By Govinda Dasi
In Satsvarupa’s apartment, I slept on a blanket on the floor in the kitchen and the bed bugs were a problem. I would wake up in the morning with red bites all over my cheeks. I tried turn in the other direction with my feet to the wall but then my feet would be covered with red bites.
Swamiji asked us how we were doing and seeing the red marks on my face, I explained to him that some bugs were biting me. He laughed and said, pointing to his window, yes they also come here but I stay very still and when they think I am asleep, they come. Then I catch them and tend to them and then put them out my window.
By the breathing they know just when a man is sleeping but I can trick them. His eyes sparkled as he told of how he tricked the little bed bugs by pretending to be asleep. So that night I tried tricking them but I fell asleep and got bitten as usual and the next night and again and again and again to no avail.
I couldn’t catch them. A few days later I told Swamiji I have tried every night to catch them but I can’t catch them. I breathe softly and try to pretend that I’m asleep but they are too clever.
They don’t come and bite until I’m really asleep. I don’t know how you do this. Swamiji laughed and wagged his head from side to side saying, yes you have to be very expert.
Thank you Siddhartha Prabhupada for showing me your compassion even for bed bugs. You cared even for those living entities who came to you only for biting and sucking blood. You gave them your mercy as surely as those who came for serving.
Thank you for showing us how to live, how to love all creatures and how to give the benediction of the holy name.
KITTEN
I was embarrassed that we had this kitten and we had not yet found a home for him. So when Srila Prabhupada came, the kitten was still there. Srila Prabhupada would often affectionately tease me about the small kitten and even in lectures he would mention it.
Sometimes when I worked down in the garden outside, Srila Prabhupada would watch me from his window up above and he would see the kitten running around at my feet. Then later on he would chuckle and say, oh this cat is always at Govinda Dasi’s feet, but that is fortunate because she is Vaishnavi. This kitten had the constant habit of getting underfoot, almost tripping people as they walked.
It stayed outside the kitchen door and each morning when Srila Prabhupada went for his walk, he invariably stepped it on. I was often amazed at how often this small creature managed to get under Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet as he left for his daily walk and as it was always hungry, prasadam scrums was given to her daily. Of course I felt somewhat embarrassed for the situation, so we continued to look for a home for a small cat.
Srila Prabhupada stayed with us for about a month and the day of his departure we had a chanting and feast program at our home. Many people came and one young couple agreed to adopt this kitten. We were glad to find her a good home.
A few days later however, they informed us that the kitten had suddenly died the very evening Srila Prabhupada had left Hawaii. I then wondered at the good fortune of the kitten that daily was stepped on by Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet. Thank you Srila Prabhupada for giving your grace to anyone, even a small cat that takes shelter under your lotus feet.
May we always remember to take shelter beneath your lotus feet and focus our love entirely on you and Krishna and be spared the danger of taking birth in the body of a deer, a cat, a dog or any other creature or we cannot serve you in the most complete way. Thank you Srila Prabhupada.