This is an older Editorial by my good friend Padmpani Prabhu over atPrabhupada Connection. I never tire of reading and re-reading his posts.
The Prabhupada Revolution
For many of us who came of age in the Sixties and Seventies, the counterculture and its promise of an alternative society based on love and peace was an important part of our lives. Art, music, poetry, philosophy, ecology and human rights were just a few of the buzzwords floating around the collective psyche of the Sixties generation. Revolution was in the air. “The establishment” was doomed and soon to be replaced with a kinder, gentler society. Peace would reign supreme and all peoples of the world would unite and be free from the chains of oppression. Or so we thought.
At the time it appeared that massive cultural changes were about to sweep away the capitalist system (or the “military-industrial-complex” as we used to call it). Every day there was a new victory for change. Underground newspapers proliferated, broadcasting the latest progress reports: the sit-ins, the love-ins, the be-ins, the antiwar and civil rights demonstrations, the Democratic National Convention of 1968, the Chicago Seven Trial, Woodstock, etc. Something was happening here, and it was big.
This is another great article by my friend Padmapani Prabhu over at the Prabhupada Connection. He expresses exactly my feelings about how Srila Prabhupada remains forever in our hearts and minds through his divine instructions.
“He lives forever by his divine instructions and the follower lives with him.”
He Lives Forever
by Padmapani dasa
Over the years I’ve often received comments from our readers stating how lucky they think the first generation of devotees was to have seen Srila Prabhupada while he was physically present on the planet. “What about us?”, they ask despondently. Startled by hearing such remarks by newcomers who should be brimming with hope and enthusiasm in Krishna consciousness, I try to explain that Srila Prabhupada is, in fact, as present now as he has ever been. Throughout Prabhupada’s books, letters and conversations, he has emphasized this point again and again, so there should be no cause for misunderstanding.
When asked by a reporter in July of 1975 what would happen to the movement after he departed, Srila Prabhupada replied: “I will never die. I shall live from my books, and you will utilize.” And in his purport toCaitanya-caritamrta Adi 1.35, Srila Prabhupada explains: “There is no difference between the spiritual master’s instructions and the spiritual master himself.” Further assuring us, Prabhupada spoke the following words just a few months prior to his departure in 1977: “I will remain your personal guidance, physically present or not physically present, as I am getting guidance from my Guru Maharaja.”
My good friend Padnapani Prabhu, who runs the web page “The Prabhupada Connection” has written many fine essays on Krishna Consciousness and the Glories of Srila Prabhupada. We share one of his Editorial Notes with you today.
Forever Grateful to Srila Prabhupada
by Padmapani dasa
Thinking back to the late sixties and early seventies, I fondly remember how the Hare Krsna mantra had already infiltrated contemporary culture due to Srila Prabhupada’s extraordinary efforts to spread the holy names throughout the world. A number of famous musicians and artists had begun to discover the chanting and were promoting it in their records and books.
For example, the Broadway musical “Hair” was a big hit and the accompanying record — which included the chanting of Hare Krsna — became a popular staple on the radio. George Harrison recorded the song “My Sweet Lord” with the melodious chanting of Krsna’s names in the background, and prior to that, the words “Hare Krsna” could be found on one of the Beatles’ albums. Poet Allen Ginsberg, a self-styled leader of the new counterculture, had visited India and picked up the mantra there. He subsequently wrote about the chanting in at least one or more of his poetry books. After meeting Prabhupada at 26 Second Avenue in the Lower East Side of New York, Ginsberg increased his dedication to the holy names and often chanted them during “be-ins” and poetry readings. When John Lennon and Yoko Ono staged their famous “bed-in” at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal in 1969, the devotees were there singing Hare Krsna during the recording of “Give Peace a Chance.” The “Radha Krsna Temple” album produced by George Harrison in 1970 in co-operation with the London devotees could be found in record stores throughout Europe and North America. Such was the widespread influence of Srila Prabhupada’s dynamic preaching efforts even though he had only been in the western world for a short period of time. Srila Prabhupada was already expertly fulfilling the order of his spiritual master, His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaj.
