Text PAMHO:9194566 (280 lines) From: Shyamasundara (das) ACBSP (Vedic Astrologer) (USA) Date: 27-Dec-04 05:55 (00:55 -0500) To: "Benjamin McClintic" (sent: 27-Dec-04 05:57) To: "GD" (sent: 27-Dec-04 05:57) To: "Hdg" (sent: 27-Dec-04 05:57) To: (Understanding and Implementing Prabhupada's) Teachings [365] Bcc: Vedic Astrology (Symposium hosted by Shyamasundara Das) [1413] Reference: Text PAMHO:9192405 by Braja Bihari (das) BJD (Vrindavana - IN) Subject: The Role of Revelation and Direct Perception of the Truth ------------------------------------------------------------ The Role of Revelation and Direct Perception of the Truth Dear Maharaja, Prabhus, and Matajis; Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Bhaktivignavinasa Nrsimhadeva Bhagavan kijaya! I had written this text some time ago but didn't post it but am doing doing so at BVKS's suggestion. There has been some discussion about trying to ascertain whether some variation of dhotis and saris is Vedic. Some opine on the absence of the word dhoti or sari from Monier-Monier William's Sanskrit dictionary that there is no proof that they are Vedic and hence they are optional wear items according to the taste of the practitioner. (At a later date it may be prudent to discuss if MMW dictionary is free from fault and perfect.) The following is not a rigorous treatment of the subject of the role of revelation and direct perception of the Truth but rather an adumbration of the type(s) of arguments that could be made to support the concept that dhotis and saris are Vedic: 1) It is well known that Srila Prabhupada actually directly saw Lord Krsna. There is the famous instance where a reporter asked Srila Prabhupada if he has seen Lord Krsna. Rameshvara Prabhu intercedes and tries to explain how you can see Krsna as the taste in water and other indirect ways. Srila Prabhupada stops him and affirms that he has indeed seen Lord Krsna directly. If somebody is energetic and has the time they can find the transcript to that conversation. 2) Another instance was told to me by my God brother Bahusira Prabhu who was doing research for the Prabhupada biography in India in 1978-80. He told me of various amazing incidents where people who knew Srila Prabhupada in his pre-ISKCON days recounted many wondrous events of Srila Prabhupada's direct contact with Lord Krsna. He told me that it was common knowledge in the Gaudiya Matha that Lord Krsna had personally given Srila Prabhupada a flower garland. I may have the details wrong but that is the gist, Bahusira Prabhu, who lives in the Bay area can be contacted for exact details. 3) In the following transcript Srila Prabhupada affirms that in Vaikunta Visnu is not wearing coat and pants but rather he wears a dhoti: Hamsaduta: Someone has said that the dhoti, the dhoti that the brahmacaris wear, is the dress that's worn in Vaikuntha. Is that correct? Prabhupada: Just see Visnu. He has no coat-pant. Here is Visnu. Or Krsna, He has no dress. He is also bare body. Only Radharani is covered. In India also, still, the covering of the body is only for woman, but men, this, practically one dhoti is sufficient. Sometimes langota, the underwear. Langota, underwear. What is that? Conversation Including Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.1-34 Recitation & Explanation April 1, 1969, San Francisco There are other references were Srila Prabhupada has said that he has seen Lord Krsna. 4) Srila Prabhupada personally supervised the paintings that went into his books. He gave detailed instructions to the artists on how to paint Lord Krsna and Lord Balarama and all the other personalities described in his books because he knew how They looked not just from scriptural description but from personal direct perception of the Supreme Personality of Godhead through his transcendental vision. This also included approval for how the apparel of the different personalities was to be depicted. He called these paintings "windows into the spiritual world." Hence the painting in His books actually correctly depicted how Lord Krsna and others were dressed. 