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<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Lecture by HH Nira\u00f1jana Swami<\/i><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
I oftentimes say, when devotees ask me to speak about Prabhup\u0101da, that I can say my only qualification is that I happened to be on the planet at the same time that Prabhup\u0101da was spreading the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Consciousness Movement. I took part in his mission, but I didn\u2019t really have so much personal exchange or association with him. I did get the opportunity to see him many times: a few times in the United States, twice in New York as well as in Philadelphia, and also in M\u0101y\u0101pura and V\u1e5bnd\u0101vana.<\/p>\n
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Obviously, each time I got that opportunity to see him and to hear from him was just an overwhelming experience, and reinforcement of how loving, kind and compassionate \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da was, and how much he meant to me. Although I could tell a few stories about my observations and small exchanges that I experienced in my heart in his presence, I always prefer to speak from a different angle, and that is that my first meeting with \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da was from reading his books. I personally feel that by describing my own experience of that, it opens up the opportunities for other devotees to get similar realizations, because everyone who comes in contact with \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da in his books is actually associating with Prabhup\u0101da. And if we, by good fortune, get the opportunity to come in contact with him (as I did first from his books, even before meeting any of his devotees), then it should be encouraging to anybody that we can associate with Prabhup\u0101da, and develop our love and our gratitude to him for bringing us to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness in his books.<\/p>\n
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Because this experience of personal, direct association with \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da was only exclusively accessible to those, who met \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da when he was on this planet, but Prabhup\u0101da said, \u201cI will live forever in my books.\u201d So, if Prabhup\u0101da is living forever in his books, then anyone who comes in contact with K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness through \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s books, is getting the opportunity to get inspiration and his association. Of course, after my first meeting with \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da, which was in a books store, in due course of time I started to associate with his followers. And from his followers I learned so much more about him, and so much more about how to follow his instructions.<\/p>\n
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Particularly one devotee, who was probably the most instrumental in bringing me into the temple, after reading \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s books, was my God-brother Ke\u015bava from San Francisco. He was always very encouraging, and it was very much because of him (and Vi\u1e63\u1e47ujana Swami as well) that I decided to join the temple. So, first I met \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da in the form of his book \u201cBhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/i> As It Is\u201d, and then I met \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da and those who loved him, his followers. Those meetings were all very important and relevant for my growth in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness.<\/p>\n
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I would like to tell one little story in connection to what led up to my first meeting, physically seeing Prabhup\u0101da face to face. The first time I saw Prabhup\u0101da I was already second initiated, because Prabhup\u0101da accepted me as his disciple for the first and second initiation through mail. He requested the local leaders to conduct the fire sacrifice to give me my name, and for my second initiation to give me my sacred thread. I started distributing \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s books in 1973, but I never really became steady at that service until probably sometime in the early part of 1975. For me, that was my way of reciprocating for all the nourishment that I got in my K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness through his books and through his followers, by surrendering to distributing his books. And for me it was a very great surrender. In my heart I always felt this constant confirmation from Prabhup\u0101da, that he was most pleased if I distributed his books. And this reciprocation really sustained me in my K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness.<\/p>\n
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Then one day, when I was on book distribution, the Temple President called and said, \u201cPrabhup\u0101da is coming to Boston and I want you to come back and fix up his rooms.\u201d Because before coming to K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness I was a carpenter, so I knew how to refinish walls, floors, ceilings, paint, demolition\u2026 everything.<\/p>\n
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Prabhup\u0101da was planning a visit to Boston that year. He saw a picture of the building that we have purchased the previous year, and as soon as he saw the picture and was told about the place where it was (a very, very influential place in Boston), Prabhup\u0101da said, \u201cI will go there next year!\u201d So, he made his itinerary in 1975 and included the visit to Boston. The Temple President called me when I was on the book distribution and said, \u201cYou have to come back and fix up Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s quarters.\u201d<\/p>\n
