srila prabhupada said...!!!

[chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)]

Spiritual life is full of all varieties of emotions. There is nothing in existence which does not have its origin in Krsna, including anger. As Lord Nrsimhadeva, the Supreme Lord exhibited His most furious form and in a mood full of anger slew the demon Hiranyakasipu in order to protect His pure devotee Prahlada Maharaja. Similarly, Lord Caitanya became angry when Nityananda Prabhu was abused by Jagai and Madhai. And the Lord again exhibited His anger and chastised Advaita Acarya when the latter began to preach Mayavada philosophy. And finally Hanuman, the great devotee of Lord Ramacandra, used his wrath to destroy the enemies of his master, Rama. From all of these examples it is clear that when anger is used in the service of Krsna, it is Krsna conscious. Those who criticize a pure devotee for becoming angry in defence of Krsna or His devotees are ignorant of the principle of spiritual variegatedness. It is Mayavada philosophy to try to eliminate all varieties of emotions. All feelings and acts can be accommodated in spiritual life when their essential motive is service to Krsna.

After the temple officially opened, the devotees continued to make improvements. Muralidhara dasa was excused from going on sankirtana so he could spend time developing his artistic skills. His first attempt was an eight-foot by twelve-foot oil painting of Radha-Krsna and the eight gopis. We hung this painting, along with those brought from the previous temple, in our new temple room.

Nara-Narayana was also very talented. After many days of effort he completed a beautiful vyasasana for Srila Prabhupada. In San Francisco, Seattle, and in other temples, Prabhupada's sitting arrangement was always simple; usually it was hardly more than some upholstered cushions placed on a raised platform. Prabhupada had never complained, nor had he demanded anything better, but now that we had such a beautiful temple facility, we wanted to offer him something very grand, just suited to his exalted position. We realized that we had never actually worshiped our spiritual master on an equal level with God, although this was the injunction of the scriptures. By glorifying our spiritual master, Krsna would be pleased. And guests would also come to understand the importance of worshiping the pure devotee of the Lord. The more they respected Srila Prabhupada, the more carefully they would hear attentively what he had to say.

But in offering Srila Prabhupada such a grand seat, we had not been prepared for his reaction. He seemed almost hesitant in accepting the beautiful vyasasana, which we had placed on the altar stage to the right of the deities. When Prabhupada sat down, he was visibly moved by our offering. In a quiet, faltering voice, Srila Prabhupada said that he was not at all worthy to accept such an offering, but that he would accept it on behalf of his Guru Maharaja. We could see tears in Prabhupada's eyes as he was deeply affected by the great love and reverence which his disciples felt for him. From our side, we all felt that the new vyasasana was just appropriate to Prabhupada's greatness. In fact, it was not good enough. We wished that the whole world would join us in glorifying Srila Prabhupada.

Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada-Servant of the Servant-The West Coast Days-Intimate Encounters-Tamala Krsna Goswami

[chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)]

Prabhupada began to hold evening classes, lecturing on Bhagavad Gita, meticulously training his disciples in the science of krsna-bhakti, and it was at this time that he delivered the famous "Yoga Series" lectures from the Gita's Sixth Chapter. On Sundays he would arrive at the temple to be greeted by all of the devotees. The building was no longer a dilapidated, rejected church. Under the supervision of a new devotee, Bhavananda dasa, a former interior decorator, the devotees had painted the outside of the building in various pastel shades, converting it almost overnight into a palace of heaven. Jayananda, in his usual humble manner, had convinced a local gardener to supply us with one hundred eight rose bushes of different colours and four highly fragrant gardenia bushes. As Prabhupada's car would draw near, the devotees waiting to greet him appeared like so many bright glittering jewels before a palace of Vaikuntha. Dancing and chanting, they would greet Prabhupada, offering him roses and gardenias from the garden. Sometimes more than a hundred guests would also be present, attracted by the daily and evening sankirtana parties. The festive atmosphere, completed by Prabhupada's personal presence, was irresistible. Even within the first month of our moving to the new temple. five devotees joined. These were all very encouraging signs to Srila Prabhupada. It was ISKCON's first major temple, and its success indicated that the movement was progressing and expanding. Until that time, everything had been a personal struggle for Prabhupada, requiring his constant supervision. But in Los Angeles, for the first time the devotees were taking responsibility for organizing and preaching Krsna consciousness on a large scale, and the results were very hopeful. Sankirtana, book distribution, Sunday festivals, and Deity worship all became standardized. Prabhupada was encouraged that this same success could Srila Prabhupada said gradually spread to other cities where he had temples.

[chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)]

While Prabhupada directed the establishment of the temple, his literary work continued without interruption. His spiritual master had instructed him to write, publish, and distribute books even at the expense of everything else. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta had even said that one could sell the marble from the temple room floor for the purpose of book publication. Prabhupada therefore considered his writing to be the most important service he could offer to his Guru Maharaja. Before coming to the West, when he had had no temples, no disciples; it had been his only activity. Singlehandedly he had written, financed, published, and distributed his English fortnightly Back to Godhead magazine, and between 1960 and 1965 he had produced the first three volumes of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, without anyone else's help. These books had been the basis for launching his preaching mission in the West. When he arrived in America aboard the Jaladuta, they were practically his only possession. He considered his writing Srila Prabhupada said to he the most important contribution he could offer to the people of the world. It was the brhad-mrdanga-a kirtana which he could perform in the solitude of his room, yet which could he heard around the world.

The great sage Vyasadeva had described the Bhagavatam as the ripened fruit of all the Vedic literature and as the only light in this darkened age of Kali-yuga. To complete the translation and commentary of the entire Bhagavatam was a monumental task, a lifetime's effort, but Prabhupada had begun the work when he was past the age of sixty-five. Now his concern was whether he would be able to complete the full twelve cantos. He considered it a race against time. Srila Vyasadeva had composed the Bhagavatam in such a way as to gradually prepare the reader to understand the most sublime truth of the transcendental pastimes of the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, which are specifically presented in the Tenth Canto. Srila Prabhupada had himself admitted in his Preface to the Bhagavatam that without going through the first nine cantos, one would he unable to capture the true meaning of the Tenth Canto. But he was now in his mid-seventies. Already he had suffered severe heart attacks, and there was no certainty as to how long Krsna would allow him to live. This was a cause of anxiety for him-not because of any personal desire which he wished to fulfil, but because of the fact that he wanted the world to know the full glories of Krsna. Toward this end, he had conceived of writing a summary study of the Tenth Canto, so if his time ran out, the world would not be deprived of knowing Krsna in full. Prabhupada titled this work Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, which he planned to produce in a two-volume set consisting of ninety chapters exactly following the original Bhagavatam.

[chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)]

A conditioned soul, being covered by lust and ignorance, ordinarily has no access to understanding the activities of the Personality of Godhead. Srila Vyasadeva therefore took all precautions by presenting the Bhagavatam in a systematic way, in order to purify the heart of the listener. A sinful person would never be able to immediately appreciate the transcendental nature of Krsna's intimate dealings with his devotees. Such a person would mistake these activities as ordinary, mundane affairs. Even in India, where the Bhagavatam is revered and where people consider hearing the Bhagavatam to be the most pious of all sacrifices, its recitation had become degraded to a business dealing. Professional Bhagavatam reciters could now be found all over the land holding Bhagavata-saptahas, completing the entire recitation in thc span of seven days in imitation of the original narration by Srila Sukadeva Gosvami. The more famous of these reciters would advertise in the newspapers and hold large pandal programs in which tens of thousands of persons would attend daily, expecting to receive in seven days the same benediction bestowed upon Maharaja Pariksit. Within the large pandal tent hundreds of hired brahmanas would sit in long rows, each assigned certain chapters, which they would read simultaneously, out loud. Of course, it was impossible to make any sense out of hearing hundreds of persons reading all at once, but the organizers of the event, taking advantage of the public's sentiment, lacked any genuine understanding of the purpose of the Bhagavatam or the proper method of its recitation and reception. They did not know that without a qualified speaker like Srila Sukadeva Gosvami and a qualified hearer like Maharaja Pariksit mere parroting of the slokas could produce no actual benefit. And it was doubtful that they really cared, because their main interest seemed to be monetary, and lakhs of rupees were earned at each fair. Even worse was the way they took advantage of the lusty desires of the audience. The lesser brahmanas would sit below the main reciter, who would elaborately describe the intimate pastimes of the Tenth Canto over the loudspeaker. This is what the audience had come for. The more famous of the professional reciters were for the pious part of the population what the cinema stars were for the masses. Their description of Krsna's rasa-lila dance with the gopis was always the highlight of the performance, and sometimes, in the midst of their speaking, they would cry and even faint in feigned ecstasy.

