Anecdote of the Day
Nanda Kumar Dasa : Over and over Prabhupada said that the prime prerequisites for a cook or a pujari are cleanliness and punctuality. For example, the original group of devotees that went to India would stay in wealthy people's homes and then go to engagements in nearby villages. Once some villagers took us to their small, local Krishna temple, which was unkempt. The altar was dirty, and the pujari was wild. His front teeth were missing. During the arati he offered the various items quickly, and after he offered the water he turned around and threw it in our faces.
As we were leaving I asked, "Srila Prabhupada, I have a question about this temple." He said, "Ask me later." Later, when there was no one else there, he said, "What is your question?" I said, "You have taught us that cleanliness is essential in Deity worship, but that temple was dirty. I was wondering if Krishna is really there." He said, "Yes, Krishna is there. Our standard is cleanliness. You keep that standard. Don't judge anyone else by what they do. I saw that pujari. He was different, but his heart was for Krishna, and therefore that's what we see." Several times he either said to me or I heard him say, "All the rules and regulations are meant for us to apply to ourselves. We are not to judge anybody else."
Reference: Memories-Anecdotes of a Modern-Day Saint by Siddhanta Dasa
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