October 10: Kirtanananda Swami arrived in the morning. He came and gave Prabhupada a report about New Vrindavana. The first thing Prabhupada said to him was,
“There is nothing to lament about”.
Prabhupada was pleased to hear the report and thanked him. At about 11 a.m. Prabhupada suddenly decided to go out and have darsana of the Deities again. Prabhupada sat in his palanquin, and was carried around the temple on the parikrama path, and had darsana of Krishna-Balarama. Prabhupada then listened to the kirtana for about twenty minutes. Some gifts from new Våndavana were also given to Srila Prabhupada, after the visit to the Deities. After putting on one nice ring with sapphires and opals, Prabhupada said,
“So now we will have to find a bride”.
Later, he called for Kirtanananda Maharaja, and he returned all the nice gifts and asked them to use them in the development of New Våndavana. After seeing some photos of his almost completed palace in New Våndavana, Prabhupada was very thankful and he patted Kirtanananda on the head,
“You are fulfilling my dreams. New Våndavana. I dreamt all this. Wonderful things have happened. He is the first student. From the very beginning, when I was in the store he was bringing carpet, bench, some gong, in this way”.
“He is still bringing gifts”. Said Tamal Krishna.
“Seva. Service attitude. Jaya. Live long, serve long’. Said Prabhupada.
At this point Prabhupada was almost choking with emotion and fell silent. Practically at every meeting, as each new man arrives, Prabhupada becomes very emotional and thanks them for all the nice service that they have carried out for him over the years. It is as though he is finally calling them to his lotus feet for the last time. And at the same time, he is cutting down, more and more, on what little fluid he is taking. In the evening when Prabhupada was offered something to drink, he would not take it, and he complained of too much mucus in his body. Neither would he take any medicine. He said that the Yogendra Ras would be sufficient because that was the strongest Ayurvedic medicine.
“I want the strength for hearing the prayers. Otherwise, if my senses become weak”. Said Prabhupada.
Then Tamal Krishna Maharaja said that we wanted him to live.
“I have no objection”. Replied Prabhupada.
But then he added that now it was too difficult to make the effort any more.
October 11th: Prabhupada’s Godbrother, Dr. Kapoor, came to see him and they were talking about the material energy. Prabhupada explained what matter is,
“You take matter, mix earth with water and put into the fire and then make a building, but matter cannot automatically act. Matter cannot have mind, neither consciousness nor impetus”.
While he was speaking, Prabhupada appeared to be very strained and Dr. Kapoor mentioned this, but Prabhupada said,
“No’.
Then he went on,
“It is nonsense that matter gives life. That, we want to prove. Matter has no sense. Life is superior energy, apareyam. This matter is useless. Bhumir apo nalo vayu. They are useless. Apareyam, there is another. Yayedam dharyate jagat. That is actually governing the whole universe”.
Later in the day about noontime, Atreya Rsi Prabhu and Paribrajakacarya Swami arrived from Tehran and they brought Prabhupada a gift of sweet lemons and oranges and plums. Prabhupada immediately took a glass of sweet lemon juice, and discussed with them about their preaching in Tehran, how they are attracting very high-class and important people. Prabhupada told them,
“Yes, intelligent, yad yad acarati sresthas. Whatever the intelligent men take up the ordinary men generally follow. The Bhagavad-gita is meant for rajarsi, not for coolies. Himam rajarsyo viduh. Not for the so-called loafer class. Himam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam. That is being mistaken. Bhagavad-gita should be taught to such royal family. If they take up, others will take”.
Prabhupada enjoyed hearing about how the restaurant is going and told them that this is success. He told Atreya Rsi,
“Things are going nice. Slow but sure. You have got this Persian civilization and Brahmananda Swami, he has got the African. Black and white”.
Atreya Rsi asked Prabhupada that he would come and visit them. Prabhupada said,
“Yes I am ready to go immediately, but now you have to take a bundle of bones. That is the difficulty. There is nothing but a bundle of bones”.
“Bone or flesh, your body is divine Srila Prabhupada”. Said one devotee.
“Bone is being separated from life. Hear by example, matter is different from life. Matter is different from life. Matter is inferior, life is superior. From my life’s example. So as soon as I get the opportunity, I shall go and meet. Thank you very much”.
Then as they began to chant, Prabhupada called Paribrajakacarya Swami over to his bed. As he knelt in front of him, Prabhupada reached out and stroked his head,
“Thank you so much. You are a great rajarsi. So do it very nicely. Do not commit mistake. Present the philosophy. Make them rajarsis”.
Later in the evening Prabhupada was talking with Tamal Krishna, who recalled how Atreya Rsi had hold him that some respectable gentlemen, would come and voluntarily work in the restaurant washing dishes and serving simply out of a desire to engage in some devotional service. Prabhupada told Tamal Krishna,
“I was very happy in my heart that respectable gentlemen out of love, they are washing dishes. You know that, Atreya told me. They are so gentle”.
