Finding My Perfect Master

Giriraj Swami: So, I would like to request the participants on Zoom to put on their cameras. Many of you have your cameras on but I like the devotees to put on their cameras so I can see them. So, the organizers have asked me to speak about how I came to meet Srila Prabhupada, and so I will tell that wonderful story.

During my college years I had the idea to attain perfection. I began reading spiritual books and learned I needed a guru. I didn’t actually even have to choose the guru, he was already there. All I had to do was find him. So, whenever I heard about a guru anywhere, even a thousand miles away, I will go to meet him. One teacher I met was a Zen master, supposedly enlightened and certified by another enlightened master in Japan. I had read a book he had written called The Three Pillars of Zen, and when I heard he was holding a three-day retreat at his ashram in Rochester, New York, I went.

At the ashram, I found that the Zen master students were not very happy. But I thought “anyway, they are just students. Let me meet the master.” I saw him at one of the meditation sessions he held, in which everyone had to sit up very straight and look at the wall, concentrating on some object. The master would walk around with a stick, and if he thought any of us was falling asleep or that someone’s mind was wandering, he would hit the offender with the stick on the shoulder.

After the morning session, we went to the dining room for lunch. During lunchtime the master, and the students, and the visitors went to the dining hall. They had many tables, just pretty simple wood tables with wooden benches. So, I went to the table where the master was sitting, and one of the master’s students asked him about a recent display of his anger. “Yes. It’s true,” he said, “I lost my temper, I shouldn’t have.” I started to doubt whether he was my perfect master. But because I had read that a Zen master might appear ordinary and that one might not recognize him, I thought “maybe this is part of it.” But my doubt remained.

Later he came to the Boston area, near Brandeis University where I was studying, and he gave a talk and demonstration at a university called MIT. When he asked for questions, someone in the audience asked about Vedanta. “I have enough trouble keeping up with Zen,” he replied, “How do you expect me to know about Vedanta?” My previous doubt was confirmed. I realized, “He is not my perfect master.”

Then a Hatha-yogi came to Brandeis to give a lecture. He had long hair, and a beard, and flowing robes. He said that by yoga you could attain complete mastery over your bodily functions, including the movement of the bowels. You could actually command your intestines: ascending colon advance, transverse colon advance, descending colon advance! and finally, Rectum pass. I was really looking for a guru, so I thought “anyway, maybe.”

After the lecture, I tried to meet the Swami, but he was leaving for the airport. I wanted to ride with him in his car, but there was no room. Instead, I rode in a car with some of his students. On the way, they discussed the various foods they missed since they had joined the ashram. So, I started to have some doubts. But then I thought “anyway, they are just the students; the master may be on a much higher level.” When we arrived at the airport, I beheld the Swami. There he was—long flowing hair, beard, draping, orange robes, a flower in his hair, a twinkle in his eye—the very picture of Indian spirituality. But then I saw him, tightly embracing some of his women disciples. And I knew he is not my perfect master. I have to keep looking.

Next, I heard of an “enlightened” psychology professor, who was teaching in Ohio at Antioch college, which was known as a progressive university. Immediately I wanted to meet him. Ready to do anything to find my guru, I got in my car and drove the seven hundred miles. When I got there, surcharged with eagerness and anticipation, I went to the professor’s office where I was greeted by his secretary. She informed me he is playing golf. “Playing golf?” I asked, “I thought he was supposed to be enlightened.” “That is his Zen,” she replied. “Oh no!” I thought, “Playing golf? He is not my perfect master.”

Although I was disappointed about the professor, the Antioch campus was full of people interested in spiritual life. And while I was there, I spoke with some of them. Some of the students in the Student Union called me about a guru who recently visited the campus. “The guru is in the heart,” he had said, “where he sits on a lotus flower. You can actually see him and speak with him.” Wow, I thought, that sounds attractive. That night I tried to really focus on my heart. And indeed, I got a definite impression that there was a divine personality there. Someone with whom I could have a sublime personal relationship, and he seemed just about to speak. I was very excited, and eager to meet Him. 

