srila prabhupada said...!!!
chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)
By the time confirmation came that Srila Prabhupada's formalities for South Africa were completed, it was nearing the end of September 1975. Pusta Krsna Swami immediately began preparations to accompany Prabhupada. Pusta Krsna remembers:
I flew to Mauritius to meet Srila Prabhupada and then escort him into South Africa. Brahmananda Maharaja was Srila Prabhupada's personal secretary at the time. He was prohibited from ever entering South Africa because of his previous attempt to enter overland, years before, in his travelling sankirtana safari van at the border with Rhodesia. Srila Prabhupada said that I would be his secretary during his visit to South Africa. I developed a very intimate and even more affectionate relationship with Srila Prabhupada during that visit. Later, when I arrived at the Mayapura festival in India in the following months, Srila Prabhupada asked me to become his permanent secretary.
Srila Prabhupada would often call me in to chat with him at all times of the day or night, philosophising, talking business or bouncing his thoughts off me, as one would with a very close or intimate associate. Although I was unqualified in every matter, Srila Prabhupada accepted me as one of his close and confidential associates. This began with his visit to South Africa.
The task of preparing for Srila Prabhupada's arrival in Durban was assigned to Gokulendra and myself. For the next two weeks we spent all our time making the necessary preparations. Meanwhile, back in Johannesburg at our Yeoville temple, Partha-sarathi was overseeing the construction of the vyasasana. The remaining devotees continued to keep the temple open for regular programmes.
* * *
The posters advertising Srila Prabhupada's arrival, prepared some months back, were being posted in prominent locations throughout Johannesburg and Durban. Once the preparatory work was under way, Pusta Krsna Swami flew to meet Srila Prabhupada in Mauritius. When he arrived, he realised that Srila Prabhupada had to have a yellow fever injection to comply with South African health regulations. Travelling with Srila Prabhupada at the time was Harikesa dasa Brahmacari, his personal servant. Harikesa distinctly remembers the occasion as follows:
We had decided that so as not to inconvenience Srila Prabhupada Pusta Krsna would take the "jab" himself in place of Prabhupada. To do this, Pusta Krsna Swami and I went to the inoculation centre in downtown Port Louis.
The inoculation centre was an old, run-down building with big columns around it. There was one room inside with rows of wooden benches, almost like a church, where lots of people were waiting to receive their injections. People were called up one at a time by name and would stand in front of everybody, take their injection and certificate and then leave.
When the officer eventually called out, "A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami," Pusta Krsna went up to receive the injection. The official asked him, "What is your date of birth?"
"I don't remember," he said unconvincingly.
"What do you mean, you don't remember? " the officer said.
Pusta Krsna repeated, "I don't remember. "
At this, the people in the room began to laugh, thinking, "What is this nonsense person? He can't remember his date of birth? "
Sitting in the waiting room, the only thing I could think of doing was to start the congregational chanting of Hare Krsna then and there, and wave my arms about. Eventually other people in the room started joining in. Pusta Krsna Swami meanwhile was trying to convince the officer. "Just give me the card and let me fill it in later when I remember my date of birth, " he suggested.
For some reason, maybe because of the uproar in the room, the officer actually gave the card to him. Pusta Krsna Swami took the card and we both left, laughing our heads off. We filled in Prabhupada's birth date as 1st September 1896. This was incredible. We told Srila Prabhupada this story later and he laughed as well.
The day that they all left for South Africa, Pusta Krsna Swami casually remarked to Srila Prabhupada that he would change into ordinary clothes before leaving for South Africa.
Srila Prabhupada seriously inquired whether he should also conform. Srila Prabhupada said, "So I will wear ordinary clothing as well if need be." As it happened, Pusta Krsna decided that it was not necessary. Srila Prabhupada was taking the humble position, being willing to conform to serve Krsna in any way that could help. Back in South Africa, Gokulendra and I were alone in Durban making arrangements for the forthcoming programmes.
Fortunately, Mr J.T. Bhoola, our prominent life-member, arranged for a house in Westville to be made available for Srila Prabhupada in a quiet, well-to-do suburb of Durban on the border between the European and Indian areas. It was a detached house located at 97 Devon Terrace, Westville, with big front and rear gardens and several large rooms. The good thing about this house was that it was only a few minutes' drive from the town centre. The house belonged to "Chotubhai," Naik, an associate of Mr Bhoola. As soon as we got the keys for the house, Gokulendra and I moved in and began the task of transforming the house into a residence with a spiritual atmosphere.
Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada-Mission in Service of His Divine Grace-Mauritius, Late September 1975-Riddha Dasa
chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)
Mr J.T. Bhoola, a discreet and highly successful Hindu entrepreneur, was the main person behind the scenes. He was well known for being a great supporter of Vedic culture. His name carried a lot of weight when it came to making the arrangements necessary to secure Durban City Hall for Srila Prabhupada's lectures, notwithstanding its contingent of white hardline bureaucrats.
During the seventies, when South Africa was still in the grip of the apartheid regime, it was almost impossible for the non-white population to do anything of real significance. The Europeans were given all kinds of privileges, and unless non-Whites had influence they were treated as second-class citizens and overlooked.
Our dear friend Mr J.T. Bhoola, who, in spite of being designated as an Indian, had a remarkable ability to pull a few strings, managed to get the hall booked for that night.
Before leaving us to accompany Srila Prabhupada from Mauritius, Pusta Krsna made it clear that I was to officially co-ordinate Srila Prabhupada's arrival. He instructed that I should be the one to receive Srila Prabhupada at the airport, warning me that the officials could become agitated if they were to see Whites bowing down before an Indian. Pusta Krsna was always very careful about public relations in South Africa. This was a blessing for me -- the chance of a lifetime -- and the perfect opportunity to honour my spiritual master, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.
I was given strict instructions to avoid using a luxurious car for Srila Prabhupada as this might give the wrong impression. I found this instruction to be almost impossible to follow. I thought it over-cautious -- this was my spiritual master arriving, and I wanted the best for him. As it happened, I tried to hire that most prestigious of cars, a Rolls-Royce, but there was none available. They were fully booked up. Even so, I could not get it out of my mind that I had to find a prestigious vehicle to honour Srila Prabhupada on this his first visit to South Africa.
During the week preceding Srila Prabhupada's arrival, Gokulendra and I were performing a multitude of tasks to facilitate Srila Prabhupada's tour of South Africa. We had to clean and decorate Srila Prabhupada's room, clean the kitchen, hire palm trees from the botanical gardens for the stage, arrange for the stage lighting and redecorate the whole of the Durban house. The largest room was to be transformed into a temple-room for the travelling Gaura-Nitai Deities newly arrived from our Johannesburg temple, while the other residential quarters would be reserved for His Divine Grace.
We were so excited that we barely had time to eat or sleep; in fact, most nights we were up until one o'clock in the morning preparing everything. Finally, the devotees came down from Johannesburg with the new, handmade vyasasana, beautifully designed and painstakingly crafted by Partha-sarathi.
Now that all the posters had been prominently displayed in Durban and Johannesburg, word of Prabhupada's arrival had reached even the European areas. The posters of Prabhupada were on all the lamp-posts in the area of West Street and Smith Street in the centre of Durban. This was a bit cheeky on our part as the city council was not happy about it.
Durban in those days had the peculiarity of having a typically British colonial atmosphere. Because of this, Indian religion was considered best confined to the Indian area. It was not appreciated when we advertised in European areas. For this reason we hardly ever held congregational chanting in the European areas, where we feared being arrested and, as a consequence, jeopardising our stay in South Africa. Many of the devotees were from overseas, and only had temporary permission to stay in South Africa.
* * *
Srila Prabhupada was scheduled to arrive on Sunday, 5th October 1975. On Saturday, 4th October I decided we should hold a hari-nama chanting party, with all the devotees chanting in formation down Smith Street and West Street during peak shopping hours. It was one of the most ecstatic hari-namas I have ever led. Gokulendra, Partha-sarathi, Ramanujacarya, Rukma, Dhiranga, and new devotees Bhakta Johnny, Bhakta Mike, Bhaktin Martha and Bhaktin Gail, all seemed to glow with spiritual energy as we chanted with jubilation, singing heartily:
Jaya jaya Prabhupada! Prabhupada!