5) Our purva acarya Srila Sanatana Goswami personally saw Srimati Radharani on many occasions: "As time passed, however, a similar incident occurred, one which Raghunath Das could not ignore. As he sat absorbed in meditation, the devotees became worried for his life as he spent hour after hour, not moving, in the blazing midday sun. At that time, it is said, Radharani Herself came to that spot, standing behind Her great devotee Raghu, and She used Her covering cloth to shield him from the hot rays of the sun. In due course, Sanatan Goswami again happened upon the scene and noticed that Shrimati Radharani was perspiring while trying to protect Her faithful devotee. Her clothes were fully drenched in Her transcendental sweat while She performed the loving austerity on behalf of Raghunath Das. Turning to Sanatan, Shrimati Radharani smiled and then left." The Six Goswamis of Vrindavan - 1/ Raghunath Das Goswami Satyaraja dasa 6) We are reminded that Sanatana Goswami and the other Goswamis are Manjaris, personal associates of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna. Hence, they personally see how Lord Krsna is dressed. In his Srimad Bhagavatamarta 1.7.19-20, which I would like to remind readers is a revealed scripture-not a work of fiction, Sanatana Goswami describes Lord Krsna thusly: ksipram svasyanujasyapi sammarjya vadanambujam vastrodarantare vamsim srnga-vetre ca hastayoh kanthe kadamba-malam ca barhapidam ca murdhani navam gunjavatamsam ca karnayor nidadhe sanaih SYNONYMS ksipram-quickly; svasya-His own; anu-jasya-His younger brother's; api-and; sammarjya-wiping clean; vadana-ambujam-the lotus faces; vastra-of His garment; udara-antare-in the waist; vamsim-a flute; srnga-a buffalo horn; vetre-a stick; ca-and; hastayoh-in His hands; kanthe-around the neck; kadamba-malam-a garland of kadamba flowers; ca-and; barha-apidam-a peacock-feather ornament; ca-and; murdhani-on the head; navam-new; gunja-avatamsam-rings of gunja berries; ca-and; karnayoh-on the ears; nidadhe-placed; sanaih-gradually. TRANSLATION Balarama quickly cleaned His own lotus face and that of His younger brother. Then He gently placed a flute in the waist of Krsna's dhoti, a buffalo horn and stick in Krsna's hands, a garland of kadamba flowers around His neck, a peacock-feather ornament on His head, and newly fashioned rings of gunja berries on His ears. Now the author has not specifically said "dhoti" just vastra or cloth. But, the point again is that Santana Goswami saw how the Lord was dressed. That being the case, Santana Goswami and others in his circle were intimately aware of how the Lord and his associates dressed. For example see the life of Srinivasa Thakura (quoted at end): The point being that in their siddhasvarupas exalted personalities in our sampradaya-our very own acaryas-have directly seen the transcendental pastimes and activities of Radha and Krsna. And thus also saw Their transcendental clothing. ("At this same time, Radharani finished her water sports, and she began to dress in her beautiful dark blue sari." See end for full quote.) 7) I posit that these personalities who have directly seen the wearing apparel of the Lord and His associates would dress their own personal Deities in the very same way because they would want to offer to the Lord the same type of clothing that He has chosen to wear of His own accord and thus assume that such clothing is the kind that the Lord and His associates like. The devotee always wants to offer the Lord that which pleases the Lord. 8) Because devotees like the Six Goswamis only want to be reminded of the Lord hence they would also wear in the material world similar type of dress seen in the spiritual world because such dress would remind them of the Lord and His pastimes. 9) Why is it that today many Indians and the rest of the world imitate the dress of the Mllechas and Yavanas-Europeans and Americans? Because it is viewed as the way the dominant culture dresses so they want to imitate what they have SEEN the dominant culture wear. 10) In the sastras like Ramayana, Bhagavatam, Mahabhrata there are many descriptions of interactions between the Devas, Lord Visnu, Rakshasa, etc with human society. Thus humans directly saw how personalities on higher planets behaved and dressed. And just like modern people who imitate the dress of what is considered the dominant culture I posit that humans then also imitated the dress and fashions of the Devas who in turn were imitating the fashions of Lord Visnu. 11) It is not an anthropomorphic imposition on the Deity but rather humans imitate what is literally the "higher" fashion. 