![](\"http:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/wp-content\/uploads6\/tumblr_ond2zzBac81sbj0vuo1_500.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the nicest thing I ever saw in my whole life.\u201d
\nRose Forkash: My daughter, Lilashakti, (at that time Linda) came home to Santa Barbara, locked herself in the bedroom and for two days she did nothing but read Back to Godhead magazines.
\nWhen she came out we were sure that there was something that needed investigating but came Saturday she said she was leaving for Los Angeles to go to the temple.
\nOf course we trusted that whatever she was reading and pertained to this temple was something that we should be satisfied was innocent enough.
\nBut a week later my husband and I came to visit and it so happens that day Prabhupada arrived.
\nI remember Prabhupada sat on the upper level in the temple while the chairs and seats for everybody else was just a little bit down below.
\nQuestions were asked of him and of course I raised my hand because I didn\u2019t know what this was all about.
\nI asked, \u201cIf this is such a good thing for all people to become involved in why did it take so long to come to us?\u201d
\nPrabhupada replied, \u201cYou were late.\u201d
\nSuddenly all the devotees to my right let up a howl of joy and he turned to them and said,
\n\u201cAnd you were all late.\u201d
\nIt wasn\u2019t until about a year or two later when Prabhupada came back to Los Angeles that I spoke with him at length.
\nThat afternoon Prabhupada gave me his lunch and told my husband and me how glad he was that we were taking an interest.
\nHe asked us a little bit about ourselves and I remember he asked my husband, Sam, what kind of business he was in.
\nSam said he was in the used furniture business.
\nPrabhupada said, \u201cUsed? Used, like people like me?\u201d (Laughs)
\nA year later my parents, who were elderly, came to visit from Florida and Lilashakti told them about her experience on sankirtan.
\nMy mother said, \u201cI\u2019d like to do that,\u201d and my father said, \u201cI would too.\u201d
\nSo the devotees there gave my parents some Back to Godheads, and there they were, walking up and down the street offering Back to Godhead magazines.
\nEvery time someone would accept one, my father would clap.
\nHe was so happy that people were showing an interest.
\nBoth of them were even happier when I brought them to the temple.
\nAs we entered, my father in his enthusiasm was so happy that I remember he bent down and kissed the door.
\nHe walked in, looked at the deities and said,
\n\u201cThis is the nicest thing I ever saw in my whole life.\u201d
\nThat\u2019s something to remember.
\nWe felt very comfortable with the fact that our daughter was involved in something that was so beneficial for her.
\nIn addition I was amazed that what we needed for ourselves was coming from our own child.
\nUp until then we had very little religious feelings.
\nWhen my parents were young, they had no opportunity financially or otherwise to get involved in a religion that would have suited them.
\nIt wasn\u2019t until they met the devotees, heard about the temple and came to the temple that they wanted to join.
\nAs a matter of fact, my father had signed up for he and my mother to move into the temple in South Florida where they lived.
\nOn one walk I took with my father I said,
\n\u201cYou know Pop, that\u2019s fine. But you know you can\u2019t smoke any cigars?\u201d
\nHe said, \u201cI only smoke one.\u201d I said, \u201cNot even one, Pop.\u201d
\nHe took the cigar out of his pocket, broke it in half and said,
\n\u201cOkay I\u2019m done.\u201d
\nOn Sundays Sam and I used to go down to the beach in Santa Barbara.
\nThere was always a gathering of artists and we got to meet many people from the movie industry.
\nIt was Meryl Streep I remember who bought some cookies from us and as she picked up the package she looked at it and said,
\n\u201cOh, this is the Hare Krishna. How do you say it?\u201d
\nWe chanted the mantra and she chanted with us which was very nice.
\nI felt comfortable with him.
\nSometimes if people see a movie star, they would be in awe.
\nBut Prabhupada didn\u2019t make you feel that way.
\nHe never acted as if he felt, \u201cI\u2019m so important.\u201d
\nHe didn\u2019t give that impression.
\nHe was a bearer of information.
\nHe was delivering information and he did it in such a calm way that wasn\u2019t frightening.
\nIt was informational like, \u201cI have something to tell you and I think you will be interested in hearing this.\u201d
\nI do remember when he walked out of the temple after a lecture one day and the devotees were eager to pay their obeisances to him.
\nThey all scrambled to get down and he motioned with his hands,
\n\u201cGet up, get up, get up,\u201d as if to say, \u201cThat\u2019s not necessary.\u201d
\n\u2014Rose Forkash
\n.
\n.