So, in this way Prabhupada is becoming more ecstatic when he hears of the successful preaching of his disciples all over the world.
The next day, on the 12th Jayapataka Swami arrived and gave Prabhupada a full report of Mayapura. Prabhupada was very keen to hear about the detailed reports, and how all our men had now been released from the jaI, and all charges have been dropped, and charges are now preferred against the Mohammedans, who attacked our temple. Jayapataka told Prabhupada that he has given him the name Jayapataka, which means flag of victory. Jayapataka said to Prabhupada, that by his grace, he was hoping that this name can become true. Prabhupada replied,
“It has become true”.
Prabhupada’s sister also had arrived, and on the following day, on the 13th, Prabhupada sent for her in the morning. She sat by his bedside. Prabhupada became overwhelmed with emotion and said,
“Ask her to forgive me for my offenses. She is not only my sister; she is my God sister as well. She is initiated by Srila Prabhupada, (referring to his spiritual master). She is a Vaisnavi. If I ever have committed any offenses then it is a Vaisnava aparadha”.
His sister immediately said,
“No! No! He never committed any offense”.
Then Prabhupada carried on,
“Now ask her to cook for me. Today I am going to eat some solid food. It does not matter whether it does good to me or bad to me. Nothing can be worse than this”. (meaning his present condition) She is a Vaisnavi, it will be good for me”.
Then he continued with great humility,
“Probably I became a little puffed-up because of my opulence and success. Now God has shattered that pride. If you do not have your body, then what is there to be puffed-up of?”
Bhakti Caru Swami told Prabhupada that whatever he had done he has done for Krishna. Prabhupada continued,
“That may be, but in this world, unknowingly you commit offenses”.
“You cannot ever commit offenses Srila Prabhupada. You are very near to God; how can you commit offense?” Replied Bhakti Caru.
Srila Prabhupada went on,
“I am a little temperamental person. Often I used to use the words ‘rascal’, I never compromise. They used to call it kurulnie-pracara. Kurul in one hand and Bhagavatam in the other hand. (Kurui is a kind of pickax that they use for digging holes.) That is how I have preached. Anyway, make all the arrangements for us so that no inconvenience is caused”.
Just after that, Tamal Krishna Maharaja brought in two telegrams, one from Madhava Maharaja, Prabhupada’s Godbrother, saying that he was extremely anxious for his health, and he was praying to Srila Prabhupada and Lord Krishna for Their blessings upon him. Prabhupada replied.
“Thank you. Excuse my offenses, all Godbrothers”.
Another one came from Sydney Mandira requesting Prabhupada to please not leave, because without his lotus feet they have no shelter. Prabhupada replied.
“Yes, I am willing to stay. After all it is Krishna’s desire”.
Then Tamal Krishna Maharaja asked Prabhupada if he wanted us to continue the kirtana. Prabhupada replied,
“Yes, kirtaniya sada harih. Kirtana is our life”.
An hour later Hådayananda Maharaja was in the room and told Prabhupada that they had printed one hundred thousand copies of Krishna Book in Portuguese. Prabhupada said,
“Thank you very much. Printing of books is our life force”.
Prabhupada looked through the books. Again, he asked,
“How many published?”
When he heard one hundred thousand,
“Oh! How are they selling? And what is the price?”
And then,
“So, good collection. Print more books. This is life. This material body, only bones. So go on, this is life. We are not concerned with bones and stones. Our concern is living force,
apareyam itas tv anyam
prakrthim viddhi me param
jiva-bhutam maha-baho
yayedam dharyate jagat.
“The living force, it is sustaining these bones. Bone is not life. It may remain, it can go. It does not matter. We have got history and there was a Rsi and there were only bones. So, it has been described by which you can sustain life in only bones. Hiranyakasipu did it”.
“You are also doing it Srila Prabhupada”. Said Tamal Krishna.
“So, take care of the bones I have got as far as possible. The material world means they are all simply protecting bones and flesh together. They have no idea. Bones and flesh. Bhumir alo nolo vayuh, apareyam. It is useless. Not useless, but inferior. Real life, it is sustaining. Thank you very much. Print books as I have shown the way. Half again for printing and half spend for propaganda as you like. In this way go on”.
Then he turned to Jayapataka and asked him if he was doing that. And Jayapataka told him,
“Whatever propaganda is needed, you go out and spend, but print books and distribute. Whatever English books we have got, if we translate into Bengali, you have got enough stock”.
“Yes we have got a treasure house”. Replied Jayapataka.
“In this way, in all languages distribute. Thank you very much. Hare Krishna. Chant Hare Krishna”.