12) So in the distant past humans saw how celestials dressed and imitated that. And, in more recent times our Acaryas directly saw the divine clothing of the Deities. And our own Spiritual master has also said that Lord Visnu wears a dhoti. 13) What to speak of what the Lord wore in previous yugas, what did the Yuga Avatara, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu wear in His recent pastimes? Dhoti according to the ashrama He occupied. Is not Lord Caitanya, the Veda-purusa, Vedic? He is the personification of the Vedic civilization. "Actually, the glowworms cannot give any light in the darkness of night. As clouds sometimes clear, even in the rainy season, and sometimes the moon, stars and sun become visible, so even in this Kali-yuga there are sometimes advantages. For example, sometimes Lord Caitanya's Vedic movement of distributing the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra is heard. People seriously eager to find real light should take advantage of this movement instead of looking toward the light of mental speculators and atheists." Krsna Book CHAPTER TWENTY, Description of Autumn We do not have to look in the dictionary to find out what was worn in Vedic culture, one need only look to Lord Caitanya and His associates and observe how They were dressed, how did They dress Their Deities, and how did Their followers dress. If I have to decide between what Lord Caitanya and His sangha past and present wore/wear and the theory that dhotis and saris are not Vedic I will choose what Lord Caitanya chose as His opinion is the last word on Vedic civilization. Your humble servant, Shyamasundara Dasa References: From life of Srivasa Thakura quoted from, Vaisnava Saints - Satyaraja dasa "While in Vishnupur, Shrinivas showed the highest level of Krishna consciousness. He was an exemplary Goshthyanandi [a preacher], as is evidenced by his travelling sankirtan party and by his enthusiasm to spread the bonafide message of the Bhagavatam to all who would listen. He was also an excellent Bhajananandi [an inner worshipper], as is seen by his absorption in Manjari-bhava, or his inner meditation on his ontological form as a maidservant of Shrimati Radharani. "In this connection, one interesting story, among many others, is related in all of Shrinivas's authorized biographies: Once, while in Vana Vishnupur, Shrinivas fell into trance while meditating on his form as Mani Manjari in the spiritual realm. As he fixed his mind on Radharani's water sports in Vrindavan, he relished watching her splash about in the Yamuna with Krishna and her intimate gopi friends. But in the middle of her playful dealings, her nose-ornament (besara) fell into the dark blue waters, and only Rupa Manjari noticed that it had fallen from her moon-like face. At this point, Rupa Manjari winked at Guna Manjari [Gopal Bhatta Goswami] who, knowing the mind of Shri Rupa, dove in to look for the lost nose-ring. Guna Manjari searched the transparent waters in vain, however, because the blessed ornament could not be found. Guna Manjari had even engaged Mani Manjari [Shrinivas himself] in the search, but to no avail. "Shrinivas continued his meditation on this pastime, day and night, for three days without a break. However, in the external world, his wives were now beside themselves with grief: "Will Shrinivas ever come out of this meditative trance? Is he dead?" His body had become stiff and his breathing was slight. His wives started to cry out loud. Soon the king came running, and when he observed Shrinivas's condition, he too was deeply concerned: "The body requires food. If the Acharya does not soon return to our plane of existence, he may permanently leave us." Nonetheless, the king consoled himself and Shrinivas's wives when the court physicians examined Shrinivas's body-it was still in a healthy state. But how long can even the healthiest man exist without food? "Of course, it might be prudent to note at this point that such states of exalted consciousness are rare, and one should not attempt to imitate them. According to the Vedic tradition, those who are in the neophyte and intermediate stages of devotional service (bhakti-yoga) should concentrate on required viddhi-sadhana under the direction of a bonafide spiritual master, and it is by this method that one can gradually attain the higher levels of