Gopesh
(Dandavats.com) – A Little Known 1977 Srila Prabhupada Pastime
By Bhusaya dasa
(Tamal Krishna Goswami and Sura dasa witnessed this pastime. Sura dasa has confirmed the accuracy of this story from his diary and recollection. Sura noted that of the three reports that morning, this one brought a smile to Srila Prabhupada’s face.)
It was forty years ago, August, 1977, just three months before Srila Prabhupada was to leave our external vision. Srila Prabhupada was sitting in his room in Vrndavana, very ill and leaning up against the wall, showing little response as some sannyasi’s were giving reports about their preaching activities. Then a devotee arrived with a copy of that day’s Hindustan Times and Srila Prabhupada’s mood dramatically changed. The famous Indian newspaper featured an article about the recent Hare Krishna wedding in Detroit, which was receiving huge international favorable publicity for his movement.
Srila Prabhupada immediately sat up attentively and asked to have the story read to him. The article detailed how Lekhasravanti devi dasi (daughter of legendary labor leader, Walter Reuther) was getting married to fellow devotee Bhusaya dasa, and Ambarisa dasa (great grandson of world famous automotive genius, Henry Ford) was serving as best man. Mukunda Goswami had flown into Detroit a week earlier and had expertly arranged for the world’s top media to take notice.
At this time and for years prior, the Hare Krishna movement had been widely misrepresented through the media as a dangerous cult, accused of holding its members hostage through brainwashing. There had been numerous kidnappings and “deprogrammings” of devotees and even court cases trying to destroy ISKCON. But now, through the wedding’s publicity the world could receive the true accurate view that the Hare Krishna movement is an ancient and authentic spiritual culture, not to be lumped in with the many new cults springing up throughout the world. Quickly, the wedding became recognized by devotees as a major preaching opportunity.
I wonder what happened to all the stories devotees told when Satsvarupa Maharaja was collecting them from Srila Prabhupada disciples, that didn’t make it into the his books.