Haryasva das Remembers Srila Prabhupada

Following Srila Prabhupada

Interview DVD 09

Haryasva: I couldn’t understand him on the tapes; but whenever I read the Bhagavad-gita, the purports, it was almost as if I could hear him. That’s why I studied the Gita so much because when I would read the purports, I would hear Prabhupada. I always felt like he was a special father to me, and I didn’t think I could please him. I guess that’s the sad part of the thing is I thought, “I’ve been looking for something like this all my life, but the standard is so high. Something special is going to have to help me.” I didn’t feel strong enough, and I didn’t want to cheat him. I thought he was too special to join and cheat him. My older brother was already in the temple. I was coming all the time, and I told my mother that Srila Prabhupada was going to come. I said, “I’d like you to come hear him.” So she says, “OK.” And my mother is Christian. She came, so then my five sisters had to come with her. I really valued my mother’s opinion. She couldn’t understand why my brother would leave his wife and children to join the movement. She says, “I won’t criticize your movement. I just can’t understand how someone could leave their family responsibilities.” She had faith that I would read the literature and that I would be very honest. So after she listened to Prabhupada, I said, “What do you think?” She says, “I think he is a very saintly, humble man.” That’s what she told me. So I was glad she liked Prabhupada.