I would like to speak with you.

Brahmananda : I went up to the Swami's apartment and knocked on the door. The Swami opened the door. "Yes?" he said. I said, "I would like to speak with you." "Oh, yes. Come in." We went together into the sitting room. Prabhupada sat down behind a little metal box, and we started talking. It was very quaint. He asked me my name. I told him, "Bruce." Then Prabhupada told me that in India during the Raj period there was a "Lord Bruce." I started telling the Swami about myself, and I found myself saying, "I want to become your full time student." I had just finished taking a special training course for teaching, and I was employed by The New York City Board Of Education to teach remedial reading, a special program for culturally deprived children in the ghettos. I told the Swami, "I have just finished my training." My assignment was beginning the next day. I said, "I have a job beginning tomorrow, but I just want to be your student." Prabhupada said, "That's fine, but you have a job." I said, "Yes." He said, "What is the salary?" Prabhupada explained Bhagavad-gita to me in a nutshell. He explained how Krishna told Arjuna to do his duty, to do devotional service, to work for Him, but not to partake in the fruits of the activity. He explained how one should give all the fruits of one's activity to Krishna. Then Prabhupada gave me a practical instruction. It was my first instruction. He said, "You can be my student, and you can also do your job. You can give the fruits of your job to Krishna." So my first service was to work and give my salary to Prabhupada.