Swamiji and the Boys

When lunch was ready, Swamiji would wash his hands and mouth in the bathroom and come into the front room, his soft, pink-bottomed feet always bare, his saffron dhoti reaching down to his ankles.  He would stand by the coffee table, which held the picture of Lord Caitanya and His associates, while his own associates stood around him against the walls.  Keith would bring in a big tray of capātīs, stacked by the dozens, and place it on the floor before the altar table, along with pots of rice, dal and sabji.  Swamiji would then recite the Bengali prayer for offering food to the Lord, and all present would follow him by bowing down, knees and head to the floor, and approximating the Bengali prayer one word at a time.  While the steam and mixed aromas drifted up like an offering of incense before the picture of Lord Caitanya, the Swami’s followers bowed their heads to the wooden floor and mumbled the prayer.

Prabhupada then sat with his friends, eating the same prasadam as they, with the addition of a banana and a metal bowl full of hot milk.  He would slice the banana by pushing it downward against the edge of the bowl, letting the slices fall into the hot milk.