TWO SHORT STORIES BY SRILA PRABHUPADA!
Srila Prabhupada has shared many stories while speaking and preaching.
These two very short stories are very interesting:
Indian man (2): … political things. Two and two will always be four. But we people don’t agree so far.
Prabhupada: Yes. You want five.
Indian man (2): [laughter] We want five, correct. Four to make it five.
Prabhupada: There is a story that a grocer’s son was doing business, and when he was given a five rupees note, so he was giving four rupees.
So the customer said, “Why you are giving me four rupees?”
“No, I do not know what is the exchange.”
“No, it is six rupees.”
So, “No, father will be angry.” [laughter]
Means he knows perfectly well what is five rupees, but he is innocent when he was giving four rupees.
And when the customer wanted six rupees, he, “No, my father will be angry.”
[break] …created a havoc by misinterpreting Bhagavad-gita, all people. According to their whims, “Five rupees note means four rupees,” by imagination, they have created havoc all over the world. Otherwise everything is there.
Avajananti mam mudhah [Bg 9.11]. If we take Krishna’s instruction, then whole world becomes immediately happy. But they will not take it. They will manufacture their own: “Two plus two equal to five” or “three,” not exactly to four.
*
Prabhupada:
So we have explained yesterday, buddhi-yoga. Buddhi-yoga means bhakti-yoga. So, svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. Bhakti-yoga, begun, some way or other, it has got great effect.
There is story that in the Deity room, a lamp was burning. You know oil lamp has to be watched. Sometimes the wick has to be pushed. So the lamp was almost going to be extinguished.
In the meantime, a rat came there. He thought that it is something eatable. So he touched with mouth the wick, and it became pushed.
Simply by that action he got salvation. Just try to understand. Because he gave some service to the Deity.
So there are many instances. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. Krishna consciousness business is so nice that whatever you do sincerely, it will never be lost.
(Durga Devi helps her devotee – Story! READ HERE!)