Srila Prabhupada's Ecstatic Emotions

Srutakirti dasa: It didn't happen very often, but sometimes Srila Prabhupada was overcome by ecstatic emotions while lecturing. It happened, for example, in the San Francisco storefront when Prabhupada was describing Lord Caitanya's mood of separation from Krishna. It also happened in Gorakhpur, India, while Prabhupada was seated before the Deities of Radha-Madhava discussing Krishna's pastimes. Again it happened in Los Angeles during a lecture. He said that his disciples were young and had much opportunity to preach, whereas his life had no value because "I am an old man who may die at any moment." As soon as he uttered these words, Prabhupada was suddenly unable to talk and a very perceivable change in his consciousness took place. It seemed to some of the devotees who witnessed these states that the spiritual world had suddenly opened up directly before Prabhupada's vision and Krishna was communicating with him in a way that made him unable to speak. One time after the same thing happened before a large gathering of devotees in Mayapur, the devotees inquired from Srila Prabhupada about their own behavior on such occasions. In Mayapur, when Srila Prabhupada became stunned, the whole congregation became breathlessly silent, waiting for a cue from their spiritual master. But suddenly one of the sannyasis broke the mood and began singing, "nama om vishnu-padaya" At first no one followed his singing, but when he persisted, others gradually joined and then Prabhupada broke out of his meditative trance. Afterwards, there was a strong disagreement among the devotees over the sannyasi's behavior. Some said it was offensive. Finally the issue came to Prabhupada's secretary, Brahmananda Swami, who was asked to settle the matter by asking Prabhupada. Brahmananda Swami asked Prabhupada if he remembered how during the lecture that morning he had gone into a deep silence. Srila Prabhupada replied shyly, almost embarassed, and said, "I do not do that very often." "But when it does happen," Brahmananda Swami asked, "what should we do? Should we be silent or should we chant japa?" Prabhupada said, "Yes, just chant. Just chant Hare Krishna. That's all right." Brahmananda then asked if what the sannyasi disciple had done that morning was all right, by chanting. "Yes," said Prabhupada, "that was all right." Prabhupada treated the whole occasion as rather insignificant and thus gave his devotees the hint that they should not get involved in speculation. Of course, they could not forget what they had seen, but they should not make a big thing about Prabhupada's going into ecstasies. It had occurred, but it was not his main method of precept or example. And to chant Hare Krishna at such a time was all right.