Prabhupada! Prabhupada!
Jaya jaya Prabhupada! Prabhupada!
nama om visnu-padaya
krsna-presthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta
svamin iti namine
We had all sorts of banners, flags and leaflets advertising Srila Prabhupada's lecture at Durban City Hall. We handed out so many leaflets that the streets were literally covered with them.
Within half an hour of our starting hari-nama a police sergeant approached and questioned us: "What do you think you are doing? The street is covered with your leaflets."
Standing there holding a banner with Srila Prabhupada's picture on it, I declared, "We are advertising a special programme in the city hall."
His response was: "That's all right, but please don't keep covering our streets with those leaflets." He then left it at that. We continued chanting, giving out leaflets more cautiously than before.
Pusta Krsna Swami, who at the time was Srila Prabhupada secretary, recalls an incident that happened when flying to South Africa with him:
We flew together on a flight from Mauritius to Durban, although it originated in Perth. The aeroplane was filled with many South African rugby players who had been in Australia for a match. Srila Prabhupada and I were sitting together. He was quiet and radiantly dressed in saffron cloth; I was in western dress with my British cap, which I always wore on arrival at the South African airports so as to be inconspicuous to the authorities.
Although we were in a non–smoking section of the plane, there were some rowdy men, drinking and smoking behind us. I requested the stewardess to please ask the men to refrain from smoking as this was a non-smoking compartment, but the men ignored her request. When I began to ask the stewardess a second time, Quietly, Srila Prabhupada said to me, "We must tolerate, otherwise what is the difference between us and them!" Then, Srila Prabhupada said, "Don't be an ordinary, common man." It was a lesson that I will never forget, even
though I still have much work to do in the tolerance department.
When we finally arrived at Durban Airport, I was escorting Srila Prabhupada in his full, saintly sadhu dress. My hope was to avoid being turned away by immigration and customs. It was an anxious time and I didn't want to draw attention to myself. I could not neglect Srila Prabhupada, and yet I was in danger of being discovered by the authorities. I did not want them to know that I was travelling to South Africa for the purpose of actually preaching. When asked, I told them that I was merely escorting this nice Indian holy man from the plane.
Fortunately I got through the customs by Krsna's mercy. I was very surprised to see such a large crowd of Indian people there to greet Srila Prabhupada, who had Riddha prabhu to escort him. I was also relieved to get through customs successfully yet again. My big smile of satisfaction reflected all the tribulation that I had gone through to fulfil, finally, the desire of Srila Prabhupada to preach the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in South Africa. I knew that Srila Prabhupada was extremely pleased and satisfied.
Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada-Mission in Service of His Divine Grace-Mauritius, Late September 1975-Riddha Dasa Adhikari
chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)
The morning before Prabhupada's arrival, I had arranged with Praveen Damjee, one of the sons of a wealthy jeweller family, for the use of his uncle's prestigious Jaguar XJ6. After I spent hours cleaning it, the inside had the pure aroma of eucalyptus oil. Apart from polishing the car, we also decorated it with two long marigold garlands in a V-shape on the bonnet. Throughout the day, the devotees were fully absorbed in preparing for His Divine Grace.
Mr V.K. Naidoo, our long-time friend and a well- known religious minded personality, turned up and requested to use his own run-of-the-mill car to chauffeur Srila Prabhupada. Referring to taking Prabhupada in his own car, he repeatedly told me, "If it is the will of Krishna . . ." I was not convinced that he would actually get to drive Prabhupada.
Although I had never driven such an expensive car in my life, I was still intent on driving to the airport to receive Srila Prabhupada in the Jaguar.
That evening was like a dream and I wore my best devotional clothing in honour of the occasion. While cruising in this comfortable car to the airport, I noticed that the engine was so quiet I could hardly hear it -- Jaguar engines are almost silent. As I sat in the car waiting for the plane to arrive at the airport, I was approached and hassled by an airport police officer. He told me to remove the car and put it in the car park.
Our friend Mr V.K. Naidoo, who had also come to help us, explained to the police officer that a very important person was coming and that we needed to have the car on standby. While this was going on, I decided to take the car down to the car park anyway to avoid the hassle. The engine was still running, but because it was so quiet I thought I had switched it off. I tried to start it again, but only succeeded in stalling it. This car had a peculiarity in that once you stalled it in this way it would not start at all. Consequently we had to push the car to the car park.
Fortunately Mr V.K. Naidoo then transferred all the items from the Jaguar to his black American Dodge, a very ordinary-looking car, and then used that car for Srila Prabhupada.
This story nicely illustrates the fact that one should obey spiritual instructions as Srila Prabhupada said without question. I tried very hard to get an opulent car for Srila Prabhupada but, since I had not followed Pusta Krsna Swami's instructions, it was not to be.
Pusta Krsna Swami told me later that my love for Srila Prabhupada was appropriate. As he nicely put it, "You wanted to receive your gurudeva in the same manner you would receive the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna."
chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)
Srila Prabhupada's flight from Mauritius landed at 8.45 p.m. It was Sunday. Our welcoming party consisted of some of our special friends from the Hindu congregation along with Mr V.K. Naidoo and his religious cultural group from Chatsworth. We wanted to show our gratitude by the way we welcomed Srila Prabhupada. As it turned out, there were at least a hundred Indian people who had come from different areas to greet Srila Prabhupada.
Mr Naidoo now intended to chauffeur Srila Prabhupada and I was happy to agree with his plan. He was standing there ready with his Dodge, dressed in a white south Indian dhoti, and clearly defined vaisnava tilaka on his forehead.
I went to the arrivals lounge to wait for Srila Prabhupada. When I got there, I met several of our life- members from the Hindu community. One very kind and helpful life-member, Mr J.P. Gokool, who knew the officials inside the airport, arranged that when the flight landed I would go inside the restricted customs area to receive Srila Prabhupada as a dignitary. Mr Gokool had previously met Srila Prabhupada in Bombay and knew what a special, saintly person he was.
* * *
From the long line of passengers in the customs hall, I could see an orange woollen hat emerging -- it was Srila Prabhupada! My immediate reaction was to chant loudly, "Jaya Srila Prabhupada!" only to find myself being ushered out by the police. Fortunately I was allowed in again! As he proceeded through the restricted area, I could see him from a distance. I realised how fortunate I was to be there.
I waited until my guru maharaja, Srila Prabhupada, came close to the exit, when I offered him dandavats and then gave him a flower garland. As he emerged through the customs door, a few hundred Hindu admirers and life-members gathered round in the arrivals lounge, eager to catch a glimpse of Prabhupada. Some life-members were in anxiety concerning who was to be the first of them to garland Srila Prabhupada, and I was in a dilemma as to whom that person should be.
Eventually I opted for the small child of a poor but religious family, long-time neighbours of ours who had been with us since the very early days in Victoria Street. They lived upstairs in the Surat Hindu Association building next door to our two-room flat, which we frequently used as a base when in Durban.
The small boy had to be lifted up by his father to
garland this great, exalted personality. One after another our leading life-members -- Mr J.T. Bhoola, Mr Narandas Valabdass, Mr J.P. Gokool, also Bob Narandas along with many others -- greeted Srila Prabhupada with flower garlands and respects as I introduced them.
Dressed in conventional clothes, Pusta Krsna Swami and Harikesa were deliberately hanging back with the luggage and keeping a low profile in the guise of tourists.
As Srila Prabhupada sat down in the arrivals area on a comfortable seat, Mr J.T. Bhoola impulsively stood up on a seat to announce Prabhupada's welcome to the public and onlookers. After the introduction, and without warning, Srila Prabhupada asked me to help him stand on his seat, which I did. Prabhupada then began to address the crowd and gave a speech on the spot. Amazingly, his speech turned into a ten-minute talk on the Bhagavad Gta. It was covered by the Leader and had a photograph of Prabhupada. He began by saying:
I am pleased to see so many of my countrymen here. I have come with a very special message of happiness for you, and that is the ancient message of Bhagavad Gita As It Is as spoken by Lord Krsna thousands of years ago . . .
Happiness is to be found in the Bhagavad Gita. The wisdom of the Gita is relevant to all mankind in every field of endeavour, be it economics, politics -- religious, social or cultural . . .
