HH Bhakti Tirtha Swami health update

[Guest guest]

Dear Maharajas and Prabhus,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

I am presently in Hawaii in a place that is conducive for healing. I have

been in an intense fight in the last two weeks with the cancer; presently we

are both in our corners in the fighting ring waiting for the bell to ring so

we can continue our fighting. The cancer seems to be winning some rounds,

and I am distinctly winning others.

 

I have presented an offer to the cancer, pretending that it is a potential

friend. I have invited the cancer to stay around as long as it can help me

to become a fully pure, more compassionate and potent servant of Srila

Prabhupada and the Vaisnavas, but to not stay one day longer than what is

needed for this outcome. The cancer has agreed externally while it is still

trying to see how to take my life. Although I have propositioned the cancer

in this way, I am also secretly doing everything possible to destroy it once

and for all.

 

The cancer is a demon and cannot be trusted; however, the cancer knows I am

a devotee and is aware it cannot trust me either. (This is the dilemma.) The

cancer has been stunned and dazed and seemingly is not able to progress at

this point, but has not been fully destroyed. Next week, I will work with

special treatments to block the cancer from later mutating for this is a

special attack it can make in the future. Once this is done I should be on

my way to a slow and steady recovery.

 

I am reading some of your books and quotes from Srimad-Bhagavatam, listening

to several of your bhajana and lecture tapes along with Srila Prabhupada's.

In this way, I can still have your association during this critical time in

my life. I want to thank you all for your powerful contributions.

 

I am presently writing a new Beggar Book with meditations on death and the

near death experience. Here is a recent rough draft entry of "Die Before

Dying.”

 

Yours in service to Srila Prabhupada,

 

With love,

 

Bhakti Tirtha Swami

 

 

 

Die Before Dying

 

Just as there is life, there is death. Someone or something takes birth,

grows, stays for some time, deteriorates, and then dies. Another name for

birth is death. You cannot have one without the other, meaning that when

someone is born, someone will soon die (as most species do not live very

long); and when someone dies, someone is soon born. Everyone and everything

in its normal state wants to live as long as possible—eternally. Eternality,

however, is not associated with matter, but is a spiritual affair. Death to

matter and to our material bodies is inevitable, but if we master the

science of dying before dying, we will connect with that which is

eternal—our soul and its home in the spiritual world. After all, death is to

remove everything false and secondary.

 

My mother, who is deceased, often used to say, “Give me my flowers while I

can still see them.” As I child, I thought of it as strange, but as an

adult, I thought of it as a sign of wisdom. My mother understood the body to

be transient and she celebrated life—“the now,” realizing one must show

their love and affection for life at every moment. Our life or the lives of

others will be taken away in the near future. If one lives with proper

preparation and detachment, one will master the science of dying before

dying so as to connect with the soul and its home—the spiritual world. After

all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.

 

When we die before dying, we put first things first. The activities that

nourish our souls and help us detach from the illusion and confusion of

material culture are our priorities. Since we know that life is meant to

prepare for a glorious death, we can live each day as if it is our last.

Therefore, there is no time to waste on irrelevant, superfluous activities.

Even when we must give time to somewhat superficial things, it must be done

in a way that enhances or strengthens the primary, significant involvements.

If one lives with proper preparation and detachment, one will master the

science of dying before dying so as to connect with the soul and its

home—the spiritual world. After all, death is to remove everything false and

secondary.

 

There are so many offenses that can be made in devotional services. It is

these offenses which are our greatest enemy. Devotional service is extremely

potent, but offenses can stagnate our spiritual growth very seriously and

can ever destroy the devotional creeper. Offenses are activities that try to

redirect our consciousness back to previous sinful life or which serve as

barriers to our unfoldment. Offenses are like a town courier who delivers an

urgent message designed to distract the individual from his or her relevant

and important activities. When one stops making offenses, one will live with

proper preparation and detachment. One will master the science of dying

before dying so as to connect with the soul and its home—the spiritual

world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.

 

So many people have cheated, disappointed, lied, manipulated, and even

abused us. When we reflect on the experience, it is as if we relive it

again. Such experiences have definitely shaped us in various ways. Many of

these abusers and cheaters have traumatized us. In some cases, they have

scarred us for life. The normal position is for the hurt or abused to seek

revenge and severely punish the offender. It is easier to do but will not

fully resolve the problem. What is important is for forgiveness to be the

major means of addressing such problems. If one lives with proper

preparation and detachment, one will master the science of dying before

dying so as to connect with the soul and its home—the spiritual world. After

all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.

 

Most people have special friends they would like to meet, places they would

like to visit, and experiences they would like to have. When we meet, know,

or associate with important people, it makes us more important, at least in

the eyes of others. When we can travel to many exciting places, life seems

to be more adventurous. Most important, when we can have many exciting

experiences, life seems more meaningful. We are all pleasure seekers and are

always eager to experience pleasure. But the true spiritualist does not get

overwhelmed by these concerns for he understands the temporary and even

illusory nature of the world. If one lives with proper preparation and

detachment, one will master the science of dying before dying so as to

connect with the soul and its home—the spiritual world. After all, death is

to remove everything false and secondary.

 

Sometimes we are so busy doing things and even doing things for those we

love that we don’t have time to be with them, show them, or tell them how

much we love them. Sometimes others are so busy doing things and doing

things for us that they also have no time to be with us, show us, or tell us

how much they love us. However, if we truly understand how this life is a

preparation for death, we will always have time to give and receive love.

 

When someone dies, much of the sadness usually comes from a lack of

sufficient closure in the relationships. There is something we wanted to

tell them or do with them, and there is something they wanted to tell us or

do with us. Each party has a tendency to procrastinate on or minimize the

important opportunities and moments. Especially when a person lives solely

for eating, sleeping, mating and defending, or when he or she is captured by

a very strong false ego, there is a tendency to miss opportunities to be

fully present. The person misses the chance to say or do what will best

honor other people’s highest needs as well as blocks the chance for others

to honor his or her needs.

 

Quality association is most important. Where there is quality association,

one is always either learning something or teaching something. Such

association is based on being with those who also are determined to end the

cycle of birth, disease, old age, and death. With quality association, one

understands that just as there is life, there is death. So one acts with the

knowledge that life is for self-realization, and that death, which is

inevitable for matter and the material body, is not associated with the

soul. We must die to live! That comes as we accept the inevitability of

destruction and elimination of all matter. We can then honor the deaths that

have happened and those that are manifesting, knowing that they can prepare

the way for eternal life.

 

The true spiritualist profoundly appreciates my mother’s statement, “Give me

my flowers while I can see them.” For once the body is gone, the soul

departs for its new encounter; therefore, it is important to say and do

whatever is best for all now! Where we have made offenses, we must stop them

and ask for forgiveness now! While we have people to meet, places to visit,

and experiences to have, we must put first things first, understanding the

differences between what is temporary and what is eternal now! We must allow

every day of our lives to represent healthy closure now! When we live for

love, this is most natural because all of our associations will be quality

associations in which we share our compassion, determination, and

realizations, and receive the same from others.

 

This is the technology of how to celebrate life now and live with proper

preparation and detachment, so that one will master the science of dying

before dying so as to connect with the soul and its home—the spiritual

world. After all, death is to remove everything false and secondary.

 

I am that lowly beggar who is desperately trying to die before dying.