Los Angeles SD Newsletter Vol. 3, Issue 16
VANCA KALPA…
PLACES OF PILGRIMAGE
By Mahat-tattva das
Srila Prabhupada said he would never die, that he would live forever in his books.
When two of Prabhupäda's sannyäsés were taking leave of him, he smiled pleasingly and said, “I may stay or go, but in my books I will live forever." When he heard that forty thousand hardbound books had been distributed in one week, he said, “If book distribution increases, I will never die. I will be living for centuries." [SPL 52]
In this way anyone can have Srila Prabhupada’s association simply by reading his books.
To go on pilgrimage means to go to a place where the saintly personalities are, places where one can get their association and purify his existence. Here is what Srila Prabhupada and sastra says about what it is and how does the holly place becomes holy.
A pilgrimage site becomes a holy place because of the presence of the saintly persons. [KB 86]
Mahäräja Parékñit was greatly encouraged by the presence of Çukadeva Gosvämé. He felt himself sanctified by the presence of the great saint whose presence turns any place into a place of pilgrimage. [SB 1.19.32]
By their association, sinful persons are freed from sinful reactions, and therefore wherever a pure devotee goes is a sacred place of pilgrimage. The importance of holy places is due to the presence there of such pure devotees. [Ädi 1.63]
This surely proves that wherever Srila Prabhupada’s books are that place becomes a place of pilgrimage. Coffee shops are definitely places where people go to waste their valuable time of the human form of life. They don’t realize that their coffee shop is actually a place of pilgrimage. Srimad Bhagavatam [SB 10.84.13] states:
A human being who identifies the body made of three elements as the self, who considers the by-products of the body to be his kinsmen, who considers the land of his birth worshipable, and who goes to a place of pilgrimage simply to bathe rather than to meet men of transcendental knowledge there, is to be considered like a cow or an ass.
Nevertheless, if any of the people for some reason picks up one of Srila Prabhupada’s books now available on the book shelves in their coffee shops and reads even one word his life can very easily become sublime.
Prabhupäda: Yes, if they read. Even if they touch. That is the difference between this book and ordinary book. Even they touch and they read one line and says, “Oh, it is very nice,” he makes a step forward. If he simply says this word, “Oh, it is very nice,” that is sufficient to bring him. Therefore I am trying to push. [Room Conversation July 5, 1975, Chicago]