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I was a little insubordinate and I said to him, \u201cNo, Prabhup\u0101da wants me to distribute his books.\u201d [Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja laughs]<\/i> I said, \u201cI am convinced Prabhup\u0101da would be much more pleased if I stay out and distribute his books!\u201d<\/p>\n
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At that point the Temple President was a little bit more firm with me and said, \u201cYou are the only person in the temple who knows how to do this. Why don\u2019t you at least come back to the temple and we\u2019ll talk about it.\u201d So, I came back to the temple, and he took me up to the second floor and brought me into the room where Prabhup\u0101da was going to stay, and said, \u201cWould you put your Spiritual Master in this room?\u201d<\/p>\n
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And I had to be honest, \u201cNo. I cannot imagine putting my Spiritual Master in this room.\u201d<\/p>\n
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So, he said, \u201cDo you understand now why you have to come back and fix up the quarters for Prabhup\u0101da?\u201d<\/p>\n
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So, I surrendered. And it was a lot of work. If I tell you how much work\u2026 it was a lot of work. We had only moved into the building the previous year, and I had to do a lot of the carpentry work just to move the Deities, what to speak of for Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s visit. It actually took quite some time to renovate the rooms. Months. Because I had to fix up three rooms; and I had to fix up his bathroom also; and I had to connect the bathroom to his room.<\/p>\n
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During that time, we also were remodeling the altar for Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s visit. My God-brother Ambar\u012b\u1e63a Prabhu, who had been visiting Boston at that time, donated money for us to get marble for the altar. The Temple President one day said to me, \u201cWe have to go to New York to get the marble for the altar.\u201d<\/p>\n
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It is about 250 miles away from Boston, and he never told me actually the reason why we are going to New York. So, on a way when we entered New York City and just before arriving at the \u201cLa Guardia\u201d airport, the Temple President told me, \u201cWe are not going to get the marble. I was lying. Prabhup\u0101da is arriving at the airport today. We are going to see him.\u201d I\u2019ve never seen Prabhup\u0101da before.<\/p>\n
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So, we were at the gate where Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s plane was supposed to arrive \u2013 and we were the only ones there, just the two of us. We were thinking, \u201cWow, this is amazing! Nobody else is here!\u201d [Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja laughs] <\/i>Then we started to think, \u201cMaybe Prabhup\u0101da is not coming!\u201d I cannot remember exactly how the Temple President who brought me there found out, but he made a phone calls and found out that Prabhup\u0101da is still coming.<\/p>\n
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And he was coming at that gate. So we stayed there at the gate waiting for Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s plane to arrive, and then finally somebody came in and said, \u201cWhat are you doing in here?\u201d And we said, \u201cWe are waiting for Prabhup\u0101da.\u201d He said, \u201cNo, you should go wait downstairs with everybody else!\u201d [Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja laughs] <\/i>We immediately understood that\u2019s why nobody was at the gate, because everybody was downstairs waiting for Prabhup\u0101da at the baggage claim area. We tried to convince him to let us stay but he wouldn\u2019t let us \u2013 we had to go downstairs.<\/p>\n
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So, when we went downstairs, there were actually at least 150 devotees \u2013 the senior devotees, sanny\u0101s\u012bs<\/i> \u2013 and they were all waiting for Prabhup\u0101da by the gate. When the flight arrived, Prabhup\u0101da was supposed to come down at this particular escalator, and we were all waiting for him at the bottom of the escalator, with k\u012brtan<\/i>. Everybody was coming down from the flight, but not Prabhup\u0101da.<\/p>\n
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All of a sudden, way off in the distance, somebody spotted Prabhup\u0101da. He came down a different way, he tricked us. And the 150 devotees moved like a swarm of honey bees!!! [Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja laughs] <\/i>They were jumping over the baggage carousels, they were pushing through people, and everybody was just running like complete \u201cmob\u201d to greet Prabhup\u0101da.<\/p>\n
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This was my first time seeing \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da! I\u2019ve been serving him for two years already. So finally I ran with everybody else to see Prabhup\u0101da, and immediately fell to the ground to offer my da\u1e47\u1e0davats<\/i>. Of course, I was emotional. He was just the most beautiful object that I\u2019ve ever seen with these two eyes! He had his cane, and when he was walking he seem to not step onto the floor.<\/p>\n
