RE: Srila Prabhupada Touches People's Hearts

[Guest guest]

Dear Devotees,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Sri Sri Guru and

Gauranga!

 

I want to share two stories about two dearest people in my life.

 

My first story is about my late mother who, although not a devotee herself,

was very fond of Srila Prabhupada. Once she went to see a friend of hers, a

lady who happened to be one of the top authorities on Literature and

Linguistics in the country. That lady was also known for her mystic ability

to predict future. Almost all of her predictions came true, I have

personally experienced it in my life.

 

So when my mother went to see her friend she showed her a picture of Srila

Prabhupada, which she was carrying with her. When her friend saw that

picture she immediately asked where my mother have gotten it. She said that

Srila Prabhupada has the face of a Genius and that his presence is extremely

beneficial for the human race. To my mother's amazement, she told her to

seek association with that man on the picture without even asking who or

what he was.

 

My mother respected and trusted her a great deal. Soon she was chanting 16

rounds of Mahamantra daily. I may have played some small part in that too

but she became really determined after hearing that lady's statement.

 

My mother had severe case of Cancer. The doctors gave her maximum few months

time. The Cancer had spread all over her body and there was no hope at all.

But by the mercy of Harinama and Srila Prabhupada she lived almost four

years without much pain. When she died her last words were "Little Krishna".

She never became a devotee, neither she even admitted believing in God. But

she had a lot of faith in her chanting of 16 rounds of Mahamantra and a

great respect for Srila Prabhupada. She used to say that Harinama was her

only hope. I can't explain what had happened to her. How could she, in her

condition, live that long? It was the mercy of Pure Vaisnava that kept her

alive and away from tremendous pain that Cancer is so infamous for.

 

My second story is about my Gurudeva, His Divine Grace Bhakti Pramode Puri

Goswami Maharaja. He had a lady disciple who was diagnosed with Leukemia

and, like my mother was given only a few months by doctors. She came to Guru

Maharaja basically to say goodbye and get some final blessings, as she was

preparing herself to die.

 

After seeing her, Guru Maharaja told one of his senior disciples that he

knows how she could be cured but he is feeling shy to tell her directly. He

said that she should go to Vrindavan and wait for a particular day. On that

day, he said, Lord Krishna will be taking bath at Sri Govinda-Kund. So that

lady should go there on that day at a particular time and take some water

from Sri Govinda-Kund. Then she'll be completely cured.

 

This message was delivered to that lady and she did exactly as instructed by

Guru Maharaja... She is alive and well today, 12 years after! To doctors'

amazement there are no Cancer cells in her body. Without a doubt, she was

cured by the mercy of Pure Devotee of the Lord!

 

These both situations deal with fatal medical conditions that usually leave

no hope for any improvement, let alone complete cure. I am sure that any of

you who have medical background will agree with me. These are pure miracles,

much of the same nature that we read about in the Sastras. Not only in the

ancient times Saints and Sages could perform such miracles, they're also

happening today by the grace of elevated Vaisnavas who honor this Earth with

their divine presence.

 

My conclusion is that if such amazing material benefits can be received from

Pure Devotees of the Lord, then we can only guess about the kind of

spiritual benefits we can derive from their association! It is said that a

chance to meet Sad-Guru is so rare that it is compared to the same chance as

if a Neem tree that is growing on a sea-shore would rot and fall into the

sea, then go to the middle of the sea and there a giant sea turtle would

have its head caught up in this tree's branches. Even if the latter could be

imagined, one should remember that Neem never grows on a sea-shore, that by

its special nature Neem never rots, and that sea turtles never go as far as

the middle of the sea...

 

So we should appreciate the fact that we have had the opportunity to meet a

real Sad-Guru. So much that we should drop everything "important" we may be

doing now and surrender to him right away! What kind of excuses can we use?

If such chance is so rare, then how can we justify not surrendering our

whole life to that person immediately?

 

Well, unfortunately, I manage to justify it somehow... But that is another

miracle.

 

Your servant,

Gauridas Adhikari

 

 

>

> Edward.Pattillo (AT) bbt (DOT) se [Edward.Pattillo (AT) bbt (DOT) se]

> Sunday, June 25, 2000 10:55 AM

> BDS (Book Distribution Seminar); Navina Nirada (das)

> Cc: Manu (das) SDG (Govindadwipa - IRL); Topical Discussions

> Srila Prabhupada Touches People's Hearts

>

>

> Once I was collecting in a very small sheep farming town Western

> Australia.

> I knocked on the door of a run down small country style house and a very

> fragile bodied old lady answered the door. It was quite clear that she was

> living on her own and looking after herself in the last years of her life.

> Normally, in that situation, people aren't used to strangers coming to the

> door in a small town so it struck me that she immediately looked at what I

> had in my hand, which was a roll of paintings, and said "Oh! Come in."

> She opened the door wide and took me into her living room and

> before I could

> say anything she said "I have to talk to you. It's about the book. Now, if

> you've come to get the book then I have to talk to you."

> I told her that I wasn't sure what she was talking about; I was there to

> sell paintings.

> She said, "Aren't you the little fellow who came last year?"

> I told her that I had never been to this town before.

> She replied, "Oh! I feel so relieved because I thought that you

> had come to

> get your book. There was no way that I was going to let you take the book

> away."

> She took me into her room where she takes rest at night and explained that

> someone had come last year to sell something and, although she coulden't

> afford to buy anything, she confided in him that she was having trouble

> sleeping at night because her husband had died and she was feeling very

> lonely. The devotee suggested that he give her a book to read before she

> went to sleep.

> She told him that she coulden't read anymore.

> The devotee told her, "Well, I'm going to give you a book

> anyway, and even

> if you can't read it just keep it and it will give you some solace."

> She showed me on the night stand next to her bed one of the small green

> paperback Krsna books that used to come in a two volume set gift pack.

> She said, "I keep this book by my bed. I can't read it because, well, I

> can't read anything these days but let me show you something."

> I had a closer look and could see that the book was actually turned around

> so that the back side was facing up and on the back cover was a

> portrait of

> Srila Prabhupada. It was a very casual photo where Srila Prabhupada was

> laughing and his teeth were showing.

> Then she told me, "I'm just so grateful for this book. Even though I can't

> read it, I just keep it by my bedside because this man's photo gives me so

> much comfort and that's how I get by."

>

> story told by Sri Radha Raman Prabhu at Srila Prabhupada's

> Dissapearance Day

> discussion last year.

>

>