, and acknowledging him according to their various abilities. Many were in darkness, in worldly life, yet they were all reaching out toward Srila Prabhupada, seeking his mercy.

Above Srila Prabhupada, in the shimmering silver-blue sky, many swan-shaped airplanes circled. In these airplanes, devas were singing praises and showering flowers.  Cascades of colorful blossoms tumbled down from their swan planes, as they glorified Srila Prabhupada. With sweet sounding instruments, and heavenly chorus, they sang “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare.  Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare…” Their joyful mood spread throughout the universe.  They were celebrating Lord Chaitanya’s mission on Earth, and showering blessings upon His Senapati Bhakta, His Commander-in-Chief, Srila Prabhupada.

Srila Prabhupada sat regally upon the huge Vyasasana, like a lion king sits atop a mountain.  From there he could see all the world and its inhabitants, their sufferings, and their great need for Krishna Consciousness.  In his mood of compassionate contemplation, he saw each person’s needs and desires, past and present karmas, and he devised ways to bring their hearts back to home, to love of God.

His Vyasasana shone brightly, like a brilliant golden chariot, bedecked with shimmering jewels.  Golden lions flanked each side of his seat, each with piercing ruby eyes.  The Vyasasana was SO dazzling, with sparkling jewels of every color, that at first I could not see that something was written there.  Then, like a camera’s zoom lens, the base of the Vyasasana came into full focus.  As the focal point moved in onto the base, I saw, just beneath Srila Prabhupada’s Lotus Feet, written in glittering jewels, was the word, “ISKCON.”

As the dream faded, I was told to take color notes, and  was instructed to paint a picture of this vision.  And the realization was transmitted to me, that “ISKCON” is Srila Prabhupada’s Vahana, his sitting place, his carrier, just as Lord Shiva has a bull carrier, and Ganesh a rat, and Lord Vishnu, the glorious Eagle Garuda.

The information came clearly that “ISKCON” is a divine creation, meant to serve the mission of Lord Chaitanya, and specifically designed to serve Srila Prabhupada’s work in this world–his work of printing and putting out his books, his teachings, and thus scattering seeds of Krishna consciousness far and wide. ISKCON is far more than a religious organization, an institution, or a conglomerate of clamoring managers;  ISKCON is a divine entity, created by Lord Chaitanya, to assist Srila Prabhupada in his work in this material world.  Though it may include all of the above, ISKCON is far more than this, and this realization, described in this dream, will come to people in the future.

Srila Prabhupada alone can sit upon this divine throne, as he has been given jurisdiction of this Earth planet.  He understood this fully, even as he slowly turned the Earth globe in his tiny New York apartment, in the year 1967, Christian Era, surrounded by a handful of inexperienced youths.  He would often tell several of his young disciples, while pointing to locations on the globe, “Brahmananda, you go to Russia, Goursundar, you go to Japan…”  From this tiny apartment, he planned for temples in every nation on Earth, to fulfill Lord Chaitanya’s prophecy that the chanting of the Holy Names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare” will be sung in “every town and village.”

This vision of Srila Prabhupada in now here for all to see, and to understand that this is only a small glimpse of his greatness.  We are indeed fortunate to have lived at this time in history, for in the years to come, generations will look back at this time and consider that Srila Prabhupada, with his ISKCON, is indeed the hero who pulled the Earth planet up from the miserable mire of Kali Yuga.

Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON is also a “breeding nest”, a place for the divine souls coming from higher dimensions in this universe, and even beyond.  ISKCON is supposed to be a place where they can safely land, and be loved and cared for by devotee parents, who will protect them and groom them for the work they have been sent to do.  This is a very great responsibility; it is one of prime importance.  Such angelic beings need much care and protection so they don’t get lost in the bowels of Kali Yuga, and so they can take this Hare Krishna movement to the next level.  Their “adhikar,” eligibility, is far greater than ours.

Remember how often Srila Prabhupada would say, “The demigods are lining up to take birth in this Movement.”  He would often tell his disciples, “From the children of your children, pure devotees will be coming out!”  Just think what a lot of pure devotees can do!

Srila Prabhupada showed everyone the great importance of his many children, the children of his disciples.  They are so dear to him.  We all remember how he gave each one a cookie every morning, and how he looked into each child’s eyes to give spiritual transmissions of loving encouragement.  These children taking birth from Hare Krishna devotee parents are indeed Srila Prabhupada’s children, his “reinforcements” coming to help establish Lord Chaitanya’s Mission on Earth.  To love them, protect them, and guide them is our most important service to Srila Prabhupada.  They are the future of Lord Chaitanya’s Movement.

ABOUT THE PAINTING

Originally I planned to put this painting on the cover of my forthcoming book, SRILA PRABHUPADA:  THE EARLY DAYS.  But since more people will be reached by internet connection, I have chosen to place it here, for all to see.  I will gradually post my book of memoirs here as well, perhaps in the form of an ebook, so that more people can hear about the glorious lila of Srila Prabhupada in this world.

Since I am mostly computer illiterate, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to my Godbrothers and Godsisters who are helping me put forth this work as a service to others. I also wish to thank the artist, Satchitananda das, who transferred my dream vision onto canvas in a wonderful way.

Right after this dream, I did a complete color sketch, as instructed, and later transferred the sketch onto a big 3’x4’ canvas.  It hung on my wall for many years, unfinished.  Due to a busy schedule, it seemed unlikely I would ever get it finished. So, while in Vrindaban, I commissioned one very talented Russian devotee artist, Satchitananda das, to utilize his skills and paint my dream vision.  He is the best portrait artist I have ever met, and has done an excellent job of painting Srila Prabhupada exactly as he looked in this dream.

Srila Prabhupada was never easy to draw.  I know, I am an artist, and I would often try to sketch him, but could never do so successfully. It was bewildering. He sometimes had the “child-cowherd boy look” and sometimes the “wisened acharya look,” and a lot of “looks” in between!

In the early days, some of us would often joke, “Swamiji, sometimes you look two years old, sometimes five, and sometimes seventy-two years old!  Which are you?”  And “Swamiji,” Srila Prabhupada, would just chuckle.

I would privately joke that “He’s so much a part of the spiritual world that it’s hard for him to keep track of how he’s supposed to look here in this material world!”

