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All
Glories to Sri Guru & Sri Gauranga
California
March 15, 2005 Dear
bhaktas,
Please accept my dandavats. Hare Krishna. In Soquel we
had the extraordinary opportunity to witness and serve His Divine
Grace Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj during very difficult
trials and tribulations. We sat with him when he experienced
unbelievable physical pain. We cared for Him when, on more than
one occasion, his very life was threatened by what has taken many
men from this world. We patiently served Him and nurtured His
simple needs, while He all along was nurturing our bhakti creepers.
He observed us and shared His beautiful heart with us.
Just as I got to this part of my e-mail, I received a telephone call
to me in Santa Cruz from Srila Govinda Maharaj in Calcutta. To
me, this is confirmation that what I am to say is important and has
some divine authorization, just as a flower garland once fell from the
Divine Forms of Sri Sri Radha Madan Mohan upon a humble sage's request
for authorization to write the Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita. While
my words cannot be compared to those of Srila Krishna das Kaviraj, they
may be important to some. Srila Govinda Maharaj describes Sri
Chaitanya Saraswat Math as a "very beautiful jewel."
Srila Govinda Maharaj desires that all the bhaktas will cooperate with
one another in a transcendental way, above the influence of the mundane
urges for position, power, wealth, and sense gratification aimed at
self-centered illusory existence. His Divine Grace feels the urge
to see the beautiful mission of Srila Guru Maharaj flourish, and to
see this mission avoid some of the mistaken conceptions that have plagued
and threatened the progress of other Vaishnava institutions. Srila
Govinda Maharaj is always the first to say "All is dependent upon the
Will of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu." This is true, but we have some
minute infinitesimal free will with which to attract the Grace and Causeless
Mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This distinguishes
each and every jiva soul, and makes willing surrender and love a possibility.
It all is dependent upon the jiva soul deepening their faith that the
ultimate good will come by placing Krishna's interest, that is to say,
His pure devotee's interest, first and foremost. Then, dark illusion
will be replaced by the Sun of Sri Krishna's protective shelter.
What bhakta with any sincerity could desire anything else? The
manjaris are prime examples of selfless service. They place the
satisfaction of Sri Sri Radha Krishna above all else. Neglecting
themselves for Their sake, they redeposit all of their joy into the
Supreme relationship of Their Lordships. This mentality may be
possible to cultivate by the fortunate souls who reject pratishta, kanak,
kamini as devices of a foreign world of exploitation which they have
no aspiration to be a part of. They aspire for that eternal world
of dedication and selfless service for its own sake, and not for any
advantage. Love for Love's sake.
Srila Govinda Maharaj has so much affection for all of his disciples
and well-wishers. His prayer is that we will all catch the favorable
breeze that is being extended by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. It
is capable of carrying the most fallen and undeserving souls of this
Kali-yuga to the eternal destination of ultimate well-being and happiness.
Therefore, we must individually and collectively cultivate humility
over and over and over again, lest anarthas choke the bhakti creeper.
Srila Govinda Maharaj faced death more than once in His visit to the
West. He stayed here with us rather than leaving for Goloka
because, as He states, all of the wishes of the devotees for Him to
remain. We are all so fortunate! He suffered greatly for
"us" rather than simply slipping away. He continues to do so and
only for this service to Srila Guru Maharaj's mission. Krishna
is in each of our hearts. He knows our minds and more importantly
our hearts, really.
Now is the time to take shelter of Sri Gurudeva. It is not something
that one can say they once did, and now they are beyond that.
The shelter of Sri Gurudeva is the eternal position of the fortunate
bhaktas. Independence is, as our acharyas have stated, the
mentality of the madman. Srila Guru Maharaj would encourage his
friends to "dive deep" into Krishna consciousness. Do not tip
toe into that unlimited ocean of nectar and return to the desert of
this material world to seek pratishta, kanak, kamini. Krishna
will never let you down! I believe this firmly. Find it
in your hearts to follow Srila Govinda Maharaj with faith and love.
His judgement is to be accepted as the judgement of Sri Krishna Himself.
Now, His Divine Grace is with you all in India. He is also with
us here in America, and in Mexico, and in South America, Africa and
Europe, Australia, and now even in China. Who will capture His
Lotus Feet will live as an atom of a particle of dust beneath Him.
He is giving real hope for our futures and making our present also clean
and joyful. May each and every servitor of the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat
Math mission hear the pronouncement of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, "Param Vijayate
Sri Krishna Sankirtanam"! Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur
Prabhupad empowered many of His servitors for various service.
It is obvious that He empowered Srila Guru Maharaj, and through Him,
Srila Govinda Maharaj, to maintain the spirit of the living teachings
of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the Goswamis. These teachings
are not so much ancient dust but living teachings that need to be revisited
with every conscious effort we make. So many seekers around the
world have now embraced the guardianship of Srila Govinda Maharaj that
He is frequently heard to say that Srila Guru Maharaj's prophesy has
come to pass, that the sun never sets on the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat
Math. The treasure of all these fortunate souls is their faith
in Sri Sri Guru Gauranga.
Please all of you help to tend to the desire of Srila Govinda Maharaj.
He has courageously remained and we need Him very, very much.
Always consider the ideals that brought you to Krishna consciousness,
weed out any anarthas, unwanted things, water your bhakti creeper with
plenty of sravanam-kirtanam, serve with a loving and joyful heart.
We have much to be thankful for. And, may Srila Govinda Maharaj
continue to grace the planet for decades to come, giving us ever-fresh
hope and joy in our communal life of Krishna consciousness.
Hare
Krishna!
Yours
in service,
Pusta Krishna das
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