During my years of devotional cultivation I've had a number of encounters with Srila Prabhupada during dreams where I have received some key instructions. Amongs these three are especially dear and important to me.
In my first encounter I found myself in a large auditorium amongst others anticipating Srila Prabhupada’s arrival. Prabhupada was supposed to lecture that evening. The vyasasana had been prepared and many chairs set out. Finally Srila Prabhupada arrived. He walked in accompanied by a number of disciples, but before going to the vyasasana he came up to me and handed me a copy of the Bhagavad-gita.
“Study this!” he instructed me.
He then walked up to his seat, sat down, took up his karatalas and started chanting Jaya Radha Madhava. That’s where my dream broke.
My second encounter was so vivid that while dreaming I actually thought it was real. I remember thinking,
“I've got to go grab my dictaphone so I can record Srila Prabhupada!“
The place was the hallway of the second floor of the yellow office building at our temple in Korsnäs Gård, where I was living at the time. I was coming up the stairs and that's when I noticed Srila Prabhupada was chanting in the corridor. I was so pleased to see him! I thought to myself,
“Srila Prabhupada is alive! How wonderful! We only thought he died 1977.”
I felt like a child, happy, excited and secure in the presence of his grand-father. But even though I was thrilled to see Prabhupada, my heart was somewhat heavy with the state of affairs in our movement.
I respectfully approached Srila Prabhupada and payed my obeisance. I started walking by his side telling him about the problems I was seeing in our society and how sorry I felt. Prabhupada suddenly stopped and turned around to me. In a serious and concerned tone he said,
“Work on yourself!”
As he said 'yourself' he pointed to me with his forefinger sticking out of his beadbag.
No more questions.
I proceeded to make arrangements for Prabhupada’s meal, and that’s when the dream came to an end.
I had another encounter with Srila Prabhupada during a time I was preoccupied preparing a comprehensive introductory presentation on the Enneagram. I found myself in the presence of Srila Prabhupada while he was deeply immersed in chanting japa. The depth of his ecstatic absorption in the Holy Name impressed and strongly impacted upon me. I thought,
"Wow, so that's how japa can be."
Srila Prabhupada then stopped chanting and began reciting a verse from the Bhagavad-gita to me,
"Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion." (9.14)
I walk a fine line as I in some measure apply myself to understand and fascilitate the art of psychological healing and social integration in the service of spiritual development and cooperation in the mission of Srila Prabhupada. Though crucial this line of effort should not overshadow the service of the Holy Name and the Bhagavata. I felt Srila Prabhupada was impressing this point upon me.
I find the continued care and loving guidance of Srila Prabhupada as an invaluable source of confidence, integrity and joyful gratitude in my life. All glories to His Divine Grace. May his merciful glance be always upon us.
Very nice, instructive...thanks for sharing prabhu
ReplyDeleteananda jagannath das
Haribol, thank you so much for sharing this. Your dreams sound very real. I've only met Prabhupada personally in 2 dreams. I was born after 1978 and I didn't know much about Prabhupada or the movement for a long time. When I moved to London in 2006 I dreamt of a guru who wore a black coat. I didn't think he was a guru because of the coat / cloak, but deep down I recognized he was a special guru. We were on a train and he spoke to me. He told me that the journey I was going on was a difficult one. The warning was to be careful. I only realized this was unmistakably Prabhupada after the dream and after seeing pictures of him and reading his books. My second dream of Prabhupada was a few hours ago. He was waiting for me to make a delivery and I had gone into the temple to offer obeisances. While I was there I spoke to a pujari, and I told her I was in a hurry and that Prabhupada was waiting for me in the car. 2 things dawned on me when I spoke those words, Prabhupada was not in a physical body so the pujari might have thought I was joking, and secondly I had felt a great sense of false ego and false importance in saying Prabhupada was waiting for me. I felt like those words could make people think I was trying to sound special, and I immediately felt remorse and upset. And I woke up feeling terrible about it.
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