Srila Prabhupada, who there and then had seized the opportunity of speaking in a public place, projected his voice in a very familiar loving, yet authoritative way. The whole crowd was fully attentive. Some minutes later, Srila Prabhupada waved and gave the crowd a most beautiful smile, gently reciprocating with everyone as he stood on his seat above the crowd.
As Srila Prabhupada finished, Pusta Krsna Swami emerged and gave me the service of taking care of Prabhupada's briefcase. We then proceeded slowly through the crowd to the forecourt, where the car was waiting. I led a kirtana with Mr Naidoo's congregation, with the Om Shanthi Cultural Centre joining in. We chanted the maha-mantra and accompanied Srila Prabhupada, throwing rose petals at his lotus feet. I then chanted his pranama mantra:
nama om visnu-padaya
krsna-presthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta
svamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve
gaura-vani-pracarine
nirvisesa-sunyavadi-
pascatya-desa-tarine
I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is very dear to Lord Krsna, having taken shelter of his lotus feet.
Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami. You are kindly preaching the message of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu and delivering the western countries from impersonalism and voidism.
At this point, Harikesa came through with the luggage on a trolley and loaded it into a waiting van driven by Rukma. The anxious Mr V.K. Naidoo was at last privileged to chauffeur Prabhupada, who sat in the back of the black American Dodge with Harikesa, while Pusta Krsna and I sat crammed in the front.
As we cruised swiftly through the downtown area on our way to the house in Westville, Srila Prabhupada was given a brief description of the city of Durban by Pusta Krsna. He was surprised by how westernised South Africa was with its nice American-style highways. When we entered the Indian area, Prabhupada immediately pointed out the unmistakable way in which Hindus hang their saris over the balcony for drying. Srila Prabhupada said, "This is where the Indians must live."
As we pulled into the Westville house, Ramanujacarya had already begun the chanting. The kirtana party was outside on the lawn and the assembled devotees and well-wishers were there. At least ten of our leading life-members and supporters had come to the house to greet Srila Prabhupada.
Srila Prabhupada entered the temple-room, which housed our travelling Gaura-Nitai Deities. He approached Their Lordships and offered his obeisances and prayers before proceeding to the vyasasana. Pusta Krsna bathed His Divine Grace's feet in the traditional way reserved for saintly personalities as I offered guru-puja to Srila Prabhupada in front of the guests.
After the guru-puja, Srila Prabhupada gave a short speech and Srila Prabhupada said, "I am very pleased to see so many of my countrymen here." He explained the importance of Lord Caitanya's mission, and then stressed that the duty of all persons from bharata-bhumi (India) is to take Krsna consciousness and preach it all over the world. Then Partha-sarathi offered arati to the presiding Deities of Gaura-Nitai. After the ceremony, Srila Prabhupada chanted the prema-dhvani prayers, jaya om visnu-pada paramahamsa parivrajakacarya astottara-sata sri srimad bhaktisiddhanta sarasvati gosvami . . .
All Glories to South African Gaurasundara ki jaya.
All Glories to South African Gaurasundara ki jaya.
From that day onwards, when chanting in front of the Gaura-Nitai Deities, Srila Prabhupada would acknowledge Them by chanting, "All glories to South African Gaurasundara ki jaya."
After the welcome, a few of the life-members met Srila Prabhupada, who then retired to his room. Late that evening, when all was quiet and peaceful, I could hear Srila Prabhupada on a harmonium sweetly singing in Bengali. He was alone in his room. His bhajanas went on for a long time, and I could visualise Lord Sri Krsna appearing before Prabhupada. Indeed, He probably did. Time was flying by so quickly, it was midnight before we knew it.
Gokulendra and I, the only ones still up, came across the container of caranamrta, the water used to bathe the lotus feet of His Divine Grace. Seizing the opportunity, we indulged ourselves in drinking that sweet nectar of rose water, yoghurt, honey and milk. Unable to stop drinking it, cup after cup, we became spiritually enlivened as if intoxicated! It was a rare happening, one that we would always cherish.
Much later, after a deep discussion about how wonderful it was to be associating with Srila Prabhupada, we finally took rest. We had, indeed, sacrificed everything to bring His Divine Grace to the shores of South Africa, but his presence made it all worthwhile.
Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada-Mission in Service of His Divine Grace-Durban Airport, 5th October 1975-Riddha Dasa Adhikari
chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)
Early next morning we drove Srila Prabhupada to the Durban beach. Gokulendra had arranged for the transport. It was 6 o'clock. Pusta Krsna Swami and I accompanied Prabhupada on a long stretch of open beach along the soft sand near the water's edge. I was amazed by how steadily and briskly Srila Prabhupada walked; I could barely keep up with him.
Throughout Prabhupada's tour, it was mostly Pusta Krsna Swami asking the questions, while Harikesa concentrated on recording Srila Prabhupada's realisations on audiotape. Srila Prabhupada reflected on his college days and how the British had treated Indians unfairly -- although he did remember his philosophy professor, Dr W.S. Urquhart, with affection:
Prabhupada: He was very friendly to me, very kind, just like [a] father... he became Vice Chancellor.
Pusta Krsna: Did they [the British] come mostly for missionary work? Was that their purpose?
Prabhupada: Our professors, they came [for] missionary [purposes], but there were other officers in government service, I.C.S., Indian Civil Service also. In the province where they were employed [they had to] learn the provincial language. [British] administration
was excellent, undoubtedly. Nobody in the world was better, but their crooked policy ruined them; otherwise good administrator, good politician, good diplomat.
Harikesa: They made those nice buildings in Delhi, too.
Prabhupada: Yes, and everything good. Simply heart was not very good.
Pusta Krsna: Heart?
Prabhupada: Only for Englishmen, only for Englishmen. Still that policy is going on here. That is not good. When one takes shelter of you, you must give him proper protection. That liberality is not there.
Pusta Krsna: They would make the people dependent upon them and then exploit them, yes?
Prabhupada: Yes. That is the fault. Exploitation was their policy. A small country and bring money from the whole world -- this is their bad policy.
Pusta Krsna: It's actually amazing how they colonised.
Prabhupada: They were obliged to do that. In the country there is no food, no shelter, nothing. Therefore Hitler's determination was: I shall make this shopkeeper nation again fishermen. I shall ruin their empire. So he did it. But he also became ruined. He did it. He ruined the Englishmen, but he also became ruined, finished. Germany, finished. But Germany will be able to rise again. Englishmen will not be able to.
Pusta Krsna: Why is that, Prabhupada?
Prabhupada: They committed so many sinful activities, yes, for maintaining their empire. To sell their Manchester-made cloth they ruined the cloth industry of India and cut this finger.
Pusta Krsna: Cut the thumb off?
Prabhupada: Yes. Thumbs of the weavers so that they cannot manufacture anymore.
Pusta Krsna: Very bad.
Prabhupada: There are so many other things.
Harikesa: They cut [off] the thumbs of the weavers?
Prabhupada: Yes.
Pusta Krsna: Yes. They were making finer cloth by hand than the British were making by machines. So in order to discourage, they would cut off the thumb so they couldn't weave.
Prabhupada: So many things. And to make a show, the Lord Hastings was impeached in the Parliament. Here the black men, they are Africans.
Pusta Krsna: Yes. In this country there's nineteen million Africans and about over five million Europeans, about one million Indian people, and about one million coloured people. They don't allow the Africans to live in the cities. They have to travel long distances, unless they are servants at some house. For the Africans to live in the cities they have passes. They have to have a pass.
Prabhupada: Accha. [African] men. The Indians, they cannot? They can?
Pusta Krsna: No, Indians don't need a pass. The Indians, however, were only allowed to live where they were born. They weren't allowed to move around, but this year they finished that law. Now the Indians can live anywhere in South Africa in Indian areas. They can move around to different cities. Before this year they weren't allowed to do it.
* * *
Srila Prabhupada was striding briskly along the open beach. Towards the end of the walk, half a mile or so up the coast, Srila Prabhupada stopped and looked down. Mystically, a vivid image of Lord Siva appeared, embedded in the sand. Although it appeared to have been washed up by the tide, it was perfectly intact. I had been on this beach many times before, but had never seen anything like it. The very day that Srila Prabhupada arrived on the shore of the Indian Ocean, the form of Lord Siva lay at his feet.
