Car Ride Back to Second Avenue

Later … Prabhupada sat next to Bruce in the Volkswagen returning to the City.  The car went winding around on a ribbon of smooth black mountain road, with lush green forests close in and intermittent vistas of mountains and expansive sky.  It was a rare occasion for Bruce to be driving Prabhupada in a car because none of the Swami’s boys had cars.  They would always travel by bus or subway.  It seemed fitting for the Swami to have a car to ride in, but this was only a little Volkswagen and Bruce winced whenever they hit a bump and it jostled Prabhupada.  As they wound their way on through the mountains, Bruce recalled something he had read in a book by Aldous Huxley’s wife about the best places for meditation.  One opinion had been that the best place to meditate was by a large body of water, because of the negative ions in the air, and the other opinion was that it was better to meditate in the mountains, because you are higher up and closer to God.  “Is it better for spiritual realization to meditate in the mountains?” Bruce asked.  Prabhupada replied, “This is nonsense.  There is no question of ‘better place.’  Are you thinking that God is up on some planet or something and you have to go up high?  No.  You can meditate anywhere.  Just chant Hare Krishna.”

After some time the drive became tiring for Prabhupada and he dozed, his head resting forward.