Hari Sauri: This morning at about five o’clock I was sitting on the bare floor of the front reception room, trying to chant my japa. Prabhupada came out to brush his teeth in the sink, but I failed to notice because I was nodding asleep as I chanted.
He wasn’t angry, but he told me, “Do not sit while you are chanting. Sitting means sleeping.”
Being Srila Prabhupada’s servant, I sometimes find it difficult to chant good rounds, because I am expected to remain on call in the room adjacent to his throughout the day. I have had to learn to chant almost silently so as not to disturb him, and this makes it harder to be attentive. Previous secretaries and servants have also had trouble chanting properly due to the demands of the engagement.
Reference: A Transcendental Diary Volume 1 – Hari Sauri Dasa
