Prabhupada’s gem-like morning walk conversations

Kurma Dasa: Prabhupada’s morning walks had become an institution. Wherever in the world that he happened to be, Srila Prabhupada would go out for a lengthy stroll in the quiet of the early morning, and cloaked in a warm wrap when the weather was cool, would share intimate moments with a small group of students, disciples or guests. Some mornings found him immersed in contemplation or quiet appreciation of the surroundings, and he spoke little. At other times, he discoursed at length, and often with considerable intensity, on various subjects. 
The fact that Satsvarupa Goswami carried professional tape recording equipment was significant. Up until recently, only isolated, informal attempts had been made to permanently record Srila Prabhupada’s gem-like morning walk conversations onto audio tape. It had only been since Prabhupada’s famous "life-comes-from-life" morning walk conversations in Los Angeles in April 1973, however, that regular, official recordings had begun.
Now, everyday, Prabhupada’s secretary would carefully record whatever Prabhupada spoke on his walks. The master tapes would then be sent to Los Angeles, catalogued, copied and later re-released to devotees around the world. Thus Prabhupada’s words were immortalised for generations to come.
It was Ratha-yatra day. While Prabhupada had worked quietly in his room, some devotees had stayed up all night at the Ratha cart site making sure nothing would go amiss for the parade. Prabhupada slipped into his canvas shoes — he kept one pair only for walks and saved another for all other occasions. He walked down the path to the waiting car to drive him to what had become his favourite walking spot in Melbourne: the Botanic Gardens.
Different devotees had been accompanying Srila Prabhupada on his daily walks. So far the Melbourne temple devotees, the devotees from Sydney, and the travelling book distribution party had been invited. On this day, the Ratha cart construction crew went on the walk. By the time several car-loads of devotees arrived at the gardens, Prabhupada had already set off past the Oak Lawn. He paused in a leafy bower.
"The trees and plants are standing while we are able to walk because they are being punished," he explained. "But although it is punishment, Krishna’s intelligence is so nice that it has become a beautiful arrangement."
Madhudvisha had a question. "Srila Prabhupada, I can understand that one gets a body according to his desire. But since tree life is so restricted, why would anyone desire to become a tree?"
Prabhupada gave a slight smile. "The students in America like to stand naked. So Krishna says: ‘Here, take the body of a tree. Stand naked for a hundred years’."
Satsvarupa Goswami, standing close to Srila Prabhupada with the heavy Uher tape recorder slung across his chest, smiled and nodded thoughtfully.
Satsvarupa Goswami: When Srila Prabhupada said that, suddenly I could more clearly understand Prabhupada’s position as our saviour. I realised that he could save us from coming back into the lower species. Whereas those bewildered by material desires have to go on in the material world, if we followed the regulations of devotional life he had taught us, and if we didn’t fall down from this, we could go on to Krishna at the end of this very life.