Hare Krsna
Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada
Unfortunately, the managers of the office building did not share the optimistic views of Srila Prabhupada and his followers. They disapproved of our loud kirtanas and received constant complaints from the building's other occupants, protesting the strong, pungent odors which bellowed out from the rear window into the offices above whenever prasadam was prepared. Suddenly, without prior warning, the management served a twenty-four-hour eviction notice. With nowhere to go, we found ourselves sitting. with all the temple paraphernalia, along the sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard. What had seemed to be a most promising opportunity had now turned into a terrible predicament. Camped out along the sidewalk, the devotees appeared like a wandering gypsy band. Out of desperation we began to ask the people who passed by, "Can we stay with you? Can we stay with you? Can we stay with you?" After many hours, when we had become nearly hopeless, a lady in her late middle ages walking with a little pet dog came up to us. She could understand our troubles, and without our even asking she invited us to her home. For three days we lived in her country house, along with her three dogs. She seemed to be forever cooking food for her pets, but we had no choice but to tolerate it because we had nowhere else to stay. Although she had hardly any inclination toward spiritual life, she was friendly and kindly disposed to the devotees, and we all appreciated that she alone had come forward to help us in our moment of need. Out of gratitude for her help I brought her to meet Srila Prabhupada, and although she had little understanding of his spiritual position, she nevertheless curtsied before Prabhupada, who thanked her very much for helping us.
Prabhupada was very concerned about the unfortunate turn of events. He instructed me to immediately rent a house for our sankirtana party. Dayananda had found an apartment for Srila Prabhupada, and he and his wife had occupied a separate accommodation some distance away. This meant that Prabhupada, the brahmacaris, and Dayananda were now each living in separate parts of the city. But Prabhupada was not to be easily discouraged. He had undergone far more difficult tests in the past. He described how, when he had lived in India as a sannyasi, he had been without Srila Prabhupada said any fixed residence. There, also, he had been forced to move from one place to another; but he had never allowed his preaching activities to become affected. Although he had worked singlehandedly and often did not have even enough money to purchase his meals, somehow or other he had persevered, and in the midst of such difficulties he had still produced three volumes of theSrimad-Bhagavatam. When he came to America things had not been any easier. His first year was spent in a similar condition, without any certain income or fixed residence. But he had continued to translate the Bhagavatam and hold preaching programs. In retrospect. Prabhupada now considered these difficulties to be spiritual assets. A devotee could find solace knowing that Krsna alone was the only real shelter, not any place in this transitory material world. Material security was an illusion which sooner or later would crumble, and finally, when death came, the soul would have to leave the body no matter how fine or permanent the arrangements may have seemed.
Biographies and Glorifications of Srila Prabhupada-Servant of the Servant-The West Coast Days-Intimate Encounters-Tamala Krsna Goswami
Comments