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Newcomers in New York wanted to be initiated. One boy had seen Prabhupada's picture in Life magazine, cut it out, and put it in his high school locker. A boy named Jay, after having read about Prabhupada and the devotees in Evergreen Review, had visited the temple and found that everyone was devoted to Prabhupada. Some disciples whom Prabhupada had initiated by mail-like Indira and Ekayani, two sisters still in high school and living at home-were meeting their spiritual master for the first time. Prabhupada initiated all the eligible newcomers.

The day before Prabhupada left for Boston, he lectured at the New York State University at Stonybrook, a two-hour drive from the temple.

Brahmananda: The engagement was in a huge auditorium with rows of seats. And the house was full. The bleachers were completely packed when we came in. It was dark, just some spotlights on us and everything else was dark. The rows of seats went back and up, and we could hardly see the audience. First we held kirtana and then Prabhupada spoke. As Prabhupada was speaking, we could hear the sound of chairs popping up as the students were getting up and leaving. But Prabhupada just went right on lecturing, as if he weren't aware of it. By the time the lecture was over, there were only about two dozen people left.

After the program, the devotees discovered that the car Prabhupada was supposed to ride in had already left. A student stepped forward, however, and offered his Triumph sports car, a tiny two-seater. Prabhupada didn't like the car, but it was the only thing available. So Brahmananda drove Prabhupada back to Manhattan.

Around midnight, Prabhupada dozed while Brahmananda speeded, hurrying to get back to the temple as soon as possible. Prabhupada was dozing peacefully when Brahmananda hit a large pothole, and Prabhupada struck his head on the metal bar on the roof of the car.

When finally they returned to the Lower East Side it was past midnight, and there would only be a few hours for resting before Prabhupada would have to catch his 9:00 A.M. flight to Boston. Although Prabhupada rose that morning on schedule, most of the devotees were still asleep when he left his apartment. At the airport Prabhupada commented that his disciples, rather than simply praising him, should try to follow his example and rise early.


- From "Prabhupada-lila" by HH Satsvarupa dasa Goswami