8 May 1996
(by Nrsimghananda das)

On the 8 th of May we had left for Moscow were the devotees had not seen Guru Maharaja for the last year in a half. Yasomatinandana Prabhu has given an account of the 7 day stay at that time. Then we flew to Washington were all the devotees were anxiously waiting aftter 1 year absence. One interesting thing is that while flying with Guru Maharaja he told me to take a seat a little far from him. Usually he sits between the alley and me, but this time he was little afraid of me being contagious so he asked me to sit little far. One may think why is Guru Maharaja so conscerned about his health?; Krsna will protect. But his conscern is not to have a healthy body to enjoy but he wants to make sure his body remains fit to serve in Srila Prabhupada's mission.

Maybe have I related this incident before but once in Vrindavan, one of his godbrothers gave him a letter that Bhaktisidhanta Saraswati had written to a disciple. In the letter it was stated that yes, you should take proper care of your body making sure that all is alright so that you may serve the Lord. So Guru Maharaja, although dependent on the Lord, is very careful to keep himself as healthy as possible.Therefore he had asked me to sit little far and also he would himself take his medecine, prasad etc.. it was like a small vacation for me, although I felt really useless. So in Washinghton I unpacked his luggage and went to rest at a devotee house. Nearly everyday Guru Maharaja would call to inquire about my health, he was always very thoughtful.Around the 23 th it was time to leave, I was going to go to Montreal to recuperate and Guru Maharaja would go on with his Canadian tour. My anxiety was that traveling for Guru Maharaja alone is was good. First the bags are heavy and he should not carry heavy bags for his heart. Two when someone travels with him he has less anxiety of small organisational problems. Anxiety, stress etc have to be avoided as much as possible. Therefore as disciples we should always think: How can I relieve the burden of my spiritual master.
Before leaving India we had bought 2 sets of tickets.1 set was the C-Canada tickets, which is a set of plane tickets at a very cheap price to many destination in the same month within America . The other was the ticket to Moscow, Washinghton, Bombay. So in Washinghton, Guru Maharaja was thinking as he always thinks of ways to save Krsna's money. As he oftens says: I hate to waist Krsna's energy. So he knew if I used the set of ticket only for 1 destination then we could not get much money back out of the ticket. So I decided to go to Montreal by bus. Still he told me to wait at the last moment and he would decide what to do. But the devotee who kindly brought me the money that Guru Maharaj was sending me for my bus trip ( in case) told me Guru Maharaj was not going to take me by plane and I should go by bus. Guru Maharaj was going to Toronto which is 6 hours from Montreal. So that evening I took the bus. The next day I receive a call at my mothers. Guru Maharaja tells me: why did you go, I would of taken you by plane?. Surprised I told him the devotee told me that you would not take me. No said Guru Maharaja, he made a mistake, I send the money in case. From that day I can say that in 14 days Guru Maharaj called me at least 7 times to see how I was doing. Our Guru Maharaja has a very soft heart he never forgets ,like Krsna, whatever service even insignificant one performs for him for Krsna. So in 14 days, Guru Maharaja visited 7 different cities. How his health was holding, how it is holding now even after his problems, it is inconceivable to the lay man as myself. He visited Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary,Vancouver in Canada and Boise and Los Angeles in USA. He went to Los Angeles to see the animatronics for the Delhi Museum. The same company that made the walt Dysney robots are now working for Srila Prabhupada. They are making Krsna, Arjuna and Srila Prabhupada in robotic form so that people may see them live. All glories to Guru Maharaj and his service to Srila Prabhupada.The devotee Ravi Gupta ( you know that boy of 14 year old who writes articles for Back to Godhead, he is the son of our godbrother Anantarupa Prabhu) was the one that Lord Krsna chose to travel with Guru Maharaja during his Canadian tour.He was suppose to send a account of his experience.
At the end of the trip around mid-June I met Guru Maharaj again in Toronto ready to go back to India. I still needed to recover but as he says often: Don't take everything the doctors say all seriously, take it with a grain of salt. The plane was leaving from Toronto to go to Washinghton were we had to catch the next day the flight to Bombay. Krsna saved us!!! 15 minutes after leaving Toronto the plane came back, there was a leak in one the plane doors. And as Guru Maharaja always puts it, Krsna really saved us. He always gives the credit to Guru and Krsna.
In Bombay we stayed a few days, I decided not to be mental and started working as before although tired.At that time I could see that Guru Maharaja was increasing his rythm of service, coming closer and closer to the old standart, which was not good in case of relapse. Still I could understand he takes care of his health but as he puts himself in one of his very old lectures, I think 1986, Srila Prabhupada said: Do not take away my privilege to struggle for Krsna. So I could see and I can see that he examplifies that principle also. He is Acarya, he teaches through examples. Then we went to Delhi, he left me there and left for Vrindavan and I went to meet him two days later. Guru Maharaja told me to see doctors, to check my health as I was still experiencing some problems. But all doctors 1 by 1 were telling me not to travel. Guru Maharaj would say, better you get another opinion, but still all said: No travelling. So I went to meet him in Vrindavan ready to stay there till he came back from his trip. When I saw him in Vrindavan, he looked very tired. So many people at his door, so many things to solve, but still when he stops he plunges in his prayers of Lord Nrsimhadev that he recites 3 times a day and his long Gayatris. He takes shelter in the unlimited Lord Govinda. The next morning while walking around the temple grounds chanting he send someone to call me. When Guru Maharaj does his walk he goes very fast, it is difficult to follow, in any case he does not like many people to follow him during his walks, he wants to concentrate on his japa. So I approached him and he told me why don't you come back to Delhi with me and when I leave for Sweeden come back and rest in Vrindavan. I was taken a back, in my mind I had come to Vrindavan for 1 month, now Guru was changing my plans. So I didn't answer...So he said: Anyways I don't have time, I have to deal with so many things, if it doesn't come from your heart... So I said no... whatever you want I will do. Then he said: You can organize things for me. Because Guru Maharaja was only going to Delhi for 3 hours then he would leave for Chandigargh and Ludhyana were there was a big Centennial Program. 3 days later would come back to Delhi for 2 hours and take the plane for Bombay and 1 day later come back to Delhi and in the night leave for Sweeden via Moscow.So he had a pretty hectic schedule in front of him, and many things had to be organized. So I went back to Delhi.
