(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 25 July 2013, Durban, South Africa, Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.6)
When I was the temple president, we had a sannyasi staying at the temple named Radha Govinda Maharaja. He would come to my room every morning at around 6 o’clock, knock on the door and just immediately go on the floor and offer his obeisances. I was a grhasta, you know, so I was like, “Please Maharaja, what are you doing?” And then he would just go away! Next day, same thing again…
So, after some days, at one point I just said, “Maharaja, please stop this. This is too much.” And then he said, “No, it is my duty, after all you are our father!”
He really got me with that one. I never thought of myself as his father or the father of everyone in the temple. Okay, I’m the temple president, I’m in charge here and I’m the manager but then to be the father! It did something to me. He got through to me. I started to change my attitude a little bit… to become the father of everybody. So, that little bit of love is helpful!