Diary of a Traveling Monk, Vyasa Puja Offering 2022 * * * Подношение на день явления Шрилы Прабхупады – 2022

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Dear Srila Prabhupada,

Please accept my most humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to you!

In mid-August in the midst of our summer tour in Poland, I was surprised to see that many trees were already turning to their autumn colors. Generally, they don’t change color until mid-September.

“They will start losing their leaves soon,” I thought.

Watching the bright colors blur together through my window as we sped towards our next festival site, two thoughts came to my mind. First, I thought about how I am in the autumn of my life and soon you will call me to another service, somewhere here in the material world or perhaps even in the spiritual world. The second thought I had was that I am fortunate to have lived as long as I have!

You said on a morning walk on February 21, 1975 in Caracas, Venezuela:

“Instead of contemplating what will happen to this world, you have got a short duration of life, say fifty, sixty years. You chant Hare Krsna and go back to home, back to Godhead.”

Fortunately, I’ve lived 13 years past the sixty-year deadline, but unfortunately, I have yet to shed a tear while chanting the holy names. I am not discouraged, though, because you said in a lecture in Los Angeles on May 4, 1973:

“This is called firm faith, that ‘Now, because I am engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness business, so I must be able to face Kṛṣṇa, face to face, see Kṛṣṇa face to face. That I must have.’ So don’t be disappointed. Go on with your Kṛṣṇa consciousness activities. Time will come when you’ll see Kṛṣṇa, just like Kuntī is seeing, face to face. There is no doubt about it.”

So, I don’t doubt that I will see Krsna one day, and I’m certain that that will happen only by your grace. Thus, whatever time I have left in this body I will fully dedicate to your mission of delivering the fallen conditioned souls. I realized long ago that it is only by serving your mission in this world that I can qualify myself to participate in your pastimes in the spiritual world. This means preaching the message of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu with full vigor just as you did!

yatha yatha gaura-padaravinde
vindeta bhaktim krta punya-rasih
tatha tathot-sarpati hrdya-kasmad
radha-padambhoja-sudhambu rasih

“As much as one can devote his full attention to the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya, to that extent he will be able to taste the nectarine service of the lotus feet of Srimati Radharani in Vrindavan. The more one engages in the service of Sri Caitanya, the more one finds oneself in Vrindavan, tasting the nectar of the service of Sri Radha.”

(Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati, Caitanya Candramrta, Verse 88)

There are many excuses I could use to stop preaching: I’m too old, I’m too tired, I’ve done my part. But nothing I’ve done can equal even one iota of what you’ve done for me. My dear spiritual master, my debt to you can never be repaid.

Recently, I watched again the heart-wrenching video of your last hours in this world. On your deathbed, you were using your final breaths to speak your Bhaktivedanta purports into a dictaphone held close to your mouth by a disciple. May I embrace those words to my heart and share them with the unfortunate people of this world!

I pray that nothing will ever distract me from your mission and from my desire to join you in your nitya-lila pastimes in Goloka Vrindavan. The present world is overrun with unlimited distractions. On the same morning walk on February 21, 1975 in Caracas, Venezuela, you warned us against becoming infatuated by these distractions:

“Don’t consider what will happen to this world. Nature will take care of it. You don’t puzzle your brain with these thoughts. You utilize whatever time you have got in your possession and go back to home, back to Godhead. You cannot check it. Best thing is that you mold your life and go back to home, back to Godhead. Because people will go on with their material civilization, natural consequences will be there. You better take advantage of whatever time you have got and become fully Krsna conscious and go back to home.”

That I will do, my beloved spiritual master, and knowing your compassionate heart, I will try to bring as many conditioned souls with me as I can. Like you, I will try my best to preach until my last breath, whether it comes today or tomorrow. If I am to be remembered, let it be only for my attempts to render service to your lotus feet. The Samurai warriors had a code: “Don’t ask me how he died. Ask me how he lived!”

I am early in my awakening as a servant of the Lord, so I can’t claim to know Krsna. But I am confident that I will reach the goal because I know you. It is you who will one day bring me face to face with the Lord.

One time the great Ramanuja Acarya asked Ranganath, the presiding deity of Sri Rangam, “My Lord, what will happen if for some reason Your devotee cannot remember You at the moment of death?”