Srila Prabhupada did not make a fuss about it, but humbly acknowledged this seemingly mystifying event and carried on. However, I believe this event to have been a blessing of Lord Siva, who is known as the greatest of Vaisnavas. Afterwards we made our way to the roadside nearby, where Gokulendra was waiting with a new white Mercedes-Benz provided by Bob Narandas. (From then on he served as Srila Prabhupada's chauffeur.)
* * *
When we arrived at the temple in Devon Terrace, Westville, a kirtana party was playing nicely, together with the Govindam prayers amplified for the greeting of the Deities. We had arranged for Srila Prabhupada to stay at an Indian family's home for his Durban visit, where one room was converted into a temple with our Gaura-Nitai Deities on a small travelling altar.
One of our Gujarati friends, Bob Narandas, who lived in Westville, had supplied us with numerous very large Rajastani silk paintings, perhaps five feet by eight. We had them placed on the wall of the temple-room. They depicted Krsna and Balarama spilling the gopis' (cowherd girls) yoghurt. Srila Prabhupada remarked that this was one pastime where Krsna and Balarama ask the gopis for tax, Srila Prabhupada said in the form of yoghurt, to allow them to pass by. Prabhupada very much enjoyed these paintings.
We decked out the house in a traditional Vedic style with potted palm trees and mango leaves decorating the entrances. During the morning, when we offered guru-puja, we felt very close to His Divine Grace, especially when hearing his Bhagavatam class. Many of our friends came to visit Prabhupada and all of us had the opportunity to serve Prabhupada in a more intimate way.
Bob Narandas had offered the use of his newly-purchased Mercedes-Benz saloon for the duration of Prabhupada's stay in Durban. Even a poor Hindu family, living at the rear of our garden in a tin shanty, lent a hand in decorating our temple-room without any prompting. They worshipped Prabhupada during guru-puja and listened to the lecture.
Now that we were residing with His Divine Grace in person, there was a very spiritual atmosphere. Everyone felt liberated, with a sense of purity, simplicity and godliness, and the devotees, especially the novices, became imbued with a gentle peacefulness.
The older devotees, like Rukma and Ramanujacarya, demonstrated their love by assisting in cooking for His Divine Grace. In fact, Srila Prabhupada was quite fond of Rukma's cooking. Rukma had cooked for Srila Prabhupada before in New York, and Harikesa made a point of awarding him this intimate service since he already knew Rukma from the New York temple.
At last, Srila Prabhupada had made his long desired
visit to South Africa. It did, in fact, turn out to be his only visit. A great transcendental fulfilment was experienced by all the devotees who participated in so many ways to make Srila Prabhupada's visit successful.
Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada-Mission in Service of His Divine Grace-Durban Beachfront, 6th October 1975-Riddha Dasa Adhikari
chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)
During a morning walk near the Old Fort in Durban, Pusta Krsna took Srila Prabhupada to a British military park. Pusta Krsna had a way of bringing out the fire in Prabhupada, reminding him of the days when he was in the civil disobedience movement of Gandhi.
During Srila Prabhupada's college days, he was actually a student with Subhas Chandra Bose, India's mysterious but famous freedom fighter, who was to become the leader of the Indian National Army. I could not help but think of Prabhupada as a greater revolutionary than Bose. Although Bose was a freedom fighter who performed great works of liberation, Srila Prabhupada was destined to lead a spiritual revolution, giving real freedom from the cruel grip of birth and death.
As Srila Prabhupada calmly walked through the park, he looked at the British war graves and was reminded of their military honour. He recalled how Indian soldiers had been invalidated by British rule and enlisted in a foreign army in his country. Indeed, the many heroic Indians were forgotten.
In addition to the Army and other Indian services, more than 300,000 Indians served with the Royal Indian Navy. In the Royal Indian Airforce there were 1,638 officers and 26,900 other ranks. By the end of the Second World War, some 36,092 Indian lives were lost defending British colonialism. A further 64,354 were wounded and some 80,000 taken prisoner. Many of them came from heroic Hindu ksatriya (warrior) families, but they were taken advantage of by the British sahibs.
The British rulers took all the credit themselves and did not give Indians their due recognition. All the above facts were recently published in Eastern Eye, an Indian publication in the Uunited Kingdom, where it was revealed that at least thirty Victoria Crosses were awarded to Indian soldiers. But sadly, the selfless Indian contribution to World War II seems to have been edited out of history, even though their loyalty and acts of heroism belonged to what is considered to be the largest volunteer force in the history of warfare.
Furthermore, I remember clearly what Srila Prabhupada said:
From India the British made India their centre, and they conquered both sides, [the] Far East, [the] Middle East and Africa, with Indian soldiers. They organised Indian soldiers, particularly Sikhs and Gurkhas, and they employed them for extending their empire. The real soldiers were Indians.
Knowing what Prabhupada was talking about, I added: "The Indian soldiers from Nepal were known as the Gurkhas."
Prabhupada replied, "Gurkhas and Sikhs. You know that? "
"Yes, Srila Prabhupada," I replied. Having spent some time in Nepal, I knew well enough about the Gurkhas, Sikhs and their Hindu ksatriya warrior tradition.
Then, just as I was feeling pride in answering the question, Srila Prabhupada stopped, raised his knee high in a martial arts stance and, holding up his walking stick, Srila Prabhupada said, "We kick on the British face," and crashed his foot to the floor!
I was amazed. Privately, Srila Prabhupada had shown his contempt for the British and expressed his hurt at the betrayal of his countrymen, whose bravery and loyalty had never been acknowledged. His sudden display of anger, however, should not be interpreted as a general condemnation of the British, for whom, in many respects, he had a high regard.
Throughout the tour he always took his morning walk at 6 o'clock. In Durban he mostly walked on the beachfront with a few disciples, and on some occasions he was joined by Mr Narandas Valabdass and Mrs Manhur Kumare Valabdass, the parents of Bob. Devandra (Bob) Narandas had many informal talks with Prabhupada during the morning walks. His family had supported us from the beginning. On other days, Srila Prabhupada took his walk in the Japanese Gardens.
* * *
That evening was spent at Durban City Hall. It was spectacular. The large hall was packed with about two thousand people, mostly Indians, but also many Europeans. The stage had been tastefully decorated by the devotees and the vyasasana was centre stage.
Srila Prabhupada entered the large auditorium by the side entrance of the hall, proceeding through the audience. Everyone stood up to honour him as I showered flower petals at his lotus feet. It was glorious. Once on the main stage, Pusta Krsna Swami led the devotees in kirtana with a simple, straightforward melody.
Srila Prabhupada was introduced, and then he sang the Jaya Radha-Madhava prayer and began his lecture on the first verse of Bhagavad Gita. He took the opportunity to tell the Indian community that they had their origin in the very great and rich tradition of Krsna consciousness. He was instilling a deep sense of pride into the Indian community, who for so long had been indentured and humiliated under the oppressive regime of apartheid, instigated by the former British rule. Srila Prabhupada spoke with great authority. It was clear that he greatly liked his South African audience, and it set the pattern for the remaining programmes in South Africa.
At the city hall, Srila Prabhupada emphasised how the science of Bhagavad Gita is coming down from the Supreme Lord Himself, and quoted a verse from the Bhagavad Gita which says that this knowledge was first given to the sun-god Vivasvan. What follows is a glimpse of that lecture, lightly edited. Prabhupada begins:
sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu nityananda
sri-advaita gadadhara
srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for your kind participation in this great movement. This movement was not started by me. It was started many, many years ago by Krsna Himself. Firstly, He spoke this philosophy of Bhagavad Gita to the sun-god. As it is stated in the Bhagavad Gita: 4:
imam vivasvate yogam
proktavan aham avyayam
vivasvan manave praha
manur iksvakave 'bravit
evam parampara-praptam
imam rajarsayo viduh
[Bhagavad Gita: 4:1-2]
So if we calculate the age of Manu, it comes to the point of forty million years. So Krsna said that forty million years ago, at least, He spoke this philosophy of Bhagavad Gita to the sun-god, Vivasvan. The name of the predominating deity in the sun planet is Vivasvan. His son, Manu, Vaivasvata Manu... His son, Iksvaku, the original person in the dynasty Surya-vamsa, in which Lord Ramacandra appeared . . . So in this way this Krsna consciousness movement is coming since a very, very long time. But Krsna said, evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh: formerly the rajarsis, they used to receive this instruction through the chain of disciplic succession. That was the way of understanding Bhagavad-gita, but Krsna said, sa kaleneha mahata yogo nastah parantapa.
