Srila Gurudeva Is With You

Please accept our humble obeisances.

Recently, we quoted an article by Paramagurudeva which stated that the transcendental body of Srila Prabhupada Sarasvati Thakura cannot be diseased. Seeing through the eyes of guru, sadhu, and sastra in this way, we can be certain that Srila Gurudeva’s current pastime is not the result of any material illness ^{[see footnote 1]}. Rather, he is performing a transcendental pastime to bring us closer to his lotus feet. As a manifestation of Sri Krsna’s form and nature ^{[*see footnote 2]}, Srila Gurudeva is, in reality, full of unlimited bliss, unfathomable knowledge, and eternal life. He is not only residing at the Janakapuri Gaudiya Matha in Delhi, or at Govardhan; he is with you, at all times, wherever you are.

The following ‘permanent update’ will never be outdated. It is an excerpt from a conversation with Srila Gurudeva in Mathura, India, 1991.

Your servants,
Syamarani dasi and Vasanti dasi

Satsvarupa Maharaja: It seems that after the disappearance of my spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, I am putting more trust in the caitya-guru [Krsna in the form of the Supersoul in the heart] within. Is this normal to do after the disappearance of one’s guru? How can we develop more the ability to take guidance of Krsna within the heart in order to help us serve our Guru? I want to respect the advice of my god-brothers, but they have many different opinions. So I want to surrender more to my caitya-guru. I want to ask you about that.

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: My opinion is that guru is always present but we are not seeing him. His mercy, and he himself, is always present with us; he is always giving mercy. We need to pray more to our Gurudeva.

At the time of your Gurudeva, you served him and wanted his guidance. At this time also, you should not think that he is not present and therefore we must go to our caitya-guru. Caitya-guru and diksa-guru are always present. Why should we not go to our diksa-guru? There is no lack in him. Since he is always present, we should pray to him, “Please reveal yourself in my heart.”

Even without praying, the caitya-guru will do what He has to do. He is Krsna. He is always wanting that, “All my dears should come to Me.” He is hankering to give mercy. I think it is better to pray to our Gurudeva to reveal himself in our heart and give proper guidance on how we can serve him more and more. This is proper.

The siksa-guru who like the diksa-guru is a mahanta-guru (the topmost, liberated devotee), and he can also give guidance. If one has a siksa-guru, he should go to that siksa-guru from time to time and take advice regarding how to serve Sri Sri Radha and Krsna. If we are very honest with our guru, he will most certainly come in our hearts and make us see.

jive saksat nahi tate guru caittya-rupe
siksa-guru haya krsna-mahanta-svarupe

Since one cannot visually experience the presence of the Supersoul, He appears before us as a liberated devotee. Such a spiritual master is none other than Krsna Himself.

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: I see in Sri Brhad-bhagavatamrta that Jayanta, the guru of Gopa-kumara, who came to him thousands upon thousands of years earlier, came to him again, and again. Then [after Gopa-kumara attained his svarupa as a cowherd boy in Goloka-Vrndavana], Srimati Radhika sent Her near and dear Gopa Kumara to Janasarma, and Gopa-kumara was eager to give Janasarma mercy. Both gurus were eager to give mercy to their disciples. If our Gurudeva is on their level, and we are on the level of Janasarma or any other pure devotee, then Krsna and Gurudeva will surely have mercy upon us.

I never think about the question raised by you. Not even one single time has this question come in my mind, because I have full faith in my Gurudeva. I always pray to my Gurudeva to show me how I can serve him and how to attain our ultimate goal.

Yesterday we were reading Sri Brhad-bhagavatamrta, wherein Srila Sanatana Gosvami is telling us to pray for the lotus foot-dust of Krsna – but not simply for the lotus foot-dust of Krsna. The lotus feet of Krsna must have on them kunkum, the reddish-colored powder which the gopis had on their breasts and which then came to Krsna’s lotus feet when He kept His feet on their breasts. I want that colored dust on my head.

This is the ultimate goal of the jiva, for all time; there is no better goal for any jiva. Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Sanatana Gosvami, and Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami wanted to give this highest goal, and Gurudeva and Krsna are also eager to give it. If the jiva has the qualification for this, then he can have it, otherwise not. At least, this wish should be in the heart of a sadhaka.

[* footnote 1 – “And thus the sun fails to rob the pure devotee of his duration of life, in-as-much-as he is constantly busy in the devotional service of the Lord, purifying his existence. Death is a symptom of the material infection of the eternal living being; only due to material infection is the eternal living entity subjected to the law of birth, death, old age and disease” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.17 purport by Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja). “As the contamination of the germs of a particular disease can influence a weaker person, similarly the influence of material nature, or illusory energy, can act on the weaker, or conditioned, soul but not on the liberated soul.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25.18 purport by Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja)]

[*footnote 2 – Although I know that my spiritual master is a servitor of Sri Caitanya, I know Him also as a plenary manifestation of the Lord. According to the deliberate opinion of all revealed scriptures, the spiritual master is non-different from Krsna. Lord Krsna in the form of the spiritual master delivers His devotees. “One should know the acarya as Myself and never disrespect him in any way. One should not envy him, thinking him an ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the demigods.”One should know the instructing spiritual master to be the Personality of Krsna. Lord Krsna manifests Himself as the Supersoul and as the greatest devotee of the Lord. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 1.44-47)]

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