19820730 Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta (Part 2)

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The following is a continuation of the lecture on Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta, based on the diary of His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja, given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on July 30, 1982, in New York, USA.

I decided to try out my train and of course flying to Alabad, applying to Dubanesh, where was not so convenient. It’s not such a good aircraft. And Prabhupāda told us actually he preferred the train because it was gentle and he could lay out when he wanted to. There’s some facility done. The first class cabins we took, well, it meant that, you know, you had a separate cabin to yourself, just a patio for. And you had seats that you could fold down with bunks also. So whenever Prabhupāda wanted to lie down, he could lie down and be very relaxed. In India it’s always dangerous. Fell by car. Very dangerous. The roads are bad. There’s so many people on the roads. You know, there’s crazy truck drivers, intoxicated Sikhs driving everywhere with overloaded vehicles.

Everywhere you go any route india, you will see trucks lying on the side of the road overturned from being, you know, overloaded. You know, surprising place every chance you get to. Yeah. Animals, ox, cats, camel, cats, everything. Goats. Just too dangerous. Yeah. Later on in the morning, Chula Proud Pass former sons sister came to see him and then his former daughter and his granddaughter. And after staying for a few minutes, then they again left. Rla Prabhupāda was also given the first edition of a book called Bhagavanikata. It is a series of Bengali articles which was written by Prabhupāda in the 1950s when he was at Grihasta and published in one of the Gaudiyamak magazines. It had never been translated into English. And Jai Sat Jnanda Nidas has compiled all of these articles into a Bengali book.

There are also two more books that will come out shortly. R.L. Prabhupāda was very pleased to see it and praised Jai Sat Chenendana for his good service and said that this could be also translated into English for our btg. He recalled writing the articles and said, even now they are still just to the point. I replied that his writings are always just to the point. So Rla Prabhupāda became very humble and said, actually it is not mine, it is Kṛṣṇa’s and my Guru Maharaj’s. After lunch, Śrīla Bhaktived Vinod Thakur’s grandson came to see Śrīla Prabhupāda. Then also some men came from Panihati to discuss the question of Ragava Pandit’s house. Śrīla Prabhupāda agreed with them to come and visit Panihati again before he leaves for Maypur and then tried to finalize things for the reconstruction of the place.

In the evening many people came to Darshan and Prabhupāda had to speak for about two and a half hours in his room before they all left. Here in Calcutta due to the lack of facility, the secretary and the servant lived just outside Prabhupāda’s door on the lad’s open verandah. February 5 in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s room this morning Prabhupāda was speaking to ABHI Rao Gaga Muniswami. I was also present at present sitting at the back of the room but I was trimming off bits of dead skin from my fingers instead of listening to what Prabhupāda was speaking. Śrīla Prabhupāda noticed this and said something to me about it. But I was so engrossed in what I was doing that I didn’t hear. Then he shouted to me and he chastised me for always playing around with my fingers etc. But not hearing.

He told me, when I speak you should listen attentively. It is not just for them that I am speaking. And then he called me a rascal and noted that this is becoming a bad habit of light. Earlier on also outside his room I had an argument with Akshaya because Prabhupāda’s dictaphone runs on an AC current. But the current here in the temple is dc so we have one AC generator especially for propass dictaphone. However, before I had a chance to unhitch the dictaphone, Akshaya gave permission to one boy to change the current back from AC to dc. Fortunately I had one small transformer plugged in due to the in between the line and profile’s dictiform and due to the change in the current the transformer blew out. So when I went out I became very angry with Akshaya.

Why he is given permission without knowing whether it was alright or not. So in this way were arguing and I was shouting. So Prabhupāda had to send Gagyamuni out to quieten his den. So Prabhupāda was a little agītāted and angry at me because of my disturbed consciousness. Then later on in Rla Prabhupāda’s room the same day he had me open up his filing cabinet and he told me pass me the red file. So I looked and I said well Prabhupāda, there is no file. And he said pass me the red file. So I said well Śrīla Prabhupāda, actually there is no red file. So I could see Prabhupāda was becoming more angry. But due to my dull brain, I could not understand what he required. Then I saw one file that to me was a pinkish color. So I brought that out.

So this was the one that Prabhupāda wanted. And he was very angry that he had not shown it when he requested and that I had tried to defend myself. After I had first said that there was no file and he had repeated that there was a file. Then I saw the file and I said, well, actually it’s not red, it’s pink. Rather than admit that the file was there and that I had been mistaken in the first instance. So Prabhupāda became so angry that he sat up very straight and he was trembling and he shouted at me, oh, so now you have learned how to defend yourself very nicely. Every time I ask you something, you simply defend. You have become such a rascal. And in this way you very strongly rebuked me for about five minutes. Actually, it was a great mercy.