Sometimes he would look like a five year old cowlad prankster; other times he would have the regal bearing of the great acharya.  We all noticed this. In fact, one girl devotee regularly made saffron cowboy shirts for him!  It was just an ordinary part of our “early day” naivete and fun.  So capturing Srila Prabhupada on canvas was never easy to do.

In this visionary dream, with Srila Prabhupada sitting on the ISKCON Vyasasana, the picture of him that appeared was the one taken of him sitting on a green grassy lawn and peacefully chanting japa.  Of course, I always liked his expression in this particular photo, but since it is what I saw in the dream, I never questioned it or considered changing it.

Years later, while visiting my dear Godbrothers Brahmananda and Gargamuni in Vrindaban, we were talking about Srila Prabhupada and the many various photos of him.  They told me that they once asked Srila Prabhupada which one of the many photos of himself was his favorite.  Amazingly, they said he chose this very same picture–the one of him sitting on the grassy lawn with the flower nearby.  Brahmananda and Gargamuni said they were shocked, since in that photo, Srila Prabhupada has no flower garland, no Vyasasana, nothing–just a very beautiful and contemplative expression on his face.  I was pleasantly surprised to hear this.  I then told them about this visionary dream, in which I was shown that this particular photo was to be used for the painting of the “Acharya Dream.”

So when I commissioned Satchitananda das to paint my dream, I brought him this photo to copy.  He then did an excellent job of transferring my vision and color notes onto canvas.

But naturally, as a creative artist, he included some of his own embellishments, all of which add to the ultimate grandeur of the finished work.  In the crowd below Srila Prabhupada, Satchitananda added the doves, the Hare Krishna banner, the flags, a few of my Godbrothers, and even his five year old son offering a garland to Srila Prabhupada!

Unexpectedly, he also added a picture of me, facing outward, his reasoning being that I was the narrator describing the dream.  Though I would have preferred to be facing Srila Prabhupada, since this was somehow done with his own artistic inner guidance, I accepted it as Krishna’s arrangement.  After all, Satchitananda is a long time resident of Vrindaban, so this painting was done in the Holy Dhama.

I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Satchitananda das and his wonderful artistic abilities; he did an excellent job.  From my descriptions and sketches, he did indeed enable me to share this vision, this glimpse of Srila Prabhupada, with the world.

I also wish to thank my dear Godbrother, Janaspriha das, along with his tech-savvy friend and Godbrother, Yogananda das, for putting up this website.  I am mostly computer illiterate, and only by the special grace of Krishna (and a little help from Steve Jobs), am I able to even figure out how to turn on one of these devices!

Certainly these time-consuming contraptions were invented for this Kali Age to help spread Krishna Consciousness all over the world, while simultaneously the demoniac population uses them for individual and mass destruction.  We live at an exciting time, when the next ten thousand years will bring forth more and more such discoveries and inventions, and more importantly, when the Hare Krishna Mahamantra– “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare”–will indeed spread to “every town and village.”

My generation grew up in Western society, with the demoniac social values of lust, greed, ambition, and enviousness. Little boys were spoonfed ambition from their cribs.  And personal ambition has absolutely no place in the realm of bhakti.  So it is not surprising that these twisted values have sometimes seemingly permeated and perverted the pure atmosphere of Lord Chaitanya’s movement.

We early disciples are truly fortunate recipients of undeserved grace.   Because of being in such close association with Srila Prabhupada, even though greatly unqualified, it has given us some discrimination.  We cannot easily be fooled by frauds or fakes, or ensnared by the popular traps of pratistha–profit, adoration, and distinction, and the powers they convey.

Srila Prabhupada used to say, “It is not surprising that someone leaves Krishna Consciousness.  This is Maya’s domain.  So it is not surprising if someone falls prey to the material energy.  After all, it is Kali’s age.  What is more surprising is if they are able to stay in Krishna Consciousness.”

Now, we must be aware that souls with far greater “adhikar,” eligibility, are being born on this planet–not just within the present limited conception of the Iskcon structure, but in other places as well–like yoga ashrams, vegetarian societies, animal rights groups, and so forth.  These divine souls, with their higher dimensional realities, will hopefully be able to bring Srila Prabhupada’s transcendental ISKCON into full blossom.

Our most important duty at this time, as I see it, is to preserve what was given by Srila Prabhupada, without changing any of his words, his instructions, his books, or his lilas, and to protect, guide, and encourage the divine souls that are taking birth in our world.

Srila Prabhupada is not “gone.”  He lives forever, in his books, his original writings, his lectures, and his instructions.  I am convinced that he is watching the whole show, rearranging things as needed.  He is still sitting on  his big lion-flanked Vyasasana, witnessing and guiding, and contemplating ways to push forward this glorious Sankirtan Movement started by Lord Chaitanya–the worldwide chanting of “HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE, HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE.

Yours in the service of Srila Prabhupada,

Govinda dasi

Finally, after months of praying to Krishna for guidance– and many long hours of blending paper mache, pressing molds, drying them, and having Vrishni assemble and sand Them–then painting Them, and also having Kusha, Jayasri, and Shakti Mati design and create clothing and jewelry for Them–the Gour Nitai Deities were complete.  It was a long process, and like all forms of devotional service, one that required many prayers for the Lord’s mercy.  And the constant remembrance that we are not the doers or the creators; we are merely instruments in the Lotus Hands of Lord Krishna.

Srila Prabhupada had originally told me that the Gour Nitai Deities must have crowns, so we ordered two crowns from India.  They finally arrived, miraculously. And Shakti Mati, our expert jeweler, designed and created beautiful necklaces, bracelets, and anklets from jewelry pieces ordered from Los Angeles.

Since Srila Prabhupada said They should be dressed like “Bengali Gentlemen,” with dhoti, kurta, and chadder (shawl), we designed such outfits using very fancy cloth.  We also designed one outfit of soft white Indian cotton, with our own hand embroidered trim, which was always my favorite.  Kusha, Jayasri, and Shakti Mati were the best of seamstresses, since all of them were experienced even before joining our temple.

So now our McKinley Street Temple was a beehive of creative activity, with some devotees sewing Deity outfits, some devotees stringing pearls and setting rhinestones, some devotees blending paper mache and pressing molds, and some devotees sanding and shaping the finished Deities.  One of Balabhadra’s friends even donated real fresh water pearls for Their jewelry!  I did the painting since I was most experienced at that, using a watercolor sponge to create soft color in Their hands and cheeks.

