Hare Krsna

Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Hare Krsna

Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Hare Krsna

Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada

Hare Krsna

Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada

by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Shortly after Prabhupada's arrival he continued the process of initiating disciples. Kim and his younger sister were initiated at the same time. A few days before, Kim had suggested his sister should go to Prabhupada's apartment and ask to be his disciple.

"Are you following the four rules?" Prabhupada asked.

"Yes," she replied. And then he said it was all right.

"I just wanted to say something else," she continued, "that is, I heard that you had taken birth

One night in his room on Willard Street, Prabhupada was talking about seeing Krsna. "Don't try to see Him," Prabhupada said, "but act in such a way that He will come and see you... Suradasa was a blind man, yet due to his sincere chanting-"O Krsna, Krsna, Krsna'-Krsna came to see him. So Krsna is there whether we see Him or not. All we must do is become sincere, and He will present Himself whether we see Him or not. Krsna hugs the cow. What does a cow know? He is a dumb animal.

Walking through Golden Gate Park one day, they heard a scratching coming from a garbage can. Prabhupada went over and looked in, then pulled back in repulsion. A big city rat had somehow become trapped in the garbage can and was scratching, trying to get out. Prabhupada shook his head and said, "He is doomed." He walked on. Prabhupada commented that later the garbagemen would come, see the rat, and kill him. Prabhupada was always after the philosophical and Krsna cons

Another time a devotee picked a pretty bluish-colored flower and handed it to Prabhupada. Prabhupada took it, smelled it, then held it far away and looked at it, saying, "Oh, this is like a beautiful man without any qualifications." He then tossed it away. It had no aroma.

Upendra liked to ask Swamiji questions on the morning walks.

"Swamiji," Upendra asked, "what does the spiritual master or pure devotee see as he walks through the park?"

"He sees Krsna," Prabhupada replied.

For about the first week on his morning walks, Prabhupada talked frequently about the existence of the soul, explaining Krsna's arguments in the Bhagavad-gita.

One morning a car was parked near where they walked, and seated in the driver's seat was a dejected-looking man who sat slumped over, with a long, drawn, unhappy face. Day after day this car appeared there, and the man sat unhappily while the devotees walked past in the company of Srila Prabhupada. Finall

Prabhupada had a small band of disciples in San Francisco-not more than fifteen-but they were becoming intensely attached to him, especially since his poignant departure and now his return into their midst. Each of them wanted to engage more in Prabhupada's personal service, although only his secretaries, Gaurasundara and Govinda dasi, and his servant, Upendra, were allowed to be with him constantly. One of the devotees asked Prabhupada about feelin

Then, looking around the room, Prabhupada engaged in friendly little exchanges with his disciples. Seeing Lilavati sitting in a corner with her baby daughter, Subhadra, Prabhupada said, "Your daughter looks just like Subhadra." Lilavati sighed gratefully to hear it. "Govinda dasi," Prabhupada said, "I am always thinking of your paintings."

Prabhupada asked whether all the devotees were chanting their prescribed sixteen rounds daily. Almost everyone replied, "Yes, Swamiji." One n

Return to America, 1967

San Francisco, December 14, 1967

As soon as Srila Prabhupada came into view, many devotees began to cry out or shed tears. He looked much healthier, tanned from the sun, spritely. He waved and smiled. That smile made them still more eager, and they could hardly contain themselves while Prabhupada patiently waited for a customs official to inspect his bags.

When Prabhupada had left America, his disciples had been uncertain whether they woul

Significant Events of Srila Prabhupada During Australia and New Zealand Visit.

9 May 1971 First arrived in Australia. Sydney temple at Oxford St, Paddington.

10 May 1971 Installed Deities of Radha and Krsna, Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha. Initiated first Australian disciples.

12 May 1971 Completed preface to unabridged Bhagavad-gita As It Is.

Spoke at Sydney Grammar School and Wayside Chapel, Kings Cross.

31 March 1972 Arrived Sydney. Temple at Hereford St, Glebe.

3 April 1972 Addressed st

Although Srila Prabhupada's disappearance did not have the tragedy of an ordinary death, still, without Prabhupada, the devotees felt his loss deeply. The days of grief turned into the second week of December, the pre-Christmas time when devotees usually held a 'marathon' effort in book distribution. Some wondered whether they would be able to hold such a marathon immediately after Srila Prabhupada's disappearance. The leading book distributors thought they could try. And tr

At 7.30pm on 14 November 1977, surrounded by devotees chanting at his bedside at the Krsna-Balarama temple in Vrndavana, Srila Prabhupada left this mortal world. While living, he had taught his disciples many lessons. Now he was teaching his final lesson: how to depart.

The New Zealand devotees heard the grim tidings from some of Tusta Krsna's men while on harinama in Auckland. The devastating news reached Australia shortly after the last visiting devotees had left New Govard

Monday, 14 November 1977 - Vrndavana, India

New Govardhana residents were joined by about 40 devotees from Melbourne, Sydney and the travelling sankirtana parties for a two-day celebration of Govardhana-puja. The event had been advertised widely by a poster announcing Festival of the Cows.

A small marquee tent was set up next to the single white house near the river, the only residential building on the property. Devotees and guests, chanting Hare Krsna, followed the sin

Hari-sauri returned to Melbourne, and called a meeting with all the Australian leaders on the last day of October 1977. He gave them a detailed report on Srila Prabhupada's condition. They discussed the possibility of the devotees from Australia spending some time with Srila Prabhupada -- this was certainly his desire. But it seemed it would be irresponsible if devotees all left their services at once. Nevertheless, although the temple programs -- especially Deity

Hari-sauri was not alone in leaving Vrndavana. Many other GBCs, considering that Srila Prabhupada may now live an indefinite amount of time, made the difficult decision to return to their urgent and pressing engagements overseas. They felt, rightly or wrongly, that ISKCON's preaching, management and Deity worship responsibilities could not continue without their personal presence.

Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: I remember how, as I drove in the taxi to Delhi with

Hari-sauri's month-long stay was over. Although he did not want to leave, many pressing engagements needed attention in Australia, especially negotiations in Sydney for the new temple. He decided he would return to Vrndavana again in another month.

He entered Prabhupada's quiet, darkened room in the evening, approached Srila Prabhupada lying on the bed, and gently touched his arm.

"Who is it?" Prabhupada asked.

"It's Hari-sauri," he answered. "Prabhupada, I have t

The news that Srila Prabhupada had decided to live spread quickly through the ISKCON world. Especially in Vrndavana, the devotees became more light-hearted and thankful. One afternoon, later in the month, Hari-sauri came into Prabhupada's room with good news. "I was in Delhi yesterday, Srila Prabhupada. I spoke to one of the temple presidents in Australia, and he gave me a very encouraging report. He said that all the Indian Gitas that we got just recently are almost complet