Sato Vrtteh
by Svami Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti
Following in the Footsteps of Previous Acaryas
TWO SPIRITUAL MASTERS
Personal Association with Srila Prabhupada
The desire of becoming Srila Prabhupada’s sannyasi remained very strong in me. Later, in a dream Srila Prabhupada came to me and he accepted me as his sannyasi and he also gave me the sannyasa-mantra. The only problem was that when I awoke from the dream, I had forgotten the mantra. I remained in the mood of dedicating myself completely to his mission, and I thought that the best way to do so was as a sannyasi. Somehow this was meant to be, as later I received the loving protection and the sannyasa-mantra from His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja, which reinforced my connection to all the Gaudiya Vaisnavas. As the saying goes, there is nothing bad that doesn’t come for a good reason. I feel that Srila Prabhupada’s protection stayed with me throughout that time and was intensified through the mercy of Srila Sridhara Maharaja.
I met Srila Prabhupada again in Vrndavana in 1975 for the opening of the Krsna Balarama Mandir. Many devotees came from all over the world to participate in the opening of this mandir. This big gathering of devotees offered the advantage that we could meet so many of our dear godbrothers from around the world, but it also had the disadvantage of making it nearly impossible to get very close to Srila Prabhupada, let alone getting his personal attention. Nevertheless, just sitting in his classes and dancing around the deities, seeing him ringing the bell and bringing everybody to ecstasy, are unforgettable moments in my life, and I can only pray to Sri Krsna that He may allow me the company of my beloved spiritual master again some time.