srila prabhupada said...!!!
chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)
Our resources for the work came mainly from three places: the BBT, Prabhupada's own statements about himself, and interviews with those who knew him. The BBT was very cooperative in providing materials from Prabhupada's lectures and letters and archive materials. For Prabhupada's own statements, we simply had to gather them. We preserved them verbatim and presented them in italics.
With the interview, we tried to apply various tests of authenticity to ensure that what was being said could be supported by objective evidence. For over six years, our SPL staff of interviewers and researchers used the same system. By researching tape recordings of Srila Prabhupada we tried to give accurate quotes of his statements and what Srila Prabhupada said whenever possible. We also looked for several reliable witnesses, in addition to the one who was recalling the particular event. (This was done by our interviewer bringing up the same incident in numerous interviews.) While we always felt more confident in hearing anecdotes from senior disciples who were leaders and active members of ISKCON, we did not exclude hearing from others, as long as they were favorable and not envious of Srila Prabhupada. In fact, the phenomenon of interviewing a devotee of Srila Prabhupada is itself remarkable, engaging the authenticity of remembrances of Prabhupada.
After collecting materials, we used certain methods to collate them into the manuscript. One method in particular was the technique of oral biography, which we interspersed throughout the book. Dr. Harvey Cox praised this method in the Foreword:
I am grateful for this book for two additional reasons that its writer could not have known. First, the author uses, among other methods, the growingly important method we in the West call "oral" history. He incorporates the fruits of many interviews with the people who knew Srila Prabhupada or who encountered him, who contribute some little bit of information, however tiny or fleeting, to make up the whole picture. In a few years all these people will have passed on. Those sources will be lost, at least to our mortal ears, forever. It is extremely important that the writer used this method and used it very skillfully. I hope others will use it as effectively. (Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta: forword)
Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada Gita-nagari Press- Prabhupada Appreciation- Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta -Satsvarupa dasa Goswami
chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)
We also recorded scenes by traveling to the various places of Prabhupada's lila. Keeping in mind our mixed audience, we avoided the sweet and ornate prose associated with some Gaudiya Math writers. (For example, they describe everything in terms of lila rather than saying, "The pure devotee caught a cold.") The balance we sought was of human, objective, documented portrayals, given by devotees.
Showing Srila Prabhupada as a human being was justified because that is how he showed himself to us. Prabhupada describes a nitya-siddha in the Caitanya-caritamrta, Srila Prabhupada said:
By the order of the Supreme the nitya-siddha remains within this material world like an ordinary man, but his only business is to broadcast the glories of the Lord. All nitya-siddhas within this material world may appear to toil like ordinary men, but they never forget their position as servants of the Lord. (Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya: 5:113)
After quoting this statement in the Introduction, I add:
When we consider Prabhupada's identity as Lord Krsna's empowered representative, the years of struggle described in this volume take on a special sweetness. These years reveal little known events in the life of a person who was always rapt in devotional remembrance of Krsna. Although he struggled through many hardships, his struggles were not those of an ordinary man, for he lived solely to carry out the will of guru and Krsna. I invite the reader to enjoy the very real human life story of Srila Prabhupada. (Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta)
chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)
This "real human life story" is a natural way to appreciate Prabhupada. It is the "too miraculous" treatment which is speculative because it claims that Prabhupada was defying the material laws. But we did include incidents when Prabhupada revealed his true spiritual nature.
The Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta serves the purpose of recording Prabhupada's lila. One cannot keep all the lilas in his mind, and therefore the book is there for reference and relishing. Devotees can read it regularly, a little bit each day or night, or, after three or five or ten years, reread the whole series. It also provides a resource for special events such as Vyasa-puja celebrations and it can be used as a reference guide for essays on Prabhupada. It is also a good introduction to the Krsna consciousness movement and to Prabhupada's books for the non-devotees. After the American BBT, Australia led the way in realizing the preaching potential of Prabhupada's life story and mass distribution of the Lilamrta. Brazil was the leader in translations.
