This is a genuine holy man
Urmila : I was with my husband and father in Prabhupada's room in Chicago in 1974 and we had a very sweet conversation. At first Prabhupada thought that my husband was my father's son and my father said, "No this is my daughter." Prabhupada said, "Do you have any sons?" And my father said, "No, just daughters, three daughters." Prabhupada then told my father the story of Prahlad and Hiranyakashipu. Basically he was telling my father that he was a demon, but my father really appreciated it and he really enjoyed hearing the story. My father said, "I have my own religion, is it all right if I visit the temple if I have my own religion?" Some places of worship want you to come only if you want to participate. Of course, later my father almost became a devotee but at this point this was his first time he met Prabhupada. Prabhupada said, "Yes, just like there are so many planes going to Chicago, but they have to know that they are going to Chicago or else what is the meaning of many planes." He said, "So if you know that the purpose of religion is to know God and to love Him, then you can say that there are so many religions." I thought about that for many months, that most religions don't say that their goal is to know God and to love Him. They want to go to heaven and they want salvation. And then my father asked Prabhupada, "Well, I am really coming just to see my daughter and my son-in-law. Is that okay?" In other words it was the same kind of question, not coming to see Krishna. Prabhupada said, "Yes, they are loving Krishna." And I'm thinking, "I don't love Krishna." He said, "Chanting and dancing are symptoms of loving Krishna. So they are loving Krishna and you are loving them and two things equal to the same things are equal to each other." That was very sweet.
That was one of the things that Prabhupada had said that has really sustained me over the years. I thought Prabhupada saw at least the potential that I could love Krishna. So if Prabhupada said I love Krishna, someday I will love Krishna. He also really guided me in my relationships with my family, especially the last days in my mother's life when I was thinking, "If I can just get my mother attached to me then gradually move that into an attachment to Krishna." My father also asked at that time, "Why are you so anxious to give everyone your food even if they do not know anything about your philosophy?" Prabhupada said, "Do you believe in infection?" My father said, "Yes." Prabhupada said, "Just like if you eat the food of a sick person you will be infected with their disease. In the same way if you eat the food that Krishna has eaten you will be infected with Krishna's disease." So that was really wonderful. When we walked out of the room my father looked at me and said, "Now I understand why you have joined this movement. This is a genuine holy man."
Reference: Memories Anecdotes of a Modern Day Saint - Volume 4 by Siddhanta Dasa
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