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Initiation - Gopijanavallabha Das

Gopijanavallabha Dasa: Prabhupada was there in the temple. We came '74, '75 just before Gaura-purnima. This is a very funny thing. This is when I first met him in the temple there. We were in Mayapur. Prabhupada was coming around the corner from his room and he was coming with all the devotees and I was just walking up the stairs. 

I was such a new devotee. I was walking up the stairs. I had read in the books that you should immediately, upon seeing a self-realized soul or a pure devotee, you should offer obeisances. I was walking up the stairs and I look... So right on the stairs I did dandavats, right on the stairway, you know, halfway up the stairs. Everybody is, "Hey, what are you doing?" Prabhupada said "Okay." At that time I realized that Prabhupada was so kind. He didn't say anything, he had no negative reactions, but everybody was yelling at me. 

So that was the first time I saw Prabhupada in Mayapur. Then a couple of other times he'd be out on his veranda and Prabhupada was leaning over. He kind of looked down at me and put his hands up. I got the realization that Prabhupada wasn't from this world. He kind of showed me that I am not from this world and I realized that at that time. There actually is another world because he was actually revealing.

I got initiated on Gaura-purnima Day festival and Prabhupada gave me my beads, touched me, gave me my name, asked me the regulative principles.

Then we went on more morning walks. Other than that Prabhupada was pretty busy because at that time the GBC was all with him and temple presidents.



Reference: SPF Interviews