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I shall remain your personal guidance

Gargamuni Dasa: So, in my last letter, I wrote was in July of 1977. Now I never got a hardcopy reply, but I found out that the entire letter was answered on tape, so it's in Vedabase and I was able, much years later, 30 years or 40 years later, to read Prabhupada’s reply. So Tamal Krishna is reading my letter, so I also have what I wrote and what Prabhupada responds. Most of the letters you don't know what the letters are, what the people wrote, but in this case, I have what I wrote and what Prabhupada says. So one of the most outstanding things that always remained in my mind is the first part of the letter. And it says, I'm writing, “My dear Srila Prabhupada, please accept my humble obeisances at your divine lotus feet. We fervently pray that your Divine Grace continue to remain in this world because we need your personal guidance. Even when Lord Krishna disappeared, Arjuna lost all strength temporarily.”

And then, Prabhupada responses to that and what does he say? “I shall remain your personal guidance physically present or not physically, as I am getting personal guidance from my Guru Maharaj.” So this means Prabhupada will always be with me, whether he's in the physical form or non-physical form, but I will always receive his guidance. 
So Gargamuni says, “Arjuna was a great powerful devotee and he could overcome the shock, but we are most fallen and cannot endure such a shock of having you leave us. We are already mortified by such a thought. Your movement is just now being accepted and we want you to remain to lead all your devotees towards successful spiritual life. Despite our offenses, all of us deeply have great love for your Divine Grace, and our world will become dark without your presence,” I mean this is a fact, you know. There was no conspiracy against Prabhupada, poison, all this nonsense. We all did offenses to Prabhupada, but we all loved Srila Prabhupada.  We did offenses out of ignorance, we weren’t thinking. But certainly there was no conspiracy against Srila Prabhupada in these times, none at all. “Materially you have provided all your devotees with everything - big temples, money, prestige, honor, nice prasadam,” Prabhupada laughs, and Prabhupada says, “That's not material.” 

 

So Gargamuni says, “But personally, I would relish more being with you without all these things as we began at 26th Second Avenue, simply hearing you chant and talk for hours is my only solace. I don't want anything else. We left all material things to be with you only, so please have mercy with your devotees by allowing us to have your personal appearance as long as possible.” And Prabhupada said, “Oh, yes, he was from the very beginning, he has worked very hard,” and he mentions Brahmananda too. 
 

And then Gargamuni says, “I may also come to cook and clean for you.” I said. Because I was in Calcutta, oh no, I was in Bombay. "Yes, you are welcome, if you so desire I can carry you also," because Prabhupada couldn't go to the bath, we had to carry him in a chair and Prabhupada laughs. He said, “No, you are doing more important business, you do that, but if you want to, whatever you like, you can come. He is a good cook also.”

So I'm a good cook, Prabhupada says it right here. And Bhagavatashraya says, “Everyone compliments his cooking, everyone.” 
So Gargamuni then answers, “We have a great debt to repay you and we are perplexed how to repay. At least Your Divine Grace may stay as long as we try to repay till the debt we owe to you is finished. I think if we work hard and preach and the world recognizes this movement, then you may want to stay here a little longer.”

And Prabhupada says, “Yes, that's a fact.” 
 

And then Gargamuni answers, “I'm still constantly filling this into the minds of the members of the Library Party, we are now emphasizing your books as the Library of Encyclopedia of Vedic knowledge, and I'm herewith enclosing reviews from the biggest Marathi, Gujarati and Sindhi scholars.” And Prabhupada said, “Yes, it is very nice, he has done quite efficiently.” So I've pleased Prabhupada, you see, I've always tried to please Prabhupada.
 



Reference: SPF Interviews