Getting Krishna from the Swami 

It was a matter of fact that we were getting Krishna from the Swami.  He conducted a school for Krishna consciousness at 26 Second Avenue.  He gave regular lectures and gave us his books, although the subject was beyond academic understanding. The essence of this school was to associate with a pure devotee.

He gave us love of God, and we saw him practice love of God twenty-four hours a day.  Even when the Swami was asleep we could look through the window in the wall of his room and see him there.  We got close to the sakti of his pure devotion and received his blessings.  And despite our own foolish ways, we understood the truth.  We hung onto the pure gem that had come into our dirty lives—the gem of association with the Swami.

All religious cultures of the world advise you to receive God directly from the saint or pure devotee.  If you didn’t meet a realized soul, then whatever you imbibe of religion is a bit academic, somewhat ritualistic, somewhat institutionalized, and definitely unrealized.  Narottama dasa Thakura sings, “Whoever became liberated without the mercy of the Vaisnava?”  Without the grace of the pure devotee, religion cannot become a major part of your life.  It cannot enter your heart; it’s not so real.  But when you meet a saint and when you are receptive to him, then everything changes.  If you do menial service for the saint, then you receive God’s grace.  In the case of Srila Prabhupada, the God consciousness he was teaching was the most relishable, because the scriptures he taught from were “the most voluminous and exacting” science of God consciousness due to the unbroken disciplic succession.  From Swamiji, we received the ultimate double treat of his all-valuable association and beginning the path of service to the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna.

We rejoiced in the fact that we were babies in spiritual life, learning everything from the beginning.  We weren’t ashamed of it.  Swamiji even compared садхана-бхакти to a kindergarten.  He said that just as the rambunctious youngsters are kept busy with constructive activities, so in бхакти-йога we engage all the senses and proclivities in the service of the Lord.  In our spiritual kindergarten, we danced with our teacher and followed his lead in singing, while playing rhythm instruments.  And he taught us like that, starting from the ABC’s up to Radha-Krishna.  Ever since he arrived, we were having a happy time.