Because this tendency to defend myself even when I am wrong is becoming stronger and stronger of late. And Prabhupāda has patiently tolerated it. But today has come smashing down on my false ego with full strength. Fortunately, I had sufficient intelligence to understand that this is Prabhay’s spatial mercy and that he’s taking such care and trouble to train us up in this way. This is one of the advantages of being with Prabhupāda personally. That whatever fault is there, he will very kindly expose in order that we can advance more and more in Kṛṣṇa service. So in this way the personal associates of Prabhupāda get some extra consideration. And I felt very ashamed to have disturbed Prabhupāda in this way. But thankful also that he is still taking the time and trouble to train me in the proper standards. Speaks for itself.

So early this morning went out to one life member’s house, Mr. C.L. Bajuri. He is a very rich man and has a very large house. But he is very tight with his money as are many rich men india. However, he has consented to allow a number of our women to stay at his house because there is no suitable place for them at our temple. As Rla Prabhupāda entered their house, the women were already there. And Mr. Bajuri joked that his house has become ISKCON women’s department. So when we walked in, he told Śrīla Prabhupāda, he said, welcome to ISKCON’s women’s department like this. Because the big rich man, they have their own house and then they have servants quarters. So he’s letting them use that servant’s house although it’s on his land.

However, Prabhupāda could understand from this statement that their presence there was actually an imposition on the men. Otherwise he would not have said anything even in the joking mood. So we remained there for about an half hour or so. And then Prabhupāda, after taking a little prasadam with them and talking nicely, returned back to the temple. And as soon as we returned we called in Abiram to his room and he told him that having these women live at the men’s house is actually incorrect. We should not take our advantage like that. They are inviting us from a sense of etiquette. But if we actually go and live there, then it is great burden and imposition on them. These rich men, they keep big houses to avoid cramping. So having always a guest is difficult for them also, it is very bad advertisement for us.

We should get a flat for any extra people who come. And he also quoted the verse from 244Bhagavad Gītā Bogais Varya prasaktanam paya parik. In the minds of those who are too attached to material comforts the resolute determination for devotional service does not take place. So Prabhupāda told us that women are prone to an easy life. They do not like to pass in. So if there is any chance for easy life, they will take it. And then all spiritual life is finished. It is very dangerous to live in such opulent surroundings and also to eat. The food of the Vishay is very polluting. And when the mind becomes polluted then there is visible. So Jalaprapad instructed ABHI Ram that he should immediately make arrangements for the women to move out of that place.

However, they should do it in such a nice way that it should be explained to the man that finally we have found some nice place for our women to stay. And we thank you very much for your hospitality. And now we will live in our own quarters. So in this way he will not feel that we are suddenly leaving this place for no reason. The Prabhupāda is very sensitive to a person’s mentality. So although the man didn’t really say anything just by psychology, Prabhupāda explained to us that why is he keeping such a big place? Because they want big rooms so that they’re not cramped. So then if you Go and you live there. Then you’re cramping them and you’re making them feel some discomfort even in their own homes. And he’s not saying that because the Indian system is by etiquette.

You will invite somebody just, you know, just to be nice. You invite somebody, please come and stay at my house. But if you actually. If the person actually comes and then stays there on a permanent, like exactly permanent basis, then it becomes a difficulty. But they won’t say anything. But still they will feel some problem. And he said, anyway, from our point of view also, it’s not a good advertisement that we’re having to live out here and there in other people’s homes. You better get a flat public morning. Yeah, very important point. See if you check any streets are interesting. Also, there’s one deal for he or she visiting relative, especially now. Yeah, well, just like I visited my parents in England first time we have been back there for 11 years and since becoming a devotee. And I just, you know, they cook some mashed potato.

My mother was real careful. I told her, you use new pots, don’t use cooking anything that’s had meat in it. So she’s very respectful. So she did it. So she cooked it nicely. So I just, you know, offered it before I ate it just one day. So it kind of engaged her a little bit. So I took it that way. But still you have to be very careful. You can’t. I mean, I couldn’t have done it on a regular basis, that’s for sure. But still, they have so much polluted concepts when they’re cooking because their mentality is very lusty. So that goes into the food source. If you eat that, it’s very difficult because it’s not really operable either is not good for Kṛṣṇa with love, it’s a little difficult situation. But that’s the mercy of the Vaishnava cost.