Now Krsna, five thousand years ago, was talking to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kuruksetra. He was perplexed whether to fight or not to fight, and just to enthuse him in the fighting, He spoke this Bhagavad Gita five thousand years ago to Arjuna. And He said there that the parampara system, disciplic succession, is now broken; therefore I am speaking to you again so that people may learn from you what is the purport of this philosophy, Krsna consciousness.
So five thousand years ago this philosophy was spoken to Arjuna, and we are having the instruction. Unfortunately that philosophy is being distorted. Because we do not receive through the parampara system, we make inferences in our own way, and therefore it is also again broken.
Therefore again, five hundred years ago, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu instructed this Bhagavad Gita as a devotee. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is an incarnation of Krsna. As Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He instructed as the order-giving master, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja, but still, people misunderstood. Therefore this time, five hundred years ago, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Krsna Himself, appeared as a devotee of Krsna. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna. That is described in the authentic sastra:
krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam
sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair
yajanti hi su-medhasah
[Srimad-Bhagavatam; 11:5:32]
So this Krsna consciousness movement is practically Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's movement. And Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna Himself. So Krsna is very kind upon the conditioned soul. He is trying to elevate them to the real platform of Krsna consciousness again and again. But we are so stubborn, we are trying to forget Krsna again and again. This is going on. So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission is... especially He is instructing to the Indian people. He is saying to the Indian people, bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared in Bengal, you know, in the district of Navadvipa, about sixty-four miles from Calcutta, northern side. So His life and precepts are there.
We have translated many books. You'll find Teachings of Lord Caitanya and Caitanya-caritamrta, almost seventeen volumes -- Caitanya-caritamrta. And we have summarised the teaching in one volume. So you can learn about the teachings of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But the summary of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's teaching is like this. He says to every Indian, not only Bengalis... It is not that because He appeared in Bengal, therefore He advised to the Bengalis. He is especially speaking to the Indians.
bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara
janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara
[Caitanya-caritamrta Adi: 9:41]
He says that "Anyone who has taken birth in India, bharata-bhumi . . ." Bharata-bhumi is punya-bhumi, the pious land within this universe . . . In the sastra we find that even the demigods in the heavenly planets, they desire to take birth in India. India is so glorious. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission is that anyone who has taken birth as a human being in India, his business is to first of all make his life perfect by taking advantage of the Vedic knowledge, because it is available in India.
So every Indian, especially the higher circles, namely the brahmanas, ksatriyas and the vaisyas, especially the brahmana, it is their business to make the life perfect by studying the Vedic knowledge and distribute the knowledge all over the world. Para-upakara. Because, so far [as] spiritual knowledge is concerned, outside India they have got very meagre knowledge; therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu requested that every Indian, especially the higher class, study the Vedic knowledge and distribute it throughout the whole world.
By the order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, every one of you become a guru. And what shall you have to do?
Amara ajnaya guru hana tara' ei desa.
This South Africa, you are staying here. So you preach as a guru. And what shall you preach? Caitanya Mahaprabhu says, yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa. You haven't got to do anything. The instruction of Krsna is there in the Bhagavad-gita. Don't distort it, but put it as it is. That's your duty. If you do simply this thing . . . because in the Bhagavad Gita As It Is, [it is] clearly said that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
So from sastric evidences, from authentic evidences, from the acaryas, from Bhagavad Gita itself -- everywhere -- you will find the confirmation, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission is that yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa. It is not difficult. You simply take up the instruction of Bhagavad Gita and try to preach, yare dekha tare. Whomever you meet. You may remain as a businessman, you may remain whatever you are, you remain a family head, but instruct this advice of Krsna -- yare dekha tare kaha krsna-upadesa. This is our mission.
Srila Prabhupada was skilfully building up his lecture by instructing the Indians that it was their duty to give up their materialistic lifestyle and to take up spiritual life. Most Indians that emigrate are searching for a materialistic way of life, which is not the ultimate goal of life. Srila Prabhupada was stressing these points because spiritual life is part of Indian culture and upbringing, and not so difficult at all for them to appreciate. Indians, by dint of their very good birth and karma in the mode of goodness, could automatically receive this knowledge and share it with others.
Srila Prabhupada wanted Indians to go out and spread this wonderful message of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He was giving them beautiful realisations of their ancient Vedic culture. This was how I perceived his lecture.
Srila Prabhupada summed up:
So our only request is that you, all of you, you try to understand Bhagavad Gita As It Is. Don't interpret in a different way. Then you will understand Krsna. And as soon as you understand Krsna, you become free from this material bondage, no more accepting . . . tyaktva deham. We have to give up this body, that is certain. The cats and dogs will also give up their body. But before giving up this body, if we simply understand Krsna, then our life becomes successful.
What is that success? That after giving up this body we are not going to accept anything, our material body. Then we stand in our original, spiritual body. The spiritual body is there within the body. That will be explained very nicely. Our mission is to come to the platform of our spiritual body. It is very simple, simply by understanding the instruction of Krsna.
And Caitanya Mahaprabhu has made it still simplified. What is that? He advises, chant Hare Krsna mantra.
harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha
[Brhad-Naradiya Purana & Caitanya-caritamrta Adi: 7:76]
After the lecture there were some questions.
Pusta Krsna: One more question . . .
Indian man from the audience: Now, Swamiji, I would like to know, being unborn, then how come that Lord Krsna was born as a human being or brought Himself to that position to form Himself as the Supreme Being? I would like this answer to be given. Thank you.
Prabhupada: If you have read Srimad-Bhagavatam, you can see that Krsna was not born. Krsna appeared before Devaki and Vasudeva as four-handed Narayana. Then the father, mother, requested Narayana that "You have appeared as Narayana. Immediately Kamsa will kill You. Please, You become like human child."
So He again immediately became a human child. So the conception of birth from the womb of the mother was not actually the fact about Krsna. You read Bhagavatam. You will find this description. So even though if He comes as a child, still He is unborn because Krsna, or God, is in everyone's heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati. So from the heart, if He comes before you, so is it very difficult task for Him? It is not at all difficult . . . What to speak of Krsna, we are part and parcel of Krsna; we do not take birth.
You will find in the Bhagavad Gita, na jayate mriyate va. When the description of soul is given there, it is said that the soul is never born. If the soul is never born, how the Supersoul is born? That you have to understand. Even the soul . . . We are ordinary soul. We are not . . . also not born, na jayate mriyate va kadacit, "at any time." Na hanyate hanyamane sarire. So we have to study this. We have to learn this. Superficially understanding will not help us. You have to become a serious student. That is wanted. And so far Krsna is speaking, He is speaking for all living entities. It is not that He is speaking for India or for the Hindus or for this planet or that planet. He is speaking for everyone. Sarva-yonisu kaunteya murtayah sambhavanti yah. Krsna says, "In all forms of life, all the living entities, I am, aham bija-pradah pita: I am the supreme father."
So Krsna does not speak for any particular section or any particular country or any particular religion. It is for everyone. And so far as we are concerned, that is also described in the Bhagavad Gita: 9:25:
yanti deva-vrata devan
pitrn yanti pitr-vratah
bhutani yanti bhutejya
yanti mad-yajino 'pi mam
Now, in this human form of life you can select where you will go next. If you want to go to the higher planetary system, so you can go there. Yanti deva-vrata devan. The higher planetary . . . urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha madhye tisthanti rajasah. You qualify yourself. So if you qualify yourself to go to the higher planetary system, you can go. Yanti deva-vrata devan.
And if you qualify yourself to go back to home, back to Godhead, that also you can do. Yanti mad-yajino 'pi mam. So if you become a pure devotee, then you go to Krsna. That is up to you to make your selection. And this human form of body is meant for that purpose. If you don't utilise it for [your] next elevation, then you are committing suicide. That is our Krsna consciousness movement, to inform you.
