Simple, yet so magnanimous

Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami: As Prabhupada was leaving for the airport, he had to walk from his apartment to the car. It was raining, and he had no umbrella or raincoat. Govinda Dasi frantically ran into the bathroom, tore down the shower curtain, and wrapped it around her spiritual master to protect him from the rain.

Prabhupada had unlimited plans for expansion. A big city like Los Angeles deserved a big temple, organized distribution of books on Krishna Consciousness, and sophisticated cultural programs, and there should be deities of Radha and Krishna in every home.

Yet while enthusiastically planning to make everyone and everything Krishna conscious, Prabhupada waited patiently to see if a stray disciple like Krishna-Devi would return. Prabhupada was ready to appear on television, or meet boldly with any challenger, or travel anywhere in the world, and yet he allowed Govinda Dasi to cover him with a shower curtain against the rain.

The Los Angeles temple would become a great Krishna conscious success only with hard work and sincerity, and that Prabhupada knew would take time. His disciples were not yet so well trained as to make formidable advances for Krishna against the forces of maya. Yet by his staying for two months in Los Angeles he was strengthening his disciples' Krishna Consciousness, and they would continue to progress. ISKCON L.A. was now a little stronger. A few devotees were going to stay and help. He would come back when they had done more.