[font=Helvetica, Arial]July 27, 2005 VNN8818 [/font]
George Harrison - "More Than My Disciple!"
[font=Geneva,Arial,Helvetica][size=-3]BY KULASEKHARA DAS[/size][/font]
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,Times]EDITORIAL, Jul 27 (VNN) Regarding the comments about George Harrison by Tripurari Maharaj that "Srila Prabhupada did not think George was ready, and history demonstrates that he was correct." I beg to differ, and would like to quote Srila Prabhupada on this subject:
"I think George does not require to become my formal disciple because he is already more than my disciple. He has sympathy for my movement and I have all blessings for him." [S.P. Letter to: Syamasundara, Los Angeles, 12 April, 1970]
Nanda Kumar relates that as Srila Prabhupad's servant he got to witness this direct exchange between Srila Prabhupad and George at Bhaktivedanta Manor:
"He went into the room and closed the door. I could not stay outside, I had to go in and see the exchange. I opened the door, and George was doing full dandavats and offering both prayers to Prabhupad, with perfect pronunciation. Prabhupad had an ear-to-ear smile. George got up and sat back by the door.
Prabhupad said "Come in, come in" and George edged forward towards Prabhupad's desk, very shy and respectful. Prabhupad said "No, here, here" and patted the asana he was sitting on. George came around his desk to the edge of his asana, and Prabhupad reached out and pulled him into his chest, hugging him, laughing, messing up his hair, and saying, "It is so good to see you. How is Patty?"
They had a wonderful conversation, where at one point George asked him if he should move into the temple and shave his head. I believe he would have if Prabhupad had said yes. But Prabhupad said emphatically "No! You have a great gift for the world in your music. Just continue your music and Krishna will be greatly pleased and He will bless you." Then he said "I will give you some ideas for your songs" and he got out Srila Bhaktivinode's Songbook and went over a number of the songs, reciting the translations for George.
It was soon after this that he wrote "My Sweet Lord." George came daily for a week, along with Ravi Shankar, to have Prabhupad's darsan in the afternoon. Ravi Shankar is a Bengali, so he and Prabhupad talked and laughed together as Bengalis."
The fact is that we are all such fallen souls with no qualification, that it is only by the mercy of the Guru that we can have any hope of going back to Godhead. "Gurudeva! Krpa-Bindu Diya," "Your mercy is all that I am made of." So we can understand that our only qualification for ever becoming actual servants of 'Our Sweet Lord', is to please the pure devotee. If one can achieve that then - initiated or not - one's future is blessed.
I talked to Shyamsundar recently, he and Mukunda Goswami were at George's bedside when he passed away. Shyamasundar said that George was very happy and looked like a young prince as he left his body.[/font]
The Buddists have a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words.
Here are George's pictures and words...
Silence often says much more
Than trying to say what's been said before.
But that is all I want to do
To give my love to you
That is all I'm living for,
Please let me love you more -
and that is all
George Harrison - "More Than My Disciple!"
[font=Geneva,Arial,Helvetica][size=-3]BY KULASEKHARA DAS[/size][/font]
"I think George does not require to become my formal disciple because he is already more than my disciple. He has sympathy for my movement and I have all blessings for him." [S.P. Letter to: Syamasundara, Los Angeles, 12 April, 1970]
Nanda Kumar relates that as Srila Prabhupad's servant he got to witness this direct exchange between Srila Prabhupad and George at Bhaktivedanta Manor:
"He went into the room and closed the door. I could not stay outside, I had to go in and see the exchange. I opened the door, and George was doing full dandavats and offering both prayers to Prabhupad, with perfect pronunciation. Prabhupad had an ear-to-ear smile. George got up and sat back by the door.
Prabhupad said "Come in, come in" and George edged forward towards Prabhupad's desk, very shy and respectful. Prabhupad said "No, here, here" and patted the asana he was sitting on. George came around his desk to the edge of his asana, and Prabhupad reached out and pulled him into his chest, hugging him, laughing, messing up his hair, and saying, "It is so good to see you. How is Patty?"
They had a wonderful conversation, where at one point George asked him if he should move into the temple and shave his head. I believe he would have if Prabhupad had said yes. But Prabhupad said emphatically "No! You have a great gift for the world in your music. Just continue your music and Krishna will be greatly pleased and He will bless you." Then he said "I will give you some ideas for your songs" and he got out Srila Bhaktivinode's Songbook and went over a number of the songs, reciting the translations for George.
It was soon after this that he wrote "My Sweet Lord." George came daily for a week, along with Ravi Shankar, to have Prabhupad's darsan in the afternoon. Ravi Shankar is a Bengali, so he and Prabhupad talked and laughed together as Bengalis."
The fact is that we are all such fallen souls with no qualification, that it is only by the mercy of the Guru that we can have any hope of going back to Godhead. "Gurudeva! Krpa-Bindu Diya," "Your mercy is all that I am made of." So we can understand that our only qualification for ever becoming actual servants of 'Our Sweet Lord', is to please the pure devotee. If one can achieve that then - initiated or not - one's future is blessed.
I talked to Shyamsundar recently, he and Mukunda Goswami were at George's bedside when he passed away. Shyamasundar said that George was very happy and looked like a young prince as he left his body.[/font]
The Buddists have a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words.
Here are George's pictures and words...
Silence often says much more
Than trying to say what's been said before.
But that is all I want to do
To give my love to you
That is all I'm living for,
Please let me love you more -
and that is all