Simultaneously, our daily Hare Nama Sankirtan parties continued to go out to Fort Street Mall and Waikiki, so many devotees were engaged in that way, and new people were coming all the time.

During a recent trip to Los Angeles, Srila Prabhupada had instructed me to paint a large picture of Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda,  in “dancing mood,” and place that painting on the main altar in our temple.

Prior to that, we had Kartamashayi on our main altar, but Srila Prabhupada clearly wanted Sri Sri Gour Nitai to be worshipped as our main Deities.  So my large painting of Gour Nitai was now being worshipped on our main altar, and Kartamashayi was now situated on a separate altar in the temple room.  In anticipation of the new Gour Nitai Deities, devotees were already developing a loving reciprocation with Sri Sri Gour Nitai by daily arotiks and worship.

When the Sri Sri Gour Nitai Deities were finally complete, and Their jewelry was beautifully crafted, and They had seven sets of clothes, we took Lord Nityananda down to our tiny Temple garden.  There, beneath Lord Chaitanya’s Mango tree (the one that regularly offered incredibly delicious mangos to Srila Prabhupada), we did a photo shoot.  Shakti Mati knelt down nearby, and I knelt down next to Lord Nityananda’s Lotus Feet, just touching the lotus base.  Then we sent the photos to Srila Prabhupada.  We were eager to have him come to Hawaii to install our new Gour Nitai Deities!

Srila Prabhupada was very happy with the pictures.  However, his response came as a great surprise!

He told us, “Oh, very nice.  So now you have done Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda so nicely.  So now you should also do Pancha Tattva!”

He then described how each of the Others should look:  He said Sri Advaita should have white hair and a white beard, Sri Gadadhar should look very much like Lord Chaitanya but without a crown, and Sri Vas should have a shaven head and knotted sikha, since he was a brahmachary.

He told us that only Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda should wear crowns, not any of the Others.  And, he said, “They should all be dressed like Bengali Gentlemen, wearing the Sankirtan clothes as in the house of Sri Vas–dhoti, kurta, and chadder.  They should look like Sankirtan dancers, as Lord Chaitanya’s main message was propulgating this Hare Nama Sankirtan movement.”

Srila Prabhupada also told us that the Lord’s opulence is hidden in this Incarnation, so They should appear just like Lord Chaitanya’s Sankirtan Party–singing and dancing in the home of Sri Vas.  He also said Lord Chaitanya should always be worshipped as a householder, never as a sanyasin.  To see Lord Chaitanya as a sanyasin, Srila Prabhupada said, “is very painful to the devotees.  They cannot bear the thought of the Lord taking so much trouble.  So he is worshipped always as a householder, with his Sankirtan Party and His Close Associates, the Pancha Tattva.”

After recovering from the shock of the new instructions, we immediately began to try to figure out how to do as he asked.  Our expert sculptor/moldmaker, Vrishni das, who now lived at our temple as a full time devotee, had no difficulty modifying the mold.  He figured out a way that we could make new forms of Sri Advaita and Sri Vas, with folded palms, as described by Srila Prabhupada.  Our main problem now was finding matching cloth for the other sets of clothes, but somehow this also was done.  And so we set about making the Forms of Sri Advaita, Sri Gadadhar, and Sri Vas.

More blending paper mache, pressing molds, drying, sanding and painting soon followed.  Such was the magic of our beloved Srila Prabhupada.  He not only gave us instructions; he also sent others to help us fulfill his instructions.  In this way, it was “good for us, and good for those who helped us.”

Upon returning to Hawaii, I went to the University of Hawaii Library and studied books on sculpture, materials, molds, etc.  I had no idea how to make the Gour Nitai Deities.  I checked out many books and tried to figure how and where to begin.

I recalled that within the first few weeks of meeting Srila Prabhupada, some years before, I had carved and painted a small Lord Chaitanya Deity for him as a gift.  The little 5” Deity was made of balsa wood, and when I gave it to him, he had told me to make a lotus base for the little figure to stand on.  But, I thought, to carve large wooden Deities would be a very difficult task, and one physically accomplish.  So I really had no idea where to begin.

Since Kartamashayi, my Child Krishna Deity, from India, was made of paper mache, I considered this may be the best idea.  Paper mache is a very durable, moldable, wood product, and is used in India for making even fine bowls and vases, as well as Murtis.  So I decided to explore that route.

However, the original form would have to be molded from clay. And first we had to make a strong armature to support the clay.  So, as a plan developed, somehow, by Krishna’s divine guidance, the work soon began.  Goursundar constructed a metal armature secured to a wooden base, and I obtained a large amount of clay from a pottery-making supply store. Then I began to sculpt the Gour Nitai Form according to Srila Prabhupada’s descriptions.

I set up the construction studio in my own room upstairs at the McKinley Street Temple.  Kusha soon joined me in the sculpting work.  She was an expert artist and sculptor, and when she commented that “His Feet look like swim flippers!” I decided that she should also work with me side by side and fix Them! Her help was very valuable.  I consider she was equally responsible for the finished work.  Her enthusiasm and encouragement was very helpful, and she continues to be a strong support for many devotees even now.

Because we worked long hours, locked away in my room-cum-sculpture studio, we asked for some of the other devotees to come and read to us while we worked. Shakti Mati and Jayasri  read Chaitanya Charitamrita, or Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, to us while Kusha and I both worked on the 4-foot figure.  Balabhadra often posed for us with his arms upheld for long periods of time.  In this way, we worked for well over a month.

When the sculpted clay form of Lord Chaitanya was complete, we needed to make a mold.  However, once again, I was unsure just how to do this.  So I walked over to the nearby University of Hawaii sculpture department to try to find out the best way to do it.  I asked several instructors, and was told that a young man named Louis Goldstein, a senior/grad student, was the best mold-maker at the University.

So I set out searching for him, and I soon found Louis.  He was a very quiet, intelligent, but somewhat atheistic young man–a curly-haired Jewish boy who had plans of going to Israel very soon after graduation.  He made it known that he did not at all approve of what I was doing–making icons of God!  Yet somehow, he agreed to help me make the mold.  I always brought him sumptuous plates of delicious prasadam, as well as our famous coconut laddus.

With the help of Balabhadra and others, we carefully transported the big clay sculpture of Lord Chaitanya over to the University sculpture building.  There, Louis began the mold making work. He was quite expert and experienced, so he very quickly made a plaster of paris mold that consisted of several pieces.  He cleverly arranged it so as to avoid undercuts, thus making it easy for us to pack each piece with paper mache.