1 thing to organize was who would travel with Guru Maharaja. So we tried many people but there would always be a problem, like visa or passport etc..At the end 1 devotee Mahamsa Prabhu was chosen as he was schedule to go back to Russia so we extended the ticket to Sweeden. The whole thing took alot of time, changing ticket again and again, going to the ambassy again and again etc.. Then I we had to organize for another Russian devotee to go to Kenya...anyways Guru Maharaja was right...there was alot to do. When Guru Maharaj came back from Bombay, the evening was the time for him to fly to Sweeden for the annual BBT meetings.As usual, it was the big rush, everyone wanted to meet him and he wanted to meet everyone making sure all was going smoothly for the Delhi construction. At 11:30 pm we left for the airport, the flight was leaving at 3: 35 am. But as Guru Maharaj puts it with Aeroflot (the airline he was flying on) you never know if you will have a seat even if you have a ticket. As a matter of fact it was terrible at the airport. I managed to squeeze in the airport with Guru Maharaha and the other devotee although the secutity check was very heavy. I should say Guru Maharaj pushed me in an expert manner. It is good I came the lady at the counter was really a case, we must say little demoniac. I was not sure what was happening at first as I had went to pay the airport tax. But I was seeing Guru Maharaj discussing with the lady at the counter in very enliven way. We must admit that we had excess luggage. So I had arrange for quite a bit of luggage to be taken as hand luggage by Mahamsa. We had hidden the hand luggage before we went to the counter. So when the lady asked do you have any hand luggage, I was not there but Guru Maharaja told me: I wanted to be honest so I told her yes. So when she weighed the luggage we were in excess. The charge was 550 rupies per extra kilo, which was maybe 30 or more in excess, that was alot of money. So Guru Maharaja was preaching to her: He said this a hand bag full of food, we are saving the airline money by not eating on the plane, the other things are religious articles etc.. but the lady was unchanged actually she became exasparated. So I told Mahamsa that I knew most of his luggage were books so he could always replace them in Russia. Then we were still around 20 kg over. So Guru Maharaja also a little bit exasperated said you not going to charge for the bag full of food. So the lady said pay for 10 kg. Still Guru Maharaha wanted to save Krsna's money. So the lady took her head in her hands and stop speaking as if she was going to cry. Guru Maharaja asked: What now? The lady looked up and said in an aggressive way: Give me your ticket. Guru Maharaj holding hid ticket said: What do you want to do with my ticket, she said, give me your ticket. So Guru Maharaja gave it to her and she scribled some thing unreadable on it. Bhagavatpada asked strongly: What have you written on my ticket. She said I wrote you have 20 kg extra and unless you pay you will not be able to travel. But Guru Maharaja replied surprised : But a minute ago you were going to charge for 10 kg, ok we will go and borrow the money. The lady said pointing at Mahamsa's bag that was going to stay back in Delhi; If I see this bag go on the plane you don't fly, is that clear?. So I left brought the bag out and took money out of my belt. Guru Maharaja is expert, he knew we had extra weight, so before leaving the temple he told me take extra money in case. He is expert in all spheres and above it really seems he is always right.So I came back gave the money. So then when I gave the bundle of money Guru Maharaja wanted to make sure we were not giving to much so he was starting to count in front of the completely exasperated lady. I have to say that there was alot of pain in Guru Maharaja eyes when he undestood that he had to pay all that money. Pain or to loose Krsna's money. Still we many time have overweight, his medecines take alot of weight, his books etc...but the airline are generaly more lenient, plus this time there was all of Mahamsa's tons of books.One feature of Guru Maharaj is that he does get intimidated easily,even though the lady was so unpleasant Guru Maharaj started asking about the seats. He always tries to get 3 seats for himself when the flight is not full so he may lie down or at least 2. So he asked her, she said exasperated: I am giving you 2 seats( meaning, what more do you want) 1 for him, 2 for you. Guru Maharaja looked at me with his usual half smile during a semi unpleasant event: Two seats ( Meaning, only 2 seats). Then Guru Maharaja went to take the tags for hand bags from the counter and the lady stopped him saying: I will give them to you, wait!!!. Guru Maharaja asked then: Do you believe in Krsna?. To the lady reply, yes we believe in Krsna( Meaning, whats the connections). Doing the end of the dealing Guru Maharaj was very sweet and humble. He is expert in using what works. If force works he uses it and if sweet words work he uses that, all for Krsna's service. So at the end he told the Lady thank you very much.While leaving the counter Guru Maharaja told me I made a mistake: I thought this lady looked nicer then the other man at the other counter. So he said maybe now we can take Mahamsas bag back?. I said Bhagavatpada...!!! Then I mentionned that the man I payed the airport taxe to was a life member. Guru Maharaja became very interested, so much that between that time to the time of departure he mentionned 3 times to cultivate that man. As usual till the last minute he gave his instructions of the many fold things to be done. He is always fully absorbed in Srila Prabhupada's mission. All glories to His Divine Grace Gopal Krsna Goswami Srila Bhagavatpada the example of real surrender to his spiritual master.May we become worthy sons and daughters of His Divine Grace!!!