The more I was around Bhaktivedanta Swami, the more I loved him. He affected others that way , too. He never demanded respect, yet we all were very respectful of him..We whispered in his presence and let his words set the pace. He demonstrated determination, discipline, knowledge, and humility, woven together with threads of kindness, humor, and enthusiasm. In his presence it was easy to become interested and enthusiastic. He used jokes or stories to illustrate very important spiritual points. He did this with such ease that we absorbed his message and changed without knowing it. For example he told me a story once about teaching math to students who claimed they couldn't learn the subject. As he told the story, he assumed the voices and faces of both the teacher and the students:

     "How many feet are at the rear of a cow?" Swamiji said, taking on the authoritative teacher's voice.

     "Two," the students replied innocently.

     "And how many are in the front?" the teacher continued.

     "Two," the students answered.

     Teacher: "So how many feet are on the cow?"

     Students: "Four."

     Teacher: "Now you now math."

     But the students didn't realize that they had learned and exclaimed, "No, we don't!"

     At this, Prabhupada laughed and laughed and laughed, and then I laughed and laughed.

     When Srila Prabhupada heard that the devotees had taken the Deity of Lord Jagannatha to San Francisco's Golden Gate Park walked to the place known as Hippie Hill (now renamed Bhaktivendanta Swami Hill) to lead the devotees in kirtana.

     Prabhupada smiles as he sees that the construction work at Bury Place, the first temple in England, in London, is finished.

     George Harrison points out some features at Friar Park.
From left: Gurudas, George Harrison, Mukunda Goswami.

     Looking at the reflections of the trees in a lake at Friar Park inspires remembrance