Srila Prabhupada's Disappearance Day
I was blessed with the unlimited good fortune of being there with Srila Prabhupada in Atlanta, Georgia USA on 2 March 1975 when he enlightened us with the following words regarding the eternal nature of the spiritual master:
So now, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu and in the presence of my Guru Mahārāja, you are so nice boys and girls. So in front of Caitanya Mahāprabhu you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and you are taking part in it very seriously. So my Guru Mahārāja will be very, very much pleased upon you and bless you with all benefits.
So he wanted this, and he is not... It is not that he is dead and gone. That is not spiritual understanding. Even ordinary living being, he does not die. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. And what to speak of such exalted, authorized personality like Bhaktisiddhānta. He is seeing. I never feel that I am alone. Of course, when I came to your country without any friend, without any means... Practically, just like a vagabond I came. But I had full faith that "My Guru Mahārāja is with me." I never lost this faith, and that is fact. There are two words, vāṇī and vapuḥ. Vānī means words, and vapuḥ means this physical body. So vāṇī is more important than the vapuḥ. Vapuḥ will be finished. This is material body. It will be finished. That is the nature. But if we keep to the vāṇī, to the words of spiritual master, then we remain very fixed up. It doesn't matter. Just like Bhagavad-gītā. It was spoken five thousand years ago. But if you keep to the words of Kṛṣṇa, then it is always fresh and guiding. Not that because Arjuna personally listened to Kṛṣṇa about the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, therefore he knew it. That is not the fact. If you accept Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then you should know that Kṛṣṇa is present before you in His words in the Bhagavad-gītā. This is called spiritual realization.
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So we can understand from these wonderful words of Srila Prabhupada that even though he physically departed from this world on 14 November 1977 he is still every much with us in the form of his teachings. If we hold tightly onto his teachings accepting them as our very life and soul, we will always be blessed with the powerfully uplifting and enlightening association of this most spiritually exalted personality, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, for all of eternity.
Your aspiring servant,
Rishabh Gupta
My Dear Rishabh,
Please accept my blessings.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Because Krishna wants His devotees to become glorious He empowers them to preach all over the world on His behalf.
Even if Krishna were to personally come and explain the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita to each and every person in the human society, still very few would accept Him. Just like when Krishna came 5,000 years ago there were people who did not accept Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
In this regard Srila Prabhupada explains as follows:
"Formerly there were kings like Jarasandha who strictly followed the Vedic rituals, acted as charitable, competent ksatriyas, possessed all ksatriya qualities and were even obedient to the brahminical culture but who did not accept Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
Hoping this meets you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
So now, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa and Caitanya Mahāprabhu and in the presence of my Guru Mahārāja, you are so nice boys and girls. So in front of Caitanya Mahāprabhu you are chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and you are taking part in it very seriously. So my Guru Mahārāja will be very, very much pleased upon you and bless you with all benefits.
So he wanted this, and he is not... It is not that he is dead and gone. That is not spiritual understanding. Even ordinary living being, he does not die. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. And what to speak of such exalted, authorized personality like Bhaktisiddhānta. He is seeing. I never feel that I am alone. Of course, when I came to your country without any friend, without any means... Practically, just like a vagabond I came. But I had full faith that "My Guru Mahārāja is with me." I never lost this faith, and that is fact. There are two words, vāṇī and vapuḥ. Vānī means words, and vapuḥ means this physical body. So vāṇī is more important than the vapuḥ. Vapuḥ will be finished. This is material body. It will be finished. That is the nature. But if we keep to the vāṇī, to the words of spiritual master, then we remain very fixed up. It doesn't matter. Just like Bhagavad-gītā. It was spoken five thousand years ago. But if you keep to the words of Kṛṣṇa, then it is always fresh and guiding. Not that because Arjuna personally listened to Kṛṣṇa about the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, therefore he knew it. That is not the fact. If you accept Bhagavad-gītā as it is, then you should know that Kṛṣṇa is present before you in His words in the Bhagavad-gītā. This is called spiritual realization.
========end of quoted material=============
So we can understand from these wonderful words of Srila Prabhupada that even though he physically departed from this world on 14 November 1977 he is still every much with us in the form of his teachings. If we hold tightly onto his teachings accepting them as our very life and soul, we will always be blessed with the powerfully uplifting and enlightening association of this most spiritually exalted personality, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, for all of eternity.
Where Srila Prabhupada Spoke the Above Words
Krishna Preaches Through His Devotees
Answers According to the Vedic Wisdom
Question: Why Krishna Does Not Come Now to Preach?
As I see that we have to do so much effort to make devotees or preach Krishna consciousness. So why Krishna Himself does not come and explain to them and personally show them all the surprising things which are told in the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad Bhagwatam so that each living entity will not suffer and Krishna will get them in His own abode.Your aspiring servant,
Rishabh Gupta
Answer: He Acts Through His Devotees
From: ISKCON Vrindavan, IndiaMy Dear Rishabh,
Please accept my blessings.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Because Krishna wants His devotees to become glorious He empowers them to preach all over the world on His behalf.
Even if Krishna were to personally come and explain the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita to each and every person in the human society, still very few would accept Him. Just like when Krishna came 5,000 years ago there were people who did not accept Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
In this regard Srila Prabhupada explains as follows:
"Formerly there were kings like Jarasandha who strictly followed the Vedic rituals, acted as charitable, competent ksatriyas, possessed all ksatriya qualities and were even obedient to the brahminical culture but who did not accept Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
Hoping this meets you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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