Ranganath replied, “If My devotee cannot remember Me at the moment of death, I will remember My devotee!”

In my case, Srila Prabhupada, this could only happen by your causeless mercy. It is only because I am always remembering you that Krsna might remember me.

My dear spiritual master, you are my life and soul, the most cherished element of my existence. You are everything to me, my “saksad hari,” the Lord’s representative in this world. I surrender myself totally unto your lotus feet.

As the sun sets on my life, I am not afraid of what lies ahead, for it can only be service to your lotus feet. I have experienced in this life that I am happy serving you in any condition, at any time, in any place—in the jungles of the Amazon, the freezing steppes of Siberia, the deserts of Mongolia, the favelas of Rio di Janeiro, the ruins of Sarajevo and the concrete jungles of New York, London and Paris. I have always been happy sharing your message with others.

This is especially true when I am on the Baltic Sea coast with our festival, where, for the last 30 years, thousands of guests have been in attendance every summer evening. When the audience gives us a resounding standing ovation, tears come to my eyes and I look up to the sky and wonder, “Srila Prabhupada, are you watching?”

I hope that you are and I feel that you must be. Please know that by holding these festivals in my remaining years, I want to reciprocate with your tireless efforts in establishing this movement in the pioneer days of ISKCON. My life is coming to a natural conclusion and I often dream of where I will serve you next. Every day I am trying to improve myself so that I will be a real asset to your mission. Forgive me for using a mundane phrase I learned in the military, but I want to “hit the beach running.”

One time a godbrother of mine said to you, “Srila Prabhupada, I want to be just like you!”

The assembled devotees were shocked. One devotee chastised that person saying, “It’s offensive to say that. You can never be equal to the spiritual master!”

But you took it differently. You said, “That is the proper sentiment because the spiritual master is acarya – he is setting the example what kind of devotee the disciple should be.”

I still have time left: a few days, a few months or perhaps even many years. I will use this time to try to become like you, to serve with the same determination as you did.

You once wrote to me that I should “always follow in the footsteps of advanced devotees.” That instruction has guided me throughout my life. I have always honored my godbrothers and godsisters, understanding them to be more advanced than me. Most importantly, Srila Prabhupada, I have honored you as the most advanced devotee I will ever know, either in this life or the next. I look forward to meeting you again one day in the spiritual world. You told one of my godbrothers that when we return to the spiritual world our spiritual master will be waiting for us. He will take our hand and lead us into the forest of Vrindavan where he will introduce us to Krsna, our beloved Lord. I shall keep that vision in my heart as I wander the world attempting to bring fallen souls to your lotus feet, for you are Prabhupada, the master at whose feet all masters sit.

All glories to you on this occasion of your divine appearance in this world!

Your servant,
Indradyumna Swami


“…Regarding your request for your deliverance from the clutches of Maya”

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“Regarding your request for your deliverance from the clutches of Maya, please rest assured of being delivered, because we have captured the strong chain of disciplic succession. This chain is coming down from the highest platform, Krishna. Just like a rope comes down the well so that anyone who may catch the rope from any position is sure to be delivered, so our aim should be to not give up the rope. We must capture the rope very tightly. Then our deliverance is assured.

So far as I am concerned, in relationship with my disciples who are so kindly cooperating with me in the matter of my rendering service to my Spiritual Master, for them I am always ready to come back from Goloka Vrindavan if they are not delivered along with me. So don’t be worried about the clutches of Maya. Be fixed up in your determination and go on serving the Supreme Lord, Krishna, with determination as you are already doing.”

[ Srila Prabhupada Letter, November 15, 1969 ]

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Colosseum / в Колизее

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Дорогой Шрила Прабхупада, в этот день Вишварупа Махотсавы в сентябре 1959 года вы приняли уклад жизни санньясы в маленькой комнате Божеств на первом этаже Кешава Матха в Матхуре. Со временем вы покинете Индию в качестве ее главного духовного посланника и наполните мир сознанием Кришны.

