"You Remain a Rascal Your Whole Life"

Bhargava dasa: There was a similar incident with a devotee photographer. He had trouble rising early and in controlling his tongue from overeating. He was not very regulated or prone to the philosophy, but he liked taking pictures for Srila Prabhupada's books, at which he was very good. One day after following Srila Prabhupada to different places in his travels, the photographer asked Prabhupada's permission so that he could return to his home temple. Aware of his precarious, weak situation in spiritual life, he submitted himself before Srila Prabhupada saying, "Prabhupada, I'm such a rascal." "That is good," said Prabhupada. "You remain a rascal your whole life." This statement confused the disciple. What to make of it? Was Prabhupada delivering a curse, to "remain a rascal?" Then Srila Prabhupada explained. "Lord Caitanya was also called a rascal. Do you know the story of Lord Caitanya and His spiritual master?" Prabhupada's photographer suddenly felt that his mind and tongue were being controlled because without even thinking he began to tell the story of how Lord Caitanya was instructed by His spiritual master that He was too foolish to understand Vedanta and that He should just chant Hare Krishna. Prabhupada smiled and said no more. In this way, another dejected disciple became pacified, realizing his lack of intelligence and the fact that his only hope was the holy name of Krishna. Srila Prabhupada's ability in these and many other cases prove that he was a great psychologist. Even when no one else could, Srila Prabhupada knew the ways and means to give a fallen servant some renewed hope and strength. Neither did he do it by resorting to the mundane techniques of personnel managers, who are often cynical and manipulative. Yet on behalf of Krishna, Srila Prabhupada was expert with people.