Transcending Sickness to Taste the Bliss of Bhakti

After being healthy on the road for two months sickness has finally caught up with me. Sickness, although not very welcome, is a wonderful opportunity to focus one's consciousness on the transcendental plane beyond the miseries of birth, death, old age, and disease. It is also a great opportunity to burn off more of the reactions of one's past sinful deeds so that one becomes more qualified for the wonderful process of Krishna consciousness. Sickness and health are like the changes of the seasons. Krishna advises us that we have to tolerate these changes and always remain absorbed in thoughts of Him. As soon as we do that we can immediately experience he bliss of transcendental consciousness far, far beyond all the suffering conditions of this material world.

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version

Question: Can Prabhupada Initiate Me?

Srila Gurudeva,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Prabhupada.

Can one still consider Srila Prabhupada as their diksha guru even though physically he is not present.

Your humble servant,

Aloke

Answer: Become the Disciple of His Disciple

One should take Srila Prabhupada as their siksha (instructing) guru by always reading his books and strictly abiding by his instructions.

Diksha or initiation is when the guru personally agrees to accept you as his initiated disciple. Just prior to his 14 November 1977 departure from this world, on 18 October 1977 Srila Prabhupada stated that he would no longer be accepting any disciples. Therefore it is not possible for you to now become his initiated disciple. In May of 1977 he instructed that after his physical departure from this world that the new ISKCON devotees should become the disciples of his disciples. Therefore if you truly accept Srila Prabhupada as your guru, which I strongly recommend that you do, you should select one of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples who are strictly following his instructions and become the initiated disciple of that Prabhupada disciple. This is how you can be a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, by becoming the disciple of his disciple.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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