Open in App
Open in App

I am pleased to know that you are working hard in the service of Krishna and feeling settled in your engagement. Please take this movement very seriously."

As I gave Srila Prabhupada his noon massage in the back garden, Jagadisa prabhu came before him with the day's mail. There was a letter from Bhurijana prabhu and his wife Jagattarini. After receiving association and instructions from Srila Prabhupada earlier this year, they have become active again within mainstream ISKCON and are applying themselves sincerely to teaching in the gurukula in America. Prabhupada was happy to hear from them and acknowledged their gift of $100 in traveler's checks. He gave them encouragement to continue. "I am pleased to know that you are working hard in the service of Krishna and feeling settled in your engagement. Please take this movement very seriously." A devotee called R. Gururaj sent a letter from Montreal, simply asking for Srila Prabhupada's mercy and enclosing some dakshina. Gururaj offered his prayers and a plea. "Even as a piece of iron gets magnetized by contact with a real magnet, in the association of devotees I also feel I should take shelter at your lotus feet. But Srila Prabhupada, instead of becoming humble and sincere, I am caught up in a vicious circle of pride and passion and I do not know how to get out of it. By your mercy alone I can have the intelligence to give up all my nonsensical thoughts and deeds and take to the path of devotional service. I beg for your blessings to always remember your instructions and never forget Krishna." Prabhupada was happy to receive his offerings. Whether old devotee or new, anyone who writes to His Divine Grace gets his full attention and practical advice. He thanked Gururaj for his donation and advised him to continue to associate with the devotees. "If you are serious and willing to follow the four regulative principles and chant sixteen rounds daily," he wrote, "you are welcome to live in our Montreal temple. Make an end to this material existence once and for all. There is nothing but suffering in this material world and we are offering the chance for eternal, blissful life. Kindly take advantage of this opportunity." 

The temple president of St. Louis, Missouri, Makhanlal prabhu, sent a long, four-page missive, recommending four new devotees for initiation but mainly detailing two specific questions regarding the development of his Krishna consciousness. He explained that for the last two years he has been bathing and dressing the Deities of Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai. In particular, he has been trying to focus on Lord Nityananda. He cited several references from Srila Prabhupada's books about the importance of Nityananda Prabhu and explained, "Because I always need more spiritual strength and the higher taste, param drstva nivartate, love of God; in pursuance of your instructions and other statements by the Vaisnava Acaryas, I have been trying to attain the mercy of Lord Nityananda and attachment to His lotus feet by your causeless grace." He indicated, however, that this was drawing criticism from some of his God-brothers. Although he feels that it is Srila Prabhupada's desire that he, and all Prabhupada's disciples, 'develop love for Lord Nityananda and eventually Lord Caitanya,' he now submitted the matter to Srila Prabhupada for confirmation or correction. "Since you stated in Srimad Bhagavatam (3.25.44 purport) that 'One should fix his mind on Krishna or any incarnation,' I want to know whether my attempt to attain pure devotional service and love of God, by following your instruction to fix my mind at the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda, is a bona fide and/or necessary process for advancement in devotional service . . . On the strength of the statement by Narottama dasa Thakur that if one is actually serious about going Back to Home, Back to Godhead, one should take shelter of Lord Nityananda, we are trying to always take shelter at His lotus feet by your grace. Since this love for Lord Nityananda frees one from all material desires, is it necessary that every disciple eventually develop a desire to love Him in order to become a pure unalloyed devotee in this life?" Makhanlal's other question was whether, in the course of doing devotional service, he should try to fix his mind specifically on Krishna's pastimes and form, or his temple Deities Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai, or whether, since devotional service to the Lord is non-different from Him, it was enough to simply be absorbed in the service itself. Again he cited several quotes from Srila Prabhupada's books that the mind should be fixed on Krishna and asked, "Is it sufficient for your disciples to meditate only on their prescribed duties, or, when you say man-mana bhava mad bhakto . . . are you actually requesting us to constantly think about the lotus feet of the Lord and simultaneously render our service?" He brought his letter to a close with a humble prayer. "I am asking these questions for my self-purification in order to expand my devotional service by your grace. However, I'm begging that you please don't let these questions upset your translating work which is the heart and soul of your disciples. I just want to understand these points in your books so that I can properly represent you in this position you have given me as temple president." Srila Prabhupada was pleased to hear from one of his early disciples and praised Makhanlal for his sincerity before answering his questions. "My blessings are always with you as you have requested. You are a very good devotee and servant of Krishna. So far your questions are concerned. Nityananda is the principle of the Guru. So, the Gurudev is the incarnation of Nityananda. Anyone strictly following the instruction of the Guru is following Nityananda. The price one has to pay if he wants to become Krishna conscious is that he must dedicate himself to following the order of the spiritual master, mahat seva. If the Spiritual Master is pleased with disciple then the blessings of Guru will be there. That is the best way to become Krishna conscious, and Krishna is non different from Nityananda. You may pray to Lord Nityananda to help you become dedicated in the service of your Guru. Krishna consciousness cannot be achieved artificially. You should approach Nityananda Prabhu through your Spiritual Master."


Reference: Transcendental Diary Volume 5 by Hari Sauri Dasa