Do not leave any gaps for māyā.
Sri Sri Radha Damodar in Melbourne
Do Not Leave Any Gaps for Māyā
Thought for Day--4 January 2026
In 1971 when I prayed to God to guide me how to become His perfect servant, He heard my prayer and sent His Holiness Vishnujana Swami to teach me exactly how to do that. One of the most poignant, unforgettable, instructions I received from that great soul was, "Do not leave any gaps for māyā." The simple formula for doing this is to get on engaged in Lord Sri Krishna's service 24 hours a day. If we can engage ourselves 23 hours and 59 minutes, we have a one minute for māyā to enter. And if we give one inch she will take a mile. Therefore, we have to carefully close all the gaps. This will make our progress in Krishna consciousness very sublime, easy, and ecstatic.Hoping this meets you in good health and in a cheerful mood,
Your ever well-wisher.
Sankarshan Das
The First Kirtan I Heard from Vishnujana Swami
(This was in Austin's Pease Park)
Urgent! Please Help Us Make the World Krishna Conscious.
Donate Now by Clicking HereDear Srila Gurudev, dear Srimati Guru Mataji,
Please accept my respectful obeisances!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
All glories to You!
Here on the farm last month, by your mercy and the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, with the help of a group of devotees we were able to complete the foundation of the new temple in the eco-village area. One goshala of around 150 m is also almost completed for the soon-coming winter and for the accommodation of the cows. We were also working on the houses for the accommodation of the devotees. One family of devotees here was buying 3 cows, and one devotee from Plovdiv city came to live here with his 12 cows. Altogether here we have more than 70 cows, oxen, bulls, and calves. This year we have to put more effort into the accommodations for the cows and the devotees.
The devotees here have also started to be more responsible for the preaching programs on the farm and in Burgas city also. It looks like more people have an interest in Krishna consciousness.
I was very much missing you, especially when you were in Sri Vrindavan-Dham. I was feeling so unfortunate that I was not able to come to hear from you and to be able to render personal service. At least I was able to hear some of your classes and conversations. Next year, if Krishna allows, I will not miss Vrindavan for Kartik.
Last year, 2025, I was so fortunate to be so close to you in Austin, Texas. Now, not being able to be with you, I have to connect with you through your instructions.
In this connection I have a question. Srila Prabhupada explains that one of the purposes of our movement is for the devotees to begin to feel separation from Krishna. Is the feeling of separation from the spiritual master also helpful for us? We also know that by following the instructions of the spiritual master we can easily feel that he is always with us. How should this be combined with the feeling of separation from the spiritual master?
Your eternal servant
Nitai Candra das
My Dear Nitai Candra,
Please accept my blessings.
All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Your project is giving me great happiness. I am hoping to come back there sometime this year. Please continue developing it more and more, and Lord Sri Krishna will shower His mercy upon you like torrents of rain in India’s monsoon season.
It is a fact that the spiritual master is personally and fully present in his instructions. This is why the disciple takes the orders he has received from his spiritual master as his very life and soul.
At the same time, feeling separation from the spiritual master is very much conducive for awakening our dormant Krishna consciousness. This is why every year we have a special function on the disappearance day of our most beloved Srila Prabhupada. Feeling his separation strengthens our connection with him.
It may seem contradictory. But it is not contradictory that the spiritual master is fully present in his instructions and at the same time we feel his separation. This feeling of separation intensifies our connecting with him through the orders that we have received from him. In this connection there is a word, “oxymoron.” An oxymoron is a statement which is contradictory but nonetheless true.
An example of an oxymoron is the word “bittersweet.” It is bitter to be away from those who are near and dear to us. But in that separation, we taste the sweetness of intensified feelings of love for them.
So connecting with the spiritual master through his most powerful form, his instructions, and at the same time feeling separation from him is bittersweet.
I hope this meets you in the best of health and in a cheerful mood.
Your ever well-wisher,
Sankarshan Das
Please accept my respectful obeisances!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
All glories to You!
