When Swamiji left for India, it was just like the sun and moon had hidden behind the clouds. We immediately felt the separation and then began praying to Krsna for his healthy return to America. During his six-month stay in Vrindavana, Gaurasundara and I moved to Montreal. There we lived in the Montreal temple that was a renovated bowling alley across from Mount Royal. There we continued our illustration work for Back To Godhead as well as the Prahlada picture book we had begun in New York under Srila Prabhupada's guidance. Our life was a peaceful one: daily kirtans and class, working in our small partitioned art studio in the temple. While we worked, Sivananda, a brahmacari would read to us from Srimad Bhagavatam and sometimes also Caitanya Caritamrta. Gaurasundara had obtained a translation of Caitanya Caritamrta in New York and we relished the stories of Lord Caitanya. We also gained insight into the divine position of the spiritual master and the proper etiquette that should be given to him. Mahapurusa was our temple cook and I watched him daily cook different preparations, taking notes on how each one was done as I hope to some day cook for Srila Prabhupada. Day and night my contemplation was "how will I again be with Swamiji and serve him".

(start of new tape; text missing)…. to Lord Jagannath one-pointedly that my only desire was to again experience the sweetness of living in that divine Goloka-realm of Swamiji's household, serving him in any menial way possible. My heart was set on this desire. I even wrote to him in Vrindavana, expressing how much I missed him and how much I wanted his divine association once again. With my youthful innocence I expressed my heartfelt wish to be engaged in his service. The reply letter that I received from him was short but complete. This was my first letter from Srila Prabhupada. At the end of it he stated simply: "I know your mind". He let me know early on that he knew my every thought and movement even though he was far away as India or as near as the next room. Thank you, Srila Prabhupada for allowing me a glimpse of your omniscience and your divinity when I was but a new devotee. Thank you for hearing the prayers of my heart and allowing me to serve you all but imperfectly and for allowing me residence in your Goloka household. This was the greatest gift of my life. No amount of wealth or fame or followers can begin to compare with the sweetness of your divine association.

Gaurasundara and I remained in Montreal for the duration of time that Swamiji was in India; that was about six months. During that time we drew many pictures for early Back to Godhead magazines and daily we worked in our small art studio while hearing Caitanya Caritamrta and Srimad Bhagavatam. During that time I began working on a drawing of Krsna and Balarama returning home with their cows, millions of cows. It became a kind of meditation. Daily I worked on this drawing and although we had little information of how Vrindavana looked it seemed to manifest from within the heart. Though we did many other pictures, this picture was the most dear to me. Even when I close my eyes I would still see an ocean of cows with Krsna and Balarama prancing before them and in my view, over to the right, that cowherd boy was clearly meant to be Srila Prabhupada. After, all Swamiji had requested me to paint his portrait in San Francisco, and it was one of the first pictures I painted for him. Now I felt I was painting his spiritual portrait in Goloka. It was an innocent offering. I sent a copy of the drawing to Swamiji in Vrindavana, saying, "This cowherd boy is my portrait of you". Thank you, Srila Prabhupada for giving me that glimpse of Goloka. It spurred me on in my desire to serve you; even now when I see this picture, my original drawing has been colored in and hangs behind the Deities of Krsna Balarama, I think of you as I see you walking besides Krsna and Balarama, herding the cows home in the evening and I think that this is no accident that this very picture that I had offered to you so many years before is your portrait walking beside your beloved Krsna Balarama and you are there nearby. Thank you, Srila Prabhupada.