That's all. Thank you very much. Let us chant Hare Krsna.
After the programme, the film The World of Hare Krishna was shown. Then the audience proceeded to the foyer where there was a large display of Srila Prabhupada's books. As a result of his popularity, we were selling his books profusely. Amongst the crowds of Indian guests, many Europeans were coming forward and buying the books as well. When we got back to the temple, Srila Prabhupada inquired how the books had been selling. When told that several thousand rands' worth were sold, Srila Prabhupada replied with innocent amazement, "You have sold so many books?"
Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada-Mission in Service of His Divine Grace-Durban, 7th October 1975-Riddha Dasa Adhikari
chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)
The conversation between Srila Prabhupada and the reporter Bill Faill of the Natal Mercury was so dynamic that soon afterwards excerpts were printed in the Back to Godhead magazine, and later on published in a best-selling BBT book, The Science of Self-Realisation. In reply to the reporter's intelligent questions, Srila Prabhupada is giving perfect answers. This is the meaning of humble enquiry from the spiritual master.
In the Bhagavad Gita: 4:34, Krsna says: "Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realised souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth."
Mr Faill: May I ask a few questions now?
Srila Prabhupada said: Yes, yes, yes.
Mr Faill: Do we get a second chance if we don't make the most of this life? In other words, is reincarnation part of your . . .
Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Second chance means you have to change your body. Now, according to your desire you get another body. That body is not guaranteed that you shall get a human body. It may be . . .
Mr Faill: If you've been bad enough, you might finish . . .
Srila Prabhupada: No . . . This I have already told you. There are 8,400,000 different forms of life. So you can enter any one of them according to your mental condition. We are under the control of the material nature. The material nature is being conducted in three modes: goodness, passion and ignorance. So just like three colours: yellow, red, and blue. Now you mix -- three into? Three equal to nine, nine into? Nine equal to eighty-one. So these modes of material nature [are] being mixed up. Therefore there are so many varieties of life. So if we transcend this colouring platform of material nature, we come to the pure consciousness. Then we stop this repetition of birth and death in different forms of life. And if we do not [do] that, then there is chance of going down or going up.
There are different planets. If you cultivate the modes of goodness, then you are promoted to the higher planetary system, higher standard of life. And if you don't improve or don't go down, then you may remain in the present stage. But out of ignorance, if you still degrade, commit sinful activities, violate the laws of nature, then we go down again [to] the animal life, the plant's life, like that. But again we have to evolve, evolutionary process, by nature's . . . So it may take many millions of years.
So therefore a human being must be responsible that, "I have got this opportunity to get out of this cycle of birth and death and different forms of life, and let me properly understand God and what my relationship with God [is] and act accordingly," so that if we understand what is God then we go back to home, back to Godhead.
Mr Faill: What can an ordinary man do? I mean the Krsna consciousness movement involves shaving the head and wearing the saffron robe. What can the man who is caught up in family life do?
Srila Prabhupada: This saffron robe is not very essential, or cut the hair, but it creates some good situation, mental. You see? Just like a military man, when he is dressed properly he gets some energy to feel like a military man. But it does not mean that unless you are dressed, you cannot fight. It does not mean [that]. So God consciousness can be revived in any condition, without any check. But these conditions are helpful. Therefore it is prescribed that you live like this, you dress like this, you eat like this, you do like this. These are convenient. So they are not essential. At the same time, if we take to these processes, then it will be helpful.
Mr Faill: Yes. One can be a student of Krsna consciousness while going about a normal daily life.
Srila Prabhupada : Yes.
Mr Faill: Today, a lot of people are saying that we must look inward for the truth, rather than outward into the world of the senses.
Srila Prabhupada: Looking inward means knowing that you are a spirit soul. Unless you understand that you are not the body but a soul, there is no question of looking inward. First we have to study, "Am I this body, or am I something within this body?" Unfortunately, this subject is not taught in any school, college or university. Everyone is thinking, "I am this body." For example, in this country people everywhere are thinking, "I am South African, they are Indian, they are Greek," and so on. Actually, everyone in the whole world is in the bodily conception of life. Krsna consciousness starts when one is above this bodily conception.
Mr Faill: So the recognition of the spiritual spark comes first?
Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Recognising the existence of the spirit soul within the body is the first step. Unless one understands this simple fact, there is no question of spiritual advancement.
* * *
Early that morning at the University of Durban-Westville, a meeting went sadly wrong -- but not for Srila Prabhupada. The head of the Department of Religion, Professor Oosthuizen, had arranged for the leader of the Arya-Samaj from India to be present without informing us. Srila Prabhupada was not pleased when he found out that he was to be sharing his time alongside a tea-drinking mayavadi (an impersonalist philosopher who thinks God is formless and himself equal to God). He had to listen to the mayavadi's nonsensical claims that he is God and we are God!
Srila Prabhupada took up this unexpected challenge to confront him in an informal debate. He also questioned the European professor of the Department of Hindu Studies and the Science of Religion who had arranged the unwarranted meeting.
Srila Prabhupada put the emphasis on the spiritual dimension as a scientific concept throughout the Vedic teachings.
Srila Prabhupada said: So the transmigration of the soul, you take it as religion. It is not a science?
Professor Oosthuizen: We haven't progressed so far.
Srila Prabhupada: But so far [as] we are concerned, that is the basic principle of our further investigation in religion.
Professor Oosthuizen: Yes.
Srila Prabhupada: We are preaching Krsna consciousness. That is on the basis of Bhagavad Gita. So the beginning of Bhagavad Gita is the teaching of transmigration of the soul. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara tatha dehantara-praptir. So that is our first concern, dehantara-praptir. This body will not exist, and we have to accept another body. Krsna says, dehantara-praptir, "another body." Now, there are 8,400,000 different types of body. Which body I am going to accept, there is no education. So I am kept in darkness. So what is the value of my education?
Professor Oosthuizen: You mean your future?
Srila Prabhupada: Yes. I do not know what is my future. Then what [use] is my education?
Professor Oosthuizen: Yes, yes, of course, that is one standpoint, isn't it?
Srila Prabhupada: No, that is the main standpoint. I am taking education in the university. I do not know what is my future. Then where is the education? I am in darkness. [Professor Olivier, rector of the university, enters the room.]
Pusta Krsna: Would you like to sit beside Srila Prabhupada?
Professor Olivier: Yes.
Prabhupada [to Pusta Krsna]: So you can explain what I was talking.
Pusta Krsna: Yes. So the idea is that now you have a secular state because the religion, as it is being taught today, is seen simply as some kind of dogma that can't be proven, some kind of blind faith. But in the Bhagavad Gita Krsna is giving scientific evidence, reason, of how the existence of the soul can be proven. Religion means there must be soul. But people don't understand how soul is existing . . . When our spiritual master went to Massachusetts Institute of Technology -- it is a very well-known technological university -- he questioned the faculty and students there: "You are the most advanced technological university in the world. Where is that department that tries to understand the difference between a dead body and a living body?" So this is science. You can't say that it's not science. And it should be accepted as science by university professors and taught as such. Otherwise, if we simply turn our back on this philosophy . . . Krsna says, raja-vidya: "This . . . is the king of education."
Professor Olivier: Yes . . . My problem as a simple layman is how to make God relevant to the issues of the day. But since God's relevancy can only be related to the permanent, the problem becomes even more complicated. But I have to deal with practical situations . . .
Srila Prabhupada: This is practical situation . . .
Professor Olivier: Yes, I would agree. It is one of the neglected avenues of learning . . .
Srila Prabhupada: Yes, that is my point. That is my point.
Professor Olivier: This is the point . . . that we have not been able to absorb into scientific studies those spiritual components which go to make up the whole of man. And I would agree. I think it's one of the great shortcomings in our modern educational system, that we . . .
Srila Prabhupada: Yes. Thank you very much [chuckles] . . . It is the foundation.
Professor Olivier: It's the foundation . . .
Srila Prabhupada: First of all you understand what you are, whether you are this body or something other than the body. That is first.
Arya-Samaj mayavadi: Whether we are different or separate from God, or we are God [devotees break out laughing].
