 | After Gaurasundara and I had been traveling and living with Srila Prabhupada for about a year, Srila Prabhupada began to encourage us to go and open a temple. He would sometimes say: "We have become just like a family but now it is time to go and preach." He would say: "It is time to push you out of the nest", and later on he would joke that "like birds he had pushed us out of the nest to fly". Gaurasundara left for Hawaii in September for opening a preaching center and later on, in January of 1969, I left Srila Prabhupada in Los Angeles and also came to Hawaii. Gaurasundara had rented a house in Kaawa (?) about 45 minutes from Honolulu by ocean on about 7 acres of land. He also had a small storefront; it actually was an office building in Honolulu where the preaching center was held. The area around Kaawa was a very beautiful jungle retreat, yet there were houses nearby. One day, shortly after I arrived Gaurasundara and I walked to a small grocery store, opposite Swanzy (?) Park, which later became a tirtha, where Srila Prabhupada took his daily walks. On the way back from the store we stumbled upon a tiny kitten, just two or three feet from the side of the road. The helpless creature was sure to be hit by a car, so we asked some children playing nearby to take him home with them. Then we walked the remaining half-mile back to our home. When we returned home I could not find my japa beads anywhere, which had been with me on my walk. So we retraced our steps and there besides the road, next to the small kitten were my sacred beads. They had fallen from the bead bag and the kitten was still there. Compassionately, Gaurasundara and I decided that since the children were not going to help him we would. We picked up the small animal and brought him home. The last thing I wanted was a pet cat. So I had mixed feelings about this, yet we decided to give him some shelter until he was larger and we could find a home for him. He was a very tiny, wining, whimpering kitten who would always get under our feet and we would always have to avoid stepping on him. Then we got a telegram that Srila Prabhupada was coming. What to do? I was embarrassed that we had this kitten and we had not yet found a home for him. So when Srila Prabhupada came the kitten was still there. Srila Prabhupada would often affectionately tease me about the small kitten and even in lectures he would mention it. Sometimes when I worked down in the garden outside, Srila Prabhupada would watch me from his window up above and he would see the kitten running around at my feet. Then, later on he would chuckle and say: "Oh, this cat is always at Govinda dasi's feet but that is fortunate because she is Vaisnavi". This kitten had the constant habit of getting under foot, almost tripping people as they walked. It stayed outside the kitchen door and each morning when Srila Prabhupada went for his walk, he invariably stepped it on. I was often amazed at how often this small creature managed to get under Srila Prabhupada's lotus feet as he left for his daily walk, and as it was always hungry, prasadam scrubs was given to her daily. Of course, I felt somewhat embarrassed for the situation, so we continued to look for a home for the small cat. Srila Prabhupada stayed with us for about a month and the day of his departure we had a chanting and feast program at our home. Many people came and one young couple agreed to adopt this kitten. We were glad to find her a good home. A few days later, however, they informed us that the kitten had suddenly died the very evening Srila Prabhupada had left Hawaii. I then wondered at the good fortune of the kitten that daily was stepped on by Srila Prabhupada's lotus feet. Thank you, Srila Prabhupada for giving your grace to anyone, even a small cat that takes shelter under your lotus feet. May we always remember to take shelter beneath your lotus feet and focus our love entirely on you and Krsna and be spared the danger of taking birth in the body of a deer, a cat, a dog, or any other creature or we cannot serve you in the most complete way. Thank you, Srila Prabhupada.
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