Lord Caitanya then inquired: What is the most profitable thing in the world, the essence of all auspicious events? Ramananda Raya replied that there is nothing as profitable as the association of pure devotees.” (Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Page 341)
When did I meet Srila Prabhupada? The year Srila Prabhupada arrived in Butler, Pa. (Sept. 1965). Is it possible I was visiting my Grandparents in Butler? Did I happen to catch a glimpse of Srila Prabhupada? Or the following summer, at the age of 13, did I happen to walk downtown Butler where His Divine Grace had previously walked? There is no question that Srila Prabhupada’s very presence, his kirtan and bhajan, his transcendental preaching, purified the material atmosphere of the Butler area like nothing ever before… at least in THIS age!
“Some say that the devotee should remain in holy places like Vrindavana or some holy town where the Lord lived, but a pure devotee can live anywhere and create the atmosphere of Vrindavana by his devotional service. It was Sri Advaita who told Lord Caitanya, “Wherever You are, O Lord – there is Vrindavana.” (Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 8.14, Purport)
In 1971 while spending a weekend with a few new friends, our host was often speaking informally on topics of the nature of the soul. I had never heard these topics spoken about in such a deep way! When the weekend was ending, I asked if there were any books containing his contributions to these discussions. He kindly handed me Easy Journeys to Other Planets. I do not recall a picture of Srila Prabhupada on that publication and of course did not connect “His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada” as author until some months later, but I did begin chanting “Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare” as a result of hearing from His Divine Grace.
“The spiritual master is the mercy representative of the Lord. Therefore, a person burning in the flames of material existence may receive the rains of mercy of the Lord through the transparent medium of the self-realized spiritual master. The spiritual master, by his words, can penetrate into the heart of the suffering person and inject knowledge transcendental, which alone can extinguish the fire of material existence.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 1.7.22, Purport)
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