You are still an infant in spiritual life
Smara Hari: One time at Bury Place Prabhupada was lying very casually chanting. Two or three other devotees and I were chanting along with him in his room when another disciple, who had been a devotee for two years or so, walked in. This devotee liked to boast, “I’m the first devotee in Europe. I’ve been a devotee for two years. I’m a brahmin.” We thought he was such an advanced devotee because he was two years in the movement. He said spoke to Srila Prabhupada, “Every time I feel I’m making advancement I have a fall down.” He said, “This has happened so many times. I just do not know if I can find the strength to pick myself up again.” I was looking at Prabhupada and he totally surprised me. He laid back on his cushion with his head facing the ceiling and he just rippled with laughter. I had never seen Prabhupada laugh. It was a whole body laugh. Before this I had only seen a very grave, philosophical spiritual master. But now he was laughing like a young boy and it seemed to go on for two or three minutes. Srila Prabhupada brought his head back down with a nice fatherly smile and said, “Just as an infant when learning to walk falls down so many times, he picks himself up and persists and learns to walk.” He said, “After some time he can run, he can jump and do so many wonderful, athletic things.” He said, “But do not think you’re a big advanced devotee when you are still an infant in spiritual life.”
Reference: Remembrances by Sidhanta Das- Folio Vedabase
