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The following are recollections of quotes and conversations. Please add!

•  Back in the late 70's, at the old Gainesville temple on Depot Ave.

   Srila Acaryadeva was giving a darshan in a very crowded room. I was

   sitting in the back corner, and part way through had to leave to take

   over my shift at the nursery. Well, I tried to sneak out, but with the

   crowd, it was difficult.  As I was just getting to the door,

   Arcaryadeva says, "Sankirtana, where are you going?" I gave a short

   answer, and he said, "Come get a cookie first", so I wound my way

   through what seemed like an ocean of saffron to get close enough to

   reach the cookie....and just before handing it to me he held it high in

   the air and said, in his loud, almost booming, (yet jovial) voice...

  "This is real womens' liberation"!!

   

  Sankirtana dasi

   

• On the same note of the cookie hand outs: In LA I saw Sri Acaryadeva and was listening to a class in one of the apts

  across from the temple. It was really hard to squish everone in and when it was

   time to receive a cookie we were all walking up in line, one after another

   receiving cookies and as I reached out to get one Sri Acaryadeva lifted the

   cookie straight up into the air and said, "How much will you pay?" I was

   flabbergasted and didn't know what to say, but in my heart I was feeling that

  the answer was? "Everything!, my whole life and soul."

   

   

  •  Once in Gainesville in 1978 Maharaja was taking prasadam with devotees in his

     room and the devotees asked him if he would like some pie (I think cream pie),

     his godbrothers?more or less answering for?him said; "No pie will make him

     heavy, and Maharaja said "Guru is Heavy!" and his godbrother said, "No I mean

     it will make you fat." And Maharaja said "Guru is fat!" smiling and making

    everyone laugh. He is very witty and has the best sense of humor!

     

     Shyamapriya

     

     

    ---

     

     In Miami Beach temple I remember him saying that if you see something in the

     mode of ignorance, such as trash lying about and you don't do anything about it,

     then you will be affected by the mode of ignorance. I always remember this and

    always try to keep everything very clean and tidy.

     

     

     

     

     

     We were with Maharaja one day and he was looking up the meaning of fanatic in

     the dictionary, probably before computers were so widely used. He said he

    wasn't a fanatic but a radical.

     

     

     

    I rememeber very clearly when in a class, Srila

     Acaryadeva said that "This movement is a success

     because Krishna is one of us", something that has

     stuck in my mind for many years, since Srila

     Acaryadeva spoke with so much conviction, any doubts

    were eradicated from my mind.

     

     

    Mahabharata Das

     

     

    ---

     

     Some favorite quotes to add to the list: First the classic debate with

     Prof. Bharaty, there are so many points where Acaryadeva annihilates

     him, but my favorite is when Bharaty is trying to argue his point and

     just as he's starting Acaryadeva says, "Yes, we will listen to all your

    points and then we will refute them". It's so good, right to the point.

     

     

     

     "It's my yajna & I'll chant if I want to."

     sung to the tune of the song "It's My Party"(& I'll cry if I want to) from 1963

     

     

    ---

     

     SA, after a class, in Nova Gokula Dhama, questions & answers:

     questions: I'm chanting my rounds since forever, and can't do it properly,  nor stick to the 16.

     answer: go chanting, and (how do you say that in Brazil?? ah!!) pega no tranco!!!!!

     

     

     translation: ("pega no tranco" = all of a sudden it works )

     ("pega no tranco" is what you say when you're pushing a car that is not workin, and all of a sudden it works)

     

     

     

     

     

     "When people are looking at a spiritual society what is it that proves to people that this is truly a spiritual society?......

     What a people looking for?.....

     

    For example, lets say a devotee is chanting Hare Krishna in ecstacy, lets say a devotee is really in ecstacy, deep spiritual trance, samadhi. How many people in general are going to really recognise that? I mean, 

    some guy is gonna walk down the street, you know, and put out a

    cigarette and say [using hilarious Californian surfer type accent] "hey

    man, i think that guy's in trance, isn't that the 8th stage of the

    astanga yoga system"

      

    May 11 2003. Atlanta, Georgia. Bg 3.21

     

     

     

     'You will not become a brain surgeon as a hobby.  In fact, you'll be very fortunate to become a brain surgeon even

     if you devote many, many years of your life to trying to become one.  Similarly, you will not realize God  as a hobby.  In fact, you will

     be very fortunate to realize Him even if you devote many many years of your life to trying to realize Him.''  

     discourage one from trying then so that one might think,  'well. who's Of course, the point is not to  gonna take so many years just trying to realize God and then maybe I won't realize Him anyway?...'  Rather, it was just the heavy but logical

     point that 'You get what you pay for' so if you REALLY want God, the greatest, then you better expect to be steady and determined and patient and devoted and not just some religious dabbler or part-timer.

     

     Daru-brahma das