Kanchanbala devi dasi Remembers Srila Prabhupada

Prabhupada Memories

Interview 01

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Kanchanbala: When I first started going to the temple I had just turned 16 and was still in high school. I was interested right away and wanted to know more and more about Swamiji (that’s how we addressed Srila Prabhupada in those days). I also wanted to tell Srila Prabhupada everything I did. I told him that I was living at home (far from the temple) and that my mother wouldn’t let me go to the temple. But I had an altar, and I offered prasadam and everything that I thought was beautiful to Krishna. I was into natural, earthy things, so I put cattails, moss, and bark on my altar. I wrote Srila Prabhupada a six-page letter telling him everything I was doing. I wanted to be totally honest, to lay it all out to him exactly: how I went out to school, did my homework, chanted on the subway, and so forth. He wrote back accepting everything I was doing, saying, “My sincere blessings for you for your nice prosecution of Krishna consciousness. Whatever you are doing at the present moment is approved by me, and I think on account of your becoming a sincere soul, Krishna is dictating from within and you are doing things so nicely.” It was so encouraging, especially as the years went by and I gradually realized the standard of devotional service and Deity worship in the temples Prabhupada established. I remember one devotee asked Srila Prabhupada, “Have you told us all the rules and regulations?” Prabhupada said, “If I told you everything, you’d faint.” He clearly gave us much room to toddle along.

To view the entire unedited video go to Memories 10 - 1995 Prabhupada Festival

The full Prabhupada Memories Series can be viewed here and also at www.prabhupadamemories.com

Following Srila Prabhupada

Interview DVD 01

Kanchanbala: One morning one of the devotees asked me to bring over some bhoga to Srila Prabhupada’s, where he was staying. So I walked over there with the groceries, and I knocked real softly on the door. Himavati opened the door just a little crack and I handed her the bhoga, and the corner of my eye when I looked down through the crack I saw Srila Prabhupada sitting and chanting japa. Srila Prabhupada asked Himavati, “Who is at the door?” and Himavati said, “Kancanbala came to bring bhoga.” And then Prabhupada said, “Tell her to come in.” So I came in and I didn’t expect it at all, it was just really a wonderful surprise, and I just fell down, bowed down and offered obeisances. Prabhupada told me to sit down, and we chanted japa together. That was real nice.