There should ideally be three and at least two
Despite his complaint of heart strain yesterday Srila Prabhupada did go out on a walk today. He didn't speak much and he kept it short. At the end of his walk he visited Radha-kunda. Then after greeting the Deities and receiving guru-puja he went to the large hall in the new building. Although there are no doors or windows fitted, just gaping holes, the marble floor is laid and the devotees had hung flags and festoons from the thick wooden roof beams, ready for a grand initiation ceremony. Prabhupada's asana was set up at one side with a fire pit in front. From there he gave a very brief class on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.6.16. Prahlada Maharaja criticizes those whose only goal in life is to accumulate money. In support of this Srila Prabhupada reiterated one of the sections of Bhagavad-gita we read during evening darsana. Then he told us that our philosophy is communism but a different type than the politically-based one. "If we become too much attached for getting money, that is the material world. There is no satiation. Idam praptah, that Bhagavad-gita word: 'I have got so much money, now my bank balance is so much, and I shall get further money and my bank balance will be like this.' This is the demonic mentality. We shall require money, whatever is absolutely necessary, that much money I must get. That is an order. "We cannot take more than what is necessary. This is actually spiritual communism. If everyone thinks that 'Everything belongs to God and I am son of God, so I have got right to enjoy the property of my Father but as much as I require, not more than that,' this is spiritual communism, bhagavata communism. "So a grihastha, of course, required to accumulate some money because he's living with family, but so far brahmacari, vanaprastha and sannyasi is concerned, they should not keep any money. Caitanya Mahaprabhu was so strict that His personal servant, one day he was taking after eating a little, haritaki. So one day he was giving and Caitanya Mahaprabhu inquired, 'Where you got this?' So he said, 'I kept it from yesterday.' 'Oh, you are stocking?' He immediately criticized him. 'This is not good.' "Srila Prabhupada is not a theoretician, espousing impractical ideals. He lives according to what he speaks. "Of course, even if we do not stock, don't think that we'll starve. Krishna has provided. But we should be depending on Krishna. There is no anxiety. We have experienced this. I was alone for many years but not a single day I was starving. No, there was food."
Right after his discourse, he awarded initiation to the waiting candidates grouped around the fire arena. Devotees from many temples were in attendance St. Louis, Buffalo, Cleveland, Baltimore and there are seven Radha-Damodara buses and vans. As the initiates began to come forward one by one to receive their japa beads, Prabhupada stopped the proceedings and wanted to know why they did not have new neck beads on. He said that they should have been put on at the beginning. Then he paused a second time and chided a boy for wearing only one strand, saying that there should ideally be three and at least two. He reproached the temple presidents for not knowing this. Cleveland Ratha-yatra was held in the middle of last week and was a big success. The parade route took Their Lordships and Their entourage through the main business districts and many people crowded the windows of the buildings to see Them. Visakha had gone to take photos and do an article on it for BTG and the day after Prabhupada called her in for a detailed report on it. Pradyumna's wife Arundhati dasi and son Aniruddha arrived a day or two ago. They were en route to India from Los Angeles but will now join Srila Prabhupada's party.
Pushta Krishna Maharaja has been complaining of too great a work-load, what with his secretarial duties and tape transcribing. Because Arundhati is an expert typist and experienced in transcribing Prabhupada's tapes, Srila Prabhupada has agreed that she should travel with us and assist her husband. Pushta Krishna Swami appears to be having some personal problems. He half-jokes about "being in maya" and makes oblique remarks as to how difficult it is to control the senses and the mind. His sadhana has become very irregular, and he is oversleeping and still not chanting all his rounds. He had excused himself to Balarama in Melbourne that he was overworked. Now it appears that there is more to it. He has approached Pradyumna for advice and today Pradyumna prabhu discussed his situation with me. We both agreed that something practical must be done and so we decided that the best thing, rather than disturb Prabhupada, was to get Tamal Krishna Goswami to talk to him when we arrive in New York.
Reference: Transcendental Diary Volume 3 by Hari Sauri Dasa
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