Celebrating 30 years of service to Srila Prabhupada

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>"Bhaktisiddhartha Dasanudas"

>

>"Undisclosed Recipients"

>Celebrating 30 years of service to Srila Prabhupada >Thu, 25 Apr

2002 09:16:13 -1000 > >Dear Maharajas, Prabhus, Didis and Friends, > >This

message marks a very special occasion in my life, something I would >like to

share with all devotees and spiritual friends. > >It was 30 years ago that I

dedicated myself to the service of Srila >Prabhupada, giving up material life

and vowing lifelong allegiance to my >spiritual master. And what a great soul

he is! > >I first saw Srila Prabhupada in 1966 in downtown New York City,

chanting >Hare Krsna with his early disciples in Tompkins Square Park. I had no

>idea what they were doing, but soon after I moved to the West Coast, and >by

Krsna's arrangement lived in an apartment two blocks from Srila >Prabhupada's

first San Francisco temple. I got to chant a lot of kirtan, >associated with

devotees like Jayananda, Visnujana and others, took a >lot of prasadam

(transcendental food) and attended the first Rathayatra >festivals. I also got

to read Srila Prabhupada's early publications and >hear him give class. >

>Unfortunately I was too attached to being a musician to surrender to >Srila

Prabhupada right away. It took me until 1971 to become exhausted >with material

life. I had just read the Krsna Book trilogy, newly >published with a preface by

George Harrison, and I finally understood >the greatness of Srila Prabhupada's

teaching. I had already been >studying Bhagavad-gita and chanting for about

five years. But Srila >Prabhupada's wonderful Krsna Book finally revealed to me

just who Krsna >really is, and how great and wonderful He is. > >Late one night

as I came home from my job playing jazz in an Orlando >night club, it hit me. I

was done with material life. I went to my band >leader the next day and quit,

sold most of my instruments and other >things and went to Miami, the nearest

temple. The story of the rest of >my life is my struggle to give up unwanted

material desires, increase my >knowledge and devotion, and surrender to Krsna's

spiritual purpose. > >Srila Prabhupada mercifully accepted me as his disciple,

as anyone can >read in the Folio VedaBase. I spent most of my time in ISKCON in

India, >especially in Vrndavana and Mayapur temples. I was in India when Srila

>Prabhupada disappeared, and it was a very heavy time. I loved India, but >it

was hard on my health. I finally came down with a serious case of >malaria, had

a heart attack and almost died. I returned to the USA, >slowly recovered my

health and built a career as a professional writer. > >I used the money I

earned to write and publish books on devotional >service, built and learned to

operate a state-of-the-art digital studio, >and recorded many pieces of

transcendental music. Now I have retired >from my business career, and maintain

a small web site with my books, >music and articles about spiritual life. You

are cordially invited to >visit my site, and I hope you enjoy it. > >Lord Sri

Krsna is the all-in-all and everything there is. He is the >original Supreme

Personality of Godhead and the source of everything >that be. The purpose of

human life is to understand His message in >Bhagavad-gita and all other

scriptures, and to realize Him by practice >of spiritual principles and

performance of devotional service. Advanced >transcendentalists experience

profound spiritual ecstasy simply by >contemplating His astonishingly beautiful

form, qualities and pastimes. >His Holy Name offers complete benedictions to the

materially conditioned >souls, because He has invested it with all His

transcendental potencies. > > >What a great gift Srila Prabhupada has given us!

I just want to express >my eternal gratitude to all the devotees and friends who

have helped and >encouraged me over the last 30 years to approach and serve my

spiritual >master Srila Prabhupada. All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga! >

>Bhaktisiddhartha DasanudasYour aspiring servant, > >Bhaktisiddhartha Dasanudas

> >www.esoteric-teaching.org

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