Page 19 - MMOSP (English)
P. 19

My Memories of Çréla Prabhupäda


             everything in order. On 11 August, almost all of us went to
             receive Çréla Prabhupäda at Heathrow Airport. We were happily
             performing kértana, in great anticipation of seeing our beloved
             spiritual master—and then were informed that his trip to
             London had been cancelled! Our intense disappointment was
             soon replaced by renewed expectancy when we were further
             told that Çréla Prabhupäda was rescheduled to arrive just one
             day later.

             Next day at the airport, there was some confusion as to
             which terminal Çréla Prabhupäda would be arriving at. Most
             of the devotees did greet Çréla Prabhupäda upon his arrival,
             but I ended up in a smaller group at another terminal. We
             were joyfully chanting when  all of a sudden Harikeça Däsa
             Brahmacäré rushed up and with a blissful smile told us that we
             were at the wrong terminal, and that Çréla Prabhupäda had
             already arrived and left for the Manor. (Because there had been
             some mix-up regarding Çréla Prabhupäda’s baggage, Harikeça
             Prabhu had stayed back to retrieve it.) Our plan had been to
             greet Çréla Prabhupäda with kértana at the airport and then
             rush ahead to again greet him with kértana at the Manor. So we
             immediately piled into the vans and sped back—but too late!
             Çréla Prabhupäda was already in his quarters and would not
             emerge until the next morning. Until then, all but a few senior
             devotees would have to wait for Çréla Prabhupäda’s darçana.

             I first saw Çréla Prabhupäda the next morning, 13 Aug 1975,
             shortly before the scheduled darçana of the Deities at 7:15 a.m.
             Flanked by Brahmänanda Swami, Harikeça Prabhu, and other
             big-bodied American devotees, next to whom the slightness
             of Çréla Prabhupäda’s physical stature was accentuated, Çréla
             Prabhupäda  majestically descended the stairs.  And thus my
             first  impression  upon  directly  seeing  my eternal  lord  and
             master was rather mundane: I was surprised to see how short




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