CONTENTS:
- The sign of purity is surrender,
- Srila Prabhupada Appreciation; and
- Guru Maharaja’s instructions.
1. THE SIGN OF PURITY IS SURRENDER
Hare Krishna. Its always a wonderful experience to be with you all especially in the presence of HH Radhanatha Maharaja. Whenever I get the opportunity I try to visit Chowpatty temple on Sunday especially when Maharaja is there. This is my second visit to Pune Yatra, it was three years back that I had the good fortune to participate here. For the last 2 years I have not been able to come. This time also I was not going to come but somehow by Krishna’s mercy I have been able to join this glorious festivity today and I find it extremely enlivening. This is what our movement actually stands for, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, is the spiritual organization that is meant to attract sincere, intelligent people to the spiritual path and educate, qualify and train them to become devotees of Krishna. HH Radhanatha Maharaja is executing that responsibility most wonderfully. Maharaja if you walk away, I also can.
[laughter]
We are trying to approach the absolute truth and it is through truthfulness only that we can approach absolute truth. Truthfulness means to honestly express the way we perceive. When we do that we make our progress towards the absolute truth a spiritual reality. A Vaishnava must be absolutely honest. The antonym for honesty is actually hypocrisy. Prabhupada was very particular and emphatic about that point for us not op become hypocrites. When we stand on honesty, frankness and truthfulness it automatically creates a very enlivening environment. We know we are dealing with individuals who are going to call a spade a spade. When something deserves appreciation, admiration and glorification we should not hesitate to express that. When we have to address some discrepancies, deviations there also we should not be hesitant to address that. That is how a very pure atmosphere will be created and that is why I am actually taking this opportunity to express my appreciation for the achievements for a group of very dedicated and loyal followers of Srila Prabhupada under the guidance and leadership of HH Radhanatha Maharaja which I know will please Prabhupada very much. What Maharaja has achieved indeed is pleasing Srila Prabhupada very much and I feel that all of us should follow that example. If we sincerely try to follow then we will be helping Srila Prabhupada’s mission, we will be helping this Krishna Consciousness movement under the banner of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness to spread very effectively. Actually when something wonderful happens under the guidance of someone we have two options left to us, we can either become envious or we can become appreciative. If we become envious then naturally we become the losers. However, when we appreciate then we also consciously or unconsciously develop the qualities of that person. At the depth of heart we harbor a desire, we nurture a desire to do something like that and that is what is needed for the effective propagation of Krishna Conscious movement throughout the world. At least we are confident, we are 100% sure about one fact that this Krishna Consciousness movement is going to spread throughout this world in every town and village. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu made that prediction and since we are completely convinced that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead then we are also completely convinced about the fact that Mahaprabhu’s words are not going to go in vain.
When Mahaprabhu says that this Krishna Consciousness movement will spread in every town and village it is going to happen. At least we have all seen how this impossible prediction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has come true through the achievements of Srila Prabhupada. If not in every town and village it has spread at least throughout the world and that also happened within the short span of ten years’ time. If that happened as the most wonderful miracle than why should we have any doubt that it will also happen in every town and village, it will spread throughout the world in every town and village. Now Srila Prabhupada has done the major work to fulfil that prediction. The prediction to a great extent has been fulfilled through the achievements of Srila Prabhupada but some details are yet to be filled in every town and village and that is the responsibility that Srila Prabhupada has left for us to fulfil, his followers, his successors. It will happen only when we sincerely make an endeavor. What is that endeavor, that endeavor is effectively preach the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu under the guidance of Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada gave the blueprint, Srila Prabhupada gave the materials in the form of his books, Srila Prabhupada created the structure as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Srila Prabhupada has given the structure in the form as association of devotees and everything has been given by Srila Prabhupada. Now it is up to us to go out and give it to the world.
2. SRILA PRABHUPADA APPRECIATION
When Mahaprabhu says that this Krishna Consciousness movement will spread in every town and village it is going to happen. At least we have all seen how this impossible prediction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has come true through the achievements of Srila Prabhupada. If not in every town and village it has spread at least throughout the world and that also happened within the short span of ten years’ time.
3. GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
What Maharaja has achieved indeed is pleasing Srila Prabhupada very much and I feel that all of us should follow that example. If we sincerely try to follow then we will be helping Srila Prabhupada’s mission, we will be helping this Krishna Consciousness movement under the banner of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness to spread very effectively. Actually when something wonderful happens under the guidance of someone we have two options left to us, we can either become envious or we can become appreciative. If we become envious then naturally we become the losers. However, when we appreciate then we also consciously or unconsciously develop the qualities of that person. At the depth of heart we harbor a desire, we nurture a desire to do something like that and that is what is needed for the effective propagation of Krishna Conscious movement throughout the world. The prediction to a great extent has been fulfilled through the achievements of Srila Prabhupada but some details are yet to be filled in every town and village and that is the responsibility that Srila Prabhupada has left for us to fulfil, his followers, his successors. It will happen only when we sincerely make an endeavor. What is that endeavor, that endeavor is effectively preach the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu under the guidance of Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada gave the blueprint, Srila Prabhupada gave the materials in the form of his books, Srila Prabhupada created the structure as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Srila Prabhupada has given the structure in the form as association of devotees and everything has been given by Srila Prabhupada. Now it is up to us to go out and give it to the world.
(The content of this E-Magazine was based on a Lecture given by HH Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja on given at Pune in 2005.)
(Compiled and edited by Hemavati Radhika Dasi)