Пятнадцать лет спустя, когда я стоял около вас перед римским Колизеем, слава исторического памятника исчезла после ваших слов, которые в целом охарактеризовали этот материальный мир. Вы тогда сказали, сурово глянув на нас:

«Преданные… они не хотят богатств материального мира. Они, что называется, пессимистичны. Они не придают никакого значения богатствам материального мира».

 

В вашем обществе, Шрила Прабхупада, мы все впитали этот дух отречения и научились избирать то, что действительно обладает величием:  это сознание Кришны и все, что к нему относится.

Что до меня, вы превыше всего в моей жизни – в прошлом, настоящем и будущем. В этот благоприятный день я продолжаю служить вашей миссии в этом мире как один из ваших санньяси-представителей. Все хорошо, но я скучаю по вам так, что это трудно выразить словами.

 

 

 

 

Dear Srila Prabhupada, on this day of Visvarupa Mahotsava in September 1959, you accepted the sannyasa order of life in the small deity room on the second floor of the Keshava Math in Mathura. In due course of time, you would leave India as its foremost spiritual ambassador and flood the world with Krsna consciousness.

As I stood before you in front of the famous Colosseum in Rome fifteen years later, the glory of that historic monument faded with your words that summarised the material world altogether. With a stern face you told us that day:

“Devotees, they do not want any opulence of this material world. They are, what is called, pessimistic. They do not give any value to the opulence of this material world.”

In your association, Srila Prabhupada, we have all imbibed that spirit of renunciation and learned to embrace what is truly great: Krsna consciousness and all it encompasses. As for me, you stand as the greatest of all things in my life – past, present and future. On this auspicious day, I continue to serve your mission in this world as one of your sannyasa representatives. All goes well – but I miss you more than words can ever express.

 

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Diary of a Traveling Monk, Vyasa Puja Offering 2021 * * * Подношение на день явления Шрилы Прабхупады – 2021

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Diary of a Traveling Monk

Volume 15, Chapter ____

August 29, 2021



My Dearmost Spiritual Master,

Please accept my most humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet.

Today I am praying to the Supreme Lord to find the proper words to glorify you on this special occasion of your 125th appearance day anniversary.

abalam prabhur ipsitonnatim
krta-yatnam sva-yasah-stave ghrni
svayam uddharati stanarthinam
pada-lagnam jananiva balakam

“Wishing to drink from his mother’s breast an infant child clutches his mother’s foot and she kindly picks him up. In the same way when a sincere devotee, although not expert with words, yearns to praise others, the Supreme Lord uplifts and empowers him.”

( Hari-bhakti-vilasa 8.351 )

Srila Prabhupada, the other day a person inquiring about Krsna consciousness asked me if I was happy. When I replied, “Yes, of course I am,” he countered, “But how can you be happy when there’s so much suffering in this world? Everywhere one looks people are unhappy.”

I replied, “Sir, my happiness lies in encouraging people to chant the holy names of Krsna, a time-honored remedy to alleviate all suffering in this world. I’m sure if you tried it you’d be happy too!”

“I can’t do that,” he said bluntly.

“It’s easy,” I said. “Just say, ‘Hare Krsna!’”

“Sorry,” was his only response.

“Well,” I said, “then you’ll just have to be satisfied with being one of the unhappy persons you mentioned.”

There was a pause and then suddenly he blurted out, “Alright! Hare Krsna! Hare Krsna! Hare Krsna!”

I waited for a moment and then asked him, “So, how was it?”

He replied, “Well, yeah. It was nice. I felt something different. I’ll give it a go.”

Srila Prabhupada, that conversation reminded me of how you were once walking on a beach in Bombay with some of your disciples and a little girl walking by folded her hands and said to you, “Hare Krsna!” Smiling, you turned to your disciples and commented, “Just see how successful our movement is!”

One disciple asked, “What do you mean by ‘successful’, Srila Prabhupada?”

You replied, “If you taste just one drop of the ocean, you can understand how salty the whole ocean is. Similarly, by this one girl greeting us with ‘Hare Krsna’ we can appreciate how the chanting of the Lord’s holy names has spread around the world.”

Such small triumphs in the spreading of the holy names certainly add to the success of your mission, Srila Prabhupada, but to be perfectly honest, locked down and locked out of my previous services to you as a result of the worldwide pandemic, I miss more than ever the big victories we helped you achieve in days gone by.

