Srila Prabhupada once said that sound creates the universe ( San Francisco temple lecture, 1967). Syamasundara prabhu asked how this happens, as he didn’t understand. In the blink of an eyelid Srila Prabhupada brought his palms together violently, making a loud clap. Immediately and sternly he replied, “Now do you understand?” Syamasundara just looked at him and nodded his head.

Everyone is a spiritual casualty, and ISKCON is like a hospital treating the victims ministering to a world of wounded souls.

Sometimes it is thought that one must go to India to actually live in a sacred environment. But Srila Prabhupada is on record as saying that his ISKCON temples are “Vaikuntha bubbles.” His guru maharaja also said this: “Every spot on earth where discourses of God are held is a place of pilgrimage.” (from the booklet “Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura,” published by Janananda das, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

When He plays, either in the morning or in the evening, all the demigods, including Lord Siva, Brahma, Indra and Candra, bow their heads and listen with great attention. Although they are very learned and expert, they cannot understand the musical arrangements of Krsna’s flute. They simply listen attentively and try to understand, but they become bewildered and nothing more.” (from Krsna Book Chapter 35).

This “thought for the day” is worth thinking about more than once. I like the exchange very much. It took place on October 28, 1975 at the end of a lecture in Nairobi. Here it is: Questioner: Swamiji, the Lord Krsna is showing visva-svarupa. Prabhupada: Yes. Questioner: So can you show me something about that visva-svarupa? Prabhupada: You ask me? So am I Krsna? (laughter) Why you are asking foolishly? That means you do not know Krsna. You are thinking me as Krsna. That you are foolish man. Questioner: No, I am not calling you are Krsna. Prabhupada: Then why you are asking to show visva-rupa? Questioner: Visva-svarupa because Krsna… Prabhupada: Visva-svarupa will be shown by Krsna, not by not me. I am not Krsna. Questioner: No, I am not saying you are Krsna. But you have said you are something about the… Prabhupada: I am Krsna’s servant. What Krsna says, I am carrying. That’s all. That is my position. I am peon. When the peon delivers one thousand rupees or shillings to you, it is not his money. The money is paid by somebody, but I honestly deliver to you. That’s all. Questioner: But Krsna has not given you power as guru? Prabhupada: Yes, yes. Questioner: So you can show? Prabhupada: So I am not so powerful that I can show the visva-rupa. He has given me this power, that “You go and speak to the foolish rascals that I am Bhagavan,” (laughter) that much power. Yes. That is my power. I can say to you that “Krsna is Bhagavan.” That’s all. I never become equal to Krsna.

This is a “meditation” from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Srila Prabhupada’s guru, from his Last Will and Testament: “The Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna is the only enjoyer, everyone, everything else is the object of His enjoyment.”

Up till about 1910, courts could never rely upon fingerprints, voice prints, DNA, photographs, audio and video recordings. People were sent to the gallows, fined, freed and rewarded, all based on words of witnesses and decrees of judges, juries and tribunals. All evidence was based on sworn testimony, sometimes known as circumstantial evidence.' Sometimes lawyers argue to the point of making the law illegal. This still happens today, even in the face of "hard proof." Srila Prabhupada's recorded words are now available in both analogue and digitized form (a BBT Folio file makes them accessible for those with computer access). This is thehard proof.’ However, the `soft proof’ represents an equal, if not larger, body of knowledge. Such truth is fuzzier and more slippery. But it includes the testimony (seldom sworn) of hundreds of devotees. Sometimes such evidence is ignored in favor of the recorded word, but it may, in some instances, counter and prevail over the recorded word. Siddhanta and sistacara feature here; something to think about for more than today!

In his purport to “nitai-pada-kamala” by Narottama Dasa Thakura, Srila Prabhupada tells us, “Without being eternal, nobody can serve the eternal. That is the Vedic injunction. Without becoming Brahman, one cannot approach the Supreme Brahman. Just like without being fire, nobody can enter into the fire. Without being water, nobody can enter into the water. Similarly, without being fully spiritualized, nobody can enter into the spiritual kingdom. If you catch the lotus feet of Nityananda, then you become immediately spiritualized. Just like if you touch electricity, immediately you become electrified.”

George Harrison had a friendly relationship with Srila Prabhupada, who once said, “He is a nice boy. I can see it in his face.” Srila Prabhupada even sang a song once to George, John and Yoko. When George asked about the Rupa Goswami statement that he wished for millions of ears and millions of tongues so that he could better appreciate the sound of Krishna, Who danced on his tongue when he sang His names, Srila Prabhupada had Pradyumna immediately produce the mantra in Bengali and English on cassette and he handed George the tape.

In the morning walks from which the book, Life Comes From Life, was made, Srila Prabhupada often spoke of anti-atomic bombs made from water that would neutralize atomic bombs.