HH Bhakti Tirtha Swami - health update

[Guest guest]

Letter from 04/01/05

 

Dear Maharajas, Prabhus and Disciples,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances

All glories to ISKCON Founder Acharya Srila prabhupada

 

Today, we received the latest report regarding the present status of my

Cancer situation. This report has come after 5 months of intense

treatments,wholistic as well as allopatic. After 3 blood transfusions,

four operations including amputation of the leg, several emmergency visits

to various hospitals, weeks of residing in different hospitals with

different types of treatments, tens of thousands of dollars in medical

treatments, over 1 dozen examinations which included such things as

Sonograms, MRI's, Catscans,Petscans, and some biopsies.

The most recent biopsy report has found Cancer in both of the lymph nodes in

the groin area. These nodes were dissected the same day that I had the leg

amputated. The survival rate for Melanoma Cancer at this stage is extremely

low, less than 10%.

 

The surgeons and oncologist will be suggesting more surgery and most likely

chemotherapy, radiation etc.

 

At this time I will not have anymore operations, we have done all that is

feasible in trying to check and irradicate the cancer. This means that by

rational considerations and from the biopsy report, I will most likely be

leaving the body soon. What is ironic, is that I already knew this, for I

as well as everyone else who has taken birth will be leaving the body in

the near future, so the doctors have confirmed what was already known.

Whether I have weeks, months, or years is up to Guru and Krsna, for They

can arrange to take me out of this body before the cancer fully take over,

They can allow the cancer to go it's normal course, or They can also take

the cancer away completely even at this point.

 

I am now focusing my consciousness on an early departure. Once again, time

will reveal Krsna's plans. Some may wonder, with all the thousand of

devotees making prayers on my behalf, 'Why am I in this precarious and

suffering condition'? Please do not allow this way of thinking to weaken

your faith in 'prayers', if anything it should strengthen it. Although I

had asked that rather than pray for me to stay, pray for whatever would be

best for my service to Srila Prabhupada's mission and let whatever would be

best for my spiritual purification take place, still many of you did pray

for me to stay .

 

Ultimately prayers are good for me, whether I leave sooner than later, for

the prayers are expressions of your compassion and love for this wretched

soul.

 

Even more important our prayers are for self purification and they

collectively bond us together as spiritual warriors in a profound and

magnificent way.

 

Now the time that we do have together is most significant, for we must make

it first class quality association, after all, as Vaisnavas we are not

really concerned with quantity or longevity, but we are concerned with

quality and purity.

 

Every devotee has his or her special relationship with Guru and Krsna, and

each devotee will have things arranged by Them for their personal

purification, so let us all be excited and eager to experience what Krsna

has in store for us to bring us back home to His abode.

 

Yes, there is still so much work to be done on this planet and it does seem

to become harder when so many senior devotees leave, but Srila Prabhupada

and higher authorities are dealing with a much bigger picture than we may be

sensitive to. We should each get ready for our own opportunities for

growth, purification, and expanded services.

 

Until our next communication, let me leave you with my trite but profound

mantra.

"I am blessed by the best, would not settle for anything less, and I

continue to pray to be able to pass the remaining tests."

 

Yours in service to Srila Prabhupada

With love

BT Swami

 

 

[Guest guest]

Gaura Purnima seems like a bad time for neophytes like me...we seem 2 loose our spiritual leaders around this time....