A True Servant鈥擜 True Master
by Swami Bhaktivedanta Madhava Maharaja | 2021 | 174,865 words
This page relates 鈥楧iscussing Guru and Vaishnavas鈥� teachings,...鈥� of book鈥�"A True Servant, A True Master" which offers a collection of 128 handwritten letters by Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Vamana Gosvami Maharaja鈥攁 revered figure in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. This book showcases the profound spiritual insights and practical guidance on executing devotional service and addresses both Sadhakas (male practitioners) and Sadhikas (female practitioners) with equal respect.
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Letter 95 - Discussing Guru and 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补蝉鈥� teachings,...
The surrendered devotee accepts whatever situation 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍 puts him in 鈥� Discussing guru and 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补蝉鈥� teachings is the only way to maintain a connection with them 鈥� 艢谤墨 guru-p膩dapadma鈥�s exclusively surrendered followers always carry the memory of him in their hearts 鈥� Meditation on guru and 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍鈥檚 qualities aids us in truly seeing them 鈥� It will not do to chant half a lakh 鈥� Special qualification in serving 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍 comes from chanting one lakh
啶多啶班 啶多啶班 啶椸啶班-啶椸啶班ぞ啶權啶椸 啶溹く啶む
艣谤墨 艣谤墨 guru-gaur膩峁単au jayata岣�
艢谤墨 艢测腻尘补蝉耻苍诲补谤补 骋补耻岣嵞珁补 惭补峁环补 Milanpalli, Siliguri Darjeeling 24/9/1988
厂苍别丑腻蝉辫补诲别峁鈥�
Dear鈥斺��! I can understand that when you do not receive my letters, many kinds of worries arise in you. Nowadays there is simply no time to write letters. On top of that, physical illness has created more obstacles. In this world, cold, heat, and rain come. It is all 腻驳补尘腻辫腻测墨 (that which comes and goes repeatedly), so we definitely have to tolerate these things. We will have to accept whatever situation 艢谤墨 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍 is happy to put us in. This is the special attitude of the surrendered devotee.
鈥淚 fell ill.鈥� I do not understand who is showing you dreams of this sort. Can he not give you news of my recovery and console you? If he gave you some reassurances that took away your worries, then I too could be a little relieved. If I give my unhappiness to you, who will serve and worship 艣谤墨 vigraha and perform your 蝉腻诲丑补苍补-产丑补箩补苍补? Be healthy and perform hari-bhajana 鈥搕his is what I want.
When 艣谤墨 guru and 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补蝉 disappear, we convey our faith (艣谤补诲诲丑腻) in them only by cultivating and discussing their teachings and instructions. This is the only way it is possible to maintain a connection with them. In this world, they are our real friends and family, our own people. Know their transcendental love and affection to be the provisions conditioned souls and 蝉腻诲丑补办补蝉 and 蝉腻诲丑颈办腻蝉 require on the path of bhajana. The relationship with them is also eternal. Whatever little time one can have in their proximity is a matter of auspiciousness. One who thirsts for hari-bhajana has no earthly hopes or aspirations. In a life of service, service is the one constant and provides inner peace.
What you wrote is very true: 鈥�碍峁涐梗峁嘺-产丑补办迟颈 is very rare. Guru and 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补蝉 are storehouses of 办峁涐梗峁嘺-bhakti; they are the ocean of mercy. If guru and 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补蝉 want, they can grant that extremely rare 办峁涐梗峁嘺-bhakti to even fools and wretches.鈥� In this case, the qualification of the giver and receiver has been considered. If guru and 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补蝉 are pleased with someone, 艢谤墨 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍 is also pleased with them. This is written in scripture. The natural state of 艣谤墨 guru-p膩dapadma鈥檚 exclusively surrendered followers is to always carry the memory of 艣谤墨 guru-p膩dapadma in their hearts.
It is proper for us to execute 艣谤补惫补峁嘺, 办墨谤迟补苍补, and 蝉尘补谤补峁嘺 by all means. Just remembering the divine qualities of 艣谤墨 guru and 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍 is, in the stead of direct 诲补谤艣补苍补, a meditation on Their forms. In the absence of direct 诲补谤艣补苍补, such meditation aids us in truly seeing Them. Like the 驳辞辫墨蝉 of Vraja, by remembering 艢谤墨 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍鈥檚 transcendental name, form, qualities, and pastimes, you can obtain His direct audience. He is the in-dwelling 笔补谤补尘腻迟尘腻 of all souls. He is the supreme abode of prema鈥�补办丑颈濒补-谤补蝉腻尘峁泃补-尘奴谤迟颈, the embodiment of all nectareous rasa. 厂腻诲丑补办补蝉 and 蝉腻诲丑颈办腻蝉 worship that transcendental crest jewel of connoisseurs, 艢谤墨 骋辞辫墨苍腻迟丑补, by their 诲腻蝉测补-, sakhya-, 惫腻迟蝉补濒测补-, or madhura-prema, as befitting their nature, and thus become blessed.
That transcendental ever-fresh Cupid constantly attracts all conscious living beings by His gentle smile and flute. 艢谤墨 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍鈥檚 transcendental compassion for the infinite universes manifests as His 濒墨濒腻-尘腻诲丑耻谤测补 (pastime sweetness), 惫别峁嘘-尘腻诲丑耻谤测补 (flute sweetness), 谤奴辫补-尘腻诲丑耻谤测补 (form sweetness), and 辫谤别尘补-尘腻诲丑耻谤测补 (love sweetness), by which the living entities become exceedingly blessed and fulfilled. By the mercy of that 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍, who is affectionate like a parent to the devotees, the impossible becomes possible鈥揳nd this is His unsurpassable compassion, or causeless mercy. Only one-pointed devotion is capable of attaining that one true object (惫腻蝉迟补惫补-vastu). Full surrender, or offering of the soul, is the sole nexus (测辞驳补蝉奴迟谤补) of attaining that Absolute Truth (para-tattva). If you all perform 蝉腻诲丑补苍补-bhajana in said manner, perfection is inevitable.
It will not do to chant 艣谤墨 苍腻尘补 50,000 times. If you make a firm vow of chanting one lakh (100,000) every day, special qualification in serving 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍 comes. Therefore, even if it is a struggle, you have to make time for this. Every day it is necessary to perform 辫奴箩腻 and arcana of 艣谤墨 vigraha and make a practice of discussing various sacred texts.
Earthquakes, lightning strikes, floods, too much rain, too little rain鈥搕hese are all part of adhidaivika-迟腻辫补 (suffering inflicted by the demigods).
Persons who wish to perform hari-bhajana will perform 蝉腻诲丑补苍补-产丑补箩补苍补 while living in the midst of all this.
啶掂た啶多啶� 啶溹う啶� 啶氞げ啷� 啶溹ぞ啶�, 啶曕ぞ虄啶︵た啶む 啶曕ぞ虄啶︵た啶む,
啶忇啶� 啶嗋ぎ啶� 啶ぁ啷� 啶班が啷� 啶曕ぐ啷嵿い啶掂啶� 啶膏ぞ啶оた啶むVi艣va jadi cale j膩ya, k膩虄dite k膩虄dite,
ek膩 膩mi pa岣峞 rabo kartavya s膩dhite[1]鈥淚f the world goes away, I, crying and weeping, will remain alone to fulfil my duties.鈥�
This is their attitude. Do hari-bhajana without any other concerns. Know you have my affectionate blessings. Iti鈥�
Your eternal well-wisher,
艢谤墨 Bhaktived膩nta 痴腻尘补苍补