“Sometimes Maya may come and try to interfere but we must not falter; we must always follow the chalked-out path laid down by the great acharyas, and in the end you will see.” (Srila Prabhupada letter, 25/11/73)
Respecting Srila Prabhupada
by Padmapani das
As disciples and followers of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness, we all have an eternal debt to Srila Prabhupada for his unprecedented sacrifice in freely distributing the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu all over the world.
Yesterday my good friend and Godbrother Padmapani Prabhu sent me this post, which was his First Editorial (Posted March 22, 2002), from his very successful web page The Prabhupada Connection. Although this editorial was written back in 2002, it is very timely today.
As the latest headlines and news reports from around the world become increasingly disturbing for us all, it’s quite natural to wonder just where the joy of life has gone for so many people. The pressing threat of war, economic collapse or some other cataclysmic disaster hangs ominously above our heads as we go about our daily activities, hoping against hope that somehow everything will work out all right. Yet deep in our hearts, we know that something might happen at a moment’s notice which can potentially destroy everything. Our precious lives—and the lives of our loved ones—hang in the balance. In reality, most of us don’t have much of a safety net except for a vague sense of faith that life will go on. If truth be told, we live on a wing and a prayer.
This constant state of insecurity may appear to be something new as a result of our so-called material advancement, which has ushered in a new era replete with multiple means of mass destruction. But according to the Vedic scriptures, this is an age-old dilemma for humankind. In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, spoke the following words 5,000 years ago:
abrahma-bhuvanal lokah
punar avartino’rjuna
mam upetya tu kaunteya
punar janma na vidyate
“From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kunti, never takes birth again.” (BG 8.16)
In this simple yet potent verse, we are confronted with both the problem and the solution to our material miseries and anxieties. According to Krishna, the Supreme Lord (and therefore the supreme authority), the very nature of this world is insecure because there is no permanent shelter here. Who can deny that life is constantly changing—for better or worse—no matter how much we struggle to make it stand still? As the old saying goes, “Time waits for no man.”
Spiritual Advancement – The Simple Method
by Padmapani Prabhu
Sometimes it appears very difficult to make advancement in Krsna consciousness, and we become impatient. If we expect immediate results and they aren’t forthcoming, we can easily become discouraged. For those of us who are unable to live in a temple (or even near a temple), this is especially true. So what’s the solution?
In November of 1969, while speaking in London’s Conway Hall, Srila Prabhupada stated the following:
“The process is very simple. Just keep a picture of Lord Caitanya with His associates. Lord Caitanya is in the middle, accompanied by His principal associates — Nityananda, Advaita, Gadadhara, and Srivasa. One simply has to keep this picture. One can keep it anywhere. It is not that one has to come to us to see this picture. Anyone can have this picture in his home, chant this Hare Krsna mantra, and thus worship Lord Caitanya. That is the simple method. But who will capture this simple method? Those who have good brains. Without much bother, if one simply keeps a picture of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu at home and chants Hare Krsna, then one will realize God. Anyone can adopt this simple method. There is no expenditure, there is no tax, nor is there any need to build a very big church or temple. Anyone, anywhere, can sit down on the road or beneath a tree and chant the Hare Krsna mantra and worship God. Therefore it is a great opportunity.”
In this brief statement, Srila Prabhupada underlines the simplicity and accessibility of Krsna consciousness for everyone. Nothing fancy is required. Srila Prabhupada says here that one simply has to chant Hare Krsna, and keep a picture of Lord Caitanya and His associates (Sri Panca-Tattva) in his or her home. “That is the simple method,” he declares. But who will take to it? “Those who have good brains.”
Recently there was a post on Dandavats with a letter (at bottom of post) by the BBT Communications Team trying to justify their attempts to stop the distribution of the newly printed Original Srimad-Bhagavatams that Jitarati Prabhu has printed. I read the article with some interest, just to hear their argument and justification, for trying to stop the distribution of this fine set. But what was more interesting to me was the nice comment posted by Padmapani Prabhu.
