Page 18 - MMOSP (English)
P. 18

My Memories of Çréla Prabhupäda


             time I was more receptive, and after reading Kåñëa I decided
             to visit the devotees. Thus, my next acquaintance with Çréla
             Prabhupäda was in the form of his devotees and his movement.
             And in April 1975, I was fortunate enough to be accepted into
             the community of devotees at Bhaktivedanta  Manor, near
             London.

             The  devotees  often  spoke  about  Çréla  Prabhupäda,  with
             great reverence, faith, and affection. They would teach me
             the philosophy and practices of Kåñëa  consciousness by
             saying, “Çréla Prabhupäda said this” or “He showed us to do
             like that.” And they constantly reveled in discussing Çréla
             Prabhupäda’s wonderful activities as he traversed the globe like
             a transcendental world conqueror. Much of our news about His
             Divine Grace was relayed by devotees passing through London.
             (Çréla Prabhupäda had discouraged unnecessary international
             phone calling, and the internet was yet to be.) We would
             eagerly gather round a visiting devotee to relish hearing
             about the exciting things Çréla Prabhupäda had said—maybe
             chastisement for some, encouraging words for others, a new
             revelation from his recent translations, or his latest plans for
             spreading Kåñëa consciousness.

             Whether within the temple or out traveling in saìkértana vans,
             devotees regularly listened to cassettes of Çréla Prabhupäda
             speaking and chanting. We were saturated with Prabhupäda
             consciousness. Even though I knew little of what it means to be
             a disciple, I was worshiping Çréla Prabhupäda as my guru.

             In the summer of 1975, news came that Çréla Prabhupäda was
             in Paris and would soon come to London. Just by hearing this,
             the devotees in Britain became joyful, and as the moment of
             His Divine Grace’s expected arrival drew nearer, a mood of
             tremendous excitement spread among them. At Bhaktivedanta
             Manor, devotees were busy cleaning, painting, and putting


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