Meanwhile, our devotees who did “door to door” preaching (another daily program) began to ask homeowners for donations of old newspapers.   Sometimes homeowners would give us fruits, or vegetables, or occasionally even buy a book–but now they could also simply give us old newspapers.  No doubt many Hawaii residents contributed to our Deity project!  And received blessings even unknowingly.

Gradually, Louis became more and more curious.  He was an extremely intelligent young man, and seeing our sincerity and enthusiasm, he started asking more and more questions. We invited him to our nearby Mckinley Street Temple, and he began to visit regularly.  After some time, he began to relish our evening kirtans and read Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita As It Is. Time passed, Louis made our mold, and became a new devotee in the process. He was soon initiated and given the name “Vrishni das.”  Now, Lord Chaitanya had His very own Deity sculptor and mold-maker.  Another example of Srila Prabhupada’s Magic!

While visiting Srila Prabhupada at his Los Angeles ISKCON center on Watseka Avenue, he told me to “make Gour Nitai Deities for Hawaii.”  By now, he actually wanted Gour Nitai Deities in every center.  He often said “If they simply chant Hare Krishna before Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda, all problems will be solved.”

Srila Prabhupada knew by now that Westerners are not able to follow the strict rules of Deity Worship, and often there are not enough devotees to perform such proper worship.  So Srila Prabhupada’s main emphasis was always on Hare Nama Sankirtan, and less on Deity Worship.  He never wanted the Sankirtan, the public chanting of the Holy Names, to become secondary to Deity Worship.

However, he also wanted his disciples to become attracted and attached to the beautiful Forms of Lord Krishna, so in his larger centers he installed Sri Sri Radha Krishna Deities.  In homes, and smaller centers, he felt that Gour Nitai Deities would be best, since there would be less facility for such elaborate worship. He would say, “There are so many rules and regulations for the worship of Sri Sri Radha Krishna, but for Gour Nitai, is we simply chant Hare Krishna before Them, They will be pleased! They are so much merciful, They do not easily take any offense.”

So in 1970, in Los Angeles, Srila Prabhupada gave me detailed instructions for making the first Gour Nitai Murtis. He even posed with his arms upheld, saying the Divine Brothers should be in a dancing Sankirtan mood.  He also described the exact color for Them–a golden-yellow, like the color of marigolds.  To be certain, I went to a paint store and got a sample sheet of paint colors.  He looked at the sample and check-marked the exact golden yellow color. He then assured me that as soon as these Gour Nitai Deities were ready, he would come to Hawaii to install Them.

When Goursundar and I took his leave to return home to Hawaii, Srila Prabhupada told us, “People are suffering due to lack of Krishna consciousness. They do not know it, they are thinking they are enjoying.  But they are suffering. Please, be compassionate upon them.  Preach this Krishna consiousness in Hawaii, and help the people there to understand about Lord Krishna.”

While saying this, and bidding us goodbye, tears trickled down from his eyes, he was so much absorbed in the mood of divine compassion. Though I was young and inexperienced, for a few moments I glimpsed his incredible love and compassion for the souls suffering in this world.  That was a very memorable moment. I then returned home to Hawaii, not only with his new instructions on Deity making, but also his mood of how to preach Krishna consciousness.

We must always see ourselves as messengers, here to bring good news to the conditioned souls.  Not that we are greater, or in any way better, but that we are simply more fortunate in that we have been given the grace of God in the form of the Guru and his instructions.  If we preach with this mood of compassion, our words will reach the heart of the soul.  If we preach with a desire to be famous, or powerful, or rich, or to appear like some great learned scholar, our preaching will have little or no effect.  In fact, it may actually be harmful, as people will go away in disgust.  As disciples and followers of Srila Prabhupada, we have a duty to represent Krishna consciousness as he has done, to the best of our ability.                  CC Madhya 25.276: The devotees who have taken shelter of the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu take the responsibility for distributing nectarean devotional service all over the world. They are like clouds pouring water on the ground that nourishes the fruit of love of Godhead in this world. The devotees eat that fruit to their hearts’ content, and whatever remnants they leave are eaten by the general populace. Thus they live happily.

Sri Tulasi Pranama

vrndayai tulasi-devyai
priyayai kesavasya ca
krsna-bhakti-prade devi
satyavatyai namo namah

vrndayai–unto Vrnda; tulasi-devyai–unto Tulasi-devi; priyayai– who is dear; kesavasya–to Lord Kesava; ca-and; krsna-bhakti– devotional service to Lord Krsna, prade–who bestows; devi–O goddess; satya-vatyai–unto Satyavati; namah namah–repeated obeisances.

I offer my repeated obeisances unto Vrnda, Srimati Tulasi-devi, who is very dear to Lord Kesava. O goddess, you bestow devotional service to Lord Krsna and possess the highest truth.

Soon after our move to the McKinley Street Temple, Srimate Tulasi Devi graced us with Her presence.  Every since we were in New York with Srila Prabhupada in 1967, I had been trying to find out more about Tulasi Devi.  I had often admired Srila Prabhupada’s golden-colored Tulasi japa beads, polished and glowing from so many years of chanting.

We still had the big red wooden hippy beads at that time.  They were our initiation beads, so I still treasure them, but they were so heavy and clunky!  If a mugger were to try to rob you in the streets of New York, those beads could even serve as a weapon!

So Goursundar and I went to an Indian import shop in New York, searching for Tulasi beads.  One nice Indian gentleman sold us two sets of japa beads, already strung with 108 beads, and assured us they were definitely Tulasi.  Of course, they weren’t.  We excitedly took them back to Srila Prabhupada at his New York apartment, and showed him our new “Tulasi” beads.  He looked at them carefully, turning them this way and that in his hands, and said simply, “No, not Tulasi.”  Later I learned they were rosewood beads from India. He chanted on them anyway, and they were a great improvement from the big reds.

But I was always trying to find out more about Tulasi Devi. In the summer of 1967, Goursundar and I illustrated the story of Haridas Thakur for Back to Godhead magazine, while Srila Prabhupada was in India. And my curiosity grew even more.

Then, later, when we traveled with Srila Prabhupada all during 1968, I often had the opportunity to see his golden Tulasi japa beads.  Sometimes while cleaning his room or making his bed, I would find them sitting on his desk or bed, slightly hanging out of his bead bag. When I reverently touched them to move them, I would always yearn for Tulasi beads.

