Story # 22 - December 14th, 1967

In late October, the exciting news came. Swamiji would be returning soon to San Francisco. His health had improved and his travel arrangements were being made. Gaurasundara and I immediately began planning our trip to meet him in California. The first snow had fallen in Montreal, so we were eager to go West anyway. We packed our meager belongings, mostly the contents of our art studio and a few clothes, a couple of saris that I had gotten and took a bus to New York City. There we found a drive away car, one that was to be delivered to the West Coast. Gargamuni and his new wife, Karunamayi and Gaurasundara and I sat out on a hazardous winter journey to San Francisco. Anxious over the perils of winter driving we chanted the whole way. In Colorado we ran off the road in a blizzard and it seemed to us that our chanting brought a big snowplow to rescue us almost immediately. We were so focused on greeting our beloved Swamiji that all obstacles seemed to melt like snow in the sunshine of our love for him. The mood was simple, direct and sweet. When we arrived in San Francisco, Gaurasundara and I rented a small room two blocks from the Frederick Street temple. We were situated there about a week or two before Swamiji's arrival on September 14th, 1967. Daily, my prayers intensified as I looked forward to his arrival. Arrangements were made for Swamiji to stay at Jayananda's large flat and our good friend Upendra was going to cook for him. I began to study Upendra's cooking techniques avidly. Finally, the big day came. Swamiji was arriving. We went to the San Francisco airport and we chanted wildly in the waiting area. I remember walking up a hallway and seeing him through some big glass doors. He turned to us and waved, he gave us a long loving glance and a friendly wave. It meant everything to us. Our kirtan intensified and tears of joy streamed down my cheeks. I felt as if my very life had been returned to me. It was the most joyful day in the history of America: Swamiji had returned. Thank you, Srila Prabhupada for taking the trouble to come back to us. You had an ideal situation in India, in Vrindavana, you could have stayed in your beloved Vrindavana but out of divine compassion for all souls you chose to fly back into the Kali-yuga cities of America to spread the message of Lord Caitanya. You are the most exemplary preacher of the Lord, always concerned for the welfare of all living entities for the suffering of all the souls in this world. We must never forget that without you we would simply continue turning on the rotating wheel of samsara, from king to beggar, elephant to ant, our gratitude must never wane for you alone came to our rescue. We are eternally indebted. No one had heard of Krsna in the West. You were the emissary, the pioneer, the divine agent sent by Lord Caitanya to awaken the Western world from the sleep of ignorance.

Story # 23 - Govind dasi - you have taken your sari?

Joyfully we escorted Swamiji to his flat on (I don't remember the name of the Street); there like a rose surrounded by bees he sat in our midst, carefully unpacking his trunk and smiling at everyone. He spoke with each devotee, asking about his or her welfare, smiling and enchanting everyone with his sweetness. His big Indian trunk was full of goodies. He pulled out all sorts of things we'd never seen before. It was better than Christmas. He showed us a strange metal contraption and explained it was for grating coconut. He showed us a finely carved conch shell and some excellent kartals. He gave Gaurasundara and I pictures of him dancing in front of his Calcutta Deities and asked us to paint them with color. On the back he wrote "Swami Prabhupada dancing in front of his Deities" (I have to look that up). Then he began to pull out gifts for all the devotees. Two disciples, Acyutananda and I think Ramanuja, were in India and had sent saris and gifts for the devotees in San Francisco. I sat, watching Swamiji, totally mesmerized by his spiritual beauty. He carefully unpacked all the saris, each one had a small slip of paper and a devotees' name pinned on it. Then he carefully removed all the pins and placed the pins in a little pile and then placed all the saris in one pack and then all the slips of paper in another stack. Then he began to hand out saris to each of the ladies as he chose, totally disregarding the slips of paper pinned on them. I did not expect to receive a sari as I had not sent money or anything nor did I even know Ramananda. The conversation drifted to items needed by Swamiji with different devotees volunteering for various services or purchases. Swamiji needed some house slippers. I immediately volunteered to buy him some new house slippers and he smilingly nodded and told me he wore size A. He added that they should be made of all synthetic or man-made materials. Swamiji later said: "The only advancement the modern scientists have made is this: to make non-leather shoes". His opinion of material science was encapsulated in this statement. After each devotee was given a project and gift and we all happily bowed and left Swamiji to rest from his journey. Gaurasundara and I were bowing down to leave when Swamiji asked me: "Oh, Govind dasi? You have taken your sari?" Already standing I stopped short and replied: "No, Swamiji, I didn't know there was one for me". Swamiji carefully thumbed through the stack of saris and selected one, a pale lavender cotton sari with a simple border. Beaming, he held it up to me and I reached over and received it. He smiled in a fatherly and loving way and I happily bowed down as I received it. How can he know that lavender is my favorite color, I thought; and then I remembered his quote in the letter: "I know your mind". Knowing everything about me he loved me anyway. Krsna had sent me a wonderful spiritual father. Later I searched for the most perfect house slippers. At one shop I found all man made materials stamped on all the slippers so I chose a nice black slipper with red furry lining. The red furry lining, I thought would match his reddish lotus feet. I purchased the slippers and quickly took them to his apartment. Smilingly, he thanked me and tried them on. "Oh, perfect fit he exclaimed. Very nice, thank you very much". "What a pleasure", I thought. Swamiji wore these slippers for the entire year or more that Gaurasundara and I lived with and traveled with him. The sound of him shuffling down the hall in those slippers is still fresh in my mind. Then as those slippers became worn, I purchased another pair from the same shop in San Francisco; this time a sandy mustard color with tan for relining, and a back which he quickly flattened with his heals. Having been accustomed to his back-less previous slippers, these were also stamped "all man made materials". Those black and red slippers well worn, well loved, he gave to me when I brought him the new sandy colored slippers. Those slippers are worshipable even by devas. Thank you, Srila Prabhupada for giving me the opportunity to serve you with those slippers and in every other way. I pray those shoes will remain enthroned in my heart through all eternity and that I shall always hear you shuffling about, wearing those slippers in the halls of my mind, guiding me, loving me and leading me to Krsna.