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Because I asked a question, there was no offense.

Jayapataka Swami : Srila Prabhupada went to Birnagar to make a courtesy call to Lalit Prasad Thakur, the brother of his spiritual master, Om Visnupada Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur. Birnagar is Bhaktivinode Thakur's birthplace and Bhaktivinode Thakur spent a good part of his childhood in that beautiful place, which is about an hour drive from Mayapur. It was impressive to see Lalit Thakur, a pure soul who was from a whole other century. At that time he was 97 or 98 years old and he would chant nonstop all day. He had been a lifelong brahmachari and had worked for the government until he retired in his 50's. But throughout his life he practiced sadhana-bhakti. It was nice to know that Bhaktivinode Thakur had more than one child who was active in Krishna consciousness. The Deities Lalit Thakur worshiped were on the second floor and he had a library of Bhaktivinode Thakur books. He was doing nama-hatta preaching in Bangladesh as well as in different parts of Bengal and he had a lot of disciples. One of his more intimate disciples was an elderly lady, in her 60's or 70's, called Bhakti Ma. Another disciple, Sacinanda, was actively preaching in the villages. Lalit Prasad Thakur used to sit on his bed in a little room and not move much. He was bathed in his bed, he went to the bathroom in his bed and his disciples bragged that even though he would go to the toilet there it smelled like roses. And I did notice that there was no bad smell in the room. 
 
When we first went there, Lalit Prasad Thakur seemed agreeable to ISKCON having a temple to honor Bhaktivinode Thakur at his birthplace in Birnagar. Prabhupada talked about building a library, a display, an exhibition, an ashram, a preaching facility, and fixing up the temple at Bhaktivinode Thakur's birthplace. At that time a small, broken-down temple marked that spot and when Prabhupada saw the poor condition it was in he practically cried. However, later some of Lalit Prasad Thakur's followers insisted, "We shouldn't give ISKCON any land," and so the second time Prabhupada went to finalize everything there was a different mood, they weren't agreeable to having an agreement with ISKCON. Neither did they themselves have the capacity or the wherewithal to develop the birthplace of Bhaktivinode Thakur. Prabhupada became impatient and upset that everything was being canceled with no reason and that Bhaktivinode Thakur, who was so great and who deserved to have a wonderful monument for his greatness, was not being properly honored. Suddenly Prabhupada became intense. In a loud voice he said, "Isn't it sinful that you cannot develop the birthplace of Bhaktivinode Thakur and you won't let anyone else do it either?" In other words, the birthplace was their responsibility but they couldn't develop it, and although we could develop it they wouldn't let us. It was going to stay in an undeveloped state and in fact today it's in worse condition than it was then. Prabhupada loudly and intensely asked this question four or five times very loudly, almost, I wouldn't say shouting, but I would say just maybe one level below that. Nobody said anything. Then as Prabhupada walked out he turned to the few of us secretaries and assistants who were with him and said, "Because I asked a question, there was no offense." Srila Prabhupada was talking to the brother of his spiritual master so the etiquette of seniority was there, but at the same time, from Prabhupada's point of view, Bhaktivinode Thakur was being offended. Therefore Prabhupada expressed that he had a right to question the situation and that questioning wasn't an offense. To accuse, to say, "You are nonsense, you didn't give," would have been offensive. But questioning, "Isn't it offensive? Isn't it sinful?" was not offensive. So if somebody intensively inquires, it's technically not an offense.


Reference: Memories Anecdotes of a Modern Day Saint - Volume 3 by Siddhanta Dasa