I miss seeing thousands of young people loudly chanting the holy names of Krsna at the Polish Woodstock Festival every year.

I miss distributing tens of thousands of plates of prasadam annually to Zulu children in the poor townships of South Africa.

I miss the standing ovations that our theater productions received as we toured the United States.

I miss our festivals along the Baltic Sea coast, where for 30 years running, each summer night, people would leap from their seats during the final kirtan and chant and dance with us in great ecstasy.

I miss our harinam parties in Altay, Dzag, Urgamal, and Hodrogo on the far-western steppes of Mongolia, where each time, literally the whole town would follow us back for a program in a hall.

The list is endless, Srila Prabhupada, but recently I realized I can’t go on forever daydreaming about the past. You said many times that if we are sincere, then there can be no real impediments to spreading the glories of the holy names. I was reminded of this recently while listening to a lecture you gave in London on July 18th, 1973, wherein you said:

“Material impediments cannot check progress in the science of God. We are experiencing that Krsna consciousness does not get checked anywhere. We have got branches all over the world. Any country, there is no language difficulty. Wherever we chant Hare Krsna they join. Even in Africa, they are also chanting Hare Krsna. So, there is no checking this movement.”

Your words had a profound effect on me, which is often the case when I listen to your lectures. I feel you are speaking directly to me.

“The learned say that nectar resides in the ocean, the moon, the lips of a young lady, the abode of serpents and in heaven. But the ocean is salty, the moon wanes, the husbands who drink nectar from the lips of their wives die, snakes provide poison, and one falls down from heaven when the fruits of his virtuous deeds are exhausted. But indeed, nectar is found in the voice of realized saints whose sweet words and instructions lead one to immortality.”

[ The Subhāṣita-ratna-bhāṇḍāgāram ]

Inspired by your words, Srila Prabhupada, the daily chanting of my mantras took on a different tone. I pleaded to be engaged once again in some significant service to your mission.

Narada Muni says to Gopa Kumara in Brhad-bhagavatamrta:

“My dear boy, whatever you desire while chanting your mantra, by its power you will fully achieve. Indeed, you will attain more than your desire.”

[ Sri Brhad-bhagavatamrta 2.1.189 ]

Time passed in this way, and having received no discernable sign from the Lord that He would fulfill my prayer for service to your mission, I suddenly realized how foolish I was to think that I, an aspiring devotee at best, could personally request something from Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So then I did the right thing: I begged you, my beloved Spiritual Master, to pray to the Lord on my behalf!

In a letter to Mahananda das on April 26th, 1970, you wrote:

“Regarding your questions, are the Spiritual Master and the grand Spiritual Master consciously aware of the prayers of a sincere devotee who prays in love to Them? The answer is that no conscious prayers go in vain. They are transmitted positively. Any prayer you offer to your Spiritual Master and Superior Spiritual Master is conveyed to Krsna. No sincere prayers go in vain.”

So it was no surprise to me, Srila Prabhupada, when one week later, without any additional effort whatsoever on my part, my prayers [ to you! ] were answered.

“The quality of mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath.”

[ William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act 4, Scene 1 ]

As I was walking by the prestigious Vrindavan Research Institute, near to our Krsna Balarama Mandir here in Vrindavan with my disciple Visnu-tattva das, he turned to me and said, “Srila Gurudeva, the managers of the institute told me they would like to meet with you. Can I make an appointment?”

I looked at him in disbelief. Since 1973, when I first travelled to Vrindavan, the prestigious institute with all of its thousands of sacred scriptures had mostly been off-limits to anyone except research scholars. I often dreamed of walking into the institute and having darshan of the sastras contained within its walls, which I knew included the original handwritten manuscripts of Srila Rupa Goswami, Srila Jiva Goswami, Narottama das Thakura, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and many other great Vaisnava saints, as well.

“It’s under new management now,” Visnu-tattva continued. “They are eager to improve the important work they are doing. I’ve actually been helping them for some time now with cataloguing their vast library.”

Visnu-tattva comes from a well-respected Goswami family in Vrindavan and is pursuing a master’s degree in Sanskrit.