Prabhupada very much disapproved of such useless Srila Prabhupada said imitations of the great Bhagavatam epic. There was no question of undertaking a serious study of this cream of all Vedic literatures unless one was prepared to dedicate his life to following its teachings. Bhagavatam was the mature fruit of Vyasadeva's writings, the natural commentary on the Vedanta-sutras. A sincere person would have to make a careful study, going progressively canto by canto through the work. And without giving up sinful habits it would not be possible to grasp the meaning properly.

[chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)]

Prabhupada was now preparing to present the Tenth Canto on its own, without the support of the first nine cantos. It had to be done so expertly that his readers would not be degraded into seeing Krsna in a mundane way on account of their own impurities. He would be taking them immediately into the Tenth Canto, despite their addiction to sinful habits and their total unfamiliarity with the subject matter. The general public in the West had never heard of Krsna, nor in their own scriptures was there much detailed description of God and His kingdom. Their tendency would be to mistake Krsna for a folk hero; they would read Krsna's pastimes in the same way as Aesop's fables. The sastra recommended that the Lord's intimate pastimes not be revealed to the faithless, but how else could the mass of people be delivered? If somehow he could present the Tenth Canto in a pure, simple manner, Prabhupada felt confident that their lusty material desires Srila Prabhupada said would be diminished and they could make advancement in spiritual life. He would have to interweave Krsna's sublime pastimes with the basic philosophy of Krsna consciousness, always reminding the reader of the Lord's transcendent position. The style should be disarmingly simple, so as to arouse their innocent nature. And he would have the book lavishly illustrated with paintings by his devotee-artists, because illustrations would be a further help in understanding the personal nature of God and His kingdom. Writing the Krsna book would be his greatest challenge. Prabhupada's burning desire to have the world know about Krsna made him now attempt such a difficult task.

He saw the situation in Los Angeles as the ideal opportunity for taking up this difficult writing endeavour. The devotees in Los Angeles were enthusiastic and seemed to have a natural ability for carrying on the preaching without his constant involvement. He would come in the evenings to the temple as he had always done, to give the Bhagavad Gita class. But besides this, he wanted to remain free to concentrate on his writing. Prabhupada specifically requested me that now no one should come to see him at his apartment except for myself. Whatever problems the devotees had, they could take to me, and I should try to solve them as best I could. If necessary, I could discuss any important matter with him. For the first time since he had come to America, Prabhupada was freeing himself from the day-to-day affairs of management. In his apartment at Hayworth Avenue he set up an ambitious schedule, translating and writing both mornings and afternoons. He was so encouraged by this new arrangement that simultaneously he began to work on a second book, The Nectar of Devotion, a summary study of Srila Rupa Gosvami's Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. While the Krsna book was written for the public as well as his disciples, The Nectar of Devotion was meant especially for the initiated devotees. Prabhupada described it as "the law book of ISKCON," in that it presented the complete science of bhakti-yoga with all the "do"s and "don't''s of devotional service.

[chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)]

Prabhupada's servants were sympathetic to his new mood and made all the necessary arrangements so that he would be able to concentrate fully on writing. With no devotees permitted to visit, they felt that Prabhupada was theirs exclusively. Although normally Prabhupada insisted that his servants not restrict anyone from coming to see him, now he seemed to tolerate their possessive mood if it would afford him more privacy to concentrate on his writing. Hayworth was a long residential street lined with two-story apartment complexes. The devotees had arranged for a second-floor apartment, and Prabhupada had selected the rear two rooms, which were the quietest, for his personal use. In one room he would take rest and sometimes chant his rounds while sitting in a wooden rocker. The other room was arranged for his writing, with a low desk and a pillow.

