![](\"http:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/wp-content\/uploads6\/tumblr_o4hbf2rzeJ1sbj0vuo1_500.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Prabhupada wanted us to understand that we shouldn\u2019t think, \u201cNow I am very big, I can take over my spiritual master\u2019s position.\u201d
\nDina Bandhu: Around 1970, we drove from Boulder to L.A. and were present when Prabhupada started playing the tape of the Govindam prayers. Although it\u2019s taken for granted now, before that time we didn\u2019t play that tape of Yamuna singing.
\nBut on the second or third day that we were there, Prabhupada came into the temple, the tape was put on, and he paid his obeisances. He took some charanamrita and then sat down on the vyasasana, all the while singing along with the tape.
\nSuddenly we saw tears gliding down Prabhupada\u2019s cheeks. We all felt unqualified to be in his presence. When Prabhupada experienced ecstatic symptoms, you just wanted to lift up one of those linoleum tiles and crawl under it, thinking, \u201cI don\u2019t belong here.\u201d
\nThen suddenly Prabhupada sniffed, wiped his face, and started chanting the Isopanishad mantras that he was teaching us at the time. He had a deep, rich voice that reminded me of a sea captain.
\nEvery day we would start from the beginning and chant all the verses we knew, and then he would teach us the next verse.
\nWhenever I came to L.A. I would sit at the foot of Srila Prabhupada\u2019s vyasasana in the temple room. One day Prabhupada sat down on his vyasasana, looking rather concerned.
\nHe pointed toward me but I didn\u2019t know what was wrong. I looked down thinking maybe my dhoti was open but it wasn\u2019t. I looked back up. Prabhupada nodded his head as if to say, \u201cEverything is okay.\u201d
\nMy hands were resting on my knees, and I froze in that position thinking, \u201cNow everything is all right. Whatever was wrong is all right now.\u201d I sat there while Prabhupada lectured but in the middle of the lecture, Prabhupada got disturbed again.
\nI was wobbling my knee. Prabhupada stopped speaking, pointed at me, and said, \u201cDon\u2019t do that.\u201d I stopped doing it.
\nOn a morning walk in Vrindavan, Prabhupada was preaching heavily against abortion and birth control. He gave the example that,
\n\u201cIf I have rented an apartment and you stop me from living in it, that is illegal. Or if I am living in an apartment and you come and kick me out, that is also illegal. You will be arrested. Similarly, that soul has rented that womb which is his apartment, and if you prevent him from staying there it is illegal. He\u2019s inside and you kick him out\u2014that is illegal.\u201d
\nHe explained how those who commit abortion will go from womb to womb and will never see the light of day. He was so heavy.
\nOn the way back, Prabhupada was a little quiet. Then one Indian man said, \u201cI read today in the newspaper that Guru Maharaj Ji\u2019s mother said that Guru Maharaj Ji is a bogus fellow. She\u2019s denounced him.\u201d
\nPrabhupada and everyone else laughed. We walked a few more steps and the Indian man said, \u201cYes, practically she has finished him.\u201d Prabhupada stopped, dug his cane into the street, looked at all of us and said, \u201cShe should have finished him in the womb.\u201d
\nPrabhupada explained that a mouse went to a yogi and complained that a cat was bothering him. The yogi said, \u201cWhat do you want?\u201d
\nThe mouse said, \u201cI want to become a cat, and then the cat won\u2019t bother me.\u201d The yogi waved his hand and the mouse became a cat.
\nLater the cat (who was previously the mouse) went back to the yogi. The yogi said, \u201cNow, what\u2019s the matter? You want something?\u201d
\nThe cat said, \u201cNow a dog is bothering me. I want to become a dog.\u201d The yogi said, \u201cAll right, become a dog.\u201d So the cat became a dog.
\nAfter a while he came back to the yogi, who said, \u201cDo you want something?\u201d The dog said, \u201cYes, now a tiger is bothering me. I want to become a tiger.\u201d
\nThe yogi said, \u201cAll right, become a tiger.\u201d When the dog became a tiger, he looked at the yogi with longing eyes. The yogi said, \u201cOh, do you want to eat me?\u201d The tiger shook his head \u201cyes.\u201d
\nThe yogi said, \u201cpunar mushika bhava,\u201d which means, \u201cagain become a mouse.\u201d The tiger immediately transformed into a mouse. When we heard this we all burst out laughing, but Prabhupada meant it to be serious, and later we understood what the story meant.
\nPrabhupada was telling us that if we become puffed up and fail to realize that Prabhupada is actually the power behind us, then we would fall back to our former position.
