The Importance of Guru Puja
Observation
After the class we came down to take Prasad am. We waited by the lotus waterfall, as a few devotees got the Prasad am ready. After a while the Temple President comes and invites us for Prasad. But we were stopped by devotees saying that the line is too long.A long line for Prasadam!!!!!!!!. That’s nothing new. But where did all these people come from. During Guru-puja there were just few devotees in the temple room. Is prasadam more important that SrilaPrabhupada’s Guru-puja?
In a lecture by HH Girriraj Swami, Maharaja tells a story. Maharaj and HH TamalKrsnaGoswami were out everyday making life members and raising funds for the Juhu Temple. Because they used to come late at night, they should not make it for mangal-arathi. SrilaPrabhupada called them and asked why they did not come for mangal-arathi. They told him their story. SrilaPrabhupada said “alright chant your rounds and come for Guru-Puja”
From this pastime we can understand how much stress SrilaPrabhupada placed on Guru-puja. In another pastimestresses the importance of Guru-puja.
“When we returned to the temple Prabhupada greeted Their Lordships Sri SriRadha-Partha-sarathi and then mounted the vyasasana for guru-puja and class. He noted the absence of Pradyumna and inquired where he was. When we informed him that he was doing his puja, worshiping his newly-acquired salagrama-sila, Prabhupada was not at all happy. "First of all guru-puja," he said with annoyance. "Tell the nonsense. First of all guru-puja."
From "A Transcendental Diary Vol 4" by HG Hari SauriPrabhu
SrilaPrabhupada’s Guru-puja is such an important aspect in our spiritual life.
What is Guru-puja?
Guru Puja is way for the followers of SrilaPrabhupada to show their appreciation to him. We show are appreciation to him for all the knowledgethat he has given to us in his transcendental books.
SrilaPrabhupäda said that because the spiritual master enlightens the disciple with divya-jnäna, transcendental knowledge, the disciple feels obliged and thus worships the spiritual master. “This guru-püjä is essential, just as the Deity worship is essential. It is not cheap adoration. It is the process of enlightenment, of divya-jïäna.” (SrilaPrabhupäda-lilämrta)
The Guru-puja establishes SrilaPrabhupada as a founder/acaraya of the Iskcon, not just an ordinary guru. It establishes him as the Sampradaya Guru in the Line of Sri CaitanyaMahaprabhu. By preforming Guru-puja we are directly worshipping to the representative of Sri CaitanyaMahaprabhu and Sri SriRadha-Krsna.
My spiritual master once told me that if I have any problems then go into SrilaPrabhupada’s room and speak to SrilaPrabhupada. He is not a statue. He will listen and will guide. The Deity of SrilaPrabhupada is not a statue sitting at the back of the temple. In order to appreciate and improve our attendance and attitude we have to come to the realization that SrilaPrabhupada is not a statue but is directly sitting on the vyasana.
The Deity form Of SrilaPrabhpada gives us the opportunity to directly worship SrilaPrabhpada. So it is so imperative that we make an attempt to make SrilaPrabhupada an important part of the Sunday Love feast.
We should be living in a society with the attitude of gratitude. We can start by been grateful to SrilaPrabhupada by coming on time for Guru-puja.. We should not be cruising to the temple while Guru-puja is almost over (or is over). It is disrespectful to SrilaPrabhupada.
Class and Prasadam Is good. But without SrilaPrabhupada we would not have the Class. We would not have that Prasada. We wait so eagerly during the week just so that we can see our friends and devotees at the Sunday Love feast.But without SrilaPrabhupada we would not have that association.
HH Bhakti Tirtha Swami gave a class “ protecting SrilaPrabhupada’s house”. There he mentioned that we should have the consciousness that SrilaPrabhupada is coming. We see at the the Temple when some Guru is coming. There is so much buzz. Disciples are everywhere, fighting to open the doors for the car, kids are holding flower petals. This mood should also be there in the worship of SrilaPrabhupada.
Srila Prabhupada said that punctuality is an important aspect in your devotional service. That punctuality should start at SrilaPrabhupada’s Guru-puja, not at Prasadam time.
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