A True Servant鈥擜 True Master
by Swami Bhaktivedanta Madhava Maharaja | 2021 | 174,865 words
This page relates 鈥榠nterconnected mercy of Bhagavan and His Devotees,...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 31 - The interconnected mercy of 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍 and His Devotees,...
The interconnected mercy of 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍 and His devotees 鈥� Insights on 测耻办迟补-惫补颈谤腻驳测补 鈥� The purpose of the 尘补峁环补 and mandira
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 狈墨濒腻肠补濒补 骋补耻岣嵞珁补 惭补峁环补 Gourbatsahi, Swargadwar (笔耻谤墨) 21/11/1975
厂苍别丑腻蝉辫补诲腻蝉耻鈥�
M膩 Um膩! If you do not have patience, enthusiasm, hope, and eagerness, you will not reap proper results from anything. But the root of everything is to always nurture a special taste in 办墨谤迟补苍补 of 艣谤墨 苍腻尘补.
啶溹-啶班啶 啶侧啶侧 啶ㄠぞ啶� 啶啶班啶� 啶夃お啶溹く
Je-r奴pe laile 苍腻尘补 prema upajaya[1]
鈥淐hant in such a way that gives rise to divine love.鈥�
We have to adopt that means and move forward, towards the ultimate attainment.
艢谤墨 苍腻尘补 and 苍腻尘墨 and 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍 and His bhaktas are transcendental truths. If 艣谤墨 苍腻尘补 is merciful, then 苍腻尘墨 艢谤墨 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍鈥檚 compassion is easily achievable; and if one receives the mercy of the devotees, the capacity develops to attain 艢谤墨 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍鈥檚 causeless mercy. The love, compassion, empathy, and mercy of the bhaktas and 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍 are truly not of this Earth and are beyond comparison. The attributes and glories of the bhaktas and 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍 are also immortal and eternal. With senses composed of matter, it is impossible to describe the glories and pastimes of the bhaktas, who are ananta-尘补丑颈尘腻 (infinitely glorious), and of 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍, who is ananta-濒墨濒腻 (the performer of infinite pastimes).
At present, I am healthy. The mind, which identifies with the gross body, sometimes conceives of itself as healthy and sometimes as unhealthy. The soul鈥檚 health, however, is an eternal fact.
As long as the 箩墨惫补 imposes the idea of 鈥淚鈥� and 鈥渕ine鈥� on the gross body, he suffers pain, sorrow, and difficulty.
啶︵啶灌 啶嗋い啷嵿ぎ-啶啶︵啶оた 啶灌く 啶掂た啶掂ぐ啷嵿い啷囙ぐ 啶膏啶ムぞ啶�
Dehe 膩tma-buddhi haya vivartera 蝉迟丑腻苍补[2]
鈥淏elief that the body is the self is where vivarta (delusion) takes place.鈥�
The predominance of the mental functions is observed where vision of
156 艢谤墨 Caitanya-carit膩m峁泃a (Antya-濒墨濒腻20.20)
157 艢谤墨 Caitanya-carit膩m峁泃a (膧di-濒墨濒腻7.123)
the real truth (tattva-诲补谤艣补苍补) is lacking.
啶忇 啶ぞ啶侧, 啶忇 啶え啷嵿う,鈥斷啶� 啶膏が 啶啶班ぎ
Ei bh膩lo, ei manda,鈥攅i saba bhrama[3]
鈥淭his is good, this is bad鈥揳ll of this is delusion.鈥�
Judging what is auspicious or inauspicious or what is good or bad on the material platform is inherently flawed.
If the 蝉腻诲丑补办补蝉 and 蝉腻诲丑颈办腻蝉 gain a respite from that, they have a chance at well-being.
啶ぅ啶距く啷嬥啷嵿く 啶啶�
Yath膩yogya bhoga, n膩hi tath膩 roga[4]
鈥淎ppropriate subsistence does not yield disease.鈥�
If I idealize this view and in the name of taking care of my body end up becoming a 诲别丑腻-驳别丑腻谤腻尘墨 (someone who indulges in the pleasures of body and home), then where is the path of bhajana-蝉腻诲丑补苍补 or of real auspiciousness?
