As We Knew Him

In discussions among devotees, I have heard that the Prabhupada we knew is temporary and we will not see him again in that form.  Only those who go back to Godhead will see him again, in his eternal liberated form.  As the Six Gosvamis have spiritual forms – and therefore Rupa Gosvami is known as Rupa Manjari – so the liberated spiritual master may be seen in his spiritual form by his liberated followers.

These topics are beyond me, although I accept what is stated in the sastra.  But on an emotional level, I do not like to hear it put so bluntly, that I will not see Prabhupada again.  Perhaps some things are better not spoken about, because we do not realize them.  When we try to speak, it does not come out right.

This much I can say: Prabhupada will continue to live for the people of this world, at least for the next ten thousand years.  Even Lord Caitanya’s mercy will not be manifest after ten thousand years, because then, by the Supreme Lord’s will, the Kali-yuga will set in full force.  But as long as human civilization is capable of receiving Krishna’s grace and Lord Caitanya’s grace, Prabhupada will be celebrated as the great devotee of the Lord, the first one to effectively spread bhakti all over the planet.

I will content myself by knowing that any memories we can preserve of Prabhupada will endure for the people during the time when a Golden Age is possible.  And so we will go on remembering Prabhupada as we knew him.

I say “as we knew him”, but much of Prabhupada’s identity is beyond us, even in his form as a sannayasi pure devotee.  Vaisnavera kriya mudra vijne na bhujhaya; no one can understand the mind of the Vaisnava and the nature of his activities.  But as far as we know Prabhupada lila, we can recall it with assurance that it is lasting and spiritual.

The Supreme Lord and His liberated devotee may appear within this world for some time and then return to the spiritual world, where the devotee may take on a different form.  Only if we serve Srila Prabhupada in the form as we knew him will we be qualified to understand further spiritual transformations.  If we jump over the Prabhupada we knew and as he taught us in his books, if we try to imagine some other Prabhupada – then we will never reach the spiritual world.  By the grace of the guru one can transfer to the eternal world, where Krishna will arrange that we may recognize our spiritual master.  The relationship is eternal.