When we moved near the University, I would often go to the East West Center Library to explore and search for sacred texts. There I found books by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, and other Vaishnava saints.  There were also many scholarly translations of the Sanskrit scriptures, like Garuda Purana, Vishnu Purana, and others.  These were of interest to Goursundar, since he was now studying Sanskrit and Bengali, and doing the transliteration for Srila Prabhupada’s Chaitanya Charitamrita.  The East West Center Library was a treasure house of fascinating books.

In my foraging through the library shelves one evening, I found a book called “Firminger’s Gardening in India.” It was written by an Englishman during the time of the British Raj. In it I found information about growing Tulasi Devi, called “Sacred Basil,” and most importantly, with the botanical name–Ocimmum Sanctum.  This was a big breakthrough!

Since there was very little communication between India and the United States in the late 60’s, it was very difficult to find out anything or obtain anything from India.  Mail service was slow and unreliable, and phone service was almost a joke.

In early 1970 I met one British lady who had a small India import shop.  She traveled back and forth to India perhaps once or twice a year.  So I purchased items from her shop, befriended her, and persuaded her to bring me Tulasi seeds on her next trip abroad.  She brought me a small vial of seeds, and I studied the planting guide carefully, and tried to grow them.

However, for some reason the seeds were not viable. We were bowing down daily to the tiny green shoots pushing up through the soil, only to finally realize they were just small blades of grass.

So I again persuaded the British lady to bring me Tulasi seeds on her next trip to India. Some months later, I received another small vial of seeds, and again tried to grow them.  This time, they grew!  And we were blessed with many heart-shaped seedlings, that gradually grew into small Tulasi trees.
When they were about six inches tall, we took two of them to Srila Prabhupada in Los Angeles, as we were still unsure of their identity. As I set the two plants on Srila Prabhupada’s desk, his eyes lit up with pure joy, and he exclaimed, “Ah, yes, this is Tulasi!”

Srila Prabhupada then began to talk for a long time about Tulasi Devi, how Her husband was “one very big demon,” and how She had great devotion for Lord Krishna.  He stopped short while telling the story, however.  He did not elaborate on the details of the whole story, as perhaps we may not be able to understand it in a proper spiritual context.

At this time, there was some very troublesome political turmoil in Iskcon among the leaders.   Since I was in Hawaii, I knew nothing at all about it, but later learned that Srila Prabhupada was very disturbed.  I was unaware of all this, since my visit with Srila Prabhupada was focused on the Tulasi plants and the new instructions he gave me at that time.

His servant told me later that he had not seen Srila Prabhupada so happy in many weeks, and urged me to come and visit again.

Several years later, while traveling with Srila Prabhupada to the Mississippi Iskcon farm, an interesting thing happened.  During Srila Prabhupada’s lecture, he mentioned the Tulasi plants, and how pleased he was to have Tulasi now growing at all the centers. He then said, “and I sent her the seeds.”  For a moment my mind reeled, then I realized, “Yes, of course, he did send me the seeds!”

Sri Tulasi-kirtana

2
je tomara sarana loy, tara vancha purna hoy
krpa kori’ koro tare brndavana-basi

3
mor ei abhilas, bilas kunje dio vas
nayane heribo sada jugala-rupa-rasi

4
ei nivedana dharo, sakhir anugata koro
seva-adhikara diye koro nija dasi

5
dina krsna-dase koy, ei jena mora hoy
sri-radha-govinda-preme sada jena bhasi

(1) O Tulasi, beloved of Krsna, I bow before you again and again. My desire is to obtain the service of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna.

(2) Whoever takes shelter of you has his wishes fulfilled. Bestowing your mercy on him, you make him a resident of Vrndavana.

(3) My desire is that you will also grant me a residence in the pleasure groves of Sri Vrndavana-dhama. Thus, within my vision I will always behold the beautiful pastimes of Radha and Krsna.

(4) I beg you to make me a follower of the cowherd damsels of Vraja. Please give me the privilege of devotional service and make me your own maidservant.

(5) This very fallen and lowly servant of Krsna prays, “May I always swim in the love of Sri Radha and Govinda.

Being himself an eternal resident of Vrindavana, Srila Prabhupada naturally wanted his followers to gain entrance into Vrindavana, and therefore he introduced the worship of Tulasi-devi in ISKCON. Every morning, all over the world, ISKCON devotees gather around Tulasi-devi at 5 a.m. and sing that bhajan.

ri Tulasi Pradaksina Mantra

yani kani ca papani
brahma-hatyadikani ca
tani tani pranasyanti
pradaksinah pade pade

yani kani–whatever; ca–and; papani–sins; brahma-hatya–killing of a brahmana; adikani–and so on; ca–also, tani tani–all of them; pranasyanti–are destroyed; pradaksinah–(by) the circumambulation (of Tulasi-devi); pade pade–at every step.

By the circumambulation of Srimati Tulasi-devi all the sins that one may have committed are destroyed at every step, even the sin of killing a brahmana.

http://www.vrindavan-dham.com/vrinda/vrinda-devi.php

K-POI Radio, the most “happening radio” station in town, gave us airtime on the weekends.  So, many more people in Honolulu heard the Hare Krishna Mantra.  Goursundar and Turyadas, and sometimes Balabhadra and others, would go in early morning to the radio station to play Srila Prabhupada’s Happening Record, to talk about Krishna, and sing the Hare Krishna Mantra, accompanied by guitar, kartals, and mridanga.  Our public kirtans, concert appearances, and radio shows, as well as newspaper articles, led to our presence being known all over the Islands.

Meanwhile, Sai, our yoga teacher friend, was also encouraging his yoga students to chant Hare Krishna. He was studying and following Srila Prabhupada’s “Bhagavad Gita As It Is.”  Within a year or so, Sai, along with his many disciples also joined us, and Sai received initiation from Srila Prabhupada.  Srila Prabhupada gave him the name Siddhaswarup Ananda, saying he had come from Siddha Loka to preach the message of Lord Chaitanya in Kali Yuga.