“They know about you, Srila Gurudeva, and are asking for your cooperation with scanning, digitizing, preserving, translating and publishing the 32,000 scriptures in the institute.”

Surprised, I said, “But how in the world do they know me?”

“Through your social media,” he replied. “And they’re aware that you’ve been lecturing about Vrindavan for almost two years based on authentic scriptures.”

I shook my head in disbelief.

“Ok,” I said. “Make an appointment.”

Several days later we met with the head of the institute and his managers for several hours, discussing the dynamics of how we could cooperate.

Afterwards, one of the managers took me on a tour of the institute.

As we walked through numerous rooms encasing the sacred texts, she said, “The previous managers were mainly interested in protecting the valuable manuscripts. But our new management realizes these scriptures were written to be read by the entire world.”

As we sat down to discuss more, she placed an old palm-leaf manuscript in my hands.

“Take this one for example,” she said. “It’s the original Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu by Srila Rupa Goswami. It is over 500 years old. You can see how much it is in need of preservation.”

“Good Lord!” I said softly. “I’m holding one of the most important sastras of our tradition in my hands.”

I could hardly fathom my good fortune. Looking closely at the beautiful handwriting of Srila Rupa Goswami, I remembered a verse from Caitanya-caritamrita:

sri-rupera aksara—yena mukutara panti
prita hana karena prabhu aksarera stuti

“Thus being pleased, Lord Caitanya praised the writing by saying, ‘The handwriting of Rupa Gosvami is just like rows of pearls.’”

[ Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya 1.97 ]

Carefully taking the manuscript from my hands, she placed another in front of me.

“Do you know the saint Narottama das Thakura?” she asked.

“Yes, I do,” I replied. “He’s one of my great heroes.”

“That is his book, Prarthana,” she said with a smile. “The original.”

As I very carefully turned each parchment page to inspect the condition of the book, she said, “These treasures need to be treated and preserved for future generations. Would you like to help?”

My eyes became moist and a lump appeared in my throat. I tried my best to convey my consent, but I couldn’t. I finally just blurted out, “Yes! Thank you!”

As she carefully placed the parchment in its box, she noticed a tiny sliver of the manuscript in the corner that had apparently broken off. Handing it to me, she said, “Please accept this as a blessing from your hero. Place it in a kavaca and wear it around your neck.”

At that point, I couldn’t help myself and I burst into tears of gratitude.

Srila Prabhupada, thank you for answering my prayers and entrusting me with a service that I know is very dear to your heart. You yourself carried a number of our previous acaryas’ books everywhere you travelled. Every day you would refer to them as you wrote your Bhaktivedanta purports. I know this for a fact, for I once carried a heavy suitcase of yours filled with those precious scriptures from the London airport to your room in our temple at 7 Bury Place. Huffing and puffing, I placed it at your lotus feet and when I bowed down, you slapped me on the back in firm appreciation and gave me an eternal blessing, saying:

“So much endeavour in this material world, but when I take you home, back to Godhead, everything will be easy and sublime.”

I look forward to that day when you’ll take me home, Srila Prabhupada, but in the meantime I’ll work closely with a team of devotees I am assembling from around the world to help the Vrindavan Research Institute raise funds, as well as catalogue, scan, digitize, preserve, translate and publish all the works—known and unknown—of our previous acaryas. All the while, I will keep your following words close to my heart:

“It is my serious desire to devote the fag end of my life to translating Srimad Bhagavatam and so many other Vaisnava literatures, so by assisting me in this regards you will be performing the highest service to Krsna.”

[ Srila Prabhupada, letter to Hayagriva das, April 27th, 1972 ]

Your eternal servant,
Indradyumna Swami

 

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Это я могу, Шрила Прабхупада!

