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In Kṛṣṇa all of these tendencies and manifestations exist in pure consciousness, in spirit. One who knows this, in full knowledge, becomes a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa.

mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha
daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jñātvā bhūtādim avyayam

satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ
yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ
namasyantaś ca māṁ bhaktyā
nitya-yuktā upāsate

While in Melbourne, Prabhupada had heard news that some of Tusta Krsna Swami's men had spread the rumour that Prabhupada would visit their farm in Auckland, but not the ISKCON temple. This was proof, they said, that they were correct in the long running dispute. On hearing this, Prabhupada had immediately cancelled his plans to visit Tusta Krsna's farm, adding that anyone who wanted to see him in Auckland could come to the temple.

Prabhupada was well

The main interviewer thought that Prabhupada's mention of his guru maharaja was in reference to the infamous Mayavadi boy-guru. "What is your opinion of the Guru Maharaji?" Prabhupada raised his eyebrows. "Not only Guru Maharaji, so many Maharaja. So this movement is authorised. Others, they are some imaginary sentiments. That's all. This Krsna consciousness movement is authorised movement -- Vedic culture. And they, in the name of Vedic culture, are talking some nonsense

After breakfast, reporters from The New Zealand Herald, The Auckland Star and the local TV station came for an interview with Srila Prabhupada. While they were setting up their lights, cameras and microphones, Prabhupada read through the mail.

A Herald reporter started the proceedings by asking some standard questions: Had Srila Prabhupada been to New Zealand before? How many disciples did he have? How many centres were there? Prabhupada obligingly replied to them all.

"Are

Prabhupada gave a short lecture. At the end, he looked around the room and smiled at the devotees, indicating the altar with his eyes. "This is a very nice altar. Tomorrow, we shall install the Deities." The devotees chanted: "Jaya! Haribol!" Rama dasa ran out of the room to break the news to his wife.

Seven devotees sat down around the sacrificial fireplace. Prabhupada took his seat. Guru Krpa Swami had already given the pre-initiation lecture while the morning walk had been i

As Prabhupada entered the front door, he was adorned with three long flower garlands. After removing his shoes, he entered the long, narrow temple which had been gaily decorated with flags. An initiation ceremony was scheduled for straight after the guru puja. A large, coloured canopy hung over a sacrificial arena built of small volcanic boulders. The whole area was decorated with marigolds and roses.

As the Deity doors opened, Srila Prabhupada stood, gazi

Tuesday, 27 April 1976

A thick fog hung over the road as Srila Prabhupada's car arrived at the Park Road entrance to the Auckland Domain. Prabhupada left the car park and started walking briskly, his small band of disciples huddled close behind him like little ducklings. The party passed a picturesque pond and traversed the tar-sealed walkway towards the main area of the gardens. The road sloped gently upwards, past large, lush overhanging trees, past an ornate gazebo, f

Yasomatinandana had recently returned from a trip to India, where he had purchased a large pair of Gaura-Nitai Deities. The temple had also been given a handsome set of Jagannatha Deities. Yasomatinandana had planned to ask Srila Prabhupada to install them during his Auckland visit. But, since the temple was so understaffed -- there were only 12 devotees -- it had not seemed appropriate to prematurely increase the worship. On the advice, and pleading, of Rama dasa and his

Prabhupada warned of six things that would spoil one's devotional life; eating too much or collecting too much was the first of these. "Of course, for our preaching we require, but we shall collect as much as we require, not that we keep money in the bank and spend for some other purposes. That kind of collection is dangerous."

The second, he said, was prayasa. "Prayasa means endeavouring too much for getting something. Our life should be very simple. We

After receiving a short foot-bathing ceremony with warm water and rose petals, Prabhupada looked around at his newly-furnished room. Glancing at the corner, he frowned quizzically. There, piled up atop a cloth on the floor, lay a large stack of Srimad-Bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrta volumes. He turned to Rama dasa. "What are these books doing on the floor?" he asked.

