If it wasn't for Krishna's mercy, you would be dead
After spending most of 1974 in India, Prabhupada embarks on a world tour. First he pays a visit to Hong Kong and then spends several days in Tokyo before moving on to Honolulu. He is comfortably situated in the temple where he diligently continues translating the Fifth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam. Paramahamsa Swami is his secretary and Nitai Das is his Sanskrit editor. They work hard taking care of Prabhupada, because Srutakirti relinquished his service several months ago in Bombay. Srutakirti is now living in Honolulu and is one of many grihasthas struggling to remain fixed in devotional service outside the temple. He is so caught up in his grihastha ashram that he only comes in the evenings to give his spiritual master a massage. Prabhupada mercifully never asks Srutakirti why he isn't more active in his personal service. He never asks what he's doing throughout the day or why he's so busy in his household activities.
Srutakirti: Srila Prabhupada was sympathetic. I knew this because once in Vrindavan, Srila Prabhupada spoke about the grihastha ashram saying, "It is a great dilemma. We cannot pay them to live in the temple, but neither can they work outside."
Unfortunately, there has been some agitation at the Honolulu temple due to differences between Siddha Svarupananda Goswami and the temple leaders. This is the sannyasi that caused a furor in San Francisco with his rock band in 1973. Then he sold the temple in Hawaii and abandoned the Tulasi plants which Prabhupada called a "great fall down." Now the complaint is that Siddha Svarupa does not follow ISKCON's authority. This morning, Paramahamsa Swami brings the temple's objections to Prabhupada's attention. "So, bring Siddha Svarupa and we will have a meeting," Prabhupada declares. The meeting is attended by Siddha Svarupa Maharaja, Paramahamsa Maharaja, Nitai Prabhu, the temple president and Srutakirti.
A pleasant breeze comes through the open windows as they sit on the floor in Prabhupada's quarters. Avoiding formalities, Prabhupada gets right to the point with Siddha Svarupa. "So, the devotees here have some complaints against you." "What is that, Srila Prabhupada?" Siddha asks. "One thing, why you do not shave your head?" "If I shave my head then sometimes I get a cold," Siddha answers. Prabhupada finds that quite humorous. "In Hawaii, you get a cold?" "Sometimes, Srila Prabhupada," Siddha affirms. "Then you can wear a hat. Then you will not catch cold. You are a sannyasi. Other people are watching. It is important that you set a good example. Also, you do not carry your danda?" Prabhupada goes straight to the second point. "Well, they don't usually let me carry it on airplanes, so it becomes difficult to travel around with it." "We have so many sannyasis," Prabhupada replies. "Everyone is carrying their danda. Paramahamsa, he is carrying a danda. He brings it on the plane." "Well, I have had many problems trying to get my danda on the plane." Prabhupada calmly moves on to the next point of contention, each issue becoming more serious. "They say that your followers, they do not come here to see me," he continues, "that they only see you. They only hear from and deal with you. They won't come here?" "If they want to come, they can come." "But, this is your business." Prabhupada replies with an authoritative voice. "It's all right they may worship you if they like you very much. That's all right. But your business is to bring them to me. You are my disciple. The duty of the disciple is to bring the devotees to the spiritual master. This is your business. Your preaching should be like this. If your preaching does not bring them to this point, then it is useless." "This is probably my defect," Siddha replies. "My preaching is not so good. Therefore, they are not coming. But, what can I do but try to preach to them?" "Well, if your preaching is insufficient, then better not to preach," Prabhupada admonishes him. All of a sudden the room becomes quiet. A wave of courage sweeps over Srutakirti. To keep the conversation going he speaks up. "Srila Prabhupada, I have one observation." "Yes, go on," Prabhupada says with a nod of approval. "For example, one morning in the temple room Siddha Svarupa Maharaja was giving the class. He was sitting beside your vyasasana and one of his people came up with a fresh flower garland and placed it on Siddha Svarupa. When I saw it happen, my mind became disturbed. In my opinion the garland should have been put on you, as there was no garland on your picture on the vyasasana. I would think that the garland should have been put on the vyasasana first." Turning to Siddha Svarupa, Prabhupada says, "He has a good point. That is correct. It is all right, they may have wanted to put it on you, but you should have directed them to put it on my picture." At this juncture, Prabhupada finishes the discussion and does not belabor the point. This final statement wraps up the meeting. Everyone offers obeisances and leaves the room. Srila Prabhupada has candidly addressed the issue of following the instructions of the spiritual master, and the relationship between Guru and disciple. The next day Siddha Svarupa Maharaja comes to see Prabhupada again. He hands Prabhupada a donation of $10,000 that one of his followers has given him. This demonstrates his understanding of Srila Prabhupada's instruction.
A few days later, Srutakirti is involved in an automobile accident while out grocery shopping. He is taken to the emergency room of a nearby hospital. His back is not severely damaged but does become a source of pain for several months. Because he's in the hospital overnight, he doesn't come to give Prabhupada his evening massage. When Prabhupada hears about Srutakirti's accident he immediately says, "Oh! Call him here." In a great deal of pain, Srutakirti makes his way to Prabhupada's room and slowly offers obeisances. With a strained look on his face he sits before his divine master. "What has happened?" Prabhupada asks in a gentle voice. "I heard you were in a car accident." Srutakirti relates the details of the accident and Prabhupada listens attentively. "Accha!" he exclaims. "If it wasn't for Krishna's mercy, you would be dead." "Yes, it was very frightening." For the next few days Prabhupada talks about the incident to various visitors. "Srutakirti was in a very serious accident. If not for the mercy of Krishna, he would have died." Hearing this many times, Srutakirti finally realizes that without the mercy of Prabhupada and Krishna he really would have died.
