SpiritualTO THE FIRST EDITION In the spring of 1994, as the twentieth anniversary of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s visit to Germany in June 1974 drew near, I toyed with the thought of compiling the reminiscences of those of us who were there with him into a booklet for his Centennial in 1996.
I wrote an open letter to my godbrothers and godsisters proposing the idea and sent it to Vaidyanātha, who had taken up the work of reuniting Prabhupāda’s family in Germany. I asked him to consult the leading devotees in Germany and see whether they felt positive. They did, and so he published my letter in his Project Unity Forum, a publication sent periodically to the German Prabhupāda disciples around the world. Then, during the 1994 Vyāsa-pūjā celebration at Niyāda-nṛsiṁhakṣetra in Germany, Vaidyanātha proposed that my idea become an official project for Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Centennial. And new ideas began to spring up. Devotees wanted to include Prabhupāda’s first visit to Germany in 1969 in the booklet, and some said that the history of our movement’s pioneering years was essential. I had also proposed compiling in one book those of Prabhupāda’s lectures and conversations that took place in Germany. Before I knew it, my initial, seedlike ideas sprouted and grew into flowering plants.
I thought of a three-part book: (1) a collection of anecdotes; (2) lectures, morning walks, and room conversations; and (3) ISKCON Germany’s history from 1968 to 1977. I planned to publish it in German as a limited, deluxe edition for a select audience of devotees and congregational members.
As I began working on the recollections of Śivānanda, who was Prabhupāda’s servant in Hamburg in 1969, however, I realized that it would be much more natural to weave the anecdotes, letters, lectures, and historical events into one narrative.
After completing one hundred pages, I sent the English manuscript to Vaidyanātha and his brother, Śacīnandana Swami. In their enthusiastic response, they suggested that I continue to write the book in English so that devotees all over the world could share the nectar.
And nectar there was aplenty. As more and more interviews came in, I discovered that the hearts of the devotees are Prabhupāda-nectarstorehouses. Their memories—some weighty, others light—fell together like pieces of a puzzle to form a big picture of Śrīla Prabhupāda, that unique transcendental messenger of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who directly or indirectly transformed the lives of so many people.
We wanted to gather the remembrances of all Prabhupāda’s disciples connected with ISKCON Germany (there were about 170), but we heard from only a fifth of them. I hope the others will write to me and send more remembrances.
I felt that, besides contributing memories of direct experiences with Śrīla Prabhupāda, devotees should also tell how they came to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Their stories show another of Prabhupāda’s glories—that you didn’t have to meet him in person; he worked through his books and disciples.
To think deeply about a spiritual being such as Śrīla Prabhupāda is an intense and purifying experience. Undoubtedly, it is also blissful, simply because of the transcendental nature of the subject matter. It is a sobering experience to be reminded of the high ideals Prabhupāda stood for and to consider how we measure up to his expectations. And it is an instructive experience to witness his actions and reactions in various situations, especially difficult ones.
The hard times described in this book presented a major challenge. How was I to deal with them responsibly? To spread a spiritual movement in the material world is a daunting task, and to err in the process is practically unavoidable. ISKCON in Germany went through a few traumas, and I did my best to present the facts objectively.
Hari-śauri, who faced a similar problem in the writing of his Transcendental Diary, writes, “It is certainly not my intention to cast anyone in an embarrassing light. Nevertheless, things did happen, which, due to our immaturity in devotional service or our lack of comprehension created problems that only His Divine Grace could resolve. We can take viii these incidents in the same spirit that Prabhupāda himself did: he never condemned anyone because of his or her sometimes negative behavior. Rather he worked to improve both the situation and the person involved, to the benefit of all. He was corrective and supportive in every situation, and these incidents should be viewed from that perspective.”
Despite its dark spots, the bright full moon is glorious, and despite its shortcomings, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in Germany—and all over the world—is a glorious enterprise. In the soothing rays of the full moon, no one pays undue attention to the few dark spots.
If, after reading this book, only one person feels that his or her appreciation of Śrīla Prabhupāda and his disciples has increased even to the slightest degree, I shall consider my effort successful.
Vedavyas Das Jalón, Spain October 27, 1995 Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Disappearance Day ix TO THE SECOND EDITION Twenty-five years have passed since the First Edition was printed and presented at the Centennial Celebration in Mayapur in 1996. Since then the book has been translated into other languages, and I had the good fortune to meet some of my godbrothers and -sisters who I hadn’t seen for 30 years or more. I interviewed them and included their memories in this second and enlarged edition just in time for the celebration of the 125th anniversary of the Appearance of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, on August 31, 2021.
May the story of Śrīla Prabhupāda and his disciples in Germany continue to enliven all readers, young and old.
Bhakti Gauravani Goswami (fka Vedavyas Das) Advaita Ācārya’s Appearance Day February 18, 2021 PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION June 2026. After thirty years, this book has finally been published in the German language as well, and I arrive in Cologne with fifty copies. To my joyful surprise, I meet an old companion there, Bhakti-bhūṣaṇa Swami, to whom I immediately present a copy. He is one of the very first disciples whom Prabhupāda initiated in Hamburg 57 years ago, and he still travels tirelessly from temple to temple, passing on Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the next generations.
As Mahārāja leafs through the book, looking at the photos awakens memories in him that have not yet been published. Some date back to 1969, when Śrīla Prabhupāda first came to Germany; others are from 1977, when he traveled to the West for the last time and visited England. The fact that new memories still surface even after so many years shows how profoundly the encounters with Śrīla Prabhupāda have shaped the lives of his disciples.
Two weeks later, another joyful surprise follows. Guru-Gaurāṅga, a godbrother who preached in Switzerland in the early 1970s and was present when Prabhupāda first visited France, calls me to clarify some questions he has about ISKCON Germany’s history after 1977.
During the conversation, he tells me his own memories of various experiences with Prabhupāda during his 1972 visit. Gratefully, I add these new anecdotes to Chapter 9.
May these additional accounts help the readers come a little closer to Śrīla Prabhupāda and his early disciples.
Bhakti Gauravani Goswami 25 June 2026 Pāṇḍava-nirjalā Ekādaśī A NOTE ON THE NAMES The memories in this book are narrated by the respective contemporaries from their present-day perspective (e.g. Bhakti-bhūṣaṇa Swami). In the stories themselves, however, they are referred to by the names they bore in the 1970s (e.g. Stefan and, after initiation, Sucandra) in order to preserve the historical atmosphere. Conversely, a speaker who was a sannyāsī at the time is referred to in the stories by his sannyāsa name, even if he later gave up the sannyāsa order and took up again the name he had received at initiation.
A NOTE ON THE SANSKRIT WORDS IN LETTERS I have left the Sanskrit words in Prabhupāda’s letters as he originally wrote them, that is, without diacritical marks.
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