Remembering My Most Glorious Spiritual Master

9 November 2010--Today is the disappearance day of my most beloved spiritual maser, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Were it not for him I would be drowning right now in an ocean of perpetual sorrow and illusion. So how is it possible I could ever sufficiently express my gratitude to him for the completely undeserved constant flow of unlimited mercy that he has been bestowing upon me?

This is a day of sadness because no longer in this world can I sit at his lotus feet as I formerly did and hear another one of his amazing lectures. No longer can I raise my hand to ask a question and hear his sublime transcendental answer. Nor can I again write him a letter and receive back his written response personally signed by him. Although it is a painful melancholy, it is a sweet melancholy, because the more I pine for his association with a wounded, aching heart, the more he becomes manifested within my heart to relieve me of the distress of his separation. In this day of Srila Prabhupada's disappearance is a day of the greatest happiness. As Bhaktivinode Thakur has written:

He reasons ill who tells that Vaisnavas die,
when thou art living still in sound.
The Vaisnavas die to live, and living try
to spread the holy name around.

So today is a day to become even more
connected with our most beloved Srila
Prabhupada.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Srila Prabhupada

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question: How to Feel Constantly Motivated?

Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada

I've been chanting 16 rounds a day, but sometimes I can't stop counting in reverse (15 more rounds to go... now 8 more to go... now the last one!.) Why does chanting appear to be like a task / assignment sometimes?

2. Also, Srila Prabhupada writes in his books about knowing Krishna within and without. What does this mean? How can know/realize Krishna within and without?

3. Sometimes I just lack motivation in general. E.g. I always keep on thinking of sending you this email but it has been delayed for more than 2 months now. How can I constantly feel motivated 24X7?

Vishal

Answer: Accept Shelter, Initiation, and Instructions

Chanting becomes like a chore when we do not call out to the Lord begging for His mercy. If we call out to the Lord like a child crying for its mother, we can deep sea dive in the ambrosial ocean of the Lord's holy names 24 hours a day without ever getting tired.

In order to attain actual relief from the pangs of material existence we must learn how to experience the Supreme Personality of Godhead both within and without, i.e. both internally and externally. Krishna is seated within our hearts as the Supersoul as confirmed in Bhagavad-gita 15.15. In this form He is known as caitya-guru, the guru within our hearts. That same caitya-guru appears externally in the form of the spiritual master. Therefore we faithfully serve the spiritual master with love and devotion seeing him as the external manifestation of the Lord within. By faithfully abiding by the instructions of the guru without, we will fully realize the guru within also.

If you want to be constantly motivated you must take shelter of the bona fide spiritual master, get initiated by him, and fully absorb yourself in carrying out his orders. The greatest happiness of the disciple is to fully absorb himself 24 hours daily in pleasing his spiritual master by faithfully following his instructions.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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