Back at Brandeis my Psychology professor invited J. Krishnamurti to speak. I attended his lecture, and during a break I told my professor I wanted to meet him. “Why?” my professor asked. “I might want him as my guru,” I replied. “Oh, he doesn’t accept disciples,” my professor said. “He doesn’t even touch money” My professor was impressed. But I wasn’t. “If he is actually able to help people,” I considered. “why should he refuse? Just to be renounced? He is not my perfect master.”

I kept searching. I already had the idea that you didn’t have to choose your guru, that he was already there. I even had a mental picture of what he looked like—and he didn’t have hair. All the Swamis and yogis I had encountered had long hair and beards, so I was starting to wonder how am I ever going to meet my guru? I practically became hopeless. 

Then one day I saw a poster on my university campus. The poster said “lecture, Bhagavad-gītā As It Is—Swami Bhaktivedanta.” My friends and I had planned to go to the movies that night, but I wanted to attend the lecture. When I suggested that, however, one friend, in particular, got really upset. “Why can’t you be normal like other people?” she said. “All you want to do is see Swamis and yogis.” And the argument became so intense, that I decided not to go. I didn’t want to disappoint my friends, so I tried to go along with their idea. But there was something inside me that was impelling me, forcing me, to go to the lecture. Finally! I said “all right we’ll go to the movies, but we’ll go to a later show, first I have to go to the lecture by the Swami.”

And again, that lady friend, she said, “why can’t you be. . .” she was raising her voice, “why can’t you be normal like other people? Why do you have to be. . . go and see Swamis and yogis?” And she raised her voice. And I raised my voice, and I said, “all right, this will be the last one I ever go to.” So, my friends reluctantly agreed, but because we had been arguing we arrived at the auditorium late and missed the lecture.

Entering the hall, I beheld an elderly Indian gentleman sitting on a cushion on stage—Swami Bhaktivedanta. To the side, a young devotee Satsvarupa dasa sang into a microphone, and other devotees were dancing in a circle around the Swami.  Satsvarupa was singing right into the microphone, and the sound was reverberating off the bare brick walls. One by one, students from the audience were jumping onto the stage and joining in. I also felt like going up and joining in. But I knew my friends wouldn’t be able to take it. It would have been too much for them. More students were jumping up, climbing on the stage, and joining the circle dancing. I kept trying to focus my vision on the Swami, but I couldn’t; his effulgence was too great.

When the kirtan ended one of the devotees announced that they needed a lift to Harvard Square or Boston. As my friends and I were still going to the movie and it was at Harvard Square, I invited the devotees to ride with us, and everyone piled into my station wagon. I was the driver, and also in front were two ladies. In the back seat there were three or four devotees, and in the rear compartment were, I don’t even know how many—I don’t think we could have fit anyone more.

Satsvarupa was squeezed in the rear compartment with my best friend, Gary. Because of our impersonal readings, Gary was saying that ultimately everything was void. And Satsvarupa was saying “there is no void in the creation of God.” But my friend kept insisting; “Everything is ultimately void.” I was overhearing them from the front, and puffed up as I was, I thought “Oh how silly that they are arguing over this.” I thought I had it all figured out. So I turned to the back and announced something I had read in some Zen book. “It is not void and it is not not-void, but to give it a name we call it the void.” I thought I had resolved the whole controversy.

Host: How old were you Maharaja at that time?

Giriraj Swami: I was in my senior year in college, so I would have been twenty? yeah, I think about twenty. twenty-one, I was twenty-one. One of the ladies in the front seat was named Jahnava. I’ve been trying to understand all the different paths and philosophies, so I asked her about Zen. She replied, “this world seems real, but it is illusory, like images on a movie screen. Now, if you withdraw your consciousness from the screen, you’ll find there is a beam of light.” And I thought, “hmm, that’s the best explanation I’ve ever heard of Zen.” “And if you keep following that beam of light back,” she continued, “you come to a point.” “Wow,” I thought, “this is getting to the void.” But then she said, “but behind that point, there is a projector, and behind the machine, there is a person.” Then I thought “this philosophy encompasses everything that Zen does, and more.”

