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Prabhupada's disappear news in Bali

Vaiyasaki Dasa:  After Indonesia, we went on to the libraries in Java and then Bali. It was in Bali that I found out that Prabhupada had left the planet. That morning, I was ready to go to a college for distribution, when I thought I would call our secretary, Aravindaksi devi in Jakarta, to find out how things were going and if books were being sent out and so on. She said, "Have you heard the news?" I said, "No, what?" She said, "You didn't know?" I said, "I didn't know." She said, "I just heard from the devotees in Singapore that Prabhupada left the planet." I was shocked. I hung up the phone.

I didn't know what to do, but I thought Prabhupada would want me to go and preach in this college, so I drove there. It was at the other end of Bali. I arrived at the college, met the librarian, and got two standing orders. As I came out, I met the Minister of Culture in Jakarta, who we had met about a month earlier trying to distribute the books to the library in the Cultural Ministry.

He said to me, "Have you heard about your Guru Maharaj?" I said, "Yes, I did. Thank you." I was amazed that even in a little town in Bali, everybody knew that Prabhupada had left the planet. After that I met Satyanarayan, who hadn't heard. I had to break the news to him. Immediately he broke down and sobbed uncontrollably, crying and crying. I realized that I was stone hearted. I hadn't broken down and sobbed. I was sad, and tears came to my eyes, but I saw that Satyanarayan had so much love for Prabhupada, and I respected him for that. I felt, "If only I could have such a relationship with Prabhupada; if only I could have felt that."



Reference: Memories Anecdotes of a Modern Day Saint - Volume 2 by Siddhanta Dasa