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После того, как Прабхупада закончил класс Бхагавад-Гиты, одна дама подняла руку. У нее был вопрос. Она спросила:
–  В Бхагавад-гите говорится, что если в момент смерти думать о Кришне, то отправишься к Кришне. Теперь вопрос: а если я подумаю о вас в момент смерти? Будет такой же эффект?
Прабхупада ответил не сразу. Он закрыл глаза на две-три секунды, как будто искал ответ.
Потом улыбнулся и сказал:
–  Очень мило с вашей стороны. Да, будет тот же эффект.
[ воспоминания о Шриле Прабхупаде, Джая Гауранга даса ]

 

Шриман Шрутакирти Дас о Шриле Прабхупаде

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Srutakirti das:
“I felt very fortunate because I got to see Prabhupada when he wasn’t with his disciples, when he wasn’t busy training them in management in so many different ways or chastising them for the mistakes they had made and being involved in seeing that the books were being produced and all of these different services he was doing for his spiritual master. Then at various times in the day when the doors closed, Prabhupada was just there by himself; and they were the times that I liked the most because he was a devotee of Krishna, and Prabhupada loved Krishna. You would find him in his room reading; and sometimes from the servant quarters, all of a sudden you would hear the harmonium.

It wasn’t Krishna Kanti coming in and recording bhajans, Prabhupada was just doing bhajan. Whenever I heard that, I would run into the room and I would offer obeisances; and as soon as I would sit up, Prabhupada would give me the nod, “Get the kartals,” and I would play kartals and Prabhupada would play the harmonium and he would just chant. It’s one reason I stayed with Prabhupada as long as I did, because I found being with Prabhupada was very peaceful for most of the time. And it was amazing because, as we know, Prabhupada was doing everything, he was running everything, the entire society, the BBT, taking care of so much mail every day, doing the classes, the morning walk, instructing devotees.

But somehow or other it seemed like there were hours where Prabhupada was just alone, and he was a devotee of Krishna and he was very sweet. He was doing everything he was asking us to do, just develop our love of Krishna by chanting and hearing and so many times reading his books. He would walk around and chant in his room; and he would just chant on his beads, walk around, and sometimes he would jiggle his bead bag, you could hear the beads in his bead bag. But there was just this peacefulness that was amazing because of everything that he was doing. But as soon as the door closed, that was all gone. It was just Krishna there with him, and Prabhupada was always happy. Even someone like me could pick up on some of that and just feel so peaceful to be with Prabhupada. It’s like you didn’t want to be anywhere else at those times.”

This Is The Proof / Доказательство

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Тут Шрила Прабхупада сменил тему.

– Почему мы думаем, что Кришна – Бог? – спросил он нас.

– Потому что Кришна это говорит в Бхагават-Гите, – сказал кто-то из преданных.

– Любой может так сказать, – возразил Прабхупада.

Я решился:

– Вы сказали нам это, а вы представитель Кришны, духовный учитель…

– А кто-то скажет, что я всего лишь старик.

Не зная, что еще сказать, мы молчали.

Спустя несколько мгновений Прабхупада проговорил:

– Вы знаете, что Кришна – Бог, потому что чувствуете Его присутствие, когда воспеваете,
и также когда служите. Вы чувствуете экстаз – вот доказательство.

 

[ Гуру Дас «По его примеру». Глава «Индия»]

 

 

 

 

Srila Prabhupada then changed the subject. “How do we know Krishna is God?” he asked us.

“Because Krishna says so in the Bhagavad-gita,” a devotee said.

“Anyone can say that,” Prabhupada countered.

I piped up, “You told us so, and you’re a representative of Krishna, a spiritual master . . .”

“Someone will say I am just an old man.”

Not knowing what else to say, we were silent.

After a few moments, Prabhupada said, “You know Krishna is God because you feel His presence when you chant, as well as when you serve. You feel the ecstasy—this is the proof.”

[ “By His Example” by Guru das. Chapter, ‘India’ ]

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You have got a short duration of life / Жизнь коротка

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“Instead of contemplating what will happen to this world, you have got a short duration of life, say fifty, sixty years. You chant Hare Krsna and go back to home, back to Godhead. Don’t consider what will happen to this world. Nature will take care of it. You don’t puzzle your brain with these thoughts. You utilize whatever time you have got in your possession and go back to home, back to Godhead. You cannot check it. Best thing is that you mold your life and go back to home, back to Godhead. Because people will go on with their rascal civilization, natural consequences will be there. You better take advantage of whatever time you have got and become fully Krsna conscious and go back to home.”

