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Question: Please can you tell your first interaction, when did you see Srila Prabhupada for the first time?

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Jayapataka Swami: Before I met Srila Prabhupada, I met his devotees. That was a very dynamic, explosive, experience! I went to the temple. I read Easy Journey to Other Planets, because I studied science. I was a university student when I read this book. They advertised that you can get a vegetarian meal, and you have to pay 25 cents. I said, ok! After I took my meal, with all the devotees and I tried to pay my 25 cents, but no one would take it! They were too busy! Then they told me, go next door, Garga Muni is there! He is also known as Garga Money! He will take your money! Sure enough, he took my 25 cents and sold me a set of Bhagavatams. At that time in 1968, a set of Bhagavatam was the three volumes of the first Canto, published in India by Srila Prabhupada. Anyway, then when he saw he couldn’t get any more money from me, I said I wanted to know more, he told me to go behind the boutique, there you will find Jayananda prabhu. Anyway, Jayananda engaged me in the building of the first ratha cart in San Francisco. And, I wanted to meet Srila Prabhupada. He was in Montreal at that time. So I flew to Montreal. To make the long story short, then Srila Prabhupada was giving a Bhagavad-Gita class that evening. So I was there in the temple room with other about fifty devotees, I don’t remember exactly. I saw when Srila Prabhupada entered and at that time, I could see auras! Then I saw that Srila Prabhupada was emanating a yellow aura! And it filled the whole room! And then Srila Prabhupada saw me at that time. There were not too many new devotees then. I was shaved up with a big shika. Srila Prabhupada asked, who is this? Garga Muni was there. He said, this is Bhakta Jay! And Srila Prabhupada said, bring him for lunch tomorrow! Ha!
13-JANUARY-2020 ISKCON COVENTRY, UK