Many of Sai’s disciples went to join various other Iskcon centers throughout the world, and several joined us in Honolulu.  Maile, a sixteen year old school girl, came to us in that group and was initiated as Manjari devi dasi.  Michael, another young student from Honolulu, also came, and was then initiated as Prahladhlada das.  Many others came, among them were Phenop, Balakhiya, Jivan Krishna, Saisisekar, and several others.  Sai also donated his three acre yoga ashram on Maui, and it became the Maui Hare Krishna Temple.  He donated a one acre ashram/farm at the North Shore as well.

When he came to the Lotus Feet of Srila Prabhupada, Sai surrendered his heart fully, as well as over a hundred disciples, land, houses, properties, and of course, thousands of dollars as well.  His mood was admirable.  His desire was to give everything to his Spiritual Master, not to simply take from him. I have always appreciated his depth of love and surrender, though unfortunately, some others became quite envious of him.  For this reason, he has long maintained his preaching programs in Hawaii, and elsewhere, quite separate from the critical vision of his Godbrothers. But he continues to powerfully impact the youth of Hawaii and elsewhere, teaching thousands of young people to chant Hare Krishna–which is the most essential element of the Krishna Consciousness movement begun by Lord Chaitanya.

In less than two years, by Lord Chaitanya’s Mercy, and with the magic leadership of Srila Prabhupada, our Hare Krishna Hawaii Temple blossomed into a full-fledged preaching center, reaching even the Outer Islands.  Our Sunday Love Feast was held at our McKinley Street Temple here in Honolulu, as well as on Maui at our new farm, on Kauai, on both sides of the Big Island, and on our new forty acre farm there as well.  It was an exciting time!

HEADING FOR HONOLULU

After about six months at the Kaaawa beachside, and then three months at Sunset Beach on the famous North Shore of Oahu, we decided that Honolulu was the best place to establish our preaching work.  Though more costly, we somehow managed to rent a small house only a block from the University of Hawaii, on Honeywell Street.

So the five of us, Balabhadra, Jayasri, Turyadas, Goursundar, and myself, all piled everything into our old orange truck and headed for Honolulu.  Once our altar was set up, with Kartamashayi gracing the small living room, the little Honeywell Street house became our first Hare Krishna Temple.

We then began having kirtans daily at the University of Hawaii campus, inviting everyone to our Sunday Love Feast.  Public Sankirtan (Sankirtan meaning the congregational chanting of the Holy Names) and the Sunday Love Feast:  these were Srila Prabhupada’s original programs. They are Srila Prabhupada’s Magic Formulas for spreading Lord Chaitanya’s Sankirtan all over the world!  It worked very well.  It still works very well, if someone takes the time to try it.

Our landlord at Honeywell Street was a very helpful realtor who began to search out a suitable property for us–one that would be large enough to expand our preaching work.  He showed us a number of places, and each time Goursundar would take me to see them, I was disappointed.  Then our landlord told us about a large house that was a short walk from our present location.  It was, however, far too costly, and may be impossible for us to finance.

However, he gave us the address:  2006 Mckinley Street.  Since I took a flower-picking walk in the neighborhood everyday, I went by the house the next day.  I walked around the perimeter of the large three-story home, feeling the pulse of the place.  I discovered the back door was open, so I went inside and roamed all over the building, up the stairs and into the big main living room.  When I closed my eyes, I could almost faintly hear the sounds of kirtan echoing in this place.  There was definitely something extraordinary about the house–it even had a small pujari room between the kitchen and the dining room.  Intuitively, I knew.  This was the place.  This was the new Hare Krishna Temple of Honolulu!

I rushed home to tell Goursundar.  He agreed to try for the financing, and surprisingly, the owners agreed to owner financing almost immediately!  So we bought the house.

Even now, this continues to amaze me.  This is an example of Srila Prabhupada’s Magic.  Knowing more about the real estate and mortgage industry, as I do now, I still marvel that two twenty-year-olds–new to the Islands, with no job or job history, no credit history, and very little money–could purchase a big home in Manoa Valley, in the popular University district.  It is as if Srila Prabhupada sprinkled some magic Vrindaban dust over our lives, and poof!  We turned into extensions of Lord Chaitanya’s Sankirtan Army.  Such is the power of the “Senapati Bhakta,” the Commander-in-Chief, Srila Prabhupada.

We must never forget who is really running things.  We are not the “doers.”  We are merely “willing warm bodies” carrying out the orders of our Spiritual Master Srila Prabhupada.

When we moved into the big McKinley house, there was only five of us, Balabhadra, Jayasri, Turyadas,  Goursunder, and myself.  Balabhadra had received a small inheritance so he paid the initial down payment on the house, and frankly, we had no idea how we were going to maintain the high monthly payments.  But within one month, the house began to fill up with new devotees.  Our daily Sankirtans, chanting in the streets, soon brought Kusha, Babhru, Govardhana, Tarun Kanti, Ananda, and many others.

Our public chanting programs now included several evening hours in Waikiki, and several daytime hours in downtown Honolulu, at Fort Street Mall. We distributed Back to Godhead magazines on the streets of Waikiki every day.  On weekends, we served our Love Feasts in the park at Queen’s Surf, in Waikiki, near the Honolulu Zoo.  We continued to go to any and all festivals and concerts, even though they sometimes kept us out late at night.

Srila Prabhupada clearly told us that the public congregational chanting of the Holy Names of Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, is the only way to save this planet from the evils of Kali Yuga.

Nowadays, unfortunately, this instruction has somehow been pushed to the back burner, by Maya’s influence.  Sankirtan–now commonly called “Hare Nama”–is an optional event only on Saturday night.  The devotees are now busy with other work which has somehow taken on more importance than the original instructions.  No doubt this is everywhere due to Kali’s influence, and it has become the norm.  We have great hopes that the younger generation will again take up Lord Chaitanya’s banner and lead Sankirtan parties in the streets of America. It is our only hope.

Soon after Srila Prabhupada left, our Kaaawa landlord visited us during a Sunday feast program.  There were a number of guests in attendance, some of them scraggly-looking hippie types, so our landlord asked us to find another place to live. Srila Prabhupada had actually wanted us to try to purchase the place, but the landlord was not interested in selling. (We had no money anyway, but Srila Prabhupada never seemed to take that into account.  He often looked at property to purchase in various cities, and would even ask owners to donate it to him! He was more than amazing in that regard.)

The landlords, a Mr. and Mrs. Lau, had other plans for the Kaaawa property. That seven acre strip of land now has a small subdivision on it, and the name of the street, which was formerly our driveway, is now “Lau Street.” It is just a short distance from the beautiful Swanzy Beach Park.

