September 28, 1977 : Bombay
Tamal Krishna Goswami: Prabhupada would keep a key for his valuables under his wristwatch. He'd never part with that key. But as Prabhupada became very ill, he gradually took me into his confidence and one day gave me the ultimate vote of confidence by letting me hold that key, the key to his desk drawer. So I had the key, and naturally what would I do but lose it. Prabhupada asked for something that was locked up and I didn't tell him right away that I'd lost the key. I scoured Hare Krishna Land. I went everywhere looking for that key and I had people looking everywhere. We could not find it. Finally, I went to Prabhupada and said, "Srila Prabhupada, I have to tell you something."
Prabhupada was lying down because he was ill. He said, "Yes?" I said, "Prabhupada, I lost the key." Prabhupada said, "Call the GBC." I said, "Which one, Prabhupada?" He said, "Call the whole GBC here to decide what should be done." Oh, God. I thought, "Call the whole GBC?" There was nothing I could do. I thought, "Okay, I'm just going to call the whole GBC body to Bombay, and when they come they could decide what to do with me."
Suddenly I thought, "Let me try another key." Sure enough, it was an Indian lock, and somehow or other I opened it. I ran to Prabhupada and said, "Prabhupada, I opened it, I opened it." He said, "How did you open it?" I said, "I found another key." He thought and said, "That means the lock was not very good. It doesn't matter if you lost that key because it's not a good lock. Now put the key on your brahman thread." Then he put the key on my thread. He said, "Don't ever lose this."
Prabhupada had a whole key system. One key led to another key that led to another key. He had a key to the safe, and the safe had a key that opened up his elmira, and in a special place in the elmira was the key that opened up the safe in the elmira. Prabhupada had a lot of systems. Every key had to be labeled, and there had to be an index of all the keys and an index of every item in every elmira.
Suddenly I thought, "Let me try another key." Sure enough, it was an Indian lock, and somehow or other I opened it. I ran to Prabhupada and said, "Prabhupada, I opened it, I opened it." He said, "How did you open it?" I said, "I found another key." He thought and said, "That means the lock was not very good. It doesn't matter if you lost that key because it's not a good lock. Now put the key on your brahman thread." Then he put the key on my thread. He said, "Don't ever lose this."
Prabhupada had a whole key system. One key led to another key that led to another key. He had a key to the safe, and the safe had a key that opened up his elmira, and in a special place in the elmira was the key that opened up the safe in the elmira. Prabhupada had a lot of systems. Every key had to be labeled, and there had to be an index of all the keys and an index of every item in every elmira.
Reference: Srila Prabhupada Remembrances - Siddhanta Dasa
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