The Best Years of my Life
By Svarupa dasa
The following is an interesting story I heard I would like to share with all the devotees -
“I first saw the devotees in 1967 on TV; I was in year eight at school and was immediately attracted. In 1970, while coming down from an acid trip, someone handed me a BTG. In 1971 I watched Srila Prabhupada arriving at Sydney also on TV and the next day was on my way to Sydney. Feeling unqualified, I went bush to mediate and chant Hare Krishna, I learnt the chant from the Radha Krishna Album and the Beatles.
Arriving in Sydney I went to the Paddington Temple and to me it was like the top of a huge mountain. Eventually I went in and Upananda prabhu spoke to me and asked me to read Krsna Book while he and Caru cooked. It would take another year before I moved into the Temple after becoming materially exhausted and praying for guidance and ending up on the steeps of the Melbourne on Lord Caitanya’s appearance day 1972; I was initiated by Srila Prabhupada on July 10th 1972, then received 2nd initiation in early 73.
The best years were those early years of Book distribution, Street Sankirtan and prasadam. You know, we never even drank a soft drink in those days, if it was not prepared by devotees and offered to the Dieties, then we would not eat.
Recently when I was very ill, the only remembrance I had was from 1972 to 74, they where the best years, the years that left the most blissful impressions. Always meeting Srila Prabhupada at the Airport, The first Rathayatra that I helped organise with Upananda prabhu, the first travelling Temple, the beginning of book distribution, the most amazing, blissful, ecstatic atmosphere Srila Prabhupada’s chanting created at 14 Burnett St in St Kilda that has never been repeated to this day. Going to the Airport to pick up yjr first full version of Bhagavad gita as it is on Australian soil!
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