Caturmasya Does Not Have to be Followed

The following is a memory from His Grace Gauracandra Das, a senior disciple of Prabhupada, explaining how Srila Prabhupada chose not to follow Caturmasya.

4 types of Indian chutney

I was with Srila Prabhupada in Paris in August, 1973 and the heat that summer in the city was stifling. In 1973, air conditioning in France was only for the very rich. Because yogurt cools the body, late one morning Srila Prabhupada asked that someone bring some yogurt to him in his quarters from the temple kitchen. 

The news came back to Prabhupada that there was no yogurt in the temple. Prabhupada was incredulous: how is it possible that in the middle of summer, there is no yogurt in the Paris temple? The devotees explained that the new ISKCON calendar, which had just maHde its first appearance that year, said that it was Chaturmasya and that we had to refrain from taking yogurt for the month. Prabhupada looked even more incredulous at that response than the one before. 

Prabhupada asked: "Who says that we have to follow Chaturmasya?" 

"The calendar's editor, Pradyumna, says so." 

"Oh, so because Pradyumna says I can't have yogurt, no one one will bring me yogurt? Go to the store and bring me some yogurt!" 

As one devotee rushed to the market to purchase some yogurt, Prabhupada explained that Chaturmasya is to be followed only by sannyasis, and only by those sannyasis who have been sannyasis for at least ten years, and only if they desire to follow Chaturmasya. Prabhupada then said: "I have been a sannyasi for more than ten years and I don't choose to follow Chaturmasya." Then in so many words, Prabhupada explained that because he chose not to do so, no one could force him follow Chaturmasya, not Pradyumna and not a calendar.

~ Gauracandra das (George Joaquim)