My Message is One with His

Sometimes it sounds to some that I am speaking certain things that Śrīla Swāmī Mahārāja has never said. When a seed is planted, it will naturally grow into a tree with branches. Are these branches not included in the original seed? Are they coming from somewhere else? Because it is a tree, all its parts will naturally manifest; they are all hidden within the seed. Śrīla Swāmī Mahārāja has written everything in his books. I am not saying anything new. Everything that I speak is coming directly and exclusively from the authentic literatures of our ācāryas. I also try to give examples from Śrīla Swāmī Mahārāja’s own purports, in his own words.

So his tree will certainly grow. New leaves will come and that same tree will give more and more shade. As we water that tree, so many beautiful flowers and fruits will come; that is sure. That watering process is hearing, chanting and remembering hari-kathā.

Parama-pūjyapāda Śrīla Swāmī Mahārāja has planted many seeds of bhakti. Some seeds are sprouting, some are growing, and some have leaves–two leaves, four leaves, six leaves and more. But there are also many seeds that are drying up. Many devotees have lost their strength and their faith. Some sannyāsīs are leaving sannyāsa, and many sincere devotees are feeling disconnected and disheartened. These creepers which Śrīla Swāmī Mahārāja has planted need water to be sprinkled upon them.

One Vaiṣṇava can never be exactly the same as another. All details of expression cannot be identically the same; there must be some difference. Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu are not exactaly the same. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī are in the same line but are not completely the same. The leaves of any tree, like a mango tree, are not all the same; there must be some difference. So we are also in the family of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and therefore we are included in the same tree. It cannot be said that there is any real difference between us, since we are in the same bona fide disciplic tree.

I was never interested in collecting many followers, and I didn’t want to initiate many disciples. For a long time I have been active as a śikṣā-guru for the devotees in the Gauḍīya Vedānta Śamaītī. Similarly, I want to offer śikṣā to anyone who is interested.

Now I have accepted Western dīkṣā disciples, but my original intention was to help everyone become strong by śikṣā. I want the devotees to benefit from the śikṣā of all bona fide Vaiṣṇavas.

I want them to advance more and more in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, to have love and affection for each other and for all other Vaiṣṇavas. I want to see Śrīla Swāmī Mahārāja’s movement become healthy and strong.

Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja tried to help in this same way, because he was also requested by Śrīla Swāmī Mahārāja. He never called the devotees or tried to cause any disturbance. Many were attracted and came and wanted to hear hari-kathā, and he was distributing hari-kathā. Other Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas are also doing this. We are speaking hari-kathā here, and thus so many devotees are thirsty to receive help. The concept and siddhānta of śikṣā-guru and guru-tattva is not yet widely understood and accepted. The śikṣā-guru does not compete with the dīkṣā-guru.

He assists the devotees in strengthening their relationship with their dīkṣā-guru, and in understanding and carrying out their dīkṣā-guru’s conclusions. I am bound to serve Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Swāmī Mahārāja in these ways, because he is not only my śikṣā guru, he is also my bosom friend.

Śrīla Swāmī Mahārāja’s order to me was that I help his devotees. If I am obeying him, then I may be disobeying others.

In any case, even if the whole world is on one side opposing me, I will be on the other side, trying to obey him. I only want to teach what is pure bhakti in the line of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and all our ācāryas down to Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Swāmī Mahārāja.

I want to be welcome in his temples, where he performed his pastimes. I want to take his footdust, pay my respects, and especially worship at his place of samādhi, which was performed with my own hands. I have an open heart and open arms; mydoor is always open to anyone. My intention is to help everyone who comes to me, to establish a beautiful temple in their heart where Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa can be served.

I am praying at the lotus feet of my dīkṣā-gurudeva, Śrīla Bhakti Prajyan Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja and at the lotus feet of my śikṣā-guru and priya-bandhu, Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Swāmī Mahārāja. May they bestow their mercy on all of you and also on me. If after first giving mercy to all of you there is some left, then may they give it to me as well. From my heart, I care for all of his followers who try to carry out his orders and spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I am begging all of the Vaiṣṇavas to be sympathetic to my attempt to serve the lotus feet and mission of our beloved Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Swāmī Mahārāja. He has kindly given me the opportunity to serve him, and I am offering my heartfelt puṣpāñjali at his lotus feet.