I had read a book called Autobiography of a Yogi by Yogananda, but when I asked her about Yogananda, she dismissed him out of hand. “Oh, he is just a shopkeeper. Whatever you want he keeps it in stock. You want yoga, he will give you that. Whatever you ask for, he pulls off the shelf.” Then she said, “at his ashram in California, he has a Gandhi peace memorial. But Gandhi wasn’t a worker for world peace. He was a politician who wanted to drive the British out of India.” She just dismissed Yogananda. “He doesn’t even know who Gandhi is.”

“She is speaking with such authority,” I thought. But I sensed it could not have all been coming from her. How was it possible for a girl of only twenty or so years to have so much knowledge and speak with such authority? But she did have authority. And I knew it wasn’t coming from her. Then I considered, “this must be coming from her teacher, I want to meet him.”

When we got to Harvard square, I let the devotees out of the car. But, as I was about to drive away, it occurred to me that I didn’t know how to get in touch with them. How would I meet the Swami? I immediately stopped the car at the center of Harvard square, jumped out and ran after the devotees. I caught up to one Patita Pavan. He stopped, turned his head, and pointed to all the people around us. They are all sleepwalkers, they don’t know what they are doing or why. His words were so intriguing and deep, I wanted to hear more. Suddenly I became aware of the honking of horns all around. I had left my car in the middle of the roundabout, and the traffic at Harvard square was backed up. The honking kept getting louder. “I want to meet the Swami,” I said quickly. “Quick! Give me the address.” “Come at seven, tomorrow night,” he said. I could hardly wait.

The next evening the small storefront temple was packed with young people. At the far end, the Swami Srila Prabhupada sat on a cushion. The walls were decorated with exotic paintings, and the scent of incense filled the air. When he began speaking, I had difficulty understanding what he was saying. He had a thick Bengali accent, and I wasn’t familiar with the philosophy, but I did hear him say that out of many thousands of men, one seeks perfection. And I thought “That’s me! He is talking about me.” After the lecture Srila Prabhupada called for questions. Burning to ask mine, I raised my hand. “There are so many Swamis and yogis, and each recommends a different process of self-realization, and each says that his is the best. So, how do I know what is actually the best?”

Prabhupada replied “What is your goal? Do you want to serve God, or do you want to become God?” And that was a very intelligent response, because I was asking about the means, what is the best means? but he was asking a more fundamental question, what is the end? So, he said “do you want to serve God, or do you want to become God? If you want to become God, that means you are not God now. And how can not-God become God? God is God. He is always God. He doesn’t have to become God by yoga or meditation. Krishna is always God. He is God when He is playing on the lap of mother Yasoda. He is God when He is walking through the hallways in Dwarka. He is God when He is speaking the Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna at Kurukshetra. That is God. So, if you want to serve God, and sow the seed of devotional service and water it by chanting, God will provide the sunlight and all other favorable conditions to make it grow. But if you want to become God, then why should God help the competition?” Then he said, “God is in your heart. He is ready to help you. You can become godly—but you cannot become God. If you want to become God, you are only cheating yourself.”

As Srila Prabhupada was speaking, I got the clear impression that he knew everything about me. That he was seeing right into me, into Waltham, into my apartment, into my bathroom, right to the wall on which I had pasted a sign that I had inscribed in my own hand, in beautiful ornate lettering, and the sign said, “You are God.”

“So, what do you think?” Srila Prabhupada asked gravely. “Do you want to serve God, or do you want to become God?” I said, “I want to serve God.” But I knew I couldn’t fool Srila Prabhupada. He knew everything. How could I cheat him? Within a moment I admitted “I want to serve God, but I can see that I was trying to become God.” And Srila Prabhupada affirmed emphatically “Yes!”

