By Shrutadev Das
In response to Niranjana Swami’s blog posted on Dandavats.com
Dear Niranjana Swami,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I have read your blog on reading about Srila Prabhupada which was posted on Dandavats.com and I can’t tell you how overjoyed I was to read it. Ever since the Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta was printed, I had gotten into the habit of reading a few pages every morning before I would start chanting my japa; something that I have continued to this day. Gradually as different books came out like, “The Hare Krishna Explosion”, “The Great Transcendental Adventure”, “Servant of the Servant”, “A Transcendental Diary”, “What Is the Difficulty?”, etc. I became an avid reader of anything about Srila Prabhupada’s life.
After I had read many of the books about Srila Prabhupada for a second or third time I found myself thinking, “Didn’t it say something about that pastime in another book?” And I would pull out a different book and read about the same event or time period from a different perspective. Or whereas in the Lilamrta it might say that Srila Prabhupada traveled to Australia and then back to Bombay but not give any details, in another book it would give the details of his trip. It was very enlivening, so I started to compile an outline of my readings. Gradually it developed into the Srila Prabhupada Lila Reading Guide. It took me over ten years to complete and there are still new books coming out that I have not yet put in but I think at this point it is sufficient as it is.
As you said in your blog:
I’ve found myself overwhelmed with gratitude, both to Satsvarupa Maharaja and especially to Srila Prabhupada, and at the same time, immensely humbled by reflecting upon the tiny and insignificant efforts I’ve made in this life to spread Krsna consciousness in comparison to what Srila Prabhupada has done to expand Krsna consciousness throughout this world. In fact, I’ve realized that it would be an offense on my part to even attempt to make such a comparison.
Yes! I have also found myself at times overwhelmed with gratitude to Satsvarupa Maharaja and the other authors and especially to Srila Prabhupada. I have probably read the Lilamrta at least ten times by now. I just keep reading it over and over and over again along with the other books in the Reading Guide. I am so pleased to see you are having these feelings and making them public. Thank you. It is essential for the future of our Krishna consciousness movement that we study Srila Prabhupada’s life very scrutinizingly to insure that we understand his teachings, his mission and how to apply them practically and properly as Srila Prabhupada did. Just understanding the philosophy is not sufficient. And that can only come from reading not only his books, but also the books about him as you have pointed out so nicely in your blog.
In one sense, the guide is still a work in progress. I haven’t included everything that has been written about Srila Prabhupada and I am sure there will be more to come. Especially recently, some of the earliest disciples have written their memories as you mentioned. Yet I felt that at some point I should just make it available as it is. Perhaps the devotees would find it enlivening. I hope that Srila Prabhupada and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu will be pleased by this humble endeavor to glorify a pure devotee of the Lord.
With the deepest appreciation and gratitude towards the authors of these books:
Babaji Maharaja – Karnamrita Dasa
The Seventh Goswami – Rupa Vilasa Dasa
A Ray of Vishnu – Rupa Vilasa Dasa
Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta – Satsvarupa Maharaja
A Shower of Divine Compassion – Dasaratha Suta Dasa
The Jaladuta Diary – Bhaktivedanata Book Trust
The Beginning – Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
The Hare Krishna Explosion – Hayagriva Dasa
Prabhupada Lila – Satsvarupa Maharaja
Srila Prabhupada in Germany – Vedavyasa Dasa
Servant of the Servant – Tamal Krsna Maharaja
My Glorious Master – Bhurijana Dasa
The Great Transcendental Adventure – Kurma Dasa
What Is the Difficulty? – Srutakirti Dasa
Life With the Perfect Master – Satsvarupa Maharaja
Srila Prabhupada Is Coming – Mahamaya Devi Dasi
A Transcendental Diary – Hari-sauri Dasa
TKG’s Diary – Tamal Krsna Maharaja
I cannot even begin to express how indebted we are to these devotees for their great service to the future of the Krsna Consciousness Movement. Hare Krishna. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!!
The subject of the departure of the sons of Pandu for the ultimate goal of life, back to Godhead, is fully auspicious and is perfectly pure. Therefore anyone who hears this narration with devotional faith certainly gains the devotional service of the Lord, the highest perfection of life.
PURPORT
Srimad Bhagavatam is a narration about the Personality of Godhead and the devotees of the Lord like the Pandavas. The narration of the Personality of Godhead and His devotees is absolute in itself, and thus to hear it with a devotional attitude is to associate with the Lord and constant companions of the Lord. By the process of hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam one can attain the highest perfection of life, namely going back home, back to Godhead, without failure. (SB 1.15.51)
One evening, after an unusual number of impertinent questions, Hridayanada Maharaja stopped translating and instructed the crowd not to ask nonsensical questions. Immediately one of the ladies raised her hand. “I’ve heard from the devotees,” she began, “that at the time of leaving my body it will be a very important test for my life for getting my next body. I’ve also heard from the devotees that it is important for us to think of Lord Krsna at that time of passing away of our body. What I want to ask Your Divine Grace is: Is it as good as thinking of Krsna at the time of my death to think of you?” Hridayananda Maharaja presented her question to Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada smiled. “Yes, that is very good. You will get the same result.” (Prabhupada Lila, Chapter 10)
Download it here: Srila Prabhupada Lila Reading Guide
Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=12665 ;
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