Venue: Vrindavan
Dated: 2008
Occasion: Srila Prabhupad’s Disappearance day
As we are gathered here at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada remembering him, I am reminded of a verse from the Bhagavatam.
“yesam samsmaranat pumsam sadyah suddhyanti vai grhah
kim punar darsana-sparsa-pada saucasanadibhih” (S.B 1.19.33)
Thus, the remembrance is sufficient for suddhyanti, for purification, remembrance of Srila Prabhupada. ‘kim punar darsana’, then what to speak, some of us had also opportunity for darshan of Srila Prabhupada. ‘sparsa’ the touch, the lotus feet also we touched and massaged his feet. ‘pada saucasanadibhih’ we did worshiping and washing his lotus feet. ‘asana adi bhi’, we offered him asann and etcetera, so many other services we were able to render while he was amongst us. But now all that we are left behind is basically one item from this list and that is darshan. And I was saying darshan that is available now to us is only sada darshan, the philosophy. So Prabhupada gave us his instructions and we could be sheltered by that darshan.
Today we have assembled to celebrate the disappearance day. But on the occasion like this, especially on disappearance day, I feel Prabhupada is appearing more, Haribol!!
As we hear about him, as we are reminded about him, especially I got to see Prabhupada disciples gathering in big number on this occasion. And my thought also, we cannot imagine Prabhupada’s disappearance. Prabhupada cannot disappear from this world, from ISKCON, from our life. That could be the end of lot of things if Prabhupada disappeared. We cannot allow that.
Hence, darshan of Srila Prabhupada in the form of his instruction, were specific instructions also given to us. And general instructions and his purports, his books full of darshan which is available now, accessible to not only to his disciples, but grand disciples and generations to come. This morning I was strongly feeling gratitude, I feel occasionally, should feel this all the time. But today I was thinking Prabhupada gave me Krsna. Prabhupada gave me life. I was dead. Life without Krishna is simply a death.
We become lively; life comes as we are made lively by the spiritual master, by his instructions and his guidance. We are all indebted to Srila prabhupada for what he has done. He has given Krsna. Is there anything more anyone else could give? No. So once his disciples were asking, “Is there anything we could do to become free from the debt that we owe to you Srila Prabhupada?” He said, “Nothing could be done.” But after a little pause he said, “Yes, you do as I did.” And that refers to, ‘You preach as I preached.’
It’s nice we are gathered and we are making offerings. But then the best offering would be offering ourselves wholly and solely to propagate the mission of Srila Prabhupada which is Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission. Giving Krsna to more and more and more people and this will be most pleasing to Srila Prabhupada. And as we do that, Srila Prabhupada who is very far from us, he will be very next to us as we follow that instruction.
So on this day, we are being reminded, it’s a day of separation but how we could stay closer is by following him, dedicate our lives to propagate this Krsna consciousness movement for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada ki jay!!!!
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