Big Stars Get Mercy
Dear Prabhus!
PAMHO. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Many devotees have requested that I share this amazing story.
Last year, at the invitation of my godbrother Darshan Prabhu, I went to Mexico to give some book distribution seminars and take the mercy of the Vaisnavas there.
As the devotees drove me from the airport to the temple, I saw many billboards advertising the most famous drama in the history of Mexico, which had been playing steadily in one theater for fourteen years. The director and main actor in this play is Roberto Gomez Bolanos, the most famous actor in Mexico. He had made a program called El Chavo del Ocho or El Chapulin Colorado. This is a comedy show inspired by Charlie Chaplin. It consists of very pure humor — no sexual appeal or anything like that. This program has been shown in Latin America for more than thirty years and has captivated the minds of many generations. I personally I spent sixteen years of my life watching this program as my favorite, and Bolanas was my favorite actor. This program has also been shown in many countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
So when I saw the advertisement I thought maybe I should try to contact him and give him some books. One month passed by, and I could feel the great energy of preaching from the Mexican devotees — nice groups of men and women devotees distributing thousands of books on the streets. During my last week I invited a devotee to go to this show with me. We took some Bhagavad-gitas and left the temple with no money and no idea about what to do. On the way I had an idea and told him:
“Partha, we will do like this: We will go to the ticket taker and tell him we are guests, that Mr. Bolanos invited us.”
We arrived at the theater fifteen minutes before the drama was scheduled to start. We were nervous. Partha was trembling. We were in dhoti, kurta, tilak
everything. We got on the line, and when we reached the front we told the guy at the ticket window, “We are guests of Mr. Bolanos.”
He took some paper and pen asked us, “What are your names?”
I said, “Monk Prana and Monk Partha.”
He couldn't understand properly, so he asked about three more times. He was confused, so he told us to wait a minute and went inside. The line was building behind us, and people were a little disturbed because the drama was about to start. So we stepped out of the line to wait for the man to return. I walked to the next corner in the entrance, trying to relax. A lady saw me and, surprised, smiled and said, “Who are you?”
“We’re monks,” I replied, “Hare Krishna monks, and we’ve come here to give some special gifts to the actors.”
"Well, I'm in charge of the actors and the staff," she replied.
I thought, "Well, this is Krishna!"
We talked a little bit and she said, "Go inside. The drama is about to start."
"We don't have the tickets yet,” I said.
She pointed to the line and said, "OK, go to the line quick and buy your tickets.” (They cost about US$100.) Then I was really nervous, thinking, "Now the guy will come back and say that we’re not guests, and the lady will figure out we’re trying to cheat. Everything will be a big confusion.” So I told Partha: “Prabhu, go to the line. I will be here talking with her.” At that moment the guy came out of the door and said, "Gentleman, I have your invitations." I looked at the lady, and she said, "Go quick!"
We were really nervous. We went in, and the lady in charge of the actors took us to the best seats in the hall. She said, "By the end of the drama I will try to arrange a meeting for you." We saw he whole drama, which was very funny. At the end she took us to the actors, Bolanos and his wife Florinda Mesa, who is also very famous. We gave them the Bhagavad-gita and they were very happy. I was surprised when she said, "I know something about the three."
I said, "What three?"
She said, "Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu."
We talked a little bit about the importance of religion for a better world, and again they told us how very happy they were with the gift. Partha and I were in ecstasy. We saw how Krishna had arranged everything in the best way possible. We were just His instruments, trying our best to spread His glories at the right time and in the right mood.
Your Servant,
Prana Natha Dasa
