Tuesday, November 18th, 2008

Tuesday, Nov. 18th, 2008 – Miami Beach, Florida, USA

Staying in the room next to me is a very special monk from New York. His name is Prabhupada Das, a student of Srila Prabhupada. Having come around to see Prabhupada since the sixties he has served the mission for quite some time in America, Guyana, India, Colombia and other places.

Prabhupada Das (we hope the name doesn’t confuse here) tells of a time when he was handed a dhoti (lower monk’s robe) in his early exploration of higher consciousness by his spiritual father, Srila Prabhupada. He approached the young man with a distinct tear in his eye, an evocation of compassion and eagerness to see the young New Yorker take to the saving, or shall we say, safe path.

When Prabhupada Das first started seeing the seasoned swami from India, his Jewish father also visited him on occasion. The concerned father was impressed by his son’s new mentor who mentioned that his son was a little crazy but that he would “fix him up.” In my periodical encounters with Prabhupada Das I was moved by his conviction as a renounced person. He would be the first to admit to transformation.

Incidentally, Jeffery took an upper step this morning. He became initiated into the spiritual succession. As an astrologer he took on the name Garga Muni das, after the name of the astrologer in Krishna’s foster family. Blessings to him!

Wanting to catch some sun before a flight to Buenos Aires, I was driven by physician Dr. Murari to Miami Beach. I guess it wasn’t quite on his mind that there are topless elements there during warm spells here. I would advise alternative walking locations to the sands of Miami Beach for monks.

11 Km