bhava and prema as exhibited by Shrinivas Acharya. "Ramchandra Kaviraj To The Rescue Ishvari, Shrinivas's first wife, thought of Ramchandra Kaviraj. If anyone could understand Shrinivas's state and bring him out of it, it was Ramchandra. She expressed these thoughts to the king, who quickly sent for Shrinivas's most intimate disciple. After some time, Ramchandra arrived, and seeing the face of his lord and master, he assured everyone: "Do not fear, Shrinivas Acharya is in a deep state of samadhi. He will soon return to you." "Ramchandra, who was also the embodiment of Mani Manjari (although he is more commonly known as Karuna Manjari), sat next to Shrinivas in a meditative trance. In this state, he appeared at the Yamuna where Shrinivas, as Mani Manjari, was still looking for Radharani's nose-ring. Ramchandra, in his own ontological form as Mani Manjari's other self, jumped in the river and helped Shrinivas find the ornament, which was hidden under a lotus leaf. Giving the nose-ring to Mani Manjari [Shrinivas], Ramchandra was happy to assist his guru in this confidential way. "At this same time, Radharani finished her water sports, and she began to dress in her beautiful dark blue sari. Her intimate gopi friends enthusiastically assisted her, and when there was one last ornament to place on her person-the nose-ring-Guna Manjari confidently looked to Mani Manjari who, in perfect timing, came out from the Yamuna and delivered the desired apparel. The Meditation Is Complete As the finishing touch was placed on Radhika's body, Krishna came to scurry her off into the forests of Vrindavan. The gopis and manjaris watched on in disbelief, mesmerized by the unparalleled beauty that emanated from the Divine Couple. The scene engulfed them with intense love, and their bodies showed symptoms of spiritual ecstasy. Just then, Ramchandra Kaviraj broke his meditation, as did Shrinivas. They turned to look at each other, once again, in the external world. Laughing like madmen, they embraced and fell to the floor, their eyes emitting tears of love. (Text PAMHO:9194566) --------------------------------------- Text PAMHO:9207521 (370 lines) [W1] From: Shyamasundara (das) ACBSP (Vedic Astrologer) (USA) Date: 29-Dec-04 23:23 (18:23 -0500) To: (Understanding and Implementing Prabhupada's) Teachings [386] Bcc: Vedic Astrology (Symposium hosted by Shyamasundara Das) [1415] Subject: from a different angle ------------------------------------------------------------ Dear Maharajas, Prabhus and Matajis; Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Bhaktivignavinasa Nrsimhadeva Bhagavan kijaya! Today I would like to look at the topic from a different angle. That being why is it that dhoti is so commonly worn by Vaisnavas and those who follow Vedic culture in India. Is there some necessary or compelling reason to do so? Just as sometime there is a compelling reason not to wear dhoti for example when preaching in the former USSR. Is there a compelling reason for wearing dhoti and sari? Having been a pujari for many years as well as knowing many arcakas I recalled that it is forbidden to wear any sewn cloth when worshipping the Deity hence that would rule out Western dress for Deity worship or Yajna. In Treta Yuga Yajna was the yuga Dharma and Dvapara yuga Deity worship the yuga dharma. While in Kali it is sankirtana. Still archana is still very important for our purification and that is why Srila Prabhupada introduced it is as a major thing in ISKCON and personally installed many Deities. Since Brahmanas and Vaisnavas are supposed to regularly worship the Deity daily, and make offering several times a day they would perforce be wearing unsewn cloth as any other is not allowed in the presence of the Deity. As I was writing this it struck me that if unsewn cloth is verboten in the presence of the Deity in His murti form could we safely extrapolate that it would also not be found among the Lords personal associates in Vaikuntha or Goloka since there is no difference between the two. Anyway just a thought. In any case I wrote to several friends who are purohitas and arcakas and asked: "Do you have any sastra vidhi regarding the wearing of dhoti and sari in Vedic culture? What about wearing sewn cloth? Why is it forbidden on the altar? Is there a pramana against wearing sown cloth on altar or during yajna?" The