Journal of a Prabhupada Man, Entry #3:"Prabhupada,what pleases you most?"

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Journal of a Prabhupada Man, Entry #3

By Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Posted July 21, 2003

 

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Friday, July 05, 2003, Austin, Texas–

 

Another day to try to do something to push forward the Krishna Consciousness Movement. What can we do? We are so disqualified. All we can do is place ourselves as instruments in the hands of Guru and Gauranga so if They like They may act through us to do something wonderful. In spite of our ineptness we have been given the sacred mission— revolutionize the planet, flood it with a tidal wave of Krishna consciousness. So we must arise and fight the battle to awaken the sleeping souls from the slumber of maya. We must faithfully serve Srila Prabhupada’s order to preach Krishna consciousness and then depend on the Krishna for the results.

 

Today I answer an email from Satish. He wants to know how to become free from fear, how to conquer sex desire, and how to free his mind from material attachment. I explain to him how by developing his love for Krishna he will be fully satisfied in all respects. He will become fearless. He’ll conquer over lust. And his mind will be free from all material thoughts by being constantly absorbed in thoughts of Krishna.

 

This Krishna consciousness is indeed the panacea, the cure-all, for every problem that faces us. Krishna is emanating us from Himself at this very minute (aham sarvasya prabhavo) simply for the purpose of enjoying a loving relationship with us. All of our attempts to be happy separated from Him are futile, a useless waste of time. If we simply reconnect with Him in loving service according to the wonderful teachings of our beloved Srila Prabhupada then we will be living in the spiritual world at every second in direct connection with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is what Krishna consciousness is all about.

 

We cannot concoct our own process of so-called Krishna consciousness. We simply have to practice it in the pure form that Srila Prabhupada is giving it to us through his books and through his pure representatives. It is not outdated. It is not old-fashioned. It is timeless wisdom, completely transcendental, beyond this miserable realm of time and space.

 

Another email comes in. One of my young uninitiated students has just returned from India where she placed her father’s ashes in the Ganges. Her regulated sadhana was neglected. She promises to start up her sadhana again and get back on the path. I give her all encouragement. A stark reminder about how easy it is to get distracted from Krishna consciousness in this world even while engaged in what appear to be Krishna conscious activities. We cannot allow anything to deviate us from our basic sadhana of chanting at least 16 rounds and following the four regulative principles. This is our lifeline with Krishna. If we deviate from this we are finished.

 

How will we develop our love for Krishna if even the basic instructions are neglected? It is not possible. Without developing that loving feeling for the Lord, what have we gained in this human life? I am reminded of a question Nirantara Prabhu asked Srila Prabhupada in Atlanta in 1975: "Prabhupada, what pleases you the most?"

 

Srila Prabhupada’s immediate response: "If you love Krishna."

 

So whatever we are doing for Krishna, Srila Prabhupada, and the Vaisnavas, we must strive to do it with genuine feelings of love. We’re not talking about an artificial show. We are speaking of a genuine softening of the heart, a transformation of consciousness. This platform of pure love is real. All advanced transcendentalists experience it. Being most merciful upon us, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur takes our position in his great song Kabe Ha’be Bolo Se Din Amar. He hankers for the day when genuine love for all others will manifest with his heart.

 

kabe jibe doya, hoibe udoya,

nija-sukha bhuli' sudina-hrdoya

bhakativinoda, koriya binoya,

sri-ajna-tahala koribe pracar

 

"When will there be an awakening of compassion for all fallen souls, and when will this Bhaktivinoda, forgetting his own happiness, with a meek heart set out to propagate by humble entreaty the sacred order of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu?"