“The principle is definitely the after school.”
So then there was the time, when Srila Prabhupada told me to remain in Vrndavana for the rest of my life. He said you should get married to this girl, and he said you should go back to Vrndavana. He said you find rooms and live with your wife, be responsible and be happy. These were the instructions Prabhupada gave me. So since that time actually somehow or other, by Prabhupada’s grace, I increased my devotional service, and I know I am indebted to Prabhupada, although I know eventually, we all have to shed all these bodies and develop our eternal relationship with Krishna. But I know I am indebted to Prabhupada, because he actually knew what was good for me at that time. It was very nice to see.
I said to Prabhupada,
“I was told that to come to Vrndavana to get married is Maya.”
Prabhupada replied,
“Who has said this?”
So I did not stress anymore. So at this particular point, Hamsadutta Maharaja left the room, Harisauri, and I sat there with Prabhupada, and with folded hands, I was just alone with Prabhupada, and I said,
“Prabhupada all I want to do, whether I am a brahmacari or grhastha, sannyasa, vanaprastha, is to please you.”
And he looked at me and he said,
“Yes, this is the point. This is the basic principle of Krishna consciousness. Yasya prasada bhagavat- prasado/yasyadprasadan na gatih kuto pi. By pleasing me, it does not matter what asrama you are in, you can advance in Krishna consciousness. If you want to please me,
If you want to advance in Krishna consciousness, go back to Vrndavana and be responsible and be happy.”
Those are the instructions. So then, I went back and as soon as I got back, I had so much service. I had the Gurukula to construct, I had the establish the Goshala; and on top that, I had so many PR works that I was engaged in. And when Prabhupada again came back to Vrndavana he saw the Goshala, he seemed to be quite pleased.
“In Vrndavana, Prabhupada gave a lot of instructions on managing, like a lot of clues and guidelines to management. Even down to the kitchen, how much ghee to be used. It may not be the current system but at least it gives some information of what management means in the sense that Prabhupada was after every detailed, every nook, and every cranny.”
Well, utility is the principle.
“Yes. If you can tell anything in that showing Prabhupada’s keenness to utilize, it would be very instructive.”
“When did the gurukula start?”
It started in September of 1976. Hamsadutta Maharaja came to Vrndavana just before he took sannyasa, and he felt that everything was being mismanaged. He wanted to become G.B.C. of Vrndavana. Haihaya, at that time, was temple manager. He wanted Hamsadutta Maharaja to become G.B.C. and Haihaya would then be the temple president. So there was many conflicts going on when he was there. During this time Surabhi had left Vrndavana. Prabhupada wanted this gurukula to be built. Bhagaji donated, in the name of his mothe,r money for the land. We purchased the land, so now we had to start collecting funds for the building.