While sitting behind his desk, Srila Prabhupada took inspiration from Sri Sri Radha and Krsna, the small Deities he travelled with wherever he went. Flowers of all colours and shapes, some nearly as big as the small Deities Themselves, covered the entire altar. The two servants, Karttikeya and Sudama, would go out each morning to pick fresh flowers. Sometimes they would accompany Prabhupada on his morning walk, and then he would encourage their competition to see who could bring more flowers for Krsna. Prabhupada enjoyed the Hayworth Avenue area, with its neat lawns and flowering gardens, and his apartment, though sparsely furnished, was comfortable and adequate for his needs. Only occasionally did he complain-when his servants thoughtlessly allowed a door to slam or made too much noise while cooking in the kitchen. And when the downstairs tenant cooked chicken soup he would lodge a complaint, but there was little we could do. When we suggested that the obnoxious odour was no longer present, Prabhupada would half-jokingly conclude, "You do not smell the chicken soup because you are a liberated soul. But I am conditioned and am subject to the dictation of my senses" Srila Prabhupada said.

[chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)]

On alternate mornings, after he had taken his breakfast, Prabhupada allotted time for me to discuss any of the affairs affecting the temple or the devotees. Although he was not personally involved in managing, he was by no means unconcerned. He was interested to know how each devotee was being engaged, and although he saw them only briefly in the evenings when he gave class, he could detect those devotees having problems. In some cases he would suggest a service for a particular disciple just suited to take advantage of his or her individual abilities, and at other times, after hearing our daily schedule, he would make adjustment for more japa time or a certain preparation that would be nice for the devotees' prasadam.

Prabhupada was especially eager to receive the previous day's sankirtana report. He would inquire with great interest how Back to Godhead was selling and what, if any, were the people's comments. At the time, ISKCON Press was printing only several thousand copies a month, out of which our Los Angeles temple was selling 2,500. Prabhupada would listen carefully as I narrated various sankirtana experiences, and he seemed to relish the details exactly as if he were one of the members of our sankirtana party. And because we represented the sales force of his magazine, he took our suggestions about the magazine's contents very seriously. When I brought it to Prabhupada's attention that a paid advertisement had been printed on the back cover promoting the writings of the sex-magazine editor Ralph Ginsberg, Prabhupada became alarmed. People who we met on the street felt that our policies were contradictory. Christians challenged that this was proof that we were actually not religious at all. Up to that time, Back to Godhead had maintained a policy of accepting paid advertisements without much discrimination; but as a result of our complaints Prabhupada made the decision that we would print the magazine without advertisements. This would make our publication much more prestigious in the eyes of the public, and we would no longer be accused of compromising our principles.

The training which Prabhupada had begun in San Francisco now became a thorough course in all aspects of Krsna consciousness. Sometimes he would have me read his correspondence to him and then would ask me how to reply to the letter. When I would suggest what I thought was the best way to handle a particular matter, he would patiently explain how my reply would cause the person to feel one way or another. This practical instruction was invaluable, because it trained me to deal with the devotees in a much more Krsna conscious manner. Prabhupada was actually showing me how to practically apply the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita in everyday dealings. The test of my realization would not only be known by how well I could give class, but in how much I was able to encourage the devotees to increase their devotional service. I was aware that such intensive training was not meant simply for my personal benefit but that there was a greater obligation to share whatever I gained with my Godbrothers and Godsisters. Prabhupada was investing so much time, with the expectation that I would in turn act as his representative, communicating his desires to the other devotees at the temple. It was a grave responsibility, which I was barely capable of assuming, for my attachment for Prabhupada was not any greater than that of my other Godbrothers. After one morning meeting, Prabhupada urged, "Just try to become convinced that Krsna is God" Srila Prabhupada said.  I was just a neophyte devotee, with only a little faith in Krsna, and yet Prabhupada was pushing me, forcing me to accept more and more responsibility.

[chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)]