Then other countries, like the United States, did mass printings of the single-volume abridged edition. People like biographies. It is easier to read a story than to muster the mental concentration necessary to read the scriptures. And people have become favorable to this movement just by reading about Prabhupada and what Srila Prabhupada said.
chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)
Sometimes people ask me if I would write the biography differently now if I had it to do over, after all we have been through as a movement with leaders falling down, etc. No, I would not. What was represented in the biography was Srila Prabhupada's history with his disciples and followers, and the events of recent ISKCON do not change that fact. The biography is about Prabhupada and is intended to glorify his achievements and his loving dealings with whoever exchanged with him and what Srila Prabhupada said. We cannot minimize that by taking a different approach in presenting his disciples.
Another question that comes up is whether this is the only biography of Srila Prabhupada. No -- Prabhupada had unlimited pastimes and not all of them fit within the scope of this work. Therefore, I have also written the Prabhupada Nectar series, Hayagriva Prabhu wrote the Hare Krsna Explosion, and others such as Hari-sauri prabhu are publishing their journals of the days they spent as Prabhupada's servant. Another work for devotees is Prabhupada Meditations.
A further development of the Lilamrta came in the form of Remembering Srila Prabhupada, the series of free-verse poems I wrote based on the biography. Because the biography was aimed at both devotee and nondevotee audiences, I had to be suitably restrained in my praise of Srila Prabhupada. Remembering Srila Prabhupada provided the opportunity to freely praise Srila Prabhupada and to appreciate him more in the society of devotees. Actually, writing a condensed version of a larger biography is a Vedic tradition. So Remembering Srila Prabhupada is a natural complement to Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta.
chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)
It was only after two years of leading ISKCON in America that Srila Prabhupada agreed to be addressed by the proper title Prabhupada instead of Swamiji. As early as 1960, in his first volume of Srimad-Bhagavatam, he had written in a purport, "The pure devotees whose only business is serving are honored by the names Prabhupada and Visnupada, which indicates such devotees to be representatives of the lotus feet of the Lord." (Bhagavad Gita: 1:1:15) Yet although the address Swamiji is common and not very respectful, it was the only name his followers knew and it had become a most endearing term for them. They inquired and prayed to him by that name, and they addressed all their letters, "Dear Swamiji." So it was a bit of a shock when the name changed.
One devotee, on hearing the new name from Srila Prabhupada's secretary, couldn't accept it without personally asking Srila Prabhupada. On the next morning walk he inquired, "Swamiji?"
"Yes?" Prabhupada replied.
"I understand that you prefer to be called Prabhupada."
Prabhupada turned quickly. "Where did you hear this? Who told you this?" Prabhupada appeared annoyed, and then he became silent. But after a few moments he spoke again. "Actually I do not prefer. But it is better" Srila Prabhupada said.
Aniruddha dasa, interview. The distinction is between a preference as seen as one's whim or opinion and the higher principle of doing what is best in devotional service. It had become best for Swamiji to accept the more honorable title, "Prabhupada." "Swamiji" was a nice name for our innocent beginning days, but it was more fit that the founder-acarya of the most important movement in the world be known by his more glorious and accurate name, as the master at whose feet the other masters sit.
Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada Gita-nagari Press- Srila Prabhupada Nectar - From Swamiji to Prabhupada -Satsvarupa dasa Goswami
chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)
In San Francisco in 1967, Srila Prabhupada only gradually raised the standards of his followers. Most of them were not much more than hippies having a good time eating and singing in the storefront. Right next to the temple was an ice cream shop, and at the end of the street there was a doughnut shop -- both frequented by devotees. Unless there was a specific function in the temple, many of the devotees could be found in one of the two food shops. Therefore, when Prabhupada would come down from his apartment, he would sometimes pass very slowly in front of the ice cream shop to see if any of his followers were there. Then he would go down to the doughnut shop and look in the window there. The "devotees" would even slink down in their seats so as not to be spotted as Srila Prabhupada looked in. More than once in the evening lecture Srila Prabhupada mentioned that devotees don't take part in eating in ice cream shops or eating doughnuts, but they eat only Krsna prasadam.
From the very beginning of his preaching in America, Prabhupada used to encourage his devotees to take part in the devotional ecstasy of chanting and dancing. On morning walks he would sometimes ask each devotee, "Were you chanting last night?" referring to the congregational kirtana in the temple.