So we began searching and soon found a small house at Sunset Beach, a little “Hick’s Home,” with tiny rooms.  Our big altar was placed in a small closet, with the doors removed, and Kartamashayi, my Child Krishna Deity, now lived on a closet-altar in a tiny bedroom that was our new temple room. This location was not as spacious, but it gave us the opportunity to mix with the local surfer/hippie/youth culture that still thrives at Sunset Beach.

Soon after our move to Sunset Beach, we were invited to chant Hare Krishna at a local vegetarian luau/cum/meditation meeting on the nearby Sunset Beach.  Goursundar and I climbed into our old orange pickup truck, and went to the luau.  Unknown to us at the time, this meeting would have long range ramifications.

When we got to the beach, the sun was setting into a golden bed of clouds over a sparkling blue horizon, with gentle waves  lapping quietly onto the sandy beach. I was coming to appreciate the incredible natural beauty of Hawaii, and how it affects the long term residents here.  One saintly Godbrother, who visited here many years later, commented that he had never experienced the modes of nature that exist in Hawaii at any other place on the planet.  He tagged it “a mysterious mix of goodness and ignorance.”  And indeed, Srila Prabhupada often made comments like “Hawaii is left over from a previous yuga,” and “Hawaii is like a heavenly planet,” and “there’s no happiness anywhere, but if there is any, it’s in Hawaii.”

As we sat singing Hare Krishna on the beach, the other youths began to timidly join in.  A dozen or more youths sat in cross-legged yoga postures, in a wide oblong-circle.  Ti leaves, used for luau plates, were placed in front of each one.  All were yoga students and disciples of the young man named “Sai.”  Though only twenty-something years old, Sai was a well-known yoga meditation teacher in the Islands.  He had many admirers, and followers, and an ashram at Sunset Beach, as well as a three-acre farm ashram on Maui. We had heard much about him, and first met him when he came to our tent at the Sunshine Pleasure Fair/Crater Festival.

We chanted Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare; Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, for at least a half hour.  The sun had set, and dusk was a purplish blue haze decorated with pink and golden clouds.  As we brought our kirtan to a close, we chanted the prayers to the Spiritual Master, as was the custom in those days.  About the same time, the whole group erupted in loud bellowing “OM’s.”

This was confusing to me. Goursundar quickly left and went back to the truck, leaving me alone and somewhat bewildered. So I completed the prayers alone, and then went over to the bright young man named Sai.  I gave him my copy of the newly published “Bhagavad Gita As It Is,” just received from Los Angeles.  It was the lavender-colored abridged edition, from MacMillan, with my drawing of Mahavishnu on the cover.  Receiving the gift, Sai smiled broadly in acceptance.  Little did I know at the time that it was the beginning of a long time friendship, as this pious young man was greatly influenced by Srila Prabhupada’s teachings.

Soon thereafter, Sai came to visit our tiny “Hick’s home” temple, and took darshan of Kartamashayi.  Krishna, the Enchanter of Cupid, the Lord in the heart, is in the hearts of everyone, and certainly in the heart of the yogis. Over a year later, Sai came to our temple and was initiated by Srila Prabhupada.  He received diksha and sannyas at the same time that the Pancha Tattva Deities were installed.  And he has done glorious preaching work in Hawaii as well as other places all over the globe since that time.  Srila Prabhupada gave him the name Siddhaswarup Ananda Maharaj, saying that he was a Siddha, from the Siddha-loka, and now was a great preacher in the mission of Lord Chaitanya.

Even though there was only four or five of us, we took every opportunity to go to rock concerts, festivals, beach happenings, or wherever there would be large congregations of people.  We played on stage between sets with Jefferson Airplane, with Goursundar and Turyadas on guitar, Balabhadra on mridanga, and Jayasri and myself as vocal.  Balabhadra had many connections with the local music industry, as he seemed to know everyone, so he was very instrumental in getting us into places.

One noteworthy festival was the “Sunshine Pleasure Fair,” also known as the “Crater Festival.”  It was perhaps one of the  first of the Crater Festivals, called this because it was held inside Diamondhead Crater.  Diamondhead Crater sits just above Waikiki, and is perhaps the best known landmark in Hawaii.  It is an extinct volcano that looks very much like a diamond, Hawaii’s diamond, facing the ocean.

The Sunshine Pleasure Fair consisted of many tents and pavillions, a live bandstand, and refreshments of all sorts.  Food, fun, music, dance, plenty of sunshine–lots of long haired youth, and of course, the newly arrived Hare Krishnas!

We pitched a small tent near the main thoroughfare, and set up a small altar with little Jagannatha Deities, a picture of Pancha Tattva, and Srila Prabhupada.  Youths would wander through and we would give them some prasadam.  We were becoming famous for our coconut laddu–a simple treat that was labor intensive, but very inexpensive to make.  We had very little money, so we utilized whatever we had, and there were plenty of coconuts to be had!

There was a colorful bandstand pavilion, with microphones and huge speakers.  When our turn came, we went onstage, with Goursundar and Turya playing guitar and singing into one of the mikes, and Jayasri and myself playing kartals and singing into the another mike, and Balabhadra leading the beat with his expert mridanga playing.  So we had our turn at chanting, blasting the Hare Krishna mantra over the din of the crowd.  Diamondhead Crater echoed and reverberated the Holy Names of Hare Krishna on that day.

At the Crater Fest, we first met “Sai,” a well-known yoga instructor in the Islands.  He had ashrams and many followers, and gave classes at the “Church of the Crossroads,” a popular meeting place.  Sai came to our little tent and offered some fresh fruit on Lord Jagannatha’s makeshift altar.

Then a little later, he chanted with us onstage at the bandstand.  This was the beginning of a long relationship, as he soon embraced Bhakti yoga fully, and was later initiated by Srila Prabhupada with the name “Siddhaswarup Ananda Maharaj.”  Since then he has served Srila Prabhupada by teaching thousands of people, mostly youth, to chant the Hare Krishna mantra.  His preaching work in the Hawaiian Islands, as well as elsewhere, was always appreciated by Srila Prabhupada.

Aside from the obvious natural beauty of Hawaii, this place has another type of specialness that eludes many who are not situated on the platform of goodness.  Like Laguna Beach, Hawaii is a “chakra,” a place where yogis take birth.  Those who come here that are more inclined to passionate pursuits often find themselves confused and in a lot of trouble.  And they usually leave the Islands soon after. But those who by nature are yogis, or have a more sattvic nature, become quite peaceful and transcendental in these Islands.