Srila Prabhupada: That also dog can say, "I am also God." That is not very difficult thing.
Arya-Samaj mayavadi: Whether God says or not, it is the question between us, whether we are God . . .
Srila Prabhupada: So, that bodily conception of life is "dogism:" dog thinks, "I am dog;" cat thinks, "I am cat." Similarly, if I think, "I am Hindu, I am Christian" . . . what is the difference? Because you are giving some name of religion, therefore [are] you better than [a] dog?
Arya-Samaj mayavadi: With due respect, I want to know [how] the God knows that He is God and dog knows he is dog?
Srila Prabhupada: Why do you bring God? I am not talking of God.
Arya-Samaj mayavadi: Dog! Dog!
Srila Prabhupada: I am talking of the soul.
Arya-Samaj mayavadi: Whether dog knows that he is dog?
Srila Prabhupada: Yes. He knows the body -- "I am dog." That's all.
Arya-Samaj mayavadi: Not about body. I am asking the question whether dog knows that he is dog, cow knows that she is cow?
Professor Oosthuizen: Have they got the intelligence to know?
Srila Prabhupada: Unless he knows that "I am dog," why he is barking? [devotees laugh again].
Arya-Samaj mayavadi: Dog is barking, but does he possess discriminative knowledge?
Srila Prabhupada: That you do not know. Because you are not dog, you cannot understand what dog is thinking. You cannot say what dog is thinking because you are not dog. But you have to become dog. Then how dog is thinking . . . For the present time, as you do not know what is dog . . .
Professor Oosthuizen: If we don't start the lecture, we [will] have the dog barking [everybody laughing]. So we have to go for the lecture at 11 o'clock, unfortunately . . .
Professor Olivier [to Prabhupada]: May I first of all say thank you very much for coming to the university. We are very honored sir, that you have been able to come, also that your guests have come, and that you have been able to come. Thank you very much for visiting the university.
* * *
Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada-Mission in Service of His Divine Grace-Durban, 8th October 1975-Riddha Dasa Adhikari
chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)
Srila Prabhupada addressed a large gathering at the Luxmi Narayan Hall in the Indian area of Mobeni Heights, which was completely packed with a most enthusiastic audience. In a very open way, he asked for questions. Here are a few of those questions and answers.
Pusta Krsna: Persons who have questions may come up to the front and speak through the microphone.
Indian man: Swamiji, of all holy scriptures we have two books, and one is the Ramayana and one is the Sri Bhagavad Gita . . . some people offer the reason that according to the Ramayana we follow Rama and Sita as God. Can you just inform us [of] the real [God]?
Srila Prabhupada said: Our Krsna consciousness movement is to educate people on the principles of the teachings of Bhagavad Gita. So if you understand Bhagavad Gita thoroughly, then you will understand Lord Rama also and other incarnations, because Krsna is present [within] all the incarnations:
ramadi-murtisu kala-niyamena tisthan
nanavataram akarod bhuvanesu kintu
krsnah svayam samabhavat paramah puman yo
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami
[Brahma-samhita: 5:39]
In the Vedic literature it is said, kasmin vijnate sarvam idam vijnatam bhavati: "If you understand that one Supreme, then you will understand everything." So Ramayana, Valmiki Ramayana, not other Ramayana, the so-called Ramayana . . . authority, Valmiki Ramayana. If you read Valmiki Ramayana, that is also as good as reading Bhagavad Gita. But if you read Bhagavad Gita, you understand the transcendental science very easily. There is no difficulty. So we shall advise to read Bhagavad Gita. It is very widely read all over the world, not only by the Hindus, but others also, by all scholars, all philosophers. They read Bhagavad Gita. So we recommend you all to read Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Do not distort the meaning. Try to understand as it is. Just like in the beginning of the Bhagavad Gita it is mentioned,
dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre
samaveta yuyutsavah
mamakah pandavas caiva
kim akurvata sanjaya
[Bhagavad Gita 1:1]
The dharma-ksetre kuru-ksetre . . . This is a fact. The kuru-ksetra is a pilgrimage, dharma-ksetra. Still it is. There is a railway station of the name Kuruksetra, and that Kuruksetra place is very big field. So why should we misinterpret? Kuru-ksetra means this body and Pandava means the senses? Why? This business distorted the meaning, so we should give [it] up. We should understand as it is.
Kuruksetra is there, it is a pilgrimage and in the past history, five thousand years ago, two sections of the same family, Kuru family . . . One section was known as Pandava and the other section as Kurus. They had to fight on political reason. This is historical. So there is no question of misinterpreting it.
The difficulty is, as soon as we misinterpret to our whims, to show our scholarship, it is spoiled. Don't do that. Read it as it is and you will get the benefit.
Indian man: Swamiji, there is a school of thought amongst Hindus that condemns idol worship and the concept of avatara. Would you kindly elaborate on these concepts?
Srila Prabhupada said: Idol worship, that is not idol. Just like if you worship your leader in some picture or some statue, that is not idol worship. That is actually fact. You show your respect to your leader. Similarly, when we worship the Deity of the Supreme Lord, Krsna, it is not idol worship. It is worshipping Krsna. The difference is, as we have already discussed, Krsna is absolute. In the ordinary case, the picture of your father and the father is different because it is material body. But Krsna, being absolute, His form, Deity form, and [Himself], there is no difference.
It is Krsna's mercy that He comes before you in the Deity form made of so-called wood or stone because we cannot see at the present moment except wood and stone. We cannot see. Just like I was explaining we cannot see even our father, the spirit soul. And how we can see the supreme spirit? So when we worship Deity, it is not idol worship. It is worshipping Lord Krsna, and the Deity is not different from the person. This is the idea. We have to understand. It is a science.
Just like the holy name of the Lord. It is as good as the Lord Himself. Nama cintamanih krsnas caitanya-rasa-vigrahah purnah suddho nitya-mukto 'bhinnatvan nama-naminoh [Padma Purana]. When we chant Hare Krsna, this means Krsna is dancing on my tongue. Otherwise why these people are chanting twenty-four hours, "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna?" If you ask them to chant some other name, "Mr John, Mr John, Mr John," it will [not] be possible. He will be tired, "No more." But you go on chanting Hare Krsna twenty-four hours, you will never feel tired. That is the proof that the holy name of God and [Himself] are non-different.
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Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada-Mission in Service of His Divine Grace-Durban, 9thOctober 1975-Riddha Dasa Adhikari
chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)
It was on this day that Srila Prabhupada received Dr S.P. Olivier, the rector of the University of Durban-Westville, privately in his room. Prabhupada had deep and meaningful discussions with the rector and came to like him very much. Srila Prabhupada said that he was a good and a very open man. He stressed further that he wanted to bring his disciple, Svarupa Damodara dasa, a Ph.D., to take up a post at the University of Durban-Westville. The following are some glimpses of that conversation at the house in Westville where Srila Prabhupada was staying.
Dr Olivier: We are left in this twentieth century, this last part of the century, with a new global search for the truth about the spiritual. We, of course, in the western world, are not familiar with the Bhagavad Gita. Our problem is basically, I think, the one that you raised in your lecture: How do we make the spiritual a scientific reality? And I think you were quite right. I think really few people get the point that you were trying to make -- that this is a scientific matter.
Srila Prabhupada: That is the beginning of the Bhagavad Gita -- scientifically presenting spiritual knowledge. Therefore, I raised the question, "What is transmigration of the soul?" Nobody could reply properly. We are changing bodies. There are so many varieties of bodies and we may enter into any one of them after death. This is the real problem of life. Prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah: Nature is working, providing us with material bodies. This body is a machine. This machine, just like a car, has been offered to us by material nature by the order of God, Krsna. So the real purpose of life is to stop this perpetual transmigration from one body to another, one body to another, and revive our original, spiritual position so that we can live an eternal, blissful life of knowledge. That is the aim of life.
Dr Olivier: The conception of transmigration is not, of course, in the Christian religion.
Srila Prabhupada: It is not a question of religion. Religion is a kind of faith that develops according to time and circumstances. The reality is that we are spirit souls. By the laws of material nature we are carried from one body to another. Sometimes we are happy, sometimes distressed; sometimes in the heavenly planets, sometimes in lower planets. And human life is meant for stopping this process of transmigration and reviving our original consciousness. We have to go back home, back to Godhead, and live eternally. This is the whole scheme of Vedic literature.
