We Must Follow In The Footsteps Of Great Souls, Not To Imitate Them

Radhanath Swami

There was a devotee, Prabhupada talks about him in the Chaitanya Charitamrita. He decided he wanted to imitate Haridas Thakur. He wanted to chant all day and do nothing else. He had the same question you did, exactly the same question “if we're supposed to chant all day, what is the use of eating and sleeping and performing all these other activities, why not just sit and chant?” So he wrote to Srila Prabhupada and told him he wanted to just sit and chant and Srila Prabhupada told him that this is not the work of a neophyte devotee. He said you will simply fall down if you tried to do like this. So his conclusion is that Prabhupada is saying that for the sake of everyone else, who's not qualified to do it. But actually Prabhupada knows my real position. Sometimes when devotees want to do something and when the guru maharaj tells him don't do it, he wants to justify by saying actually this instruction not to do it is not for me. But it's where the people in general, doesn't apply to me because I'm very special. So therefore yes yes for everybody else the general assembly of the devotees, the neophytes this is very good instruction. But as far as for me I know what my guru maharaj really wants me to do from within the core of my heart and he wants me to do what I want to do. So this is the way this person thought. Prabhupada directly told you not to do it. He said no no you don't understand, I have a very special relationship with Prabhupada. He wants me to do it, but if he tells me to do it, then everyone will want to do it and nobody else is qualified. So therefore he has to tell me not to do it. But actually Prabhupada wants me to do what I want to do. So he went to Mayapur and he lasted for about six months. He was chanting all day all night. He was eating just a little rice every day that fit in his hand. And after six months, he disappeared. People were thinking my God maybe he made so much advancement that he just he just like a rocket ship took off 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 and he blasted off to Goloka Vrindavana. The people maybe it's like this. But then what happened is some time later, one devotee pulled into a gas station to get some petrol in his car and work and operating the petrol pump was babaji maharaj. And what are you doing here we thought you were in Mayapur chanting Hare Krishna. He said ah he said yes yes I did that for a while but now I have a wife that I have to support, so I had to get a job. Do you chant Hare Krishna anymore? I chanted enough during that six months for I can take a break for the rest of my lifetime. I have credit Harinam credit,.