following is the response of one of them. He quotes a lot from Pancaratra Pradipika but unfortunately that book though based on Pancaratra agama doesn't give any source for what they say. He does have other pramanas however from the puranas. I have written to another friend who is from one of the archaka families in Sri Rrangam and requested him to find out from his pandita friends what the pancaratra agamas say about what dress should be worn and why. Some of the texts have diacritics that are best viewed in a font like Balarama. Your humble servant, Shyamasundara Dasa Excerpt: "When one takes initiation it is symbolic of the panch-samskara rites to give up our previous ways and misconceptions, we mark the body with tilak and wear dhoti to symbolise externally of the inner changes we have begun and plan to develop. It is very important how we see ourselves and how others see us. If we are weak and not convinced that we are spiritual by nature and that we are following a system that can give us pure love of God, and can share that with others, sure we hide in non-devotional dress. However, if we follow the good example of Srila Prabhupad and advertise our position as a devotee by wearing devotional dress it will help our own self-image as well as assist others in their identification where to find Krishna - in a Krishna conscious person." His full (unedited) answer follows: First thing that comes to mind is the entire process of Panchanga vidhi; abhigamanam, upadan, yoga, ijya, swadhyaya Abhigamanam includes wearing the appropriate dress for devotional activities according to one's ashram, gender etc This is mentioned in Pancharatra pradipa also. Upadanam means to collect the proper items in puja. Yoga refers to communing with the Lord's desire and thus becoming an instrument for puja. Ijya is the actual worship proper which as we will mention in a few minutes would also imbibe the essence of the first whereby one doesn't wear sewn cloth, and wears langata or kaupin underwear. For a pujari the section refered to as swadhyaya is very important as it specifically means to put on festivals, sing the glories of the Lord and share those glories with others, to preach in other words - so going "incognito" in muffti doesn't really carry that does it. Pancharatra Pradipa also gives the following guide to cloth: Unclean and Improper Cloth (PP 1.7 vastra paridhanam) A devotee should not wear dirty cloth, especially when cooking or worshiping the Deity. Used cloth that has not been washed and dried again is considered unclean. Cloth worn while sleeping, passing urine or stool, or having sex is unclean. Cloth that touches anything impure, such as wine, meat, blood, a dead body, or a woman in her menstrual period, is also contaminated. Cloth washed by a public laundry service and cloth that, though washed, has become stale are also unclean and therefore unfit to wear during Deity worship. While worshiping the Deity, you should not wear the following types of cloth: brightly-colored cloth (for men), damp cloth, cloth that is too long or too short to be worn properly, stitched or sewn cloth (for men), torn cloth, oil- or dirt-stained cloth, soiled cloth, burnt cloth, or cloth chewed by animals or insects. However, you may wear silk many times before washing it, provided it has not contacted anything impure or been worn in impure places. Unbleached, raw matkä (ahiàsa) silk is the best for püjä. Sheep's wool is said to be always pure, but still, you should not wear ordinary woolen cloth when worshiping the Deity, because wool particles may fall on the Deity's paraphernalia. However, you may wear wool cloth if it is very fine, "nonshedding" wool, in which case you should reserve these items only for püjä. Synthetic cloth should not be worn when worshiping the Deity. Also in Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya-lila 12:37 it says: petangi-gaya kare dandavat-namaskara govinda kahe,-`srikanta, age petangi utara' SYNONYMS petangi-shirt and coat; gaya-on the body; kare-performs; dandavat-namaskara-offering of obeisances; govinda kahe-Govinda said; srikanta-my dear Srikanta; age-first; petangi utara-take off your shirt and coat. TRANSLATION When Srikanta offered obeisances to the Lord, he was still wearing his shirt and coat. Therefore Govinda told him, "My dear Srikanta, first take off these