Rama dasa tried to explain. There was a bookcase, he said, but since it was only purchased that afternoon, and varnished

Prabhupada's Air New Zealand flight landed at Auckland airport at 10pm. Although it was quite late, many devotees -- 12 from the temple and 50 from the North Shore -- were there to greet him.

Many of the North Shore devotees had maintained only loose connections with Krsna consciousness, and rarely visited the temple. For Prabhupada's arrival, however, many now presented themselves with shaved heads, tilaka and devotional clothing. Yasomatinandana, Auckland's temple president, star

The Southernmost Part of this Globe', Part II -- Auckland, 1976

Sometimes there will be a little misunderstanding between Godbrothers. That is even going on amongst the liberated souls. What is important is that everyone must engage in Krishna's service under the direction of the spiritual master.

Srila Prabhupada, from a letter to Ralph Stevenson

Despite Prabhupada's desire that all his disciples work together co-operatively, tension still remained between the "inside" and "ou

Prabhupada was driven to the airport to catch a mid-afternoon flight to New Zealand. Devotees offered him final gifts of garlands and fragrant bouquets. After graciously accepting the offerings, Prabhupada headed down the concourse accompanied by a rousing kirtana.

Prabhupada's seven full days in Melbourne were over. As he had mentioned several times, Prabhupada took it as his duty to regularly visit his centres, to see that his disciples would not fall away from Krsna con

Monday, 26 April 1976

Ever since first crawling up the steps of the vyasasana in 1973, young Janaka had shown a spontaneous desire to be with Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada had, in turn, reciprocated by showing him much encouragement and affection. Janaka and his parents had recently moved from Brighton to the house next door to the temple. Now Janaka was fortunate to continue his intimate association. He took every opportunity to visit Srila Prabhupada in his rooms, and was so young

Srila Prabhupada held a final meeting with his disciples in the afternoon, granting, as he had done the year before, the entire assembly of devotees darsana in his room. Srila Prabhupada sat on his ornate wicker asana below the stained-glass windows. On Prabhupada's right sat Pusta Krsna; on his left, Hari-sauri.

Devotees and guests filed into the room, placing various gifts on Prabhupada's desk -- donations of money, baskets of fruit and nuts wrapped in coloured cellophane, jars of honey, dishes

Sunday, 25 April 1976

Before his massage, Srila Prabhupada sat with his senior disciples. He was happy to hear that four or five new men had started coming regularly to the temple since his arrival last week, and had commenced to regularly chant on beads. He also expressed his pleasure to hear that the book distribution was going on well in Melbourne. But he wondered why Guru Krpa had not been encouraging parties of travelling book distributors to visit the country a

Prabhupada's last class of his visit was presented, as usual, with impeccable logic and reasoning. Krsna, he explained, could be compared to a fire. Just as a fire, although situated in one place, expanded its energy everywhere in the form of heat and light, similarly Krsna was situated in His own abode, Goloka, and expanded Himself throughout the creation by His energy. This energy, Prabhupada explained, had expanded in the form of the material and spiritual world. Althou

Prabhupada: So here is one word, "steel-framed." Nowadays, the medical science is changing the heart, steel-framed. So this modern science is making steel-framed hearts, but we can understand that formerly, also, there were steel-framed hearts. Otherwise how this word comes? Tad asma-saram hrdayam batedam. So just like stone or steel does not melt very easily, similarly, anyone's heart which does not change after chanting Hare Krsna mantra regularly, then it is to be understood that it is steel-

The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete

(Compiled from notes on lectures of H. H. Mahavishnu Goswami)

Despite the transcendental qualities of Lord Krishna's body, its full bliss and knowledge, there are many so-called scholars and commentators of Bhagavad gita who deride Krishna as an ordinary man. The scholar may be born an extraordinary man due to his previous good work, but this conception of Sri Krishna is due to a poor