"You Made Me Understand That Guru is 'One'"

Dear Maharaja, Please accept my humble heartfelt obeisances! All glories to you for showing us a simple, straightforward, yet potent way of advancing in Krishna Consciousness by not failing to glorify Vaisnavas on their Avirbhav and Tirobhav Tithis and observing the Tithis related to Madhava with the proper understanding and consciousness.

Though I have personally never met you, I can say that I was impacted by the nature of your instructions via 'Vijnana Sara.' As I watched your departure ceremony, I felt the same emotions and grief that I experienced when my spiritual master physically departed from this world, in 2005. This and your instructions made me understand that the spiritual master is 'one,' a manifestation of the 'Adi Guru,' and comes in several forms as the 'Vyasti' guru, to help us progress in spiritual life.

As I read more and viewed more of your teachings, I appreciated how specific you were in getting the right message across to your audience, sometimes reiterating your words, interjecting and making sure the translator was putting out your thoughts properly in English.

Every sincere disciple yearns to serve the spiritual master and please him. For pleasing the spiritual master means pleasing Krishna. Early this year, by Krishna' s arrangement, I stumbled upon your book titled "Volcanic Energy." As I read page after page, sometimes laughing to myself, sometimes deeply reflecting on what you had written about, and relishing your accounts of your interaction with your own spiritual master Sri Srimad Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaja and his interaction with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati thakur Prabhupada, I understood so much about the Guru disciple relationship. How the disciple thinks ahead and plans for the comfort of his guru. How our predecessor Acharyas would first serve and only then accept even a drop of water from the host. How on the subtle instructions of your Spiritual master, you gave up holding on to our identity of being Brahmana and traded that for the association of Vaisnavas, especially in the matter of honoring prasadam. Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Swami defending Sri Srimad Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaja and giving the proper meaning of over endeavoring for guru and Lord Caitanya. How Sri Srimad Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaja would engage some prominent leaders of India then, such as Giani Zail Singh and others in glorifying the lord.The list is endless. The book opened my eyes to the glorious past and further strengthened the foundation for proper response and Vaisnava behavior in each and every situation. My deepest gratitude for giving us a glimpse of the past and the struggles that the devotees encountered in establishing the various Mathas in Navadvip Dham. On the most auspicious day of your appearance I would like to beg for your mercy in pleasing my own spiritual master, by sincerely executing the precepts of devotional service.

I would like to end, by recollecting in my own words what you spoke about association. By giving the example of the sun and the lotus, you very beautifully elucidated that association does not mean physical proximity. Just as the sun is miles away from the lotus, but yet nourishes and causes the lotus to blossom, similarly the Guru might be far away, but yet causes the disciple to grow and blossom. Praying to your divine grace and all the predecessor Acharyas to cast their merciful glance like the sun and help us overcome our obstacles in blossoming fully and offering ourselves completely in the service of the Lord.