That’s why everybody india knows you invite a saintly person to your home and feed him. Because they know that by doing that purifies their whole home. By having a saintly person come like that and by taking that foodstuffs also, you’re also, you know, if you’re spiritually strong, it’s purifying for the people that have offered that food stuff. No, the tradition is to offer to the Vaiavas. And for a Vaith to accept that and take it is as good as offering it to the deity to. Even better actually than offering it to Kṛṣṇa. To offer it to Kṛṣṇa’s pure Devotees. So one who is very pure, he can do that, he can accept that kind offering. But if one’s not so strong and then he takes this offerings, you know, eats at other people’s homes, people are not really devoted, they will actually become contaminated.

He’s not strong enough to purify the whole situation. Prabhupāda warns you have to be very careful. Because even Gagamuni mentions to Prabhupāda that after reading the Chaitanya Tritamrita that one should not eat in the homes of, you know, ordinary people. That even in his life membership preaching, he began to take out his own cook and they’d stop taking the fustas that were offered to them by the life members. Because when you’re in life membership preaching, it means every night you got to go out and go to eat at these people’s homes. So it has its effect. So he was taking his own cook and Prabhupāda said, yes, that’s very good if you can avoid eating it home. So that’s good. You take a little something so they won’t feel a pan. But having a big meal every night, it’s very bad news, right?

Definitely should be very careful, very scrupulous about that. But sometimes it’s unavoidable when you’re going out preaching. But like I said, when you should arrange it, just a little something, you accept and if you’re pure, then of course you won’t be affected. You have to be careful. You can make a regular habit and then you have to be very careful. Make a very regular habit, you know, of, you know, avoiding eating these things. Don’t make it a regular habit of eating it, otherwise then they will be, you know, the mind becomes, the effect of it is your heart becomes disturbed, your mind becomes polluted because it’s full of lust. Yeah, that’s good. So just at least philosophically, they’re cooking for the bike. Well, the point is that most of them, they don’t know what the street standards are.

You know, they, you know, they’re not very clean in their habits. You know, they always that tendency that when it’s cooking they eat something to see if it’s cooked yet or not and smell it automatically by salivite over it. So many things are there, even if they’re thinking I am cooking for the devices, but still they’re very lusty. You know, it’s not done in a real pure spirit. Might be semi exceptional families, but in general I have to be careful. So prabhupāda is very expert in all his dealings with the common men so that they may not get a bad impression of the devotees of the Lord. I will finish this. During the massage, Satsarat Maharaj came in and ranked Śrīla Prabhupda some of the mail.

Prabhupāda takes his massage in his bathroom in Calcutta because the window at that time of day allows the sunshine to come in. And whenever Prabhupāda has his massage, generally he likes to sit with his back to the sun. Because the sun’s rising, the mustard oil have a very good effect and give strength to the body. So Sat Ruknaraj came in and sat down on the floor of the bathroom as I massaged Prabhupāda. And he read out one article from a Boston newspaper which was entitled the Hare Kṛṣṇa puzzle. It was big 2 paint article and slightly favorable to us simply on principle because it was more or less straight reporting of effects. He gave a pros and cons, good comments and bad comments from parents and others. Prabhupāda requested Sats root Maurice to read out some of the against comments.

One parent said that they were that were parasites and not productive to the community. So Prabhupāda became very agītāted. We are not parasites. We are giving the best literature. Does that come from illiterate, the hippies? We are accepted by the scholars and we have parasites. Then a High Court judge is also a parasite. They do not know what is parasite. Intelligent persons are not meant for working like dogs and asses. They work with their brain. The rascal sees the High Court judge sitting and simply taking a little and simply talking a little and getting a big salary. And he thinks, oh, who is this parasite? They do not know the value of using the brain. Another point Sat through Maharaj brought up was that they were saying that we are simply begging on the streets.

Again, Prabhai replied, it is not begging, it is humility. They are puffed up. So we approach in all humility to get them to take a book. If we give a book, is that begging? Sat RUP Maharaj mentioned that sometimes we give simply a flower and then take donations. So Prabhupāda replied, that is also humility. In India, even very learned scholars beg. They are called vikshu tridandiswami, which means begging. The sannyasis beg in order to learn pridelessness and humility. In the Vedic culture, the Sannyāsī, the Brahmachari, the Brahmins, they can beg Brahmachari begs to learn humility even when he is from a big rich family he does so to become meek. And Christ said that to the meek God is available. So RLA Prabhupāda also commented you don’t know, you do not know what this culture is.

You have culture how to kill child by abortion so how will you understand this culture? Is this higher culture meaning the western one. And he told me that we should defend like this. Another point brought up was that they say that it is not a question of religion it is mind control. They say we control people’s minds. However Prabhupāda immediately replied that they are guilty of mind control because one whose mind is surrendered to us they want to change that by kidnapping force. So in this way he went on. Then finally he asked Sats RUP Maharaj if the article mentioned Kṛṣṇa’s name. So he said oh yes does so many times and he.