garments." PURPORT One is forbidden to enter the Deity room or offer anything to the Deity while wearing a shirt or coat. In the tantras it is said: vastrenavrta-dehas tu yo narah pranamed dharim svitri bhavati mudhatma sapta janmani bhavini "Anyone who offers respects and obeisances to the Deity while wearing garments on the upper portion of his body is condemned to be a leper for seven births." Again from Pancharatra Pradipa: (preparing for puja Abhigamanam and Upadanam PP1, and Vaiñëava Dress (vastra-paridhäna PP 1.7) The first rule of dress is that one should never be naked! Çréla Prabhupäda writes: To cover the lower part of the body is a principle of human civilization, and when a man or woman forgets this principle, he or she becomes degraded. [Kåñëa book, "Deliverance of Nalaküvera and Maëigréva", Krsna Book I,p.70 ] A male devotee should wear a kaupéna and an upper and lower cloth; wearing only a lower cloth is improper. The right arm should be uncovered when one performs püjä; so the chädar should be worn either hanging down on both sides of the neck, wrapped underneath the right arm and over the left shoulder, or wrapped around the waist. A hari-näma chädar may be worn only if it does not hang below the waist; otherwise one is likely to offend the holy name by sitting on it.*There is even an injunction against men wearing an upper cloth of any kind when coming before the Lord in the temple. Çréla Prabhupäda quotes from the tantras as follows: Any [man] who offers respects and obeisances to the Deity while wearing garments on the upper portion of his body is condemned to be a leper for seven births. [Cc. Antya 12.37, purport] This rule is still observed in South India. At the Padmanäbha temple in Trivandrum men are not allowed to come before the Deity without first taking off their shirts. Püjärés wear the upper cloth around the waist. This rule does not seem to be strictly followed in North India, however. Although this regulation may not be followed by all (male) devotees, the male püjärés may observe it when offering obeisances before they enter the Deity room to start their service, briefly removing the chädar to offer obeisances. It is a general standard for men to wear only unsewn cloth on the altar. Again, even this standard is not strictly kept in many temples in North India, where one often sees püjärés wearing kurtas or even T-shirts in cold weather. To avoid wearing sewn cloth (and to avoid getting sick in cold weather) men püjärés may wear more than one chädar, made of raw silk or fine wool. When worshiping Deities and when cooking, women should be dressed in a säré, with their heads covered. They should not use perfume and should part their hair in the middle and braid it or tie it in a bun. Actually women also used to follow this system (and some still do in Kerala). There are numberous pictures of topless lady bhaktas and goddesses on temples in India. It was not considered immodest until the arrival of the Moguls and later under the British. In Sri Rangam many orthodox ladies wear only one piece of cloth when going to the temple or for puja. It is a 9 yard sari (without choli) The sastras state that sewn cloth should not be worn for puja. VASTRA PRAVRTA DEHAS TU YO NARAH PRANAMET MAM SVITRI SA JAYATE MURKHAH SAPTA JANMANI BHAMINI (HARI BHAKTI VILASA 8/390 from VARAHA PURANA) Oh dear wife, any person who pays Me long obeisances (dandavats) with his body covered with clothes (clothes means sewn cloth), those foolish persons get white leprosy for the next seven births. MUKHE PARYYASUITE YASMAD BHAVED ASUCI BHAGNARAH TATAH KURYAT PRAYATNENA SUDDHYARTHAM DANTA DHAVANAM UPAVASE'PI NO DUSYED DANTADHAVANAM ANJANAM GANDHA ALANKARA SAD VASTRA PUSPA MALANULEPANAM (HARI BHAKTI VILASA 3/225,226 from SKANDA PURANA, KASI KHANDA) If one does not brush his teeth and clean the mouth, it remains foul. Cleanliness is destroyed with a foul mouth. Therefore one should endeavor to properly brush his teeth. One should always clean his teeth, and possibly put ointment, sandalwood paste, ornaments, clean pure clothing, fragrant flower garlands, even some perfume on the body, even on the fasting days. In this, there is no offense. NAGNAU MALINA VASTRAH SYAT NAGNAS CA ARDHA PATAH SMRTAH NAGNO DVIGUNA VASTRAH SYAT NAGNO RAKTA PATAS TATHA (HARI BHAKTI VILASA 4/147 spoken by Atri Muni) Anyone who