His comment is as follows:
Hare Krishna Prabhus. Thank you for airing this matter publicly. I’ve been deluged with inquiries from concerned devotees around the world about this conflict and I’d like to get a better understanding of the details so that I can respond accurately. I was under the impression that devotees had reached an amicable agreement after the last court case that KBI (Krishna Books Inc.) could legally print Srila Prabhupada’s original books, so I was surprised and dismayed to learn that there is yet another court case on the horizon. Surely devotees can somehow or other work this out co-operatively between one another without resorting to expensive lawyers and creating even more bad publicity for Srila Prabhupada’s movement.
On a personal note, I’d like to mention that I served with Jitarati Prabhu back in the 70’s in both the Winnipeg and Montreal yatras. Due to Jitarati’s leadership and dedication to sankirtana, the Winnipeg temple was consistently number one in distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books for years in the small temple category. Later Jitarati helped to spearhead large-scale collections for remodeling the old church in Montreal which is now the beautiful home of Sri Sri Radha Manohara. Although I haven’t seen Jitarati Prabhu for at least 40 years, I always remember him as a sincere and devoted disciple of Srila Prabhupada.
We all have our own slants in Krishna Consciousness, but Srila Prabhupada repeatedly told us that we should try and work together despite our differences. I know from personal experience in publishing a magazine for devotees back in the 80’s (The Vaisnava Journal) that we can get along no matter how far apart we might be on personal or philosophical issues. Devotees of all persuasions and from all camps — including the GBC — were communicating together on the same page, so I know it can be done. Where there’s a will there’s a way.
Below are but a few of the many quotes from Srila Prabhupada which I hope will remind us all of the bigger picture and our collective duty to His Divine Grace. Thank you for listening.
“Now all my disciples must work combinedly and with cooperation to spread this Sankirtan Movement. If you cannot work together then my work is stopped up. Our Society is like one big family and our relationships should be based on love and trust. We must give up the fighting spirit and use our intelligence to push ahead.” (SPL to Upendra, August 6, 1970)
“We have so much work to do, we cannot lose our solidarity.” (SPL to Malati, January 7, 1974)
“Let us try to work cooperatively, otherwise the fighting spirit will ruin our great movement.” (SPL to Ramesvara, April 10, 1974)
“So we have to all cooperate amongst ourselves, otherwise what will people think if we ourselves fight with one another?” (SPL to Patita Uddharan, December 12, 1974)
“Everyone should be friendly for the service of the Lord. Everyone should praise another’s service to the Lord and not be proud of his own service. This is the way of Vaisnava thinking, Vaikuntha thinking. There may be rivalries and apparent competition between servants in performing service, but in the Vaikuntha planets the service of another servant is appreciated, not condemned. This is Vaikuntha competition. There is no question of enmity between servants. Everyone should be allowed to render service to the Lord to his best ability, and everyone should appreciate the service of others. Such are the activities of Vaikuntha. Since everyone is a servant, everyone is on the same platform and is allowed to serve the Lord according to his ability.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.12, Purport)
“Although my Guru Maharaja ordered me to accomplish this mission, I am not worthy or fit to do it. I am very fallen and insignificant. Therefore, O Lord, now I am begging for Your mercy so that I may become worthy, for You are the wisest and most experienced of all.” (Prayer to the Lotus Feet of Krishna, on board the ship Jaladuta, September 13, 1965)
“It is all Krishna’s Grace that He has sent such a nice assistants to me, for executing the mission of my Spiritual Master. Personally, I am nonentity; I have come here on the order of my Spiritual Master, and He has kindly sent you all boys to assist me. So whatever is being done, there is no credit for me, but all the credit goes to my Spiritual Master, because He has arranged everything, and I am simply to abide by His order.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, October 16, 1968)
“I am just trying to disseminate this message of my Spiritual Master and if there’s any credit for this service, everything goes to Him.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, March 14, 1969)
This morning I awoke to the news that Donald Trump has been elected as President on the United States of America. For some Americans this is frightening news. Others are rejoicing. I think we can all agree that the world is a dangerous place. This post by Padmapani Prabhu is really quite timely.
Safety in a Dangerous World
by Padmapani das
Ever since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the world has been faced with unprecedented danger and uncertainty. Recent headlines suggest that the threat of terrorism has reached critical proportions. News of another possible attack in the U.S. has been circulating in the press and the rhetoric of war has dominated world politics for quite some time. Once again we are forced to contemplate our fragility and mortality in this material world. Anything can happen now and we know it.