The Bhagavad Gita gives the synopsis of how to act in this life. Therefore, through the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita we can begin to understand the constitutional position of the soul.
First of all we have to understand what we are. Am I this body or something else? This is the first question. I was trying to answer this, but some people in my audience thought it was a kind of Hindu culture. It is not Hindu culture. It is a scientific conception. You are a child for some time, then you become a boy, then you become a young man, and then you become an old man. In this way you are always changing bodies. This is a fact. It is not a Hindu conception of religion, it applies to everyone. In the Bhagavad Gita everything is explained very logically, very scientifically. It is not a sentimental explanation.
Dr Olivier: The problem, as I see it, is how to get modern man to make an in-depth study of what is contained or outlined in this book, especially when he's caught up in an educational system that denies a place for this very concept or even the philosophy of it. There is either complete neutrality or just a simple rejection of these truths.
Srila Prabhupada: They do not accept the soul?
Dr Olivier: They accept the soul, I think, but they do not care to analyse what it means.
Srila Prabhupada: Without analysing this, what is their situation? First of all, they should analyse the distinction between a dead body and a living body. The body is always dead, just like a motorcar without a driver. The car is always a lump of matter. Similarly, this body, with or without the soul, is a lump of matter.
Dr Olivier: It isn't worth very much. I think around fifty-six cents.
Srila Prabhupada: But if one cannot distinguish between the car and the driver of the car, then he is just like a child. A child thinks the car is running automatically, but that is his foolishness. There is a driver. The child may not know, but when he is grown-up and has been educated and still he does not know, then what is the meaning of his education?
Dr Olivier: In the western world, the whole range of education covers only primary, secondary and tertiary education. There is no place for an in-depth study of the soul.
Srila Prabhupada: I talked with one professor in Moscow. Maybe you know him -- Professor Kotovsky. He teaches at the Soviet Academy of Sciences. I had a talk with him for about an hour. He said, "After this body is annihilated, everything is finished." I was surprised that he told me this. He is known to be a very good scholar, yet still he does not know about the soul.
Dr Olivier: We have an Indology course here, given by a scholar from Vienna. But what he teaches, what kind of basic philosophy, I wouldn't know. There are about forty students. In essence they ought to start by making a detailed study of the Bhagavad Gita and use that as a basis for their whole philosophy.
Srila Prabhupada: So why not appoint someone to teach Bhagavad Gita As It Is? That is essential.
Dr Olivier: Our university almost has an obligation to make a study of these points in depth.
Srila Prabhupada: By thoroughly studying Bhagavad Gita, one begins his spiritual education.
Dr Olivier: Well, this is apparently what one needs. Our Hindu community here in South Africa seems to lack any fixed idea of what constitutes Hinduism. The young people especially are living in a complete vacuum. For various reasons, they do not want to accept religion because this is what they see around them. They cannot identify with the Christian religion, the Islamic religion or the Hindu religion. They are largely ignorant.
Srila Prabhupada: They should be shown the right path. This is the original, authentic path.
Dr Olivier: There were not very many great scholars in South Africa amongst our Indian community. The Indian people came, by and large, as workers on the sugar plantations -- field workers. A few were jewellers and tailors and so on. Then for the last hundred years there was a political struggle resisting transportation back to India. They were fighting to make a living and to find their own place in this country. As I see it, they must give meaning to the essence of their own beliefs and faith. I've been telling them that we are privileged to have them here in this country with their background, and that they mustn't cut themselves away from it and drift into a vacuum. But they don't know to whom they should turn. So basically, they and myself and others want to know how we get this spirit into our own hearts, and how does this then issue out into everyday living?
Srila Prabhupada: That is all explained in the Bhagavad Gita: how to live peacefully in this world, and how to go back home, back to Godhead.
Dr Olivier: But how does one get modern man to voluntarily make this experiment? The real tragedy is we have wandered so far away from the spirit that we do not know where to start. And we can't get a few dozen honest believers to sit down and try to find out how much God wants to give of His mind to our minds.
Srila Prabhupada: God is giving Himself. We just have to accept Him. That requires a little advancement. Otherwise, everything is there. God says that the soul is eternal and the body is changing. It is a very simple example. A boy becomes a young man, and a young man becomes an old man. There is no denying this fact. I can understand it, and you can understand it. It is very simple. I remember that as a boy I was jumping, and I cannot do that now because I have a different body. So I am conscious that I possessed a body like that. Now I do not possess it. The body is changing, but I am the same person eternally. It requires a little intelligence to see this, that's all. I am the owner of the body and I am an eternal soul. The body is changing.
Dr Olivier: Now, having accepted that, a further problem then arises: What are the implications?
Srila Prabhupada: Yes. If I understand that I am not this body, yet at the present moment I am engaged only to keep my body comfortable, without taking care of myself -- that is wrong. For example, if I am cleansing this shirt and coat thrice daily, but I am hungry -- that would be impractical. Similarly, this civilisation is wrong in this basic way. If I take care of your shirt and coat, but I don't give you anything to eat, then how long will you be satisfied? That is my point. That is the basic mistake. Material civilisation means taking care of the body and bodily comforts. But the owner of the body, the spirit soul, gets no care. Therefore everyone is restless. They are changing the "ism" from capitalism to communism, but they do not know what the mistake is.
Dr Olivier: There is very little difference. They are both material.
Srila Prabhupada: The communists think that if we take control of the government, everything will be adjusted. But the mistake is there -- both the communists and the capitalists are taking care of the external body, not the eternal identity, the soul. The soul must be peaceful. Then everything will be peaceful.
Later that evening, the programme was held in a large marquee on the site which was to become the Hindu Seva Samaj in Reservoir Hills. Like most of the programmes in the Indian areas, it was well attended and an overwhelming success.
During this time, Srila Prabhupada envisioned that one day there would be a temple in Durban like the Krishna Balaram Mandir in Vrndavana and that was his desire. It was a vision of the future and a desire that would bear fruit in the course of time.
* * *
Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada-Mission in Service of His Divine Grace-Durban, 10th October 1975-Riddha Dasa Adhikari
chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)
At 2.30 p.m. Srila Prabhupada was due to lecture at Pietermaritzburg City Hall. During an hour-long journey by road to Pietermaritzburg, Prabhupada passed a number of large white buildings several hundred yards from the roadside. They were being used by a farmer to raise chickens for slaughter.
Srila Prabhupada said, surprisingly, "Why do they bother? Why don't they just take some liquid and cover it with some kind of shell and make a chicken? But," he continued, "they cannot do that." He spoke about this for perhaps fifteen minutes, relishing the concept that life comes from the soul. Life cannot be fabricated by mixing chemicals. He was making statements about the necessity of the presence of the soul in the existence of even a chicken embryo. He repeated his challenge, saying, "What is the difficulty? You take some liquid and then cover it with some firm shell-like thing, and then make a chicken. But these fools and rascals cannot do this."
In this way, even in the course of an uneventful drive, Pusta Krsna Swami could see how Srila Prabhupada was critically studying his surroundings and finding preaching opportunities.
Srila Prabhupada's South African tour had been publicised in the Natal Witness newspaper on Saturday, October 11th 1975. It carried a notification of the city hall programme in Pietermaritzburg with the heading "Swami to Give Lecture in City."
Word soon got around, and the deputy principal and staff of a local high school were encouraged to attend by the principal. At the programme, the film The World of Hare Krishna and Prabhupada's lecture had a lasting effect on many of the several hundred Hindus who attended. For them this was the opportunity of a lifetime and the seeds of devotion were planted. Many people obtained books, such as Bhagavad Gita As It Is, which would nurture their spiritual being. This was no ordinary meeting.
As a result of this interaction, years later the deputy principal became a full-time devotee, now known as Lokabandhu dasa. Srila Prabhupada enjoyed his tour in South Africa so much he told Pusta Krsna Swami that if the programmes were to continue in this way he was prepared to stay on, indefinitely.
Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada-Mission in Service of His Divine Grace-Pietermaritzburg, 12th October 1975-Riddha Dasa Adhikari