is wearing dirty clothes is equal to a nude man. Ordinarily, if the cloth is torn into half, the person wearing it is said to be naked as well. Any person who is wearing double clothes is also said to be nude. Anybody wearing red colored clothes is said to be nude. In shastra called Nityakriya it is said: Dress: One should in most cases have trikaccha dhoti or kaupina. One should wear the sacred thread (upavita). One should have sikha tied. One should not have the head or throat covered. One should not have shoes on. Hands and feet should be clean. Lower Cloth: The lower cloth should be worn properly, ie in tri kaccha style. Tri kaccha refers to tucking in the hem (kaccha) of the dhoti three times. This means one should wear ones cloth with the dhoti tail tucked in at the back. This originally served the function of kaupina. If one is wearing a kaupina however, this rule is not so strictly applied, though it is still commonly observed as the proper mode of dress for deity worship, sacrifice, ceremonial functions, reading scripture and eating. Color: According to some scriptures (Grha Sutras), a brahmana brahmacari should wear earth-colored or white cloth, ksatriya brahmacari should wear reddish cloth and vaisya brahmacari should wear yellow cloth. At present brahmacaris often are seen wearing white, and reddish color is reserved for those fixed in fixed brahmacarya and for sannyasis. According to Manu, brahmana householders should wear white, ksatriyas should wear red, vaisyas should wear yellow and sudras should wear blue. Thus it is the custom even at present for the male grhastha to wear clean white cloth. The prescribed colors for the other asramas are not generally followed at present. Vanaprasthas if still living with their wives remain wearing white cloth. Sannyasis should wear reddish - ocra cloth. When one takes initiation it is symbolic of the panch-samskara rites to give up our previous ways and misconceptions, we mark the body with tilak and wear dhoti to symbolise externally of the inner changes we have begun and plan to develop. It is very important how we see ourselves and how others see us. If we are weak and not convinced that we are spiritual by nature and that we are following a system that can give us pure love of God, and can share that with others, sure we hide in non-devotional dress. However, if we follow the good example of Srila Prabhupad and advertise our position as a devotee by wearing devotional dress it will help our own self-image as well as assist others in their identification who where to find Krishna - in a Krishna conscious person. Dr. Misra gave him a coat, but Çréla Prabhupäda never gave up wearing his dhoté, although it became difficult to walk against the gusts. Swami Nikhilananda of the Ramakrishna Mission had advised Çréla Prabhupäda that if he wanted to remain in the West, he should abandon strict adherence to the Indian habits of simple dress and pure vegetarian diet. Meat and liquor and pants and a coat were almost a necessity in this climate, he had said. Even before Çréla Prabhupäda had left India, one of his Godbrothers had demonstrated to him how he should eat in the West with a knife and fork. Çréla Prabhupäda never considered taking on any of these Western ways. His advisors counseled him not to remain an alien, but to get into the spirit of American life, even if this meant breaking vows one held in India. Almost all Indian immigrants compromised their old ways. But Çréla Prabhupäda's ideas were different, and he could not be budged. Others may have to compromise, he thought, because they have come to beg technological knowledge from the West. "But I am not a beggar," he said, "I am a giver." His intention was not to learn the ways of the mlecchas (uncultured Westerners), but to teach the Westerners how to do things according to the Vedic culture. Çréla Prabhupäda, in his solitary wanderings, became known to a number of local city people. One was Mr. Ruben, a Turkish Jew who in the winter of 1965 and 1966 was working as a New York City subway conductor. Mr. Ruben first saw Çréla Prabhupäda sitting on a park bench, and being an outgoing person and something of a world traveler, he sat and talked with the Indian holy man. He seemed to know [Mr. Ruben relates] that he would have temples filled up with devotees. He would look out and say, "I