Paramahamsa Swami and Nitai are continually trying to persuade Srutakirti to return to his service as Prabhupada's personal servant. "It would be very helpful if you come on this tour because there's no one to cook for Srila Prabhupada." "I like the idea of being his servant in the West, but I always wind up back in India and I don't want to go to India." This is Srutakirti's main objection. "Well, when it comes time to go back to India, we'll arrange for Nanda Kumar to travel with Prabhupada." "It sounds good in theory, but it doesn't seem very practical." Despite repeated attempts, they are unable to persuade Srutakirti to travel again. But they do convince him to continue serving Prabhupada at least until he leaves Hawaii.
The day before Prabhupada's departure for Los Angeles, Gurukripa Swami informs Srutakirti that Prabhupada wants to see him. Together they return to Prabhupada's room and offer obeisances. Prabhupada smiles as he inquires, "So, Srutakirti, you are going to stay here? Your wife is here, and child?" "Yes, Srila Prabhupada." "So, now you will stay here as a householder?" "Yes, I think so." "So, that is good," Prabhupada smiles warmly. "You stay here with your wife and child." Srutakirti begins to feel uncomfortable realizing that he is being selfish by not agreeing to continue his service to Srila Prabhupada.
Srutakirti: He was giving me the opportunity to say I wanted to go with him and still I wouldn't say it. I sat before Srila Prabhupada with my mind reeling. My senses were dragging me in all directions. Srila Prabhupada was giving me the opportunity to travel with him again. He was waiting for me to open my mouth and my heart, but I wasn't doing it. It was truly amazing how tolerant he was. I didn't know what to say.
Seeing Srutakirti's ambivalence, Prabhupada turns his attention to Gurukripa Swami. Sitting and listening to their conversation, Srutakirti feels even more uncomfortable. He knows he should surrender to his guru maharaja. Finally he blurts out, "Srila Prabhupada, I will come with you and be your servant." Prabhupada smiles broadly, tips his head, and accepts the offer. "All right!"
Srutakirti: I offered my obeisances and walked out of Srila Prabhupada's room with a spring in my step. I knew I was doing the right thing. I began to prepare for my next exciting tour of duty with His Divine Grace.
Prior to leaving Hawaii, Srutakirti arranges suitable accommodation for the comfort and security of his wife and child at the Honolulu temple. Srila Prabhupada has spent eleven pleasant days in Honolulu and is now ready to depart for Los Angeles. A special evening has been planned for his arrival. After the sandhya-arati, the LA theater troupe is ready to perform a drama they have been rehearsing, taken from the pages of the First Canto. The Pandavas are trying to avoid a full-scale war for the kingdom, and so, Yuddhistira and Arjuna, accompanied by Krishna, arrange a meeting with Duryodhana. "We are kshatriyas, after all," Yuddhistira explains, "so if we have just five villages to govern, you can have the rest of the kingdom, and a war can be averted." But Duryodhana is adamant,. "I will not give you as much land as you can put under the head of a pin!" During dramatic moments like this, everyone turns to observe Prabhupada's reaction. After an hour's performance the Pandavas emerge victorious and the audience shows their appreciation with huge applause. Prabhupada has a huge smile as everyone turns to face him. Perhaps because it is Los Angeles, Prabhupada decides to give an Academy Award to one of the actors. "So, the Oscar goes to Yuddisthira." Everyone responds, "JAYA!" Lokamangala humbly accepts Prabhupada's recognition of his performance. He's the only actor to ever receive an Oscar from Srila Prabhupada.
Gradually, Prabhupada becomes serious, and his smile turns to gravity. The room becomes silent as Prabhupoada begins to speak, "So, my Guru Maharaja, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanata Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja, ordered me to spread the teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the English speaking countries. But I am an old man. What can an old man do? But my Guru Maharaja was so kind upon me that he sent all of you American boys and girls to help me. So now I am very happy to say that Sri Chaitanya's mission is in the right hands." As he utters these words, Prabhupada moves his hands forward as a gesture of placing Lord Chaitanya's mission in the hands of the assembled devotees. Everyone is shocked to hear these words. They look among themselves to see whose hands Prabhupada is bestowing Lord Chaitanya's mission. Srila Prabhupada is obviously so enlivened by the dramatic performance that he is confident that Lord Chaitanya's mission is now in the right hands. "The grandfather is more kind to the children than the father," Prabhupada continues, "so my Guru Maharaja will be more kind upon you than he will to me."
Vaiyasaki: It was years later that I realized the significance of Prabhupada's gesture "that he was placing the responsibility of Lord Chaitanya's mission in our hands", the next generation of the parampara system. I was there in that room and so I took it as my responsibility to fulfill Prabhupada's faith in us and not to let him down. Thereafter, I always took it that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur was pleased with me whenever I was able to accomplish something significant in devotional service.
However, Prabhupada only spends two days in New Dwaraka. He speaks in the new temple room, tours the new BBT offices and warehouse, and then goes to the airport to catch his flight to Mexico. As many devotees as possible accompany His Divine Grace to the airport. Prabhupada sits in the departure lounge surrounded by his many admirers, most sitting on the floor surrounding him. When the flight is announced ready for boarding, Prabhupada gets up and the assembled devotees bow their heads on the floor to offer their obeisances.
Vaiyasaki: Everyone moved over to create an aisle for Prabhupada to move forward and then offered obeisances. I was at the edge of the aisle and I opened my eyes as Prabhupada was about to pass me. I quickly touched his lotus feet as he walked by and felt exhilarated that I had touched the feet of a great saint. But the temple president, Tulsi Das, saw that and he later chastised me for giving my karma to my spiritual master. However, I was confident that I would receive Prabhupada's blessing by that action rather than his displeasure.