"Srila Prabhupada gave us everything we need to live a happy healthy life and ultimately go back home, back to Godhead."
BY: GAURIDASA PANDITA DASA
Dec 18, 2010 — CALIFORNIA, USA — Being in the personal association of Srila Prabhupada is very enlivening. Hearing about him now also gives us pleasure and advancement in spiritual life. Srila Prabhupada had a daily routine that his young disciples could barely keep up with! He would translate his books most of the night, then sleep just a few hours and do his whole morning program, chanting japa, taking a morning walk, greeting the Deities and giving classes most everyday.
Upendra Prabhu would massage Srila Prabhupada in Vrindavan along with the assistance of another devotee after the morning program. One morning the assistant was sick and couldn’t help with the massage because we didnt want Srila Prabhupada to get sick, so I got to help massage him. I wanted to do that service, but I was a little reluctant as Srila Prabhupada had said earlier in a class in Vrindavan that the two most dangerous positions in spiritual life were being a pujari and being his personal servant, because familiarity breeds contempt.
We should never consider the spiritual master an ordinary man, or the Deities simply pretty statues. Krsna reciprocates with the devotees in His Deity forms according to our love and devotion. He knows our hearts and has even walked off the alters before and appears to devotees in dreams since time immemorial.
I entered Srila Prabhupada’s room to help with the massage and he was lying on a mat on the floor with a towel over his face. Upendra instructed me to start massaging some mustard seed oil on Srila Prabhupada’s legs. As soon as I touched the transcendentalized body of His Divine Grace he raised the towel and looked to see who I was, then laid the towel back down and relaxed, as did I.
I felt so honored to be allowed to touch him even though I was unqualified. Another example of his ’causeless mercy.’ Although Srila Prabhupada was 81 years old/young his legs were golden and smooth with no wrinkles as might be expected. His legs were like a youngsters. It reminded me of how Krishna is ever youthful. Similarly, Srila Prabhupada was also pretty youthful. Even though he was older, we younger disciples could barely keep up with him on his morning walks.
I experienced that on a few walks with him in Hawaii at Magic Island. He was also mentally very youthful and surprised us all with his charming Vaisnava wit and enthusiastic preaching spirit. Sometimes innocently simple, other times he’d say things totally unexpected and beyond our comprehension.
He often told jokes that were over our heads, but we were happy to see him tell the jokes. One time he said that Vaisnava means at least two together. He said he is an old man but if he has to go to the bathroom four men and an elephant would come to take him, and we all laughed. Point is if we have Vaisnava association we will be at our best and protected.
Srila Prabhupada gave us everything we need to live a happy healthy life and ultimately go back home, back to Godhead. He saw everything in relation to Krishna and engaged/engages unlimited fortunate souls in Krsna’s devotional service.
He ate only healthy Bhagavata Prasadam. He gave us remedies for so many problems spiritual and physical in his teachings, in his books, classes and letters to the devotees. He even gave remedies for headaches and backaches and practical advice especially in his letters.
Srila Prabhupada said three things helped him
In his advanced age, his morning walk, his massage and Ayurvedic medicines. He told that to long time personal servant Srutakirti Prabhu who has an ocean of nectarean pastimes he tells.
That day was very fortunate for me to be able to touch the lotus body of the pure devotee. A few other times I got the opportunity to massage Srila Prabhupada’s head with Brahmi oil at night. That was a nectar service. Srila Prabhupada is the serene swanlike pure devotee.
The oil is made with herbs such as Brahmi (Gotu Kola) which is said to relax the brain and increase the memory and decrease the time needed to sleep. Most of the Sikh taxi drivers drink tea made from these herbs so they can stay awake safely at night.
Srila Prabhupada slept very little and spent most of his time at night and in the afternoons writing his books for our benefit and the benefit of future generations in the Golden Age of Lord Chaitanya. When he saw me reading Srimad Bhagavatam in my spare time he gave a million dollar smile.
All glories to our Founder/Acharya Srila Prabhupada, who practiced what he preached and shows us how to perfect our lives living the Krsna Conscious lifestyle. There’s no other better way to get back home than following in his lotus footsteps. He’s waiting for us. What are we waiting for?
Only to try to help other lost souls become fortunate souls by getting on the precious path back home. Krsna says there is no one more dear to Him than one who preaches his glories, so Srila Prabhupada is most dear to Him. By the mercy of Krsna we got Srila Prabhupada and by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada we have and know Krsna more and more.
It’s a win-win!
Hoping this meets you well and Happy in Krsna Consciousness
Your eternal friend and servant
Gauridasa Pandita Dasa
\o/ HariboL \o/
Chant and be Happy!
Please check out my songs!
‘Its Krsna’
:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZPdL8CHodI
‘All Attractive Lord’
‘Going Home’
Govinda Jaya Jaya \o/
‘THE SWAMI SONG’
Speak Your Mind