Page 23 - MMOSP (English)
P. 23

My Memories of Çréla Prabhupäda


             Nevertheless, as was typical for Çréla Prabhupäda, his visit was
             marked with several significant events. I was a fledgling member
             of the devotee community, so was not invited to participate
             in or attend those events, but simply heard about them
             afterward from senior devotees. I was rather impressed that
             Çréla Prabhupäda had given an interview to a journalist from
             the highbrow Observer newspaper, but less so on hearing that
             George Harrison was coming to meet Çréla Prabhupäda. I had
             no interest in music icons and considered that the enthusiasm
             some devotees had for George was simply a hangover from their
             pre-devotional lives. In fact, when a certain devotee excitedly
             informed some of us of George’s arrival, it seemed that he
             expected us to join him in rushing to try to catch a glimpse of
             that great star—so I deliberately went in another direction. I
             might have better respected George had I known how much
             affection Çréla Prabhupäda had for him.

             During this visit by Çréla Prabhupäda, I was able to go on a
             morning walk with him—the only one I ever attended. About
             thirty devotees were present, since most of the others had been
             uninformed of the walk or told not to attend, to prevent too
             large a crowd. When several others and myself unexpectedly
             saw Çréla Prabhupäda leaving the Manor, we scrambled to follow,
             but Bhaja Hari Prabhu, who had been the temple president until
             just recently, forbade us. However, when I noticed a godbrother
             going along anyway, I did too, and no one objected. During this
             walk, Çréla Prabhupäda hardly spoke, apart from his continuous
             chanting of japa, in which the accompanying devotees joined
             him. I was at the back of the group, just trying to get a glimpse
             of Çréla Prabhupäda. Since he was surrounded by many senior
             devotees, I couldn’t hear anything he said.

             I attended both of the public darçanas that Çréla Prabhupäda
             gave during that visit, by squeezing into the largest room of
             his quarters with about a hundred other eager godsiblings.


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