book preview

Srila Prabhupada’s harmonium playing was very unique. It had so much life to it, like a babbling brook, the water falling and hitting the rocks; and as it falls each rock makes a different sound. He would go all over and embellish in a way that wasn’t Indian or Western or any kind of style—it…

In Paris, they put us out in the snow in the fields without any coats on, spread out in a big field, chanting without a microphone under a rock, with Mandakini behind me. It was completely again surreal, but all part of the tour. There is a series of photos of Srila Prabhupada and me…

I remember that I wasn’t initially very enthusiastic at the prospect of recording the Radha-Krishna Temple album. My thinking was that I didn’t have the time. I had to almost be pressured into being involved in the record, because when you record there’s a lot of down time, like doing a movie. There’s playback time,…

Srila Prabhupada himself came from Calcutta on the 8th, and from the very beginning of our programs in Bombay, Srila Prabhupada became known as one “who is startling India with kirtan.” Our kirtans were full of so much excitement—they were so thrilling—we were like one throbbing heartbeat—the heartbeat of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission of Krishna…

November 1970. The large iron key, sent by registered post, fell heavily onto the sandstone roof of the Delhi Dharmshala. Ten hands darted to retrieve it. We passed it around respectfully, knowing that it was our passport into Vrindavan, Lord Krishna’s eternal abode, whose counterpart in this world lay only ninety miles to our south….

How he dealt with us each individually was the greatest gift. I’m astounded when I reflect on it—he treated everyone on a personal basis and encouraged us in our practice of Krishna Consciousness. I felt that he genuinely loved each of us, and he exhibited that love through how he took care of us—with great…

Another special memory I have occurred during the mangal aratik in the dark of night. There were one or two low watt light bulbs hanging and a few candles on the altar. We began chanting the Guruvastaka prayers to the Spiritual Master and then, not far into the chanting, Srila Prabhupada spontaneously began chanting the…

I remember at the Ardha-Kumbha-Mela in Allabhad, when some of your disciples felt it was too difficult to rise early, take bath, and attend the morning program with you. Seeing this, you encouraged us by personally going outside in the dark of night, at 3 am, to bathe in unheated water and in near freezing…

“You must teach others what I have taught you.” This instruction was again repeated to me in Srila Prabhupada’s quarters in May of 1971 in Calcutta. At the time I was only visiting the temple in Calcutta, having been sent by Srila Prabhupada to assist with the pandal program at Chowringhee Maidan. Srila Prabhupada had…

Mr. Balu had a small temple in his home compound, and they had a set of beautiful, marble Deities of black Krishna and white Radharani who were the same size as what Srila Prabhupada called ‘Yamuna’s Deities.’ So the first day I arrived there with our Deities, They were placed on the altar in Mr….