[Srila Prabhupada, Morning Walk, February 21, 1975, Caracas]

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Подношение на день ухода Шрилы Прабхупады 2018

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Дорогой Шрила Прабхупада, пожалуйста, примите мои смиренные поклоны.
Вся слава вам.

Как всегда, день этот для меня и сладок, и горек. Понимание, что вы отправились домой в духовный мир – единственное, что утешает боль утраты. Конечно, наша печальная потеря стала великолепным приобретением для многих обитателей духовного мира. Можно себе представить радостный праздник, устроенный по поводу вашего долгожданного возвращения! Для преданных вполне естественно ценить самоотверженное служение таким великим душам, как вы. Кавирадж Госвами пишет в Чайтанья-Чаритамрите:

«Слушая о деяниях Рупы и Санатаны Госвами, приближенные Шри Чайтаньи Махапрабху говорили: «Стоит ли удивляться достижениям человека, на которого Сам Господь пролил Свою милость?»

[ Шри Чайтанья-Чаритамрита, Мадхйа 19.132 ]

Скорее всего, теперь вы рано поутру гуляете по лугам и пастбищам, бегаете и играете в лесах Враджа. Вы непременно катаетесь по земле в духовном экстазе! Вы стремились к этому, когда написали 13 сентября 1965 года на Джаладуте свою знаменитую «Молитву лотосным стопам Кришны». Без сомнения, это из-за вашего успеха в исполнении желания вашего духовного учителя (чтобы сознание Кришны проповедовалось на западе) Господь ответил на вашу молитву и забрал вас домой.

Шрила Прабхупада, вы даровали миру уникальнейший из даров, обучая одновременно и искусству жить, и искусству умирать. В этом временном мире страданий и то, и другое непросто. И все же вы сделали и то, и другое возможным. При следовании вашим простым наставлениям жизнь приносит радость, а смерть становится просто сменой декораций из новоприобретенных друзей и освежающего разнообразия служений, которые, в конце концов, забирают обратно, в духовное небо. И что самое главное, жизнь в сознании Кришны гарантирует, что мы в этой духовной обители окажемся с вами, Шрила Прабхупада.

Почти что 70 лет тому назад я родился в этом материальном мире – такой же грешник, как любой человек, родившийся до меня. И мне было совсем неплохо на этой дороге из нескончаемых циклов рождений и смертей. Так все и шло до того дня, когда по милости ваших учеников вы появились в моей жизни. Вишнуджана Махараджа знал эту верную формулу. Когда в тот день я повстречал его на зеленых лужайках Университета Мичигана, первое, о чем что я спросил у него, было: «Махараджа, кто это – Кришна?» Улыбнувшись, он ответил: «Садитесь, молодой человек. Прежде чем ответить на ваш вопрос, позвольте мне рассказать вам о моем духовном учителе».

Шрила Прабхупада, я всего лишь одна из множества павших душ, которых вы спасли. Вы так добры. Скорее всего, при приближении к вратам Вайкунтхи для получения допуска нужно будет лишь упомянуть ваше имя.

«У тебя есть качества, чтобы зайти сюда?» – могут сказать Джая или Виджая.

Достаточно будет ответить: «Беспричинная милость Шрилы А.Ч. Бхактиведанты Свами Прабхупады».

Тогда привратники улыбнутся и скажут: «Хорошо. Входи!»

Конечно, всем понятно, что если мы хотим дерзновенно сослаться на ваше имя, мы должны будем добиться вашей благосклонности, служа желанию вашего сердца в этом мире. Мы не знаем, кто вы в духовном мире, но бесспорно, что служа вашим желаниям в этом мире, мы заслужим привилегии однажды служить вам в мире духовном.
Самое смешное, Шрила Прабхупада, что чем я становлюсь старше и тело мое становится старее и больнее, тем сильнее у меня желание помогать вам в распространении вашего движения по городам и весям этого мира. Временами это расстраивает. Но я пришел к выводу, что именно это желание и поможет мне перебраться через океан рождения и смерти – к приюту ваших лотосных стоп на противоположной стороне. Самкиртан, без сомнений – лучший способ достичь этой цели:

«Стремишься пересечь бездну мирского бытия, мечтаешь вкусить нектар самкиртаны,тоскуешь по тому, чтоб плавать в океане божественной любви? Прими прибежище у стоп Чайтанья-чандры».

