Dearest Srila Prabhupada, my eternal spiritual teacher.
The jivas (all of us and myself included) wandered around the material world without reason or aim.
na hi prapaśyāmi mamapanudyād
yac chokam ucchoṣaṇam indriyāṇām
and an inexplicable deep sense of panic like a burning fire was present in our hearts.
avāpya bhūmāv asapatnam ṛddhaṁ
rājyaṁ surāṇām api cādhipatyam
Nothing satisfied us. Everything was very insignificant and lasted too little. (Bhagavad-gita 2.8)
One day, hidden in our hearts, someone suggested the solution to the dilemma.
tad viddhi pranipatena.
It was too simple and sometimes we think that the most important things must be complicated. Instead, we had to find someone who knew the answers.
pariprasna
Ask questions
seva
Serve him because devotion is not like mathematics where it is enough to know theorems. To learn devotion, devotion is necessary, that is, serving the Guru.
And then
Upadesa
The initiation to receive the blessing of all the Acaryas and thus be accepted into the Sampradaya. (Bhagavad-gita 4.34)
So one day, bright as a sky filled with all the suns of creation, you brought us out of the dark pit of ignorance.
om ajñāna-timirāndhasya
jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena
From the edge of this dirty pit you held in your hand the bright torch of humanity’s deepest and oldest wisdom. So wonderful!
We have come out of the well and have offered you homage and service all our lives.
tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
Our most sincere thanks of gratitude to you.
You have all the necessary qualities for a Sad-Guru, an authentic spiritual teacher.
Surrendered at the lotus feet of Krishna (Vishnupada Krishnaprestha), perfect disciple of an equally authentic Guru (sarasvati deva) and you have deeply understood what is the duty of a disciple who claims to be authentic like you, to be a gaura-vani-pracara, which preaches Krishna consciousness.
Although in the West the cultural level is generally so low that no one really knows what nirvishesha and shunyavada are, the seeds of impersonalism and total nothingness are visible in the words and actions of the people. Then you, our eternal spiritual master, came, taught us, we understood how poisonous nirvishesha-shunyavada is and now we continue the work you started.
Please bless us all with the power to do so.
We are confident that we can do it because:
mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ
Even a fool can become a great speaker.
paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
a lame man can cross mountains
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande
śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
By your mercy, Srila Prabhupada, nothing is impossible. (Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya 17.80)
Who are you then?
ācāryaḿ māḿ vijānīyāt
But we must know that the Guru represents Krishna and therefore is not different from Him.
navanmanyeta karhicit
never disrespect him
na martya-buddhyāsūyeta
thinking that he is a common man.
sarva-deva-maya
Because actually He represents all the Devas. Deva is also a name for Sri Krishna. So the Guru represents Sri Krishna Bhagavan. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11-17-27)
Your humble disciple
Manonatha Dasa (ACBSP)
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