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Then the devotees brought him upstairs because there was a press conference. There were some reporters there who wanted to ask Prabhup\u0101da questions, and as it turned out, the questions related to what Prabhup\u0101da was talking about women\u2019s liberation \u2013 they were really hot questions. The reporter was trying to get to Prabhup\u0101da about the role of women in K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Consciousness Movement. Prabhup\u0101da was very firm that a woman must always be protected. And this woman reporter didn\u2019t like that. [Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja laughs]<\/i> She kept asking Prabhup\u0101da challenging questions. I saw the whole thing, although I couldn\u2019t hear everything because I was a little bit too far away, but I heard devotees going, \u201cJay!!! Haribol!!! Haribol!!!\u201d every time Prabhup\u0101da would defeat her. [Guru Mah\u0101r\u0101ja laughs]<\/i><\/p>\n
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After that, Prabhup\u0101da left and went out to the car, and I got to walk just practically right behind him. Prabhup\u0101da was walking very quickly with his cane, and I was running and I experienced that I couldn\u2019t keep up with him! It was almost like he defied the laws of gravity. And I immediately understood this is someone who is from the spiritual world.<\/p>\n
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I just want to end the story with one small important point, which meant a lot to me. Actually, that opportunity I got to see \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da at that time, was a big surprise to me by my Temple President \u2013 it was definitely a great mercy. I took it as \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da was reciprocating for the surrender that I had to do to come back and to fix up his quarters.<\/p>\n
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Then later that year, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da got a message from India that Indira Gandhi wanted to meet with Prabhup\u0101da in India \u2013 so Prabhup\u0101da never came to Boston. He had to change his whole itinerary to go to India to meet with Indira Gandhi.<\/p>\n
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I got my first realization how there is no loss or diminution in surrendering in devotional service. I worked so hard to fix up those rooms, but Prabhup\u0101da never saw them. But Prabhup\u0101da was very kind to me. And I\u2019ll always be grateful to that devotee who gave me that opportunity to go see Prabhup\u0101da at the airport.<\/p>\n
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So, we should never think there is any loss or diminution in surrendering. The greatest fruit of that surrender is that we meditate on trying to please Guru<\/i> and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a! The real result of surrender is that we get that confirmation in our heart that Guru<\/i> and K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a is pleased. And even if we cannot show him the result of all our work \u2013 he knows! Because Prabhup\u0101da was always getting help from K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. This was a very important lesson that I\u2019ve learned in service to \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da. I learned it from reading his books, I learned it by associating with his dear disciples \u2013 and he confirmed everything. This is the best way to please K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a\u2019s pure devotee! It is incalculable what mercy will come as a result of our surrender!<\/p>\n
\n<\/p>\n
Of course, for me that was only one surrender. Our life is meant for constant surrender. So, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da has thought us how to constantly surrender. And I get the inspiration not only from reading Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s books, but by seeing how surrendered my God-brothers are in service to him.<\/p>\n
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So, just as my God-brothers were very great source of nourishment to me then, in my formative years of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness, they are great source of inspiration and strength to me now. And even tough \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da is physically absent \u2013 he is here in his followers. I would like to thank them for keeping \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da alive for me! Thank you Trivikrama Mah\u0101r\u0101ja, Bhakti Caitanya Mah\u0101r\u0101ja!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I oftentimes say, when devotees ask me to speak about Prabhup\u0101da, that I can say my only qualification is that I happened to be on the planet at the same time that Prabhup\u0101da was spreading the K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a Consciousness Movement. I took part in his mission, but I didn\u2019t really have so much personal exchange or association with him. I did get the opportunity to see him many times: a few times in the United States, twice in New York as well as in Philadelphia, and also in Mayapura and V\u1e5bndavana.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63921","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\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=63921"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63921\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":91534,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63921\/revisions\/91534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=63921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=63921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=63921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Hare](\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-9Etnau5DnVM\/WzhkrcqMsAI\/AAAAAAAAlUE\/R2wALh1m4FozFpcVmwyLUYktTGr6eI_JwCHMYCw\/s0\/2018-07-01_07-17-32.jpg\")
By Niranjana Swami<\/strong><\/p>\n