Moreover, Honolulu is perhaps the most central pivot of tourism for the whole world.  On a regular basis, people come here from all over the world, stay a week or two, and take back home with them whatever they have received–a magazine, a book, or just hearing the Holy Names of Krishna.

Over 7 million people visit this Island every year, and mostly they are not the same people, but different groups.  This constant flux of people makes Hawaii one of the prime preaching places in the world.  Whereas most cities have the same residents, and some amount of tourists, Hawaii has new people coming and going every day!

Since Hawaii is perhaps the biggest and most important military base in the Pacific, having all four arms of the Military, there is a constant stream of coming and going in that area as well.

In addition to the military and tourism, there are a number of Universities, most notably the University of Hawaii, with its East West Center.  Even the books of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur were lodged in the East West Center libraries long before Srila Prabhupada came to America.

Then of course, there is Waikiki, the place where all tourists gather.  In the early days of our preaching work in Hawaii, Samkirtan on the streets of Waikiki was an everyday affair.
We had a daytime chanting  party in downtown Honolulu, and an evening chanting party on the sidewalks of Waikiki.
Then of course, there is Waikiki, the place where all tourists gather.  In the early days of our preaching work in Hawaii, Samkirtan on the streets of Waikiki was an everyday affair.
We had a daytime chanting  party in downtown Honolulu, and an evening chanting party on the sidewalks of WaikikiAnd Samkirtan, as in “Glory to the Sri Krishna Samkirtan which cleanses the heart….,” from Lord Chaitanya’s Sikshastak, had one meaning only:  Congregational chanting of the Holy Names, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama  Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.  No one had yet coined a new meaning for the word Samkirtan

One day while in Kaaawa, I walked into Srila Prabhupada’s room, and he looked quite troubled.  His mail had arrived, and he was holding a letter in his hand, shaking his head.  Feeling concerned, I asked, “Srila Prabhupada, what’s the matter?  Is there some distressing news?  What has upset you?”

Srila Prabhupada shook his head slowly, and very sadly said, “This letter is from our Janardan.  He has been working to translate my ‘Bhagavad Gita As It Is’ into French.  Now, he is asking me, so how much money for me, how much money for my wife, for doing this translation work.”   Srila Prabhupada almost tearfully said, “His wife has now spoiled him.  This is not devotional service, this has become a business.  To take money from the Guru is not good.”

He shook his head sadly and placed the letter on his desk.  I was wide-eyed with disbelief by now, as Janardan was our dear friend, and I also knew he loved Srila Prabhupadavery much.  We had just spent three months in Montreal, and Janardan came almost daily to meet with Srila Prabhupada.  He too was a scholar, and so he spent much time with my husband Goursundar, also a scholar, who was by then translating Chaitanya Charitamrita.

Janardan das was working daily to translate Srila Prabhupada’s Gita into French, since he was a French resident of Montreal.  While we were in Montreal, he would visit almost daily to discuss various philosophical points with Srila Prabhupada, in order to fully understand the purports.

Unfortunately, however, Janardan was married to a pretty lady who had no interest whatsoever in Krishna consciousness.  She once told me pointedly, “All I want from Krishna is plenty of money eternally!” and she sat down on my small altar, that was nothing more than a bench with a picture of Krishna on it.  I found her very difficult to understand, but tried to always be friendly with her.  When the couple would sometimes visit together, she would refuse to sit on the floor in front of Srila Prabhupada, and would instead sit above him on a nearby couch.  This always bothered me, but since my job was to be polite to Srila Prabhupada’s guests, I never said anything.

But now, Srila Prabhupada was aggrieved at what seemed to be the loss of his dear disciple Janardan.  Srila Prabhupada loved each and every one of his disciples in a way that is not even known or understood in this material realm.  Our loves tend to be selfish, and self-interested.  Srila Prabhupada’s love for us was full of concern for our welfare, and for our ultimate deliverance from this world of samsara.  There was no tinge of selfishness.  And we understood this, we felt this, each and every one of us, even if we happened to meet him only once, or even if we never had the chance to meet him personally.  He was there for us, always. And he continues to be there for us, in his books, and his videos; his presence is a spiritual presence that continues to pervade our existence in this material world.  He guides us every step of the way.

Srila Prabhupada sighed and softly muttered, “Hare Krishna.”  It was his surrendered way of saying, “whatever Krishna arranges.”  He then explained to me that if one takes money for devotional service, that is all he will get–the money.  But not Krishna bhakti.  He said it is better to do some business and make money separately than to serve Krishna and Guru and expect to be paid.  That will not give the desired result of Krishna bhakti; one will get only the money.  And, moreover,  to take money from the Guru is considered to be a very bad thing.  One should give to one’s guru, not take.  There is a saying in India, “The Guru’s money is Bad money.”  This saying says a lot.  In India, there is an age-old understanding that to take from one’s guru ultimately brings great misfortune.  Instead, out of gratitude for the loving instructions and grace coming from the Satguru, this great and illumined personality Srila Prabhupada, one should offer one’s mind and heart, as well as one’s wealth and time.

This meeting with Srila Prabhupada left a very deep mark on my consciousness.  Over the years, I have always been amazed at how often this tendency is repeated. Perhaps it is one of the last traps of the conditioned soul. That day Srila Prabhupada explained to me that whatever we accomplish is by the grace of Guru and Krishna.  He communicated to me the understanding that devotional service is indeed a greatly fortunate opportunity, not one to be taken lightly.  To think that “I am the doer,” “I have done all this, it is to my credit,” “I should be paid money for my devotional accomplishments,” “I did all this, I deserve to be paid,” are all poisonous misconceptions of devotional service.  Such poisonous perspectives lead to eventual falldown and the loss of the opportunity to perform devotional service in this lifetime. These attitudes lead to a hardened and selfish mentality where the pure bhakti of Krishna consciousness cannot reside.

Srila Prabhupada never considered himself to be the “doer” of anything.  Rather, he always said “I have simply tried to follow the orders of my Spiritual Master, and if there is some little success, that is due to his mercy only.”  He never laid claim to name and fame, though it was certainly his.  He always remained humble, and expressed gratitude for his Guru’s guidance and the blessings of Lord Krishna.