Re: Vyasa Puja Dec 1 2008

Dear Vaisnavas,

         Nityananda Gauranga Hare Krishna! Jaya Guru Parampara! Please accept my respectful obeisances!

         I am only 19 years old now and a college student. So are many of my friends on the sanga. But since you have mentioned you are only 14, I see the practical proof that in bhakti age is no bar or qualification to serving the Lord and Vaisnavas. I have a lot to learn from youngsters like yourself as on the spiritual platform, devotion to the Lord and the Vaisnavas is the only qualification. Consider the case of Markandeya Rishi who offered obeisances to the then 12-year old Parasara Muni saying, "A person's real age is the number of years he has remembered Visnu." By that standard I am only an infant.

         Our gurudeva is also an outstanding example as he has been preaching Nitaai Gaura naam right from his college days onwards. In the eyes of the external world he is only 36 years old but on the platform of devotion ........... well what can I say except the fact that I am so fortunate to come into the association of such a great soul and his devoted disciples even though I am completely unworthy of all this mercy.

          This new year, let us all sincerely resolve to commit ourselves even more sincerely to the service of sri-gurdeva and the Lord and all the Vaisnavas. I believe that is the best thing we can give back to the spiritual master for all that he has done for us. We are so insignificant that we may never realise the full value and glories of the guru and how finding a genuine spiritual master is so rare in this degraded age of Kali, where 99.99% of all so-called gurus are merely cheaters of themselves and those who come to them. 

          We must all forgive ourselves and each other for our limitations and look beyond and see everyone as devotees of the Lord with their rightful place in the Lord's party.  This will help one and all to overcome the differences which they may have had and all offenses that may have been committed knowingly or unknowingly. The entire ocean of the eternal religion of the Vaisnavas is summed up in one line : "To serve with loving devotion" Therefore we must always continuously aim to serve better and better. Even if we make a million slips, we must never give up in the name of shame. The more one becomes the servant of the servant of the servants, the more and more the Lord becomes pleased.  Therefore another line : "Never give up! There is no top. The higher a devotee's progress, the more the scope for progressing higher still."

           Saying all this I admit that my progress this year has been almost nil, with all the input only from the side of the guru and his disciples, and I have not made any sincere attempt. Asking you to forgive me for that, this time I will definitely try to better my service card and I am happy that I have all of your association on this sanga despite everything and I pray that it will continue in the future also.

Daaso'smi,
Srinath

Comment on this Post