Gadi: We had an engagement for Prabhupada one evening at the WRUF, the radio station at the University of Florida. Even though it was student run, it was a very professional place. Prabhupada had a particular interviewer who was trying to provoke him, trying to ruffle him, and asking questions like, “So what do you bring to the world, this country, that we haven’t already got? We have so many churches. What do you bring that is so special?” Prabhupada said, “I am bringing the authorized version.” “Authorized by who?” the man said. Prabhupada said, “By Lord Chaitanya.” The man would never know who Lord Chaitanya was but Prabhupada said it so beautifully, “Authorized by Lord Chaitanya.” Then the man would continue with his antagonistic questions. Finally he said with a strong English accent, “So how would I recognize someone who is a follower of Krishna consciousness?” Prabhupada said, “He would be a perfect gentleman.” We all realized then what a perfect gentleman Prabhupada had just been amidst those antagonistic questions. We were all just falling in love with Prabhupada every moment, because it was impossible not to. His heart is so kind, and even kind to this man who was trying to provoke him.
This particular event took place in Chicago in his room. I was sitting very close to Prabhupada, two feet in front of him. Prabhupada was sitting casually on the floor with his knee up, looking so relaxed, peaceful and angelic. Right next to him was a vyasasana but Prabhupada was sitting on the floor. I didn’t really take notice of it so much, but the reporters were coming in and they were going to ask some questions. They were asking about Prabhupada’s cars and why he had so many. Finally one reporter antagonistically asked, “Why aren’t you sitting on that big seat?” Prabhupada looked right at her and said, “Because you would be envious.” Boom. That was that. He didn’t pull any punches at all. Then I realized that we have to keep ourselves humble and live simply. Prabhupada did all of his teaching from the ground level. He didn’t have a big fancy desk with a big slab of glass on top like we find nowadays. We cannot make ourselves artificially important. Either we are important or we’re not important. So Prabhupada was teaching that as soon as you put yourself in some opulence, that immediately it creates envy. It doesn’t create respect. It creates envy. So that was a strong lesson that should be considered every time we think that we’re important. Prabhupada always remained the most perfect, humble, brilliant, articulate, celestial being that ever came to this dark planet.
There was a letter that one of his God-brothers wrote to him when he first got to New York. The letter said, “What do you see there?” Prabhupada wrote back, “I see only demons. I see only demons.” So Prabhupada had his work cut out for him trying to convert a country of demons into devotees. “I see only demons.” This is the greatest miracle that Prabhupada exhibited. Prabhupada said, “These boys and girls are all miracles. They have given up all this material life and they have become nice devotees of Krishna. This is a most amazing thing.”
In New Vrindavan on a morning walk the main topic everybody really wanted to talk about was the war. At that time Prabhupada said there would certainly be war since they have made all these weapons, they will use them. Being young we were eager to protect our bodies and find out ways to try to avoid getting the bombs dropped on us. At the time, farm projects were springing up everywhere. It was a well-known fact that Prabhupada said not to make any plans based on the war, and yet we were all making plans based on the war. So Prabhupada was walking and different questions were being raised, but no one asked a question about the war. But I blurted out a question about the war. Prabhupada did not say a word. It was like being crushed by a mountain. All the devotees looked at me like, “How could you ask a stupid question like that?” Prabhupada never answered the question. I immediately thought to myself, “Why did I ask that question? We already know that Prabhupada said not to make any plans based on the war. Why am I repeating another question about the war?” It was very instructional. I never mentioned the war again, not to anyone. That topic was finished in my life.