My search was over. I offered my obeisance. I had found my spiritual master. My perfect master.

From the time Srila Prabhupada answered my question and I bowed down my head, I surrendered. From the first meeting, my whole life’s purpose became to bring people to Srila Prabhupada. And I was able to do that from many years when he was with us. But when he passed away, I wondered “what will be my service now?”

Now I understand that Srila Prabhupada is always present, and that by speaking of him, hearing about him, remembering him, and most significantly, by studying his books and following his instructions, we can experience his presence. So, I can still do what I was doing when he was personally present; introducing souls to him, which is what I feel most natural doing. Because I know that if someone comes in touch with Srila Prabhupada, somehow, or other his or her life will be successful.

Shrila Prabhupada, ki jaya!

Host: Jaya!

Giriraj Swami: Gaura-bhakta-vṛnda, ki jaya!

Host: Jaya!

Giriraj Swami: So, thank you all for joining us and listening so attentively. And now if any of you have any comments or questions, you can speak.

And, again as far as possible, please put on your cameras, so I can see your moon-like faces.

Host: Oh, well while somebody, devotees are thinking, maybe I have a quick question Maharaja. Can I?

Giriraj Swami: Sure.

Host: I don’t remember if I read it in Līlāmṛta or somebody told me, but somehow whether I always knew that I mean this story was in me that your father offered you a million dollars to leave Krishna consciousness. I just want to verify if that was true, and it is true can you just elaborate on that story a little bit.

Giriraj Swami: It is true. Before we got the Juhu land in Bombay, I was in Calcutta with Srila Prabhupada. And my parents and sister, who is my only sibling, came to visit me, and I escorted them into Srila Prabhupada’s room. And he spoke with them very nicely. But at the end, they came to the point that they wanted me back. And my father said that “I want to create a trust for my son and put a million dollars in it,” which even now is a lot of money, but back then, about fifty years ago, it was really a lot of money.

So, my father said that he wanted me to come to America to sign the documents. And Prabhupada said, “yes, you can send the documents. He will sign.” So, there are a lot of angles to this meeting, and back then, people had the idea that if you don’t eat meat, you can’t get enough protein. So, my mother was concerned about my health, and Srila Prabhupada would always keep sweets on his table, prasāda, to give to people, and in Calcutta, he had sandeśa and rasagullā. So, he puts sandeśa in my father’s hand, and in my mother’s hand, and my sister’s hand. And he said, “these are made of cheese, and they are very high in protein.” And then he said to me, “Giriraj, you must eat two dozen rasagullā and sandeśa every day.”

But still, they wanted me to come home. And Srila Prabhupada said that “When I come to America in April, I will bring him with me.” Then I said to my father, “just see how intelligent Srila Prabhupada is because from October to March, when it’s pleasant in India, and it’s too cold in America, he stays in India. And from April to October, when it’s pleasant in America, he goes to America.”

So, by this time, my father was getting very enlivened by Srila Prabhupada, and he said, “no, your master is very intelligent.” And my father said, “no, no” then Srila Prabhupada said, “no, your son is intelligent because he has understood my strategy, to be where the weather is at all the time.” And my father said “no!” he said that Prabhupada “no, you are very intelligent.” Eventually, Srila Prabhupada said, “well, I guess I must be intelligent because, otherwise, how could I attract so many intelligent young men like your son?”

So, in the end, my parents were very satisfied with their meeting. And as we were leaving the room, my father said to me, “I can say two things about your master. He is a brilliant organizer, and he really knows how to deal with people.” And in my father’s value system, those were the two highest compliments that he could pay anyone.

So, but it’s true at that time, I was pretty thin. But after Calcutta, I went to Madras. I was the first devotee from ISKCON to go to Madras. And I was staying at different people’s homes, and I was eating well; idlis and dosas, sambar and I put on weight. And eventually, I arranged a nice program for Srila Prabhupada in Madras. And when he came and saw that I had, uh, put on weight, he said I should take a picture of myself and send it to my mother. Yeah, he had remembered her motherly concern about eating and my health.

