by Sugata das

Posted February 6, 2005

Although I am a very junior disciple, being born in 1956, and personally associating with Srila Prabhupada for no more than four months total, and as a teenager at that, I believe I can shed some light (however dim) on whether Prabhupada ever exhibited anger or disappointment.

I have worked as security for temples during the Deprogramming Wars and at large festivals, concerts, political and civil rights demonstrations and gatherings, up to now. I have worked as a political consultant at the highest federal levels during elections, where Americas best security agents were scared, with their trigger fingers on their Uzi’s.

I grew up in the Capital City and watched it burn during several race riots, which I was caught in the middle of. I have lived under martial law half a dozen times, and been in the middle of mounted police baton charges with tear gas and army and National Guard charges with fixed bayonets and tear gas on several occasions. However, I have never been so shaken as when Srila Prabhupada was giving myself or others the “sauce”, as we called it.

As I approach my sixth decade in this body, I can truly say, I have never seen anything as scary or terrifying as Srila Prapupada when he was “upset and disappointed” or “angry and furious”.

To me this is all about semantics. Whatever name you want to put on it, It was earth shaking, deeply personally transforming, and totally transcendental!