Atmaram das Remembers Srila Prabhupada

Following Srila Prabhupada

Interview DVD 07

Atmaram: We went to Chicago to take Prabhupada darshan and have his association again. He immediately recognized us. He said, “Oh, I see you before in Detroit.” We told Prabhupada, “We are very thankful you have remembered us. We are fallen souls, we have no qualifications.” Then again there was a gathering with the devotees. There was one question that we said, “Prabhupada, where do we serve you best?” So Prabhupada says, “You can become Krishna conscious anywhere.” But then immediately he said, “Sun is the most brightest in India.” What that means to me is that I can be more Krishna conscious in better way in India in comparison to any other place. Then Prabhupada also said at that time that “You have a good Krishna conscious background and also good material education. So you should give this Krishna conscious knowledge in an educational institutional manner.” So we were meditating how to do it. He told us twice – in Chicago as well as last time he came, that is my exact memory, in 1976 in Los Angeles. He said, “I told you in Chicago to start educational institution.” But we were not in a position immediately at that time to come to India. So we started a little educational place, a Sunday School, for the children of Indian origin; and we had 60 children coming to our place, and we were educating them in Krishna consciousness. Today we are running Bhaktivedanta Vidyalaya. So it’s an educational institution, as Prabhupada said, and we have 300 children studying, boys and girls, and it’s a residential school. Krishna consciousness is taught from Mangala-aratik till Bhagavatam class like any other our temple program. And these are all karmi parents’ children, these are not devotee children. As it is said in Isopanisad, sloka 11, that you can learn this Krishna consciousness and material education side by side. And also in 9th Chapter, raja-vidya raja-guhyam, pavitram idam uttamam, pratyaksavagamam dharmyam, susukham kartum avyayam. In purport, Prabhupada says there are all kinds of educational institutions all over the world, but there is no Krishna conscious educational institution or university. So according to the authority of sastra, sadhu and guru, whatever this Bhaktivedanta Vidyalaya English School is doing is confirmed with Prabhupada’s instruction and his writings.