Simple technique to keep ants away from sweets
Srutakirti Dasa: Calcutta was definitely Srila Prabhupada's hometown. The temple which had a relaxed atmosphere, was situated on the second floor with a modest-sized temple room. Srila Prabhupada's room was at the end of the building. The nicest part of the facility was a marble verandah that ran the width of the building. It overlooked a pond that was across the street. While in Calcutta, we could not stop the flow of guests entering Srila Prabhupada's room. It was different from other temples where there was much more control.
When Srila Prabhupada rested in the afternoon, I would lie down in front of the doors of his room so no one could enter. It was one of my favorite services, getting the chance to be his guard dog. Srila Prabhupada knew it was the hometown crowd, so he was especially gracious. There were always a few boxes of milk sweets in his room that had been purchased at the local sweets shop. Sandesh of many varieties were the best tasting in the world. Srila Prabhupada always emphasized, "All guests should be given prasadam"
One day I noticed that a box of sweets was covered with ants. I thought if I showed them to Srila Prabhupada, he would tell me to discard them. Then I could dust off the ants, and keep them for myself. I lustfully walked into his room, and offered my obeisances. I told him of the dilemma. He smiled at me, no doubt reading my mind. "That's all right," he told me. "They don't eat very much. Go get a thali (a plate with a single rim around it), and put water in it. Then you can put a pot in that upside down, and put the sweets on the pot. That will make a moat so the ants can't get at the sweets." One of Srila Prabhupada's transcendental characteristics was he never, ever, wasted anything. This quality manifested itself in many pastimes.
Reference: Srila Prabhupada Uvacha by Srtuakirti Dasa
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