Here on the farm last month, by your mercy and the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, with the help of a group of devotees we were able to complete the foundation of the new temple in the eco-village area. One goshala of around 150 m is also almost completed for the soon-coming winter and for the accommodation of the cows. We were also working on the houses for the accommodation of the devotees. One family of devotees here was buying 3 cows, and one devotee from Plovdiv city came to live here with his 12 cows. Altogether here we have more than 70 cows, oxen, bulls, and calves. This year we have to put more effort into the accommodations for the cows and the devotees.
The devotees here have also started to be more responsible for the preaching programs on the farm and in Burgas city also. It looks like more people have an interest in Krishna consciousness.
I was very much missing you, especially when you were in Sri Vrindavan-Dham. I was feeling so unfortunate that I was not able to come to hear from you and to be able to render personal service. At least I was able to hear some of your classes and conversations. Next year, if Krishna allows, I will not miss Vrindavan for Kartik.
Last year, 2025, I was so fortunate to be so close to you in Austin, Texas. Now, not being able to be with you, I have to connect with you through your instructions.
In this connection I have a question. Srila Prabhupada explains that one of the purposes of our movement is for the devotees to begin to feel separation from Krishna. Is the feeling of separation from the spiritual master also helpful for us? We also know that by following the instructions of the spiritual master we can easily feel that he is always with us. How should this be combined with the feeling of separation from the spiritual master?
Your eternal servant
Nitai Candra das
Answer
From: Austin, Texas USAMy Dear Nitai Candra,
Please accept my blessings.
All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Your project is giving me great happiness. I am hoping to come back there sometime this year. Please continue developing it more and more, and Lord Sri Krishna will shower His mercy upon you like torrents of rain in India’s monsoon season.
It is a fact that the spiritual master is personally and fully present in his instructions. This is why the disciple takes the orders he has received from his spiritual master as his very life and soul.
At the same time, feeling separation from the spiritual master is very much conducive for awakening our dormant Krishna consciousness. This is why every year we have a special function on the disappearance day of our most beloved Srila Prabhupada. Feeling his separation strengthens our connection with him.
It may seem contradictory. But it is not contradictory that the spiritual master is fully present in his instructions and at the same time we feel his separation. This feeling of separation intensifies our connecting with him through the orders that we have received from him. In this connection there is a word, “oxymoron.” An oxymoron is a statement which is contradictory but nonetheless true.
An example of an oxymoron is the word “bittersweet.” It is bitter to be away from those who are near and dear to us. But in that separation, we taste the sweetness of intensified feelings of love for them.
So connecting with the spiritual master through his most powerful form, his instructions, and at the same time feeling separation from him is bittersweet.
I hope this meets you in the best of health and in a cheerful mood.
Your ever well-wisher,
Sankarshan Das
Around the World Travel Schedule
I am traveling alone in the beginning of 2026. Here is my confirmed schedule so far:7 January -- ISKCON Silicon Valley
12 January -- ISKCON Honolulu
21 January -- ISKCON Brisbane, Australia
28 January -- ISKCON Sydney
1 February -- ISKCON Adelaide
4 February -- ISKCON Melbourne
15 February -- ISKCON Mayapur
21 February and onwards to be announced
(Guru Mataji has not yet made her schedule)/12 January -- ISKCON Honolulu
21 January -- ISKCON Brisbane, Australia
28 January -- ISKCON Sydney
1 February -- ISKCON Adelaide
4 February -- ISKCON Melbourne
15 February -- ISKCON Mayapur
21 February and onwards to be announced
How I Came to Krishna Consciousness
In a world obsessed with money, fame, and fleeting pleasures—leading nowhere but to the grave or the crematorium—I walked away. Life felt so meaningless, I couldn’t stand it. This is the true story of how I turned my back on the American materialistic dream and discovered something far greater: Krishna consciousness. A gripping journey of inner revolution and a call to awaken a world civilization on the edge of collapse.Read My Memoir You'll Love It!
To get The Divine Love Memoir go to the Amazon store in your country:
or go the Amazon.com site in your country and search for The Divine Love Memoir
Comments
Post a Comment