(Шрила Прабходананда Сарасвати, «Шри Чайтанья-чандрамрита», стих 93)

Шрила Прабхупада, вы говорили в своей проповеди о двух моментах, которые всегда напоминают мне о временном характере этого мира: «Не удивляйтесь, когда всё идет не так – удивляйтесь, когда всё правильно» и «Всё что угодно может произойти когда угодно». Оба эти утверждения верны. Но кажется, что преданное служение под вашим руководством опровергает эти законы материальной природы – и в этом его таинство. Как много раз, проповедуя сознание Кришны, я был свидетелем божественного вмешательства Господа. Сам факт, что кто-то покупает одну из ваших книг, приходит в храм, чтобы спрашивать об абсолютной истине, или дает разрешение провести масштабный фестиваль сознания Кришны на публике, показывает, каким образом Господь присутствует в этом мире и как может исправить все невзгоды. Я живу ради этих моментов, Шрила Прабхупада. Мэр Нью-Олбани, богатого города в США, сказал мне после просмотра нашего представления в сентябре: «Ваше шоу лучше любого бродвейского шоу в Нью-Йорке!» Услышав это, я ощутил такое удовлетворение глубоко в сердце. И – еще большее, когда он, улыбнувшись, добавил: «Главное, что в нем глубокое духовное послание».

Шрила Прабхупада, мои отношения с вами – одно из моих служений. Это очень ясное служение, ведь вы наставляли меня:

«Смело проповедуй и верь в святые имена».

Слова эти впечатаны в самые глубины моего сердца, они сама моя жизнь и душа. Я живу только для того, чтобы служить этим наставлениям. Случись мне вновь родиться, мне бы хотелось выслушать их от вас еще раз – поскольку они непременно направят меня домой, к вашим лотосным стопам в вечных духовных пределах.

На этом духовном пути я молюсь о вашей защите, но не для себя, а чтобы я мог беспрепятственно продолжать здесь вашу работу. Пожалуйста, защитите меня от любых материальных желаний в сердце; защитите от тех, кто выступает против вашего учения; защитите меня от бед, которые подстерегают падших душ в их земном бытии; и защитите от мыслей, что мои достижения – это мои заслуги. Пусть я всегда помню, что ваша милость – вот все, что я из себя представляю!

Я скучаю по вас, Шрила Прабхупада. Я знал вас лично лишь в младенчестве моей духовной жизни. Я мечтаю о том дне, когда я стоял бы перед вами очищенным, зрелым в преданном служении, и вы могли бы наставлять меня в возможностях служить вам в духовном мире – той обители, где вы в превеликом счастье служите вашему возлюбленному Господу.

Я часто вспоминаю, что в своей книге «Слуга слуги» написал Тамал Кришна Госвами:

«Я помню, в Бомбее Прабхупада пообещал мне: «Если кто-то пожертвует своим чувственным удовольствием, посвятив жизнь распространению сознания Кришны, Сам Господь Чайтанья придет в момент его смерти, скроет любые его недостатки и заберет обратно к Богу».

Шрила Прабхупада, молю, чтобы вы увидели все жертвы, на которые я пошел, распространяя это удивительное движение по всему миру. Если вы пожелаете, я готов на все это снова!

мама джанмани джанманишваре / бхаватад бхактир ахаитуки твайи

«Все, чего Я хочу, – это беспримесное преданное служение Тебе жизнь за жизнью»

[ Шикшаштакам, стих 3]

Навечно ваш слуга,
Индрадьюмна Свами

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Waiting patiently by your side… /Терпеливо ожидая поблизости …

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«Нужно принять прибежище духовного учителя.

Как пылающий лесной пожар ждет туч в небесах,

надо ожидать милостивой тучи духовного учителя».

[Лекция Шрилы Прабхупады в Лос-Анджелесе 2 января 1969 г.]

 

 

Waiting patiently by your side ….

“One has to take shelter of spiritual master. Just like the blazing fire in the forest has to wait for the clouds in the sky, similarly, one has to wait for the merciful cloud of the spiritual master.”

[ Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Los Angeles. January 2, 1969 ]

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