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| EDITORIAL December 16, 1998 VNN2690 See Related VNN Stories Do Not Change My Words BY GAURIDASA PANDITA DASA HEALTH, Dec 16 (VNN) — Srila Prabhupada And His Books (VRINDAVAN JUNE 1977) Srila Prabhupada used to like to sit in his garden in Vrindavan especially in the mornings and he would usually chant on his japa beads. I would put his three bead bags on the pillow of his Vyasasana. He had small, medium and big beads to choose from. He usually picked the bigger beads. It was my duty to prepare the garden for his arrival after his morning bath upstairs. I would clear and clean everything and put fresh cloth on his seat and on the carpet where any devotees would sit. I would turn on the fountain and lite his favorite incense which was Kesar Chandan, (saffron / sandalwood). Then I would get to fan Srila Prabhupada all the while he was in the garden. This is the time that I got most of the mercy from Srila Prabhupada. Hearing his direct instructions for the future of the movement; especially the ritvik representative appointments personally was very important because only the secretary was there taking dictation from Srila Prabhupada. The secretary typed up the now famous July 9th 1977 letter and read it back to Srila Prabhupada who then signed it and ordered it to be sent to all Temples and GBC's. After Srila Prabhupada's departure these instructions were covered by the secretary who played dumb saying he didn't know what Srila Prabhupada wanted us to do! He knows very well what he said to do because he admitted it at Topnaga Canyon when the GBC kicked him out in 1980. Seeing the charm and great Vaisnava wit of Srila Prabhupada in action even to the last moment was and is my inspiration. You had to be quick quiet and clean and clever to be one of Srila Prabhupada's servants; especially since a few of the devotees tried to take my service away. Srila Prabhupada was totally observant of the devotees and constantly showing how to do everything the right way. We need to share this wealth of knowledge with each other and the world and make good advancement towards our ultimate goal, Love of God. Srila Prabhupada is an ocean of mercy that the world's most fortunate souls will benefit from for even beyond the Golden Age of Lord CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU, because a lot of the devotees will have gone back to Godhead by then and will be getting the eternal bliss of service to KRSNA! It is to our good fortune to help make this happen. 99.999% of the time Srila Prabhupada was as gentle as a lamb; but when he got angry he became like the hungry lion. We servants would cower out of the room if possible when Srila Prabhupada was upset about anything which was usually the preaching work or improper practices of the devotees. He would only chastise the devotees if the devotee could take it and benefit from it. He liked to have his books read to him every day. One time Yasodanandan Prabhu was reading Sri Isopanisad when Srila Prabhupada stopped him and asked him to reread the last paragraph. After hearing it again Srila Prabhupada said, "Those are not my words! They are changing my words! Is my English not good enough?" Srila Prabhupada became very angry and continued, "This is the worst thing a disciple can do! Do not become like a leap frog and try to jump over the spiritual master thinking you know better than him. Tell them immediately [the editors] do not change my words!" Srila Prabhupada was very upset about the changes in his books. I never saw him get so angry any other time. I wouldn't' want to be the recipient of that anger of the spiritual master! So dear editors; please reconsider every and any change you make to Srila Prabhupada's books. When Srila Prabhupada was asked by Revatinandan Prabhu if we could read Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's books; Srila Prabhupada said not the ones that were edited by his disciples. Srila Prabhupada also told him that we really couldn't understand Bhaktisidhanta's books. He said not even his Godbrothers could understand them. Then Srila Prabhupada said, "Actually, he wrote those books for me."(Memories of Srila Prabhupada) Srila Prabhupada translated the spiritual law books for the next 10,000 years, day and night, until his dying day. He translated constantly despite his busy preaching schedule. He did this to live on in the books. He said before he left the planet that he had given us everything in his books. He said if we read his books and cooperated together, every thing would go on nicely. To edit his books without his sanction is risky business to say the least. Some of the reasons given to justify the modern day editing are that the new edition is closer to what Srila Prabhupada said on the original tapes. Srila Prabhupada lectured on many verses many times and never said to change them. He authorized about three changes, not the 800+- we have in the new Bhagavad Gita. We need Bhagavad Gita As It Was! There is a nicer vibration to the original Srila Prabhupada approved version. I'm sure more devotees would be inspired to distribute the original. It would be nice if we could at least have both versions available. Now with the BBT Settlement that will happen! To each his own! That's cooperation! When a new book came out Srila Prabhupada would be in total bliss. I remember when he was so sick he could hardly sit up. When he heard that the new Srimad Bhagavatam had arrived and he asked to be propped up on his bed. He asked for his glasses and more light. As he marveled over the quality of the book and the excellent artwork tears came to his eyes. This gave him life. Another time when Srila Prabhupada asked a devotee to read in the garden the devotee asked him why he liked to hear his own books so much. Srila Prabhupada said, "I did not write these books. Krishna wrote these books!" When Srila Prabhupada came into the room and caught me reading the Srimad Bhagavatam, he smiled nicer than ever and told his secretary, "He's reading in his spare time; this is very good!" I was surprised to see how happy Srila Prabhupada was because I was reading the books. Srila Prabhupada put everything into his books and we would be better off to accept them as is/was. They made so many devotees in the past and will in the future. They are tried and true! Another important publication is the 'Back To Godhead' magazine. Srila Prabhupada said the BTG and Hari Nama Sankirtan are 'the backbone of our movement.' We need a mass distribution BTG. So many of us became devotees by getting a BTG one way or another. It should be say 25 to 50 cents so we can distribute it for a dollar or so. The old BTG's are great. We could update the calendar and presto, the all-attractive 'Back To Godhead!' Srila Prabhupada said the disease of the Americans is that we want to change everything. Let's get rid of this disease and maintain what Srila Prabhupada has worked so hard to give us; without adulteration or change. Thank you,Your servant, Gauridasa Pandita Dasa *** Well now KRSNA has intervened and the original printings will become available again soon. So this should increase the sankirtan yajna and please Sri Sri Guru & Gouranga! Transcendental competition is what it is all about! I hope the ritvik initiation system will be at least allowed to co-exist within the walls of ISKCON some day soon, afterall, it is the order of His Divine Grace and KRSNA will make it happen, as He is! 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