So, yeah, that was that was the story of my father offering me a million dollars.

Host: Thank you, thank you for sharing with us Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: My pleasure.

Host: You have somebody, have a question, Sripada Madhvacharya dasa, and then Mukunda Madhava dasa.

Sripada Madhvacharya dasa: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Thank you for such a nectarian class; your narration was very, very personal. Maharaja, you were describing that when you met Srila Prabhupada for the first time, you could immediately surrender. My question is that how can we develop that mode of surrender for Srila Prabhupada and our spiritual master?

Giriraj Swami: Of course, my case was somewhat different. It was based on my personal interaction with Srila Prabhupada and my perception of him. But in principle, of course, our duty is to follow the instruction of the spiritual master. And when we follow the instructions, we should feel some result; we should get some benefit. And when we experience that result, then naturally, we will want to follow more. Yeah, so we can get more benefits. 

Host: Thank you so much.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Host: Maharaja, we have a question from Mukunda Madhava.

Mukunda Madhava: Thank you, Maharaja, for blessing us with your presence. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada and the devotees also. So, Maharaja, my question is regarding Bhagavad-gītā, Chapter Two, Verse Seven, kārpaṇya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ, when it says that having a spiritual master or once one has a spiritual master then everything is known to you. So, there it is said in this other verse quoting that the knowledge is revealed, at this time all knowledge is revealed. So, my question is, I have my spiritual master, but I do not feel as if all knowledge is revealed onto me. How is this? How can this be explained?

Giriraj Swami: There is a very interesting discussion between Srila Prabhupada and some of his disciples on a morning walk in Mayapur. And two of the main devotees involved in the conversation were Satsvarupa dasa Goswami and Jayadvaita dasa brahmachari then. . . and Jayadvaita Prabhu; asked Srila Prabhupada, “what does it mean that the spiritual master knows everything?”

And Srila Prabhupada replied, “it means that he knows what his spiritual master has taught him, that much.” So, everything doesn’t mean know everything in a complete material sense. But it means everything that we need to know to progress in spiritual life. 

And it just a side comment on that verse, yasya deve parā bhaktir. Once Srila Prabhupada asked a disciple “what is the most important verse in the Vedic scriptures. And the disciple replied “harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam” And Srila Prabhupada said “No, yasya deve parā bhaktir." Hare Krishna.

Host: Hare Krishna. Thank you! Maharaja.

Host: Maharaja, we already have been hour and forty minutes. I don’t know how longer we can continue because we don’t want to also abuse your and take advantage of your time and if you. . . I don’t see any questions for now would you accept one more if there was. . .

Giriraj Swami: Yeah.

Host: Maybe, how long would you. . .

Giriraj Swami: I’m good, as long as there are questions, I’ll stay.

Host: Thank you, thank you so much Maharaja. So, if anyone else has any questions.

Triana De La: Hare Krishna! My reverence, Maharaja. Thank you so much for your class.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Triana De La: Can you repeat again what it was the most important verse that Prabhupada mentioned that it was?

Giriraj Swami: Yes, yasya deve parā bhaktir, yathā deve tathā gurau. It means that to those who have implicit faith in this, in Krishna, and similar faith in the spiritual master, all the imports of Vedic knowledge are revealed.

Triana De La: What is this verse? Where can I find it?

Giriraj Swami: Oh, well. . . I mean Prabhupada mentions it in many of his purports but it’s from the. . . I believe it’s from the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad. I can give you the exact reference in a minute.

Triana De La: Thank you so much I would really love to read on it and have it always closed by.

Giriraj Swami: Yeah. Well, here’s a nice book called “Srila Prabhupada Slokas” as it’s a compilation of his favorite or most quoted, and that particular verse that he said was the most important. Is Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.38. 6.38, yes.

yasya deve parā bhaktir,

yathā deve tathā gurau

tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ
prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

“Only unto those great souls, who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of the Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.”