\nExcerpt from \u201cMemories-Anecdotes of a Modern-Day Saint\u201d
\nby Siddhanta das<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
![](\"http:\/\/68.media.tumblr.com\/6bdd85b9b9094860bb5a87560f4ceca6\/tumblr_ond2zzBac81sbj0vuo1_500.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
“This is the nicest thing I ever saw in my whole life.”
\nRose Forkash: My daughter, Lilashakti, (at that time Linda) came home to Santa Barbara, locked herself in the bedroom and for two days she did nothing but read Back to Godhead magazines.
\nWhen she came out we were sure that there was something that needed investigating but came Saturday she said she was leaving for Los Angeles to go to the temple.
\nOf course we trusted that whatever she was reading and pertained to this temple was something that we should be satisfied was innocent enough.
\nBut a week later my husband and I came to visit and it so happens that day Prabhupada arrived.
\nI remember Prabhupada sat on the upper level in the temple while the chairs and seats for everybody else was just a little bit down below.
\nQuestions were asked of him and of course I raised my hand because I didn’t know what this was all about.
\nI asked, “If this is such a good thing for all people to become involved in why did it take so long to come to us?”
\nPrabhupada replied, “You were late.”
\nSuddenly all the devotees to my right let up a howl of joy and he turned to them and said,
\n“And you were all late.”
\nIt wasn’t until about a year or two later when Prabhupada came back to Los Angeles that I spoke with him at length.
\nThat afternoon Prabhupada gave me his lunch and told my husband and me how glad he was that we were taking an interest.
\nHe asked us a little bit about ourselves and I remember he asked my husband, Sam, what kind of business he was in.
\nSam said he was in the used furniture business.
\nPrabhupada said, “Used? Used, like people like me?” (Laughs)
\nA year later my parents, who were elderly, came to visit from Florida and Lilashakti told them about her experience on sankirtan.
\nMy mother said, “I’d like to do that,” and my father said, “I would too.”
\nSo the devotees there gave my parents some Back to Godheads, and there they were, walking up and down the street offering Back to Godhead magazines.
\nEvery time someone would accept one, my father would clap.
\nHe was so happy that people were showing an interest.
\nBoth of them were even happier when I brought them to the temple.
\nAs we entered, my father in his enthusiasm was so happy that I remember he bent down and kissed the door.
\nHe walked in, looked at the deities and said,
\n“This is the nicest thing I ever saw in my whole life.”
\nThat’s something to remember.
\nWe felt very comfortable with the fact that our daughter was involved in something that was so beneficial for her.
\nIn addition I was amazed that what we needed for ourselves was coming from our own child.
\nUp until then we had very little religious feelings.
\nWhen my parents were young, they had no opportunity financially or otherwise to get involved in a religion that would have suited them.
\nIt wasn’t until they met the devotees, heard about the temple and came to the temple that they wanted to join.
\nAs a matter of fact, my father had signed up for he and my mother to move into the temple in South Florida where they lived.
\nOn one walk I took with my father I said,
\n“You know Pop, that’s fine. But you know you can’t smoke any cigars?”
\nHe said, “I only smoke one.” I said, “Not even one, Pop.”
\nHe took the cigar out of his pocket, broke it in half and said,
\n“Okay I’m done.”
\nOn Sundays Sam and I used to go down to the beach in Santa Barbara.
\nThere was always a gathering of artists and we got to meet many people from the movie industry.
\nIt was Meryl Streep I remember who bought some cookies from us and as she picked up the package she looked at it and said,
\n“Oh, this is the Hare Krishna. How do you say it?”
\nWe chanted the mantra and she chanted with us which was very nice.
\nI felt comfortable with him.
\nSometimes if people see a movie star, they would be in awe.
\nBut Prabhupada didn’t make you feel that way.
\nHe never acted as if he felt, “I’m so important.”
\nHe didn’t give that impression.
\nHe was a bearer of information.
\nHe was delivering information and he did it in such a calm way that wasn’t frightening.
\nIt was informational like, “I have something to tell you and I think you will be interested in hearing this.”
\nI do remember when he walked out of the temple after a lecture one day and the devotees were eager to pay their obeisances to him.
\nThey all scrambled to get down and he motioned with his hands,
\n“Get up, get up, get up,” as if to say, “That’s not necessary.”
\n—Rose Forkash
\n.
\n.
\nExcerpt from “Memories-Anecdotes of a Modern-Day Saint”
\nby Siddhanta das<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10650,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[118],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-recent-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44352","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/10650"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=44352"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44352\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44353,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44352\/revisions\/44353"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=44352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=44352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=44352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}