am not a poor man. I am rich. There are temples and books. They are existing, they are there, but the time is separating us from them. " He always mentioned "we" and spoke about the one who sent him, his spiritual master. He didn't know people at that time, but he said, "I am never alone. " He always looked like a lonely man to me. That's what made me think of him like a holy man, Elijah, who always went out alone. I don't believe he had any followers. When the weather was not rainy or dry, Çréla Prabhupäda would catch the bus every day to Grand Central Station and walk down Madison Avenue or Forty-second Street, sometimes visiting :he library. He would also walk over to :he New India House on East Sixty-fourth Street or walk past the United Nations Building. Riding the bus down Fifth Avenue, he would look at the big buildings and imagine that some day .hey could be used in Kåñëa consciousness. Materialists had erected such enormous structures and yet had made no provisions for spiritual life, and therefore, in spite of all the great achievements of technology, people ended up feeling empty and useless. They had built these big buildings, but their children were going to LSD. As he traveled downtown, various buildings would attract his mind as potential homes for a temple: a building on Twenty-third Street, a building on Fourteenth Street with a dome. The weather continued to get colder, but there was no snow in December. On Seventy-second Street, the Retailer's Association erected tall red poles with great tinsel Christmas trees on top. From the top of each pole sprouted a long tinsel garland, which extended from either side of the street to meet its counterpart in the middle, in a red tinsel star surrounded by multicolored lights. Some of the shops on Columbus Avenue sold Christmas trees, and the continental restaurants were bright with holiday lighting. Though Çréla Prabhupäda did no Christmas shopping, he stopped at a number of book stores, where he attempted to sell sets of Çrémad-Bhägavatam. He visited Samuel Weiser's book store, the Doubleday's, and the Paragon Book Gallery on Thirty-eighth Street. Mrs. Ferber, the wife of the Paragon Gallery's proprietor, remembers Çréla Prabhupäda as "a pleasant and extremely polite small gentleman." The first time he called, she says, he wasn't able to interest them in his books, but when he tried again she and her husband took them. Çréla Prabhupäda used to stop by the Paragon about once a week. And since the books were selling regularly, he was usually able to collect small amounts of money from sales. He left a number of books with them, and whenever he needed a copy to sell personally, he would come in and pick it up at the Paragon. Sometimes he would phone and ask how they were selling. Mrs. Ferber says that every time Çréla Prabhupäda came, he would ask for a glass of water. "If an ordinary customer had made such a request, I would ordinarily have said, 'There is the water cooler.' But because he was an old man, I couldn't tell him that, of course. He was very polite always, very modest, and a good scholar. So whenever he would ask, I would fetch him a cup of water personally." One time Çréla Prabhupäda conversed with Mrs. Ferber about Indian cuisine, and she mentioned she especially liked samosäs (spicy, vegetable-filled savories). The next time he visited he brought a plate of samosäs and gave them to her. She enjoyed them and remembers the occasion well. (SDG Biography of a pure devotee - Im trying to open a temple 1965-66) A Tridaëòi-sannyäsé Keeps his Çikhä, Sacred Thread, and Sannyäsé Dress 15.38 çékhé yajïopavété syät tridaëòé sa-kamanòuluù sa pavitraç ca käñäyé gäyatréï ca japet sadä A tridaëòé sannyäsé keeps his çikhä as well as his sacred thread after renunciation, He also carries a kamaëòalu. He wears saffron cloth, and remaining fixed in purity, he chants the gäyatré mantra and the japa of the holy name. (Skanda Puräëa, Süta Saàhitä) 15.39 ekaväsä dvidväsätha çikhé. yajïopavétavän kamaëòalukaro vidväàs-tridaëòo yäti tat-param Wearing one or two pieces of cloth, maintaining the tuft of hair, and continuing to wear the sacred thread, with a waterpot in his hand, a learned sannyäsé, who is the best of men, attains the Supreme Lord. (Padma Puräëa, Svarga Khaëòa Ädi 13) (Text PAMHO:9207521) ---------------------------------------