"I tried to, but there wasn't any room," one devotee replied.
Gargamuni said, "No, because I was afraid I would cry." No doubt these remarks by his disciples contained neophyte emotions, yet Srila Prabhupada replied seriously.
"When you are with ordinary people," Srila Prabhupada said, "then you should not cry, because they will not understand. But when you are with devotees, you can cry, because the devotees will know that you are crying for Krsna."
And Prabhupada also demonstrated this crying. Once during the Sunday feast program, the devotees enacted the drama of Narada Muni's rescuing the hunter Mrgari. Visnujana dasa played Narada, and when he recited verses from "The Prayers to the Spiritual Master," everyone could notice something shining in the corner of Prabhupada's eye. He had a tear in his eye, but it was particularly shiny, like a diamond. After Prabhupada left the temple, many devotees were commenting, "Did you see the diamond in Prabhupada's eye?"
Nandarani-devi dasi, interview. Umapati dasa, inter-view. Prabhupada gave many strong warnings that such tearful emotions should never be imitated or induced; we should not cry like the sahajiyas, whose tears wash away all scriptural injunctions. Real crying is described in The Nectar of Devotion: "In other words, one should learn how to cry for the Lord. One should learn this simple technique, and he should be very eager and actually cry to become engaged in some particular type of service. This is called laulyam, and such tears are the price for the highest perfection." (The Nectar of Devotion: 83)
Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada Gita-nagari Press- Srila Prabhupada Nectar - Doughnuts; A Diamond in Prabhupada's Eye -Satsvarupa dasa Goswami
chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)
Srila Prabhupada's servant was having difficulty controlling his senses and he asked Prabhupada to give him a special diet. When word got around that Prabhupada had recommended a special diet, another devotee approached Prabhupada for similar treatment.
"Prabhupada, is there anything I could get that would help me control my tongue more? Are there certain things to avoid, like sugar?"
Srila Prabhupada said, "The method to control the tongue is to chant and to pray."
"Well," the devotee said, "I am chanting and praying, but still I am having difficulty."
Prabhupada sat back in his seat and laughed. "Yes," Srila Prabhupada said, "I know. I have a tongue too. It may be difficult, but as much as you can, try to eat simply."
Prabhupada went on to describe how during World War II there was a bombing of Calcutta -- during a time when Prabhupada was just about to honor prasadam. Friends had come running to the house giving warning: "Abhay Charan, come quickly! The air-raid siren is going off! The bombs are coming!" Prabhupada had responded by saying that he could not go because his wife had just prepared some kacauris. He told his friends, "You go to the shelter. I will stay here." And so he offered the kacauris, ate them, and chanted Hare Krsna.
Nanda-kumara dasa, interview. Srila Prabhupada said that he had a tongue, but he did not say that he had an uncontrolled tongue. The Krsna conscious siddhanta is that the tongue should be used in the service of Krsna, sevonmukhe hi jihvadau: one cannot realize Krsna or Krsna's name with the blunt senses, but only when one purifies his consciousness by engaging in bhakti-yoga, beginning with the tongue. Prabhupada describes this higher principle of renunciation in The Nectar of Devotion.
"Srila Rupa Gosvami, then, recommends that one should not be attached to material sense enjoyment, but should accept everything enjoyable which is in relationship to Krsna. For example, eating is necessary, and one wants some palatable dishes to satisfy his sense of taste. So in that case, for the satisfaction of Krsna rather than for the satisfaction of the tongue, some palatable dishes may be prepared and offered to Krsna. Then it is renunciation. Let the palatable dishes be prepared, but unless they are offered to Krsna one should not accept them for eating. This vow of rejecting anything which is not offered to Krsna is actually renunciation. And by such renunciation one is able to satisfy the demands of the senses."
Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada Gita-nagari Press- Srila Prabhupada Nectar - Fresh Kacauris Take Priority –Satsvarupa dasa Goswami
chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)
One evening in Bhaktivedanta Manor in London, Srila Prabhupada was sitting in his room with his disciples and a few guests, including a woman reporter who had come to interview Srila Prabhupada. Despite the chilly English summer weather, the reporter was dressed in a scanty mini skirt. Her first few questions revealed her skeptical and almost cynical attitude toward the Hare Krsna movement. As usual, Srila Prabhupada coolly and expertly answered her questions. Somewhat exasperated and in a challenging mood, she brought up the old question, "Why do you people have bald heads?" Srila Prabhupada immediately retorted, "Why do you have bare legs?" She was speechless. Srila Prabhupada then offered, "Better to have warm legs and a cool head." Everyone, including the reporter, laughed with delight. Prabhupada added, "You must have a cool head to understand this Krsna consciousness philosophy" Srila Prabhupada said.
Yadubara dasa, interview.
Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada Gita-nagari Press- Srila Prabhupada Nectar - Bald Heads vs. Bare Legs–Satsvarupa dasa Goswami
chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)
During an early morning walk in Vrndavana, devotees were asking Srila Prabhupada about the moon. A pale remainder of the moon could still be seen in the sky and various birds were cooing and calling from the trees. Srila Prabhupada said the moon is shining and therefore has heat, and yet its effect on the earth is cooling. Visakha dasi was one of the few women who regularly accompanied Srila Prabhupada on his walks because of her assignment as photographer. On this occasion, she stopped taking pictures and walked closer to ask Prabhupada a question about the moon.
"Prabhupada, it is stated in your Bhagavad Gita purport that because of the moonlight, vegetables have taste. So why is it that the moon makes the vegetables have flavor?"
Prabhupada stopped walking to consider her question. His demeanor was mellow and soft, but his look penetrated into her eyes.
"Why don't you ask him?" was his only reply, and then he walked on.
Visakha-devi dasi, interview. Srila Prabhupada's reply was unexpected. Instead of telling why the moon gave taste, he replied, in effect, "Why don't you ask the moon yourself?" Another expert way of teaching. Once when a disciple asked too many detailed inquiries about the nature of life in the spiritual world, Srila Prabhupada replied that when you will actually go to the spiritual world, then you can see these things for yourself. When a devotee asked why Lord Siva appeared as Sankaracarya, Prabhupada replied, "You have no right to question Lord Siva's activities." In this way, Prabhupada detected dubious mentalities in the questioners. As the waterfall sometimes flows and sometimes does not, so the pure devotee may speak or be silent -- or he may make an enigmatic reply. In any case, we learn from him.
Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada Gita-nagari Press- Srila Prabhupada Nectar - Because of the Moonlight Vegetables Have Taste –Satsvarupa dasa Goswami
chitralekha devi dasi (bcs)
"Regarding prasadam, leftovers should always be taken if they have not spoiled or if they have not been touched by a diseased person. We should never waste Krsna prasadam. Best thing is to cook only what is required and then give each person what he wants. That is Vedic system that the people sit in rows behind their plates and servers pass down the rows and put a very small portion of each foodstuff on each plate, unless there is some objection by a person, then nothing is given. Then if anyone wants more the servers pass up and down the rows continually and give more if anyone requests. In this way nothing is wasted and everyone is satisfied."
-- Letter of November 27th 1971
In India, Prabhupada instructed the devotees how a gentleman would eat and how to feed guests who come to the temple. During the meal the host should be very attentive to his guest's needs, supplying them servings of hot puris, fresh water, and more of everything. He should also engage his guest in light, relaxing conversation, and not heavy, anxiety-producing topics.
Srila Prabhupada said rice was useless unless served hot. Srila Prabhupada said also reheating rice must never be done, since it causes a poisonous effect.
"So far as offering to Krsna apple cider, this can be done only if it is prepared by the devotees. These food manufacturers do not take proper precautions in cleanliness nor do they have devotion for Krsna in their labors, so it is not a very acceptable offering. If you can make this preparation yourself, then it would be all right."
-- Letter of December 19th 1968
The letter regarding leftover prasadam was by Prabhupada to Kirtiraja dasa; the information about how a gentleman should eat was given by Jayapataka Swami; the information about Prabhupada's opinion on rice was from Palika-devi dasi; the letter about apple cider was addressed to Rukmini-devi dasi.
Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada Gita-nagari Press- Srila Prabhupada Nectar-Prabhupada Said: on Prasadam–Satsvarupa dasa Goswami