Triana De La: Thank you so much.

Host: I’ll also have another question. I’ll translate that one more time in Spanish.

Translator [Devotee Question]: So, an example Maharaja, we have seen how even great personalities like Lord Brahma and others have shown faults in their actions. How is it that we, we and-Kali-yuga are to remain fixed up in our Krishna consciousness?

Giriraj Swami: Well, we remain fixed up as stated in that verse, yasya deve parā bhaktir, yathā deve tathā gurau. But Srila Prabhupada also said that we should not be surprised if someone leaves Krishna consciousness, we should be surprised if someone stays in Krishna consciousness. Yeah.

Translator: Wow! thank you Maharaja.

Devotee: When. . . my question is how did you. . . were. . . how did you get involved in this project of “Juhu project” in the temple of Prabhupada’s. How did he chose you to be involved, what were the circumstances that you became involved there directly in the whole project?

Giriraj Swami: The beginning of that history is in Calcutta or even Mayapur. Because at the Gaura-purnima festival in Mayapur 1972, Srila Prabhupada called me into his room which was in that grass hut, and he said to me during the British rule they had three provinces; Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras. So, which do you want?

I said “Srila Prabhupada, I’m your servant. I will go wherever you want, and I will do whatever you say.” And Prabhupada said “I want you to decide.” So, from Mayapur we all went to Calcutta and I would chant and pray to the Deities of Radha-Govinda to guide me, where I should go. But I wasn’t getting any answer. So, one day I decided to. . . excuse me for saying this, but it’s the truth. One day I decided to trick Srila Prabhupada into disclosing where he wanted me to go.

So, I went into his room and I said “Srila Prabhupada, I was thinking, maybe, I should go to Madras” and then I gave the reasons why I should go to Madras. He said “yes, that’s all right.” And then I said, “but then, again, I was thinking, maybe I should stay in Calcutta” and then I gave the reasons for that. With the exact same facial expression, with the exact same tone of voice, he said, “yes, that’s all right.”

So, by then I got the sinking feeling that my plan was not going to work, and that Srila Prabhupada. . . I wasn’t going to be able to trick Srila Prabhupada into disclosing where he wanted me to go. But I was already committed to that strategy. So, I went to the last choice and I said, “but then, again, I was thinking, maybe I should go to Bombay,” and then I gave the reasons for that. And with the exact same facial expression, with the exact same tone of voice, he said, “yes, that’s all right.”

So, I realized that I could not trick Srila Prabhupada, and I was happy. I was happy that he couldn’t be tricked by some silly disciple. So, meanwhile Srila Prabhupada left and went to Bombay, I continued to chant and pray to the Deities. And then, one morning, I got an inspiration. And I consider that our main program in India was Life membership. In fact, Srila Prabhupada said “if you just give me three life members a day, I will do everything else.” And for those who don’t know the basic idea of the life membership program was that someone would give a donation, at that time it was one thousand one hundred eleven rupees. And in return they would get all of Srila Prabhupada’s books present and future, and a lifetime subscription to Back to Godhead magazine, and they could stay for free in all of our temples and guest houses for three days.

So, I was thinking that if we take good care of our life members, they themselves will make more life members for us. But if we don’t take good care of our life members, and even if we go personally to make someone a life member, they might not become members, because they would have heard complaints from the other members.

So, I thought the most important service would be to take care of the life members. And so, I wrote to Srila Prabhupada suggesting that I come to Bombay, which was our head office, and become the life membership secretary. Srila Prabhupada said, “Yes, then go to Bombay.”

And when I got there, thinking I’ll become the life membership secretary he put me, he made me the temple president. It wasn’t what I expected, and it wasn’t what I wanted. But I had faith that the secret of success in spiritual life, is to follow the order of the spiritual master. So, even though I considered it to be against my nature, I agreed. And then Srila Prabhupada laughed, he said, “now the whole responsibility is on you.” And my mind was saying, “how could Srila Prabhupada say such a thing?” But yeah, it was his mercy of course. Yeah.

