Srila Prabhupada In My Life - ebooks - ISKCON desire tree

www.bcswami.comBut at that time I just arrived, so I didn’t really even start making the orange juice. So Iquickly started to make the orange juice. And again the bell rang. And the way the bellrang, it was an electric bell. The switch, it was a switch fixed to Srila Prabhupada’s table.Prabhupada used to press the bell and it used to ring electrically. And this time the belljust kept on ringing and ringing and ringing…So just the way the bell was ringing, Icould make out how angry Srila Prabhupada must have been. So I was in great anxiety.So I just poured the orange juice in a silver cup for Srila Prabhupada, placed it on a silvertray, and rushed into Prabhupada’s room. And when I opened the door, I heard as if therewas a thunderbolt continuously cracking. Prabhupada was very angry with me. He wasactually telling me that he didn’t want it, I could take it away. But I didn’t stop this time.I had one experience in the recent past in Mayapura. There Prabhupada had asked me totake the prasada away and I took the plate away. This time I was not going to make thesame mistake.So with the glass of orange juice on a silver plate on my hands, I just kept on movingtowards Srila Prabhupada. I just went in front of Srila Prabhupada and held the tray withthe glass. For quite some time Prabhupada did not pick it up. He was so annoyed withme. But I just kept on holding it there. So finally Prabhupada picked it up and he startedto drink it. So when Prabhupada started to drink it, then I realised that I did not bring thewater to wash his mouth. Generally, when I would serve something to Srila Prabhupada,especially some juice, I would also bring some water for Prabhupada to rinse his mouth.So I remembered that this time I didn’t bring the water. So I ran to the kitchen, broughtsome water, in a lota, and then I gave it to Srila Prabhupada to rinse his mouth. And whenPrabhupada was rinsing his mouth, I remembered that I forgot to bring the napkin to wipeSrila Prabhupada’s mouth. So I didn’t go to the kitchen, but I just went to Prabhupada’swardrobe and pulled out a small towel and gave it to Srila Prabhupada to wipe his mouth.So when I gave it to Srila Prabhupada, Prabhupada just told me: “See, you are trying toserve me so nicely, but I always chastise you.” Then he said: “You see, when onebecomes old, one becomes short-tempered, so please don’t mind.” When Prabhupadachastised me I didn’t feel bad, but when Prabhupada started to speak like that, I felt as ifmy heart was cracking. I tried to speak up and tell Prabhupada not to speak like that, butmy voice was choked, as if there was a lump in my throat. And I couldn’t speak. ThenPrabhupada just kept on speaking in that mode, that when one gets old, one becomesshort-tempered and how I should not mind his chastising and losing his temper. Thenfinally I spoke up. I said: “Prabhupada, I make mistakes and if you don’t correct me,what will happen to me?” When I spoke like that Srila Prabhupada stopped. And I couldsee what a soft heart Srila Prabhupada used to have. Even though we are his disciples andwe are there, ready to take any amount of chastisement. Even if Prabhupada would havebeaten me with a stick, I wouldn’t have protested. I made mistakes and Prabhupadachastised and then he was so soft, kind [inaudible]. And he chastised me, he felt bad. Hewas so compassionate and so humble. There was no need for him, the world acarya toapologize to his disciple for chastising him. Still, Prabhupada was so humble, he did that.So this is Srila Prabhupada. The kindest person, the most caring person, the mostwonderful person, at least I have ever seen. Not only I have ever seen, no one comeswww.iskcondesiretree.com