January 27, 1975 : Tokyo
Satsvarupa: Suspicious Japanese immigration officials delayed Srila Prabhupada and considered not giving him a visa. Granting no more than a two-day transit visa, they finally allowed him to enter. After such a poor reception, Prabhupada was royally greeted by Dai Nippon Printers of Tokyo. Their white-gloved, uniformed chauffeur picked up Srila Prabhupada at the airport in a Mercedes and drove him to the ISKCON center. Wherever Srila Prabhupada went, he remained fixed in transcendental consciousness. His lectures on the Bhagavad-gita in Tokyo were the same as in Hong Kong or in America; the message - "Surrender to Krishna" - was universally and urgently applicable in every town and village. But sometimes Srila Prabhupada would spice his talks with local references.
"Everyone is suffering, that's a fact," He was describing the inherent miseries in material life. Japanese students were attending Prabhupada's classes, and Prabhupada addressed them directly. "When we are in danger in Japan," Prabhupada said, "you have got many times the experience of earthquake, do you not? So what do you do at that time? Hmm? You all Japanese boys and girls, what do you do? Have you experienced earthquake? You have? What do you do at that time?" Prabhupada paused in his talk, inviting the Japanese boys and girls to speak out and tell him something, but they sat still, looking at him silently. "When there is earthquake," Prabhupada continued, "what do you do? Hmm? But I have seen in America, they all, everyone, they scream." Prabhupada's audience broke into laughter.
"And perhaps they remember about God," Prabhupada said. "Naturally they will remember, 'God save us.' That means that we do not wish to die. But we have to die. This is suffering. Just like now in Tokyo City," Prabhupada continued, "you are making very big, big buildings everywhere, to live very comfortably. But that comfortable life is also not assured, because you will have to die. Therefore it is called asasvatam, 'not permanent.' And one who is satisfied with this temporary so-called happiness, he is called asura." By the grace of the Krishna consciousness movement, the asuras were becoming suras, Prabhupada concluded. For this he was traveling - "To give them education to understand what is Absolute Truth." Only if one took to Krishna consciousness could he become sura, the perfect man, and make his life successful.
"Everyone is suffering, that's a fact," He was describing the inherent miseries in material life. Japanese students were attending Prabhupada's classes, and Prabhupada addressed them directly. "When we are in danger in Japan," Prabhupada said, "you have got many times the experience of earthquake, do you not? So what do you do at that time? Hmm? You all Japanese boys and girls, what do you do? Have you experienced earthquake? You have? What do you do at that time?" Prabhupada paused in his talk, inviting the Japanese boys and girls to speak out and tell him something, but they sat still, looking at him silently. "When there is earthquake," Prabhupada continued, "what do you do? Hmm? But I have seen in America, they all, everyone, they scream." Prabhupada's audience broke into laughter.
"And perhaps they remember about God," Prabhupada said. "Naturally they will remember, 'God save us.' That means that we do not wish to die. But we have to die. This is suffering. Just like now in Tokyo City," Prabhupada continued, "you are making very big, big buildings everywhere, to live very comfortably. But that comfortable life is also not assured, because you will have to die. Therefore it is called asasvatam, 'not permanent.' And one who is satisfied with this temporary so-called happiness, he is called asura." By the grace of the Krishna consciousness movement, the asuras were becoming suras, Prabhupada concluded. For this he was traveling - "To give them education to understand what is Absolute Truth." Only if one took to Krishna consciousness could he become sura, the perfect man, and make his life successful.
Reference: Prabhupada-lila - Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami
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