Anuja Gupta: Hare Krishna Maharaja. Maharaja, I have a question, if you have some time. . . 

Giriraj Swami: I do.

Anuja Gupta: We recently celebrated Prabhupada. . . Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance day, and a question came up in my mind after listening to your lecture today. How do you. . . since Srila Prabhupada left the Earth. How do you continue to perceive his presence in your life now? how do you continue to receive his instructions now? if you can tell us a little bit about that. . . 

Giriraj Swami: Well, there is a section in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.28, that describes the disappearance of the spiritual master and how to get direction after he leaves. And after Srila Prabhupada left, I happened to come across that section. So this is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.28.45-55. And, yes, in Text Forty-Seven Srila Prabhupada writes. . . because the context is that a king and queen had retired as vanaprastha and gone into the forest, and when the king left his body, the queen first of all she lamented and cried, and then more happened.

So, in the purport to Text Forty-Seven Srila Prabhupada had written. . .

“Figuratively the queen is supposed to be the disciple of the king; thus when the mortal body of the spiritual master expires, his disciples should cry exactly as the queen cries when the king leaves his body. However, the disciple and spiritual master are never separated because the spiritual master always keeps company with the disciple as long as the disciple follows strictly the instructions of the spiritual master. This is called the association of vāṇī (words). Physical presence is called vapuḥ. As long as the spiritual master is physically present, the disciple should serve the physical body of the spiritual master, and when the spiritual master is no longer physically existing, the disciple should serve the instructions of the spiritual master.”

So, now the question is how do we get guidance? and I was thinking, how would I get detailed guidance from Prabhupada when there is a question regarding which of his instructions to apply in a particular complex situation? And what would be my qualification to receive such guidance? and Prabhupada’s answers began in his purport to Text Fifty. It is the long-standing tradition of the Vedic system that a faithful wife dies along with her husband, this is called saha-maraṇa. The wife used to enter the fire voluntarily. This indicates that a devotee’s wife must be prepared to act in such a way.

And now, we come to the point, the answer to the question, similarly a devoted disciple of the spiritual master would rather die with the spiritual master than fail to execute the spiritual master’s mission. It is the duty of the disciple to take charge of the mission of the spiritual master, and execute it properly, otherwise the disciple should decide to die along with the spiritual master. In other words, to execute the will of the spiritual master, the disciples should be prepared to lay down his life and abandon all personal considerations.

And then, in the next two purports Srila Prabhupada explained how that detailed guidance would come. And it comes from the guru in the heart, the caitya-guru, or the Paramātmā. So, but to get that guidance, we need the qualification of being ready to serve the spiritual master giving up all personal considerations. But, abandoning all personal considerations doesn’t mean you don’t take care of your health, you don’t take care of your family responsibilities, or your work.

But it means that you act according to the principle of yukta-vairāgya, which is a very important principle enunciated by Srila Rupa Gosvami. And it begins anāsaktasya viṣayan without attachment to the objects of the senses, nirbandhah kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktam vairāgyam ucyate one can engage everything without attachment, one can engage everything in the service of the Lord. That includes your body, it includes your family, it includes your profession. . . and when you are in that mood then you will get direction; when to do it, and how to do it. But you must already be getting that direction because that’s why you are with us now. Hare Krishna.

Anuja Gupta: Hare Krishna, thank you Maharaja.

Host: Maharaja, we have a question in the chat, may I read for you?

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

Premananda dasa Question: It’s from, Premananda dasa he says, “Guru Maharaja, can you share the incident where Srila Prabhupada in his final day reciprocated with your desire? sorry my video is off, just as I am unwell, my bad.”

