Prabhupada is training us to the Highest Level
Hari Sauri Dasa: After taking lunch prasadam Prabhupada sat at ease in his sitting room for a short while. Then he walked through the servants' room to his bedroom to retire for his afternoon nap. Hansaduta, Harikesa, and I were in the servants' room, taking our lunch. As he came in, we offered our obeisances. I was sitting on the floor eating from a bowl with a spoon, and as I knelt back, I put the spoon down and rested my hand on my knee.
Immediately Prabhupada looked at me and said, "Oh, you are eating and then'?" He put his hand on different places of his body as if to illustrate a child contaminating his clothes with a dirty hand. My instinct was to say, "Well, Srila Prabhupada, my hand isn't dirty. I'm eating with a spoon." But I thought better of it and checked myself. Prabhupada could obviously see that. I realized that Prabhupada simply had a better understanding of what constitutes cleanliness. He laughed. As he walked past us into his bedroom, he shook his head and said, "You are all brought up mlecchas." Then again in the evening, without first washing my hands, I picked up a water jug after handling Srila Prabhupada's plate. He immediately noticed and corrected me. He laughed and told me not to mind. It is the position of the guru, he said, to find out the faults in the disciple and rectify them. It was simultaneously embarrassing and pleasurable to be on the receiving end of Prabhupada's reproof. His standard of purity is so much higher than ours. By his keen observation and objective criticism he is training us to the highest levels, making us fit for serving Krishna. I feel very fortunate that Prabhupada is very patiently training me. Even though he sometimes calls us mlecchas, he is actually very proud of his Western disciples. He constantly points out to his visitors how we have been transformed. These incidents have made me realize that Srila Prabhupada has unlimited patience in training his disciples. Although he must have given these instructions hundreds of times during the last ten years, he is still prepared to patiently teach the same things again and again to any new disciple, provided that student has an attitude of humble service and is eager to learn.
Reference: Transcendental Diary Volume 1 by Hari Sauri Dasa
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