(Click photo to see a larger image of Srila Prabhupada and disciples, New Vrindavan, 1972.)
Honoring our Godbrothers and Godsisters
by Padmapani dasa
“Regarding serving your godbrothers, this is a very good practice. The Spiritual Master is never without His followers, so to serve the Spiritual Master also means to be the servant of His disciples. When you want to serve the king, you must also serve his minister, secretary, and everyone who serves him. And to serve his servants may please him more than to serve the king personally. So the Spiritual Master is not alone. He is always with His entourage. We are not impersonalists. We take care of every part of the whole, as much as one should take care of his hat as well as his shoes. Both are equally important for the upkeep of the body. I hope that you will understand this rightly.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, January 23, 1969)
“Relationship between Godbrothers must be very genuine and pleasing. Otherwise, the future of our institution will not be very hopeful.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, October 1, 1969)
“We are never alone in Krsna consciousness; you have got so many wonderful brothers and sisters who are really your family, and besides that the spiritual master is always in his instructions, and Krsna is there within your heart, so you need not feel you are ever alone.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, August 11, 1972)
“Your appreciation for the service of your God-brothers is very much laudable. This is actually a devotee’s business that everyone should appreciate the value of other devotees. Nobody should criticize anyone. Because everyone is engaged in the service of the Lord, according to one’s capacity, and the thing is, Krishna wants to see how much one is sincere in rendering Him service. Materially we may think that his service is greater than his, that is our material vision. Actually on the spiritual platform, the service rendered by a calf to Krishna and service rendered by Radharani and Her Associates, to Krishna, there is no difference. Krishna is so kind and liberal that everyone’s service, when it is sincerely offered to Krishna, He accepts.” (Srila Prabhupada Letter, August 19, 1968)
Recently my good friend Padmapani Prabhu, sent me this link to his page Prabhupada Connect where he has just posted the Vaisnava Journal in a pdf format. We will be posting all five issues here as well, for our readers, so you can download and save to your computer or just read online. Today we are posting Vol. 1, No. 2 as a free pdf download.
The Vaisnava Journal was created to help devotees work through our differences in a respectful and co-operative manner with the aim of preserving the loving mood in our spiritual family after the physical departure of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. Although only five issues were printed and distributed over the next two-and-a-half years, the magazine was popular and well received by many leaders, members and friends of ISKCON.
15th Anniversary of Tribhuvanatha Prabhu’s Departure
by Padmapani das
I think the most important thing that I learned from Tribhuvanatha Prabhu is that one can serve the spiritual master in any condition of life and under any circumstances. We joined forces just after Srila Prabhupada’s departure, and from then on it was nonstop adventure and challenges. We had to quickly become self-reliant. It didn’t matter if we found ourselves in a safe situation or not, or whether we had lots of association or none at all. The main thing was serving Prabhupada. Service was our lifeline. So the Middle East program was great training, like being thrown into deep water without knowing how to swim. It was sink or swim, do or die. The material world is a war zone and only the strongest survive. Tribhuvanatha was a soldier for Srila Prabhupada and he led by example. The war against maya isn’t over, but at least I have some hope and inspiration thanks to Tribhuvanatha Prabhu.
Here is a video of Tribhuvanatha Prabhu’s memories of Srila Prabhupada:
My friend Padmapani Prabhu has been coming out with so many beautiful posts of late on his page The Prabhupada Connection, the following is one example.
Simple Living and High Thinking
by Padmapani Dasa
Srila Prabhupada stayed in these rooms for six years (1959-1965) while he was preparing for his trip to America. The rooms were simple and austere.