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, I think he is referring to something that took place at the very end, just before Srila Prabhupada left. I was positioned at the head of his bed, and we could see that he was going to be leaving any time. And within my heart I wanted to render one last service to his vapuḥ form, to his body. And I was, as I was thinking that suddenly he just threw his arm backwards, to right where I was standing. And so, I got to take hold of his hand and squeeze it a little, give a little massage. Yeah, so he was so kind and merciful. He or Krishna arranged that. I got to do that last little bit of service.

Host: Thank you so much, Guru Maharaja. It’s so beautiful.

Host: Maharaja, one close friend of mine, who lives in Atlanta, his name is Vrindavan, Vrindavan dasa. He told me a couple years ago that you are writing a book and you are visiting a lot of. . . because you are interviewing some devotees. So could you please tell us about your book, and what is it about? and how when it’s going to be finalized published.

Giriraj Swami: Yes. My, well, to give just a little background, Srila Prabhupada instructed me to write as my first business. And after a long struggle when the land was finally signed over to Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON, he leaned back on his bolster and he said, “it was a good fight, someone should write a book about it.” So, I’m the only devotee who was intimately involved in the project from the beginning until the temple open, and Srila Prabhupada repeatedly instructed me that I should write, and he said that someone should write about this history, of the Juhu project.

So, I took up the work and now after, maybe three years, the book is finished. And it is with the printer in Mumbai. And it’s printed by the BBT under His Holiness Devamrita Swami. And Devamrita Swami said that the printing should take maybe two months. So, if we are able, I mean if we are lucky, the book will be ready by January 14th, which is the anniversary of the opening of the Juhu temple. We’ll be able to offer it to Srila Prabhupada and Radha-Rasabihari on January 14th. But, even if it’s not ready exactly by then, we hope it will be, but if not, it should be ready sometime in January.

Host: So, there will be many details that we cannot find in the Līlāmṛta, right?

Host: Correct.

Giriraj Swami: Correct.

Host: Well, Maharaja, should we stop here?

Giriraj Swami: Well. . .

Host: In two hours. . .

Giriraj Swami: And my. . .

Host: We don’t wanna. . .

Giriraj Swami: Well, there is one devotee named Chandni Doshi, who has her hand raised. I guess we could take her question or comment and then we can move on.

Host: I don’t see the hand so yeah, sure.

Chandni Doshi: Thank you.

Host: Chandni Doshi has, she raised her hand from the video, ok. Go ahead Mataji.

Chandni Doshi: Thank you. Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisances. All Glories to you, All Glories to Prabhupada. Thank you. Guru Maharaja, I just was wondering that when you found Srila Prabhupada perfect master, then did you immediately join the temple how did you feel about joining that the Deity worship and the nine processes devotional services?

Giriraj Swami: Well, Srila Prabhupada was in Boston then, and the devotees didn’t own any motor vehicles. So, I would come every day and either attend the program if it was in the temple or I would drive Srila Prabhupada. And I pretty much liked everything. I mean, Deity worship was a new concept for me, but I liked the ārati. And they were sort of pujaris, and in those early days you could do Deity worship if you had only first initiation, you didn’t have to have second. So, the devotes Satsvarupa Maharaja, well he was grihastha then, but he recommended me for initiation, and Srila Prabhupada initiated me.

I could tell the difference between the regular prasāda and the mahā-prasāda that came from the Deity’s plate. I could taste the difference, but I didn’t say anything because I thought it might have been my imagination. Then, one morning during prasāda, one of the devotees said to Satsvarupa Prabhu “did you ever notice that the mahā-prasāda, the prasāda from the Deity’s plate tastes like it has a fine sprinkling of sugar all over it?” So, then I knew I was not the only one who was tasting the differences.

Host: Thank you, Maharaja. Thank you very much. So, should we end here?

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

Host: There are no more questions.

Giriraj Swami: Right, and I would suggest that we conclude with Vaishnava praṇāma and then we can close.

vāñchā-kalpa-tarubhyaś ca
kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca
patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo
vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