January 23, 1970 : Los Angeles
On this day, Srila Prabhupada answered Hansaduta's questions through a letter.
"Regarding your question: you are right when you write to say that everything about us, tables, chairs, bricks etc. is originally emanating from sound vibration. This is also admitted in the Christian Bible wherein it is said that God said, let there be creation and there was creation. So, 'said' means it was sound vibration; but this sound vibration is not material sound vibration because before creation of material sky and sound, transcendental sound was there.
So actually the transcendental sound is the cause of creation, but material sound is not transcendental sound. We have to receive transcendental sound through the transcendental channel, therefore, Vedas are called Sruti. That means transcendental sound can be received through the ear. And by hearing this transcendental sound through the ear our heart becomes spiritually purified, and we can realize at that stage the transcendental Name, transcendental Qualities, transcendental Form, transcendental Pastimes etc. That is the way of descending process.
Because everything manifested is creation of the original transcendental Sound, therefore, factually everything is spiritual. But being covered by material cloud, we do not appreciate properly the spiritual nature of everything. The Krishna consciousness movement means gradually advancing towards that stage of spiritual realization. As such, the philosophy of acintya bhedabheda tattva is perfect. Everything is simultaneously one and different from the Supreme. One in quality because the original source is the Spiritual Whole, and different in quantity. This quantitative difference becomes more and more separate by increase of material consciousness."
Reference: Srila Prabhupada's letters
Memory of the Day
Madhusudana das: The devotees had seen in second volume of Prabhupada’s Bhagavatam, there was a verse and a purport. In the purport, it was written in verse form, it was names of Krishna. He Krishna Govinda Hari Murari, He Natha Narayana Vasudeva. In the purport, Prabhupada was explaining that Krishna is all of those in one. So we thought this was a mantra of some kind and they were obviously names of Krishna, so we started chanting it. We put it to music, of course, with all the various instruments, and we were singing it…it was kind of like a hootenanny. We were really having a ball chanting this new…because this was at the beginning when there were not very many mantras other than Hare Krishna. So we were singing this and having a great time.
When Prabhupada arrived, we all bowed down and paid obeisances and he got on the vyasasana and he spoke to us and said, “Oh, who has given you this mantra?” Somebody said, “Oh, we saw this in your Bhagavatam, Prabhupada.” He said, “This should not be chanted.” He said, “This is not bona fide.” And we were just…talk about thunderstruck! We were so bewildered. He proceeded to explain. He said that “Even they are names of Krishna, unless the mantra is given by the disciplic succession it shouldn’t be chanted, even though they are names of Krishna.” And there’s a verse like that saying that it has to come from the sampradaya. So right after that, then he said, “Oh, so you want another mantra to chant?” And everybody just spontaneously said, “Yes!” and everybody kind of cheered. So he started singing jaya sri-krishna-caitanya prabhu nityananda, sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrinda, and then he introduced it in kirtan.
Reference: Following Srila Prabhupada – Remembrances by Yadubara Dasa
Anecdote of the Day
Pusta Krishna Dasa : Srila Prabhupada had just taken his bath and was putting on tilak when Gargamuni Maharaj and I went into his room. He didn't have his shirt on. When he saw us, he was very happy. I offered my dandavats, and Gargamuni Maharaj introduced me to Srila Prabhupada, saying, "He has given up going to medical school to become a devotee." He told Srila Prabhupada that we had just come from the East Bengal war zone.
Srila Prabhupada was very grateful. He said, "You've risked your life for me and for Lord Chaitanya." He asked me, "Do you like our books?" I said, "Yes, Srila Prabhupada." He said, "Which book do you like the best?" I said, "Bhagavad-gita." He said, "Oh, very good." As time went by, I went out of the room, and Srila Prabhupada said to Gargamuni Maharaj, "I will make that boy a sannyasi." I was 21 years old and had met Prabhupada for the first time.
Reference: Memories-Anecdotes of a Modern-Day Saint by Siddhanta Dasa