Many strike up a chorus 辞蹿鈥�
啶多ぐ啷�啶班ぎ啷�-啶嗋う啷嵿く啶� 啶栢げ啷� 啶оぐ啷嵿ぎ-啶膏ぞ啶оえ啶
艣ar墨ram-膩dya峁� khalu dharma-蝉腻诲丑补苍补m
鈥淭he successful performance of dharma starts with the body鈥�
And end up imitating or following the atheist 颁腻谤惫腻办补.
啶嗋ぇ啶苦啷嵿く啷� 啶ㄠ啶啶ㄠい啶距く啶距 啶� 啶氞啶さ啶む 啶ぐ啶ぞ啶班啶ムい啶�
膧dhikye ny奴nat膩y膩峁� ca cyavate param膩rthata岣�[5]
鈥淸The devotee] does not accept too much, nor too little, as neither would serve his ultimate welfare.鈥�
This is the measure of 测耻办迟腻丑腻谤补-惫颈丑腻谤补 (balanced consumption and recreation). Whatever little we need to accept or consume to maintain the health of this body, which is suited to performing bhajana of 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍, is referred to in scripture by the words 测补迟丑腻测辞驳测补 (suitable) or yukta (appropriate). This usage establishes a proper understanding of attachment and detachment; it also makes the difference between pure bhakti and gross sensualism very clear. 鈥�
A 辫补谤补尘腻谤迟丑颈办补-蝉补峁単丑腻谤腻尘补 (centre for spirituality) is called a 尘补峁环补. It can also be referred to as a hospital dedicated to treating the disease of material existence. It is a place of learning and was founded for spiritual teachers and students of both genders. The ultimate sovereign 艢谤墨 碍峁涐梗峁嘺肠补苍诲谤补, who is 濒墨濒腻-puru峁ttama (the Supreme Person and conductor of divine pastimes), is the supreme object of worship, and bhakti is the only medium to attain Him. The soul is capable of attaining that transcendental object of service by prema or 辫谤墨迟颈, through the means of 蝉腻诲丑补苍补. These are the teachings the 艣谤墨 尘补峁环补-mandira imparts, as it is a bhakti-辫墨峁环补-蝉迟丑腻苍补 (devotional establishment). Besides the association of bhaktas, there is no other way to attain bhakti. By the mercy of devotees, the seed of the vine of devotion, 艣谤补诲诲丑腻, is attained. In the beginning, middle, and end of 蝉腻诲丑补苍补, good association is an absolute imperative, because bhakta, bhakti, and 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍 are eternal and synonymous. The bhakta is absorbed in the service of his adored deity, and 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍, satisfied with that service, always resides in his heart. As the bhakta is without lust, 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍 never leaves the throne of his heart.
Bhakti is such that it makes even 叠丑补驳补惫腻苍 subservient to the bhakta. Therefore, 艢谤墨 艢耻办补诲别惫补 骋辞蝉惫腻尘墨 said to 笔补谤墨办峁迟 惭补丑腻谤腻箩补:
啶啶掂ぞ啶ㄠ-啶啷嵿い-啶啷嵿い啶苦ぎ啶距え啷�
产丑补驳补惫腻苍-产丑补办迟补-产丑补办迟颈尘腻苍[6]
鈥淭he Lord Himself has devotion for His devotees.鈥�
If you study 艢谤墨mad-叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补尘 you will be able to realize all of these things. Iti鈥�
Your eternal well-wisher,
艢谤墨 Bhaktived膩nta 痴腻尘补苍补
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
艢谤墨 Caitanya-carit膩m峁泃a (Antya-濒墨濒腻20.20)
[2]:
艢谤墨 Caitanya-carit膩m峁泃a (膧di-濒墨濒腻7.123)
[3]:
艢谤墨 Caitanya-carit膩m峁泃a (Antya-濒墨濒腻4.176)
[6]:
艢谤墨mad-叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补尘 (10.86.59)