“Yes, we are trying to set a perfect example according to the Bhagavad-gita as it is, how to execute simple living and high thinking. We are not interested in any material comforts of life which are limited and temporary. We are interested in solving the real problems of life, birth, death, old-age, and disease. These problems must be solved, and Krishna gives the formula in the Bhagavad-gita.” (Srila Prabhupada letter, June 10, 1975)
nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhutale
srimate bhaktivedanta-swamin iti namine
namaste sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine
nirvisesa-sunyavadi-pacatya-desa-tarine
om ajnana-timirandhasya jnanajnana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah
Dear Beloved Srila Prabhupada,
Please accept my humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
Thank you for coming to this world to save us in spite of the tremendous difficulties and obstacles which you had to face alone, depending solely on the mercy of the Supreme Lord Krishna and your eternal spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.
You are the Supreme Personality of Servitor Godhead, freely bestowing your causeless mercy upon the unqualified and ungrateful souls of Kali-yuga. I am amongst the most fallen of living entities and yet, by your unlimited compassion, you have glanced in my direction and now my life has become successful. Who can properly describe the glories of Your Divine Grace?
Many years have passed since the day I walked into your Los Angeles temple room and was so mercifully blessed with your divine association. Somehow or other you allowed me to join your happy family of loving devotees and it changed my life forever. You saved me, Srila Prabhupada, and I am eternally thankful and indebted to you.
Over the years our family has been struggling in your personal absence. Some of us have had difficulties and sometimes there have been harsh words spoken amongst us. In your personal presence, these things could always be resolved by your firm hand and loving guidance. But now we find everything more difficult.
Although I have no qualifications whatsoever, today I come before you with a humble prayer in my heart. Please help us to heal the rifts between us and to come together as a family once again at your lotus feet. There is so much service to be done in executing your blessed mission of delivering the conditioned souls in this world and therefore we need to work together in a spirit of love and co-operation to be truly effective in the way that you desired. But without your blessings, it will never come to pass. So I humbly pray at your lotus feet that you will so kindly enter our hearts and inspire us to find the ways and means of fulfilling your beautiful transcendental vision of a happy and unified world movement under your leadership and direction. Kindly help us to please you in this way.
Thank you very much, Srila Prabhupada. All glories to your divine lotus feet.
Recently my good friend Padmapani Prabhu, sent me this link to his page Prabhupada Connect where he has just posted the Vaisnava Journal in a pdf format. We will be posting all five issues here as well, for our readers, so you can download and save to your computer or just read online. Today we are posting Vol. 1, No. 1 as a free pdf download.
click on link to veiw or save; Vaisnava Journal Vol 1, No. 1 VJ-1
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The Vaisnava Journal
by Padmapani das
The Vaisnava Journal was created to help devotees work through our differences in a respectful and co-operative manner with the aim of preserving the loving mood in our spiritual family after the physical departure of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. Although only five issues were printed and distributed over the next two-and-a-half years, the magazine was popular and well received by many leaders, members and friends of ISKCON.
Read more…
Over the years, I’ve been approached by numerous devotees requesting copies of The Vaisnava Journal. Since I have only one set available, I was unable to comply until now. Please have a look at our humble attempt to serve Srila Prabhupada and his great mission during a time of change in our movement’s history.
In particular, I’d like to draw your attention to the Vaisnava Forum (letters section) which was launched to help facilitate a healthy dialogue among all participants. The mood was friendly and hopeful to which the devotees responded in kind. Writers and contributors read like a who’s who list of ISKCON members at the time. If anything, the journal proved that devotees of all persuasions can relate to one another with respect and godbrotherly love. This was Srila Prabhupada’s instruction and desire for us all.
“Perhaps you may know that there are many political parties in a country but when the country’s total responsibility has to be executed, they become combined. To have some little disagreements among yourselves is not very unnatural because we are all individual beings. But as we are working on behalf of Krishna, we should always forget our personal interests and see to the prime cause.” (Srila Prabhupada letter, January 21, 1969)
Recently my good friend Padmapani Prabhu, sent me this link to his page Prabhupada Connect where he has just posted the Vaisnava Journal in a pdf format. We will be posting all five issues here as well, for our readers, so you can download and save to your computer or just read online. Today we are posting Vol. 1, No. 2 as a free pdf download.
The Vaisnava Journal was created to help devotees work through our differences in a respectful and co-operative manner with the aim of preserving the loving mood in our spiritual family after the physical departure of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. Although only five issues were printed and distributed over the next two-and-a-half years, the magazine was popular and well received by many leaders, members and friends of ISKCON.
