Blog

Monday, 12 May 1975

Although the house in Marimba Crescent was not strictly a temple, the devotees staying there with Srila Prabhupada had established a semblance of a morning program. Every morning at 4.30am they held a small mangala arati ceremony, chanting the eight prayers to the spiritual master as softly as they could. Srutakirti wondered whether it was disturbing Srila Prabhupada who would be regularly translating in the adjoining room at that time, so he asked him. Srila Prabhupada suggested that perhaps it would be better that they chant japa.

"Chanting japa, or singing kirtana -- there is no difference," Prabhupada said. "Main thing is that we should chant and remember Krsna."

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In the car on the way to Hyde Park, Srila Prabhupada spoke conclusively about Vedic cosmology. "They have not gone to the moon," he said. Prabhupada gave elaborate details about the dimensions of the universe. "The whole diameter is pancasat-koti yojana. One yojana equals eight miles, and one koti is ten million. So pancasata, fifty by ten million by eight. That's 4,000,000,000 miles."

The discussion continued in the park. "The moon is far, far away. Their conclusion is wrong. They are going to the wrong planet," Prabhupada said. "They are bluffing only. I am repeatedly saying that they have never gone -- simply bluff."


- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu