Dear Srila Gurudeva
Please Accept My Humble Obeisance's
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada
As I was reflecting on my Vyasa puja offering, I remembered your glorious passing in 2005 as the entire worldwide devotee community watched. You always quoted Srila Prabhupada in saying that one should leave gloriously like Bhishmadeva on the battlefield. You preached to the entire world sitting on a wheelchair with a body devastated by Cancer. Your message came at a time when the secular and devotee communities were focusing on what was missing in their lives. Back then and even now the focus of the world is on what is missing. This immense meditation on what's missing and a lack of gratitude for whatever has been provided only empowers hatred and forces some to engage in deviant acts.
Quoting you "We all know what we want and that could be relief from financial, physical or emotional distress, most do not want pure devotion. But that's exactly what we "need."
You exemplified the purport of Bhagavad Gita 9.22 where the Lord says "To those who worship me with exclusive devotion, meditating on my transcendental form- to them I carry what they lack and preserve what they have." At any given time the Lord provides what we need for us to move on to the next level of Krishna consciousness. While it is natural to think that the Lord is referring to resources or auspicious developments, it is not very easy to accept inauspiciousness as also the exact circumstances we "need" to advance.
Your examples of immense gratitude in the face of such obvious pain are the greatest inspiration a disciple or well wisher could ever have. In retrospect, your pain was unfortunately what most of us needed for us to focus on the message of love. You taught us that aligning ourselves with the Parampara would empower us to transcend all material circumstances.
Matter can never impede spirit. At any given time our circumstances in life have the exact ingredients for us to make advancement. Be it adverse or favorable circumstances, we are always well taken care of. The profundity of this message is relevant today in 2010 in a world that passed through immense suffering due to a roll-back of resources or finances.
My humble realization is that at any given time every devotee, family, community and the movement as a whole has exactly what it "needs" to advance and move to the next level. This means that the resources have already been provided. We already have the exact dollar amount, devotees and infrastructure to experience love and share it with the world. We will be given whatever is needed for the next level when we fully employ everything in His service now.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu predicted that His name would be spread in every town and village. His omnipotent statement contains all the resources required for it to manifest. Any individual, family and community who develop a deep desire to fulfill the Lord's statement would never be bereft or lacking in anything. After all, the Lord is Svena or self-sufficient and His orders being non-different from Him carry the same potency.
I humbly beg for mercy to be able to focus 100% on being able to maintain an "Attitude of Gratitude" under all circumstances. Your pain has left deep samskaras in our hearts on what is possible. You have set the bar high but have provided the mercy for us to meet your standards. Nothing would please you more if your disciples and well-wishers follow in your foot steps and become exemplars themselves and become instruments.
Hoping to be the servant of Your servants
Sri Vrindavan das
New Jersey
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