October 4, 1974 : Vrindavan
Yamuna: It was October 4, I974, that I took leave of Srila Prabhupada for some rejuvenation from the Krishna-Balarama Temple project. Just prior to that date, I had realized the need for trying to regain my spiritual strength, so I had increased the quality of my chanting of Hare Krishna - trying to hear the chanting to the best of my ability.
So that day when I entered the room, although I was still in a very much weakened spiritual condition, Srila Prabhupada said, "Oh, you look so beautiful. You have been chanting Hare Krishna." I was struck by his profound spiritual vision, always seeing whatever small spark of service there was within the heart of the devotee and also seeing if there was some slackness in their personal sadhana.
Then he proceeded, "This Krishna Consciousness may not always be easy." He was sitting at his desk, and above him, some carpenters and brick masons were pounding on the concrete roof. The sound was ringing very loudly throughout the whole land, what to speak of directly above Srila Prabhupada's head. He said, "This sound is pounding on my brain," and he raised his right hand and was patting the side of his temple in a pounding action - pound, pound, pound. And he said, "But I must tolerate it."
And he was more or less saying that in Krishna Consciousness there may be so many pounding efforts in so many different ways, but in order to serve Lord Krishna one must tolerate the onslaughts of whatever Krishna sends our way, and continue to chant Hare Krishna. So this was the last meeting I had with Srila Prabhupada before I left India.
So that day when I entered the room, although I was still in a very much weakened spiritual condition, Srila Prabhupada said, "Oh, you look so beautiful. You have been chanting Hare Krishna." I was struck by his profound spiritual vision, always seeing whatever small spark of service there was within the heart of the devotee and also seeing if there was some slackness in their personal sadhana.
Then he proceeded, "This Krishna Consciousness may not always be easy." He was sitting at his desk, and above him, some carpenters and brick masons were pounding on the concrete roof. The sound was ringing very loudly throughout the whole land, what to speak of directly above Srila Prabhupada's head. He said, "This sound is pounding on my brain," and he raised his right hand and was patting the side of his temple in a pounding action - pound, pound, pound. And he said, "But I must tolerate it."
And he was more or less saying that in Krishna Consciousness there may be so many pounding efforts in so many different ways, but in order to serve Lord Krishna one must tolerate the onslaughts of whatever Krishna sends our way, and continue to chant Hare Krishna. So this was the last meeting I had with Srila Prabhupada before I left India.
Reference: Yamuna Devi - A Life of Unalloyed Devotion
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