Gaura Hari das Remembers Srila Prabhupada: Difference between revisions
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==Prabhupada Memories== | |||
===Interview 01=== | |||
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'''Gaura Hari:''' The first time I saw Srila Prabhupada was in 1967 or ’68 when he first came to San Francisco. At that time the mayor had called a meeting of various groups around the Haight Ashbury area of San Francisco as he anticipated thousands of kids coming for the “Summer of Love”. I was with a group called the Diggers which was kind of a revolutionary group that would beg, borrow or steal food, and set up free kitchens in Golden Gate Park and elsewhere. We had a storefront at 520 Frederick Street, which as it turned out was right next door to the devotee’s storefront at 518 Frederick Street. At this meeting were about fifteen people including the mayor of the city, the chief of police, various medical personnel from hospitals, and a couple of other yoga groups as well as Prabhupada and Hayagriva. Everybody there made their presentation as to what they were going to do to help. When it came time for Prabhupada to talk, Prabhupada pointed to Hayagriva and said, “You talk.” Hayagriva spoke about the temple in San Francisco and what they were doing. I remember I just kept looking at this little Indian fellow who was just sitting there. He was moving his head back and forth listening to Hayagriva. Then they brought out a plate of fruits that Hayagriva picked up and offered it first to Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada picked up a grape, threw it in the air, and caught it right in his mouth. It was the most amazing thing in the world to see. I had never seen anybody do something like that. It was quite incredible. The Diggers were invited by Lou Gottlieb to go out and help farm his land in Sebestopol called Morning Star Ranch. I went out there to live and one day we heard that the devotees from the temple along with Prabhupada were going to come. We had built a platform, a little vyasasana for him in the woods on top of a hill underneath a cross that was on the property. I remember going out and picking yellow Scotchbroom flowers and decorating the vyasasana for Prabhupada. Lou Gottlieb drove Srila Prabhupada out to the farm in his Volvo. Lou told me the story that he said to Prabhupada, “Put your seatbelt on,” and Prabhupada said, “Krishna is my seatbelt.” When Prabhupada got there, I was digging potatoes in the garden, naked as most of us were at that time. Lou Gottlieb brought Prabhupada over to where I was. I shook Prabhupada’s hand and Prabhupada said, “What are you doing?” I said, “Digging potatoes.” He said, “No, what are you doing with your life?” I was dumb-founded, as I don’t even remember what I said to that, but I knew my spiritual life had been awakened. Prabhupada then went up to the hill and we all chanted. The thing was that after Prabhupada left, when all the people who were living there used to gather together for a common meal, everybody started chanting Hare Krishna before we ate. On that farm were many other people like Vishnujana, Tamal Krishna, Madhu-dvisa, Revatinandana and so many others who became devotees because of Srila Prabhupada’s visit. | |||
I have many letters that Srila Prabhupada wrote me. Once I was president in Victoria, British Columbia when due to some immigration infraction, I was arrested. They put me in the immigration jail and that very next week I got a letter from Srila Prabhupada, not knowing that I was in jail saying, “Oh, this is the best thing.” I had previously written to him that we were traveling and distributing books in Canada. In his letter to me he said, “Oh, that is a very good program. That is the best. Sometimes you will run into great difficulties.” He talked about chanting and the time when the Chand Kazi stopped the chanting during the time of Lord Chaitanya. So I was in jail and I got this letter from Prabhupada saying, “Good boy.” Not that I’m glad to see you in jail, but you’re doing the right thing and that you’re going to get problems along the way. I felt Prabhupada was able to see the future. | |||
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Revision as of 13:21, 4 February 2022
Prabhupada Memories
Interview 01
Gaura Hari: The first time I saw Srila Prabhupada was in 1967 or ’68 when he first came to San Francisco. At that time the mayor had called a meeting of various groups around the Haight Ashbury area of San Francisco as he anticipated thousands of kids coming for the “Summer of Love”. I was with a group called the Diggers which was kind of a revolutionary group that would beg, borrow or steal food, and set up free kitchens in Golden Gate Park and elsewhere. We had a storefront at 520 Frederick Street, which as it turned out was right next door to the devotee’s storefront at 518 Frederick Street. At this meeting were about fifteen people including the mayor of the city, the chief of police, various medical personnel from hospitals, and a couple of other yoga groups as well as Prabhupada and Hayagriva. Everybody there made their presentation as to what they were going to do to help. When it came time for Prabhupada to talk, Prabhupada pointed to Hayagriva and said, “You talk.” Hayagriva spoke about the temple in San Francisco and what they were doing. I remember I just kept looking at this little Indian fellow who was just sitting there. He was moving his head back and forth listening to Hayagriva. Then they brought out a plate of fruits that Hayagriva picked up and offered it first to Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada picked up a grape, threw it in the air, and caught it right in his mouth. It was the most amazing thing in the world to see. I had never seen anybody do something like that. It was quite incredible. The Diggers were invited by Lou Gottlieb to go out and help farm his land in Sebestopol called Morning Star Ranch. I went out there to live and one day we heard that the devotees from the temple along with Prabhupada were going to come. We had built a platform, a little vyasasana for him in the woods on top of a hill underneath a cross that was on the property. I remember going out and picking yellow Scotchbroom flowers and decorating the vyasasana for Prabhupada. Lou Gottlieb drove Srila Prabhupada out to the farm in his Volvo. Lou told me the story that he said to Prabhupada, “Put your seatbelt on,” and Prabhupada said, “Krishna is my seatbelt.” When Prabhupada got there, I was digging potatoes in the garden, naked as most of us were at that time. Lou Gottlieb brought Prabhupada over to where I was. I shook Prabhupada’s hand and Prabhupada said, “What are you doing?” I said, “Digging potatoes.” He said, “No, what are you doing with your life?” I was dumb-founded, as I don’t even remember what I said to that, but I knew my spiritual life had been awakened. Prabhupada then went up to the hill and we all chanted. The thing was that after Prabhupada left, when all the people who were living there used to gather together for a common meal, everybody started chanting Hare Krishna before we ate. On that farm were many other people like Vishnujana, Tamal Krishna, Madhu-dvisa, Revatinandana and so many others who became devotees because of Srila Prabhupada’s visit.
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To view the entire unedited video go to Memories 52 - Prabhupada Memories DVD 52 The Alachua Clan 1
The full Prabhupada Memories Series can be viewed here and also at www.prabhupadamemories.com