One day I brought a painting done by our artist Muralidhara for Prabhupada's approval. On Prabhupada's request, Muralidhara had reproduced on canvas the Srimad-Bhagavatam jacket cover showing the spiritual sky. As I held the painting up, Prabhupada began to explain the plan of the creation. First he pointed to where Krsna was and described how the entire creation was an expansion of Krsna's energy. The Vaikuntha planets, broad and effulgent, were unlimited in number. Then Prabhupada pointed to the corner of the painting where the material world was situated. Maha-Visnu is lying down there, and millions of universes emanate from His skin holes. Srila Prabhupada said, "Each universe is filled up with unlimited numbers of living entities who inhabit all of the planets and stars. One of these planets is our earth, and on this planet are many continents. On one continent there is America, and in America there are so many big cities. Here is Los Angeles, and in Los Angeles there is a street, La Cienega Boulevard. On this boulevard, among all of the buildings, is a temple of Lord Krsna. And in this temple there is one Tamal Krishna. He is there, and is thinking that he is very important." Then Prabhupada looked at me and smiled. He was showing me how unimportant I really was. The lesson was clear: no one had the right to become puffed up, no matter how important his position might seem to be. In comparison with Krsna, the cause of all causes, each jiva is tiny and insignificant. But despite this vast difference between the Lord and the living entity, Krsna allows His pure devotees to associate with Him equally. Prabhupada was kindly revealing the unlimited extent of Krsna's glories. His silent smile communicated the deep love he felt for Krsna and his desire to share it with his disciples. There were other, similar moments when Prabhupada would allow us to enter into the intimacy of his spiritual emotions. Once, after returning in the evening from the temple, we stepped into his room, which was lit only by the light over the altar. Radha and Krsna stood bathed in the soft light;, which resembled the autumn moon in Vrndavana. Krsna, His body covered with jewels and fine cloth, played upon His flute, and Radharani, His eternal consort, held a garland of delicate jasmine flowers. When Prabhupada beheld Their effulgent, golden forms, he stood still and exclaimed, "Just see! Radha and Krsna are dancing tonight!" And on another occasion, Prabhupada offered me a luglu which he had personally prepared and asked that I please taste it and tell him how I liked it. Truthfully, I had never experienced any taste with which it could he compared. "It is out of this world," is all that I could say. And Prabhupada replied, "Yes, it is not of this world. Krsna takes such luglus with Him when He goes out to play in the fields. Wherever He goes, mother Yasoda fills His pocket with these luglus." Srila Prabhupada's mood conveyed more than just something he had beard from a book. He was speaking from realization, from an intimate relationship which he enjoyed with Krsna. Moments like these convinced me of Prabhupada's extraordinary position. We were all so fortunate to be his disciples.

[chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)]

All the devotees were always eager to relish hearing the nectarean pastimes of their spiritual master, and Prabhupada was just as eager to share Krsna with his disciples. It was only for this reason that he was now remaining aloof, in semi-seclusion. In reality, he was offering his association even more liberally, only now it was coming in a different form. The books he was writing, Krsna and The Nectar of Devotion, were full of the most relishable descriptions of the Supreme Lord and His eternal associates. As Prabhupada's dictations were typed out each day, copies of the transcripts were read by the devotees. Krsna's Vrndavana-Lila over flooded the temple as the devotees took pleasure recounting over and over again the eternal pastimes of the Lord. They appreciated their spiritual master more than ever and what Srila Prabhupada said and felt that he was giving them the greatest gift of all.

In his apartment. Prabhupada churned the pastimes of Krsna, not only by writing but by singing devotional songs of ecstasy written by the Gaudiya Vaisnava acaryas. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Narottama dasa Thakura had described Krsna and service to Krsna in the most sublime poetry. These songs, sung to the accompaniment of harmonium, mrdanga, and karatalas, were not meant as light entertainment; they were written in full realization of Krsna, and as the conclusions of highly elevated souls they were accepted on an equal level as sastra. The Hayworth Avenue apartment would be transformed into a Vrndavana atmosphere as the sounds of Prabhupada's voice resounded through the rooms, Prabhupada accompanying himself on harmonium with Karttikeya or myself playing karatalas. And he allowed the songs to be recorded, so that the devotees all over the world could also enjoy them. He would have each bhajana re-played, and while listening with headphones he would make a second recording, this time playing the mrdanga. It seemed that there was nothing that Prabhupada could not do. He was expert in all matters, both spiritual and material. While constantly in touch with the transcendental world, he was able to function with ease amid the sophisticated creations of modern science. And always he thought of how to train his disciples to do as he did. He demonstrated for me the mrdanga beat. Kee tak ka, kee tak ka, kee tak ka, kee. Gee tak ka, gee tak ka, gee tak ka, gee . As I watched Prabhupada's fingers play the intricate rhythms of the mrdanga I became hypnotized as he went faster and faster-so fast that his hands appeared only as a blur-and then boomp. He stopped. Though Prabhupada was old enough to be our grandfather, in heart and action he was more youthful than any of us.

[chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)]

On one of my regular visits, Srila Prabhupada asked if I was free to remain until noontime and then to take lunch with him. I was surprised at such an unusual invitation (apart from when he visited the temple, Prabhupada always respected prasadam alone), but of course, I immediately thanked Prabhupada, grateful for this fortunate blessing. Prabhupada called for Govinda dasi and informed her that the cooks should prepare extra prasadam, as he was having a guest. (When they understood that the guest was only their Godbrother, they felt a little disturbed, perhaps due to some envy. As Prabhupada's servants they were proud that they had to serve only Prabhupada and no one else.)

While the cooking proceeded, Prabhupada again returned to speaking with me. "It is better that I have a male secretary. Govinda dasi should join her husband in helping to preach in Hawaii. People may criticize me, saying that I am too closely connected with a woman. Of course, I do not find any difficulty personally, nor any complaint with her service. But we must consider the public's opinion." Prabhupada explained that a sannyasi's character must be beyond fault and cited the popular example of "Caesar's wife must be above suspicion." Prabhupada described how Lord Caitanya had always acted in an exemplary manner and was the ideal sannyasi. Then, speaking in a hushed tone so that what he said would not be overheard by Govinda dasi, Prabhupada handed me a letter which he wanted me to mail. It was addressed to his disciple Purusottama in New York. Prabhupada explained that he was calling Purusottama to Los Angeles to replace Govinda dasi. It was better that I mailed the letter, because he doubted whether she would do so. After Purusottama came, he would gradually induce her to go to Hawaii.

"In what order should I eat each preparation?" I asked. The servants had first brought Prabhupada's large silver plate containing many wonderful preparations. Then they had brought me a similar, but much smaller, plate. "In eating there is no hard-and-fast rule" was the only advice Prabhupada would offer as he silently respected prasadam. I watched as Prabhupada sampled each item on his plate. Having familiarized himself with the different tastes, he proceeded to mix small portions of each in different combinations and then again sometimes eat them separately. I tried as best I could to follow exactly, bite by bite, so that I could learn the art of eating properly. I was surprised how slowly Prabhupada ate. He was relishing the prasadam as non-different from Krsna. After forty minutes Prabhupada was finished, and I felt completely satisfied, full up to the neck with prasadam (Prabhupada, it seemed, had had the servants give me extra helpings of many of the preparations). Then he instructed me to go and wash my hands and come back for talking a little more.

"We have had correspondence with Dai Nippon printing company of Japan," Prabhupada began. "They are one of the largest printing houses in the world. But they have written to say that they will only take our printing if we order a minimum of twenty thousand magazines. But this is more than five times what we are now printing, so whether we shall be able to sell each month such a huge quantity?" Prabhupada waited for my response. After carefully considering, I explained that I thought it was possible for us to increase our sales. We would try harder.

"Then you please give me guarantee that you will take five thousand copies. If you do this, I will arrange the balance fifteen thousand between San Francisco, New York, and London. You just give me this guarantee" Srila Prabhupada said.

"Yes! We will see that our share is sold," I said decisively, proud to be able to give my spiritual master guarantee of our service to him.

Prabhupada was greatly pleased. "Thank you very much. I want to increase distribution of our literature. I am writing so many books, and if Krsna desires, I will be able to continue to give you many more in the future. So you will have to sell these in as big quantities as possible. My Guru Maharaja asked me especially to do this, and your guarantee has made me feel very much encouraged today."

I felt a little ashamed that Prabhupada was giving me credit in this way. I had not done anything except promise on behalf of all the devotees that we would do our best to serve him. That was our duty as his disciples. There had been no question of refusing Prabhupada's request, yet he was voluntarily allowing himself to be dependent on our assistance. In this way our attachment for him increased even more.

Later on, as I returned to the temple, I reviewed the morning's meeting. Srila Prabhupada had treated me as a guest, almost like a business associate whom he had invited for lunch to discuss an important proposal. He had satisfied me with so much prasadam that I felt agreeable to accepting whatever terms he had proposed. It was a transcendental negotiation, and unlike its mundane counterpart, it had been free from even the slightest tinge of selfish motivation. Prabhupada's only interest had been to increase everyone's service to Krsna, for as a result we would all become gainers. I was happy to be part of such a transcendental "deal," and I thought that the devotees at the temple would especially relish this latest pastime of Prabhupada's.