From time to time I like to visit the web site The Prabhupada Connection just to drink in the nectar. If you haven’t visited this site yet, I recommend that you visit the underlined link above and bookmark it to your favorites.
The site was created by Padmapani Prabhu who is a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, and is well loved by the devotee community. The following is some nectar I found in the Editorial Notes category.
Respecting Srila Prabhupada
by Padmapani dasa
As disciples and followers of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness, we all have an eternal debt to Srila Prabhupada for his unprecedented sacrifice in freely distributing the mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu all over the world.
Srila Prabhupada The Perfect Gentleman
By Sriman Padmapani Prabhu
“…we know that as soon as one understands how to deal with God, he will automatically deal very nicely with others.”
“Although there may be some difficulties within our society, these things are not very important. What is important is that we should simply fix our mind on Krishna’s Lotus Feet. This is His instruction in the Bhagavad-gita. So we associate with one another so that we can assist each other in hearing and chanting about Krishna. That is the purpose of our Society.” (Srila Prabhupada letter, November 22, 1974)
On July 29, 1971, Srila Prabhupada was interviewed on television at the University of Gainesville in Florida (which His Divine Grace described as “a remote corner of the world, thousands of miles from the birthplace of Lord Caitanya”).
At one point, Srila Prabhupada was asked the following question:
Interviewer: How would I recognize a true follower of the Krsna consciousness movement by his behavior? What would his traits be? What would his outward expressions be?
Srila Prabhupada: He’d be a very perfect gentleman, that’s all. You could not find any fault in him.
What’s particularly striking about his reply is that Srila Prabhupada never mentioned any external symptoms such as dress, title, social position, or even what religious or spiritual practices one followed. His evidence was the result — or fruit — of spiritual advancement. As he often said, “You can judge a thing by its result.”
Earlier in the conversation, Srila Prabhupada informed the interviewer that, “We are not concerned with how one man deals with another man.” Rather surprised, the interviewer asked, “Isn’t that part of your Krsna consciousness movement?” Srila Prabhupada replied, “No, this is not important because we know that as soon as one understands how to deal with God, he will automatically deal very nicely with others.”
Jayananda Prabhu: Staunchness Personified
By Sriman Padmapani Prabhu
The first time I saw Jayananda Prabhu was in 1974 in San Francisco. A number of devotees had driven down from Vancouver to participate in the Rathayatra Festival there. As soon as we arrived, the brahmacaris were sent over to help out at the cart site. There were many devotees there lifting wooden beams, hammering nails and working like mad to meet the deadline. Then along came a tall serious looking devotee who struck me as a genuine no-nonsense leader. It was Jayananda Prabhu. He immediately took charge and began engaging everyone in Lord Jagannatha’s service. Along with Visnujana Swami, I had never seen anyone with such a powerful devotional aura about him. There was no mistaking his total dedication to his service. In fact, I recall thinking to myself at the time, “This devotee is staunchness personified.” To this day, I always remember him in that light.
Every day we had to help work on the carts and around the grounds to help get things ready in time for Rathayatra. I heard that there were about 500 brahmacaris there from all over the U.S. and Canada. It seemed like total mayhem to me, but Jayananda always
looked like he knew what he was doing, so I assumed that everything was in complete control.
Jayananda Prabhu was all over the site and beyond during those Rathayatra Festivals, attending to every little detail and making sure that everyone was engaged and well fed so that we could try and keep up to his pace. But it was obvious to everyone that he was specially empowered to perform this service like no one else. Yet he made no big fanfare about it nor showed even a trace of false ego. He was just totally sincere and worked harder and longer than anyone else.
While working alongside him, I think that the best word which comes to mind in describing his attitude is “determined.” His mind was totally fixed on devotional service. His consciousness was unlike that of an ordinary conditioned soul, prone to wandering here and there. He was blessed with pinpoint concentration, which he fully engaged in the service of his beloved Srila Prabhupada and Lord Jagannatha. What a blessing just to be in his presence and watch him serve with such unparalleled devotional zeal.
The Hare Krishna Movement 