By Mother Laxmimoni
If Srila Prabhupada visited you,
Maybe just for a day or two,
and came by unexpectedly,
I wonder what you’d do.
Oh, I know you’d give your nicest room,
To such an honored guest,
And all the food you’d offer,
Would be the very best.
And you would keep assuring him,
You’re glad to have him there,
That serving him within your home,
Is a joy beyond compare.
BUT If you saw him coming,
Would you meet him at the door,
With arms outstretched to welcome,
This honored visitor?
OR …
Would you have to change your clothes
Before you let him in?
Or hide some magazines,
And put the Gita where they’d been?
Would you watch those mundane movies,
Upon your TV set?
Would you have to answer those e-mails,
While he was taking rest?
Would you run to turn your music off,
before it reached his ears?
And put tilak on your forehead,
Or bind or shave your hairs?
Would you hide away your gameboy?
Maybe take those posters off your wall?
Would you have to hide the DVDs,
That you just bought at the mall ?
AND, I wonder …
If Prabhupada spent a day or two with you,
Would you continue on doing,
The things you always do?
Would you go right on saying
The things you always say?
Would life for you continue,
As it does from day to day?
Would you gossip with your partner,
About devotees’ faults?
Would you have to re-cook dinner,
Without the garlic salt?
Would you have to put on that kanti mala,
And find your japa beads?
And wake up in the morning,
Before the Sun peeks through the trees?
Would you sing the songs you always sing,
And read the books you read?
And let him know the things on which
your mind and spirit feed?
Would Prabhupada be invited
Everywhere you planned to go?
Or, would you, maybe, change your plans,
Just for a day or so?
Would you be glad to have him meet
your very closest friends?
Or, would you hope they’d stay away
Until his visit ends?
Would you be glad to have him stay
Forever on and on?
OR…
Would you sigh with great relief,
When finally he had gone?
It might be interesting to know
The things that you would do
If Srila Prabhupada, or the Lord,
came to spend some time with you.
Thank you, Mother Laksmimani Devi Dasi, for your very nice poem. I cried when I read it and realized how sinful i am. Srila Prabhupada did come and visit us many times whenever he was in London and on the last trip on Sunday July 25th 1976, he spent over 5 hours with us. My brother, Caturbhuja Prabhu, recalls it was like the homecoming of Lord Ramacandra, when the Lord returned to Ayodhya from the 14 years of being in the forest. It was like the whole world had arrived at our doorstep and we could not contain our joy. The truth is Srila Prabhupada continues to live in the hearts of all his followers and will live there eternally, if we allow him. Thank you, once again.
This poem can help reinvigorate one’s spiritual relationship with the Supreme Lord, and His transparent via medium, the Vaishnava Acharya. Naturally, one’s external behavior and also one’s internal consciousness can be modified. Krishna is always our dearmost Friend, and Srila Prabhupad is “Your ever-well wisher”, as he would sign his letters.
The “ideal” remains the beacon for each of us. If we have an ideal, then we cannot be satisfied with shortcomings. The feeling of yearning for Krishna, or lalasmayi, is vital to development of spiritual attachment and love for Krishna. Srila Prabhupad many times would indicate that one’s hankering for Krishna is vitally important. Such lamentation is not material and has no material object for reward. Rather, the hankering for deeper commitment and feeling for Krishna’s loving service tugs at the heart of hearts.
We already have the conception of having the presence of the Lord with us at all times. He dwells within our hearts. He directs everything without interfering with our minute free will. We cannot make anything come to be without His sanction.
Eko bahunam yo vidhadati kaman. So it is illusion to feel one’s self being without God. We need to have the direction of our spiritual master both outside and within to proceed toward the destination. Hankering for that ideal will bring us more under the shelter of the Lotus Feet of Sri Guru Gauranga. When the facade of material life, of material consciousness, disintegrates, we are left with no shelter other than real reality of Krishna consciousness. Srila Rupa Goswami encourages Enthusiasm, Determination, and Patience. Our soul must awaken to the opportunity of eternal spiritual life, and be dedicated to that ideal. Still, we are dependent always on Krishna’s Causeless Mercy.
In the early stages of spiritual practice, we need to be prepared to make choices, to discriminate between Truth and falsehood. A study was done many years ago in a factory in New England. To test what factors account for improved productivity, it was finally determined that the factor which gave rise to the best outcomes was when the supervisor was present and observing the workers directly. We can take this analogy as well. We will be better practitioners when we become aware that one’s spiritual master, even in the form of Paramatma, is present and observing us continuously. In the Bhagavad Gita it is said that two birds are on a branch in a fruit tree. One is sampling the fruit (jivatma) and the other is observing (Paramatma). Srila Prabhupad gave us the example that the Supersoul is aware of our desires and mentality without becoming directly in contact materially, just as one can appreciate the fragrance of a flower without directly contacting the flower. This heightened awareness of the ever-present Paramatma is Krishna consciousness. Yoginam api sarvesam…Krishna exclaims in the 6th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita that the best of all yogis are those who are meditating upon Him within their hearts. This awareness cleanses one’s choices both internally and externally.
So, how would we think, feel, and will if we were visited by Sri Gurudeva and Krishna? What would we sacrifice? And would our sacrifices be noticed? Yes, bhotaram yajna tapasam. He is the Enjoyer of our sacrifices, rest assured.
Pusta Krishna das