\nPrabhupada wanted us to understand that we shouldn\u2019t think, \u201cNow I am very big, I can take over my spiritual master\u2019s position.\u201d After he told that story, Prabhupada looked at me and said, \u201cTry to understand. Don\u2019t laugh.\u201d
\nExcerpt from \u201cMemories-Anecdotes of a Modern-Day Saint\u201d
\nby Siddhanta das<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
![](\"http:\/\/40.media.tumblr.com\/c9357e6f326e3eefdccd336946c62d05\/tumblr_o4hbf2rzeJ1sbj0vuo1_500.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Prabhupada wanted us to understand that we shouldn’t think, “Now I am very big, I can take over my spiritual master’s position.”
\nDina Bandhu: Around 1970, we drove from Boulder to L.A. and were present when Prabhupada started playing the tape of the Govindam prayers. Although it’s taken for granted now, before that time we didn’t play that tape of Yamuna singing.
\nBut on the second or third day that we were there, Prabhupada came into the temple, the tape was put on, and he paid his obeisances. He took some charanamrita and then sat down on the vyasasana, all the while singing along with the tape.
\nSuddenly we saw tears gliding down Prabhupada’s cheeks. We all felt unqualified to be in his presence. When Prabhupada experienced ecstatic symptoms, you just wanted to lift up one of those linoleum tiles and crawl under it, thinking, “I don’t belong here.”
\nThen suddenly Prabhupada sniffed, wiped his face, and started chanting the Isopanishad mantras that he was teaching us at the time. He had a deep, rich voice that reminded me of a sea captain.
\nEvery day we would start from the beginning and chant all the verses we knew, and then he would teach us the next verse.
\nWhenever I came to L.A. I would sit at the foot of Srila Prabhupada’s vyasasana in the temple room. One day Prabhupada sat down on his vyasasana, looking rather concerned.
\nHe pointed toward me but I didn’t know what was wrong. I looked down thinking maybe my dhoti was open but it wasn’t. I looked back up. Prabhupada nodded his head as if to say, “Everything is okay.”
\nMy hands were resting on my knees, and I froze in that position thinking, “Now everything is all right. Whatever was wrong is all right now.” I sat there while Prabhupada lectured but in the middle of the lecture, Prabhupada got disturbed again.
\nI was wobbling my knee. Prabhupada stopped speaking, pointed at me, and said, “Don’t do that.” I stopped doing it.
\nOn a morning walk in Vrindavan, Prabhupada was preaching heavily against abortion and birth control. He gave the example that,
\n“If I have rented an apartment and you stop me from living in it, that is illegal. Or if I am living in an apartment and you come and kick me out, that is also illegal. You will be arrested. Similarly, that soul has rented that womb which is his apartment, and if you prevent him from staying there it is illegal. He’s inside and you kick him out—that is illegal.”
\nHe explained how those who commit abortion will go from womb to womb and will never see the light of day. He was so heavy.
\nOn the way back, Prabhupada was a little quiet. Then one Indian man said, “I read today in the newspaper that Guru Maharaj Ji’s mother said that Guru Maharaj Ji is a bogus fellow. She’s denounced him.”
\nPrabhupada and everyone else laughed. We walked a few more steps and the Indian man said, “Yes, practically she has finished him.” Prabhupada stopped, dug his cane into the street, looked at all of us and said, “She should have finished him in the womb.”
\nPrabhupada explained that a mouse went to a yogi and complained that a cat was bothering him. The yogi said, “What do you want?”
\nThe mouse said, “I want to become a cat, and then the cat won’t bother me.” The yogi waved his hand and the mouse became a cat.
\nLater the cat (who was previously the mouse) went back to the yogi. The yogi said, “Now, what’s the matter? You want something?”
\nThe cat said, “Now a dog is bothering me. I want to become a dog.” The yogi said, “All right, become a dog.” So the cat became a dog.
\nAfter a while he came back to the yogi, who said, “Do you want something?” The dog said, “Yes, now a tiger is bothering me. I want to become a tiger.”
\nThe yogi said, “All right, become a tiger.” When the dog became a tiger, he looked at the yogi with longing eyes. The yogi said, “Oh, do you want to eat me?” The tiger shook his head “yes.”
\nThe yogi said, “punar mushika bhava,” which means, “again become a mouse.” The tiger immediately transformed into a mouse. When we heard this we all burst out laughing, but Prabhupada meant it to be serious, and later we understood what the story meant.
\nPrabhupada was telling us that if we become puffed up and fail to realize that Prabhupada is actually the power behind us, then we would fall back to our former position.
\nPrabhupada wanted us to understand that we shouldn’t think, “Now I am very big, I can take over my spiritual master’s position.” After he told that story, Prabhupada looked at me and said, “Try to understand. Don’t laugh.”
\nExcerpt from “Memories-Anecdotes of a Modern-Day Saint”
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