Intelligent When You are 80
Srutakirti: After one year of massaging Srila Prabhupada every day, I thought I had become quite efficient. "The Manor is wonderful," Srila Prabhupada said, "and when the sun is shining, there is no place better." As he did every day, Srila Prabhupada sat on a straw mat on the highly polished hardwood floor. Two bottles were next to him. The large bottle was filled with mustard seed oil, and the small bottle contained sandalwood oil. The sun's brilliant rays filtered through a series of windows, and Srila Prabhupada's golden effulgent complexion was sun-drenched.
I sat behind His Divine Grace, and rubbed his head with sandalwood oil for a cooling effect. After massaging his head for about 15 minutes, I massaged Srila Prabhupada's back. I used mustard seed oil on his body, so I picked up the bottle to put a small amount in my hand. Srila Prabhupada told me many times, "You can massage my back as hard as you can." He really meant it. It was truly amazing! I put all of my weight and strength into massaging his back, and continued that way for half hour or more. He never said it was too hard. Sometimes I deliberately did it harder, thinking there must be a limit to how hard he liked it.
I never found a limit. Srila Prabhupada sat perfectly relaxed during this "passive wrestling" as he called it. He never braced himself to accept my strength. He always enjoyed his massage, and this day was no different. Then I stood up and changed positions. As I took a step to the right to massage Srila Prabhupada's chest, I knocked over the bottle of mustard seed oil. His Divine Grace had warned me many times to always keep the lid on the bottle. Unfortunately, sometimes I did, and sometimes I didn't.
On this day I had to pay the price. "You fool," he immediately yelled. "You will be intelligent when you are 80. Go get a cup and bring it here." I ran out of the room and brought back a stainless steel katori. "All right," Srila Prabhupada said. "Put your hand in the oil and then scrape it into the cup." The two of us sat there until all of the oil from the floor was in the metal cup. "Now use that oil to finish the massage," he said. Srila Prabhupada never wasted anything.
On this day I had to pay the price. "You fool," he immediately yelled. "You will be intelligent when you are 80. Go get a cup and bring it here." I ran out of the room and brought back a stainless steel katori. "All right," Srila Prabhupada said. "Put your hand in the oil and then scrape it into the cup." The two of us sat there until all of the oil from the floor was in the metal cup. "Now use that oil to finish the massage," he said. Srila Prabhupada never wasted anything.
As I continued to massage Srila Prabhupada, the atmosphere seemed almost too quiet. I felt he was angry with me because of my foolishness. I began to think, 'What can I say to mitigate my offense?' I mulled over again and again. Finally I gathered the nerve. 'Thank you very much, Srila Prabhupada,' I said. 'I thought it would take much longer for me to become intelligent.'
Srila Prabhupada loudly laughed. "Yes," he said. "That is an old phrase they would say in India when someone did something foolish. You'll be intelligent when you are 80." Srila Prabhupada was a pure devotee, and Krishna is obliged to keep the word of His devotee. I have no chance of becoming Krishna Conscious, but if I can just live to be 80 I am sure I will finally become intelligent. Real intelligence is to be Krishna Conscious. I pray that I can live to be 80, so I can live up to the expectations of my beloved Srila Prabhupada.
Reference: Srila Prabhupada Uvacha by Srtuakirti Dasa
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