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Does He Take Our Karma at the Time of Initiation?

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Before receiving the shelter of Srila Gurudeva, I had often heard in other sanghas that at the time of initiation the spiritual master takes the karma of the disciple. I was confused about this so I asked Srila Gurudeva about it when we were in Mumbai in 2004. Guru Maharaj replied, "In a few rare occasions the spiritual master might do so, like in the case of Jagai and Madai. But normally he does not do it. But what you can get from Sri Guru is faith. And then if you chant with faith, all your karma will go." I felt happy to know that I can get faith from Guru Maharaj. He was also instructing me that deep from within by one's own endeavour, this will go. It needs my sincere endeavour, to keep trying. I prayed to Guru Maharaj to give me faith in the holy name. If I chant with faith, all karma will go. —Urmila Dasi  

He is Uttam Bhagavat Acarya

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Other acaryas seemed to have demonstrated themselves as acaryas according to the demand of time, place, and circumstances. They sometimes had to be assertive and come down to the platform of madhyam adikari to discriminate.  Trivikram Maharaj once said Srila Gurudev is uttam bhagavat in comparison to another godbrother of Gurudev who he called him a jitendria-purush, one who won control over his senses. Regarding Srila Gurudev he said uttam bhagavat—and till now he has never come down from that position. Uttam bhagavat sees Supreme Lord in everyone and pays prostrated obeisances to all—dog and dog-eater, brahmana and shudra—to all, indiscriminately he has seen Supreme Lord in their hearts. He has that vision and pays prostrated obeisances to all living entities. That is a symptom of uttam adikari. He will never come down from there.  When the sole purpose is to serve Supreme Lord, all varieties are possible. Trivikram Maharaj, a disciple of Prabhupada is not an ordinary person, n

His Divine Fragrance Spreads Everywhere

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Whatever prayers generally were taken to Srila Gurudev, by the power of his omniscience, he would take care of those prayers. Externally he may not have promised as much, but he took care. Gurudev said when flower blossoms, it's fragrance spreads all around. No need to advertise.  Many devotees would approach Gurudev to say, Gurudev bless me to go on preaching (prachar). Yet, Gurudev said never have this mood of preaching. Perform kirtan bhakti. If you take up a mood of superiority to someone—that you can rescue them, help them, it may lead to your own fall. Repeat what you have heard from Guru varga for your own benefit, not with the mood to rescue anyone. Prachar is to be done in this mood.  We know that Srila Gurudev always imbibes and practices this. Example is better than precept. He never stopped practicing this, very unique. Until the end, he considered himself like this. Srila Gurudev presents himself and actually believes he's a conditioned soul. Therefore you can

Offering Sadhan Bhajan to Him is the Real Guru Seva

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Of all practices, when one does guru seva, he makes Bhagavan the happiest. Bhagavan Himself says to Uddhava in Srimad Bhagavatam. Guru seva is not just being near to Guru, attending to his needs, massaging his legs, etc. Prabhupada was playing the pastime of illness before leaving this world. When his sevaks asked him to take medicine to get well, he expressed his unhappiness (dukha) that his followers are not taking medicine of Harinam regularly and seriously in the right spirit. Guru is Antaryami, like Bhagavan. So he said, "If you take medicine, I will be cured!" He wanted his followers to do real bhajan. Prabhupada says if we do Bhajan for pratishta, it is kaitava (cheating) not bhajan. They have no unhappiness about their body or health. Guru seva is performed through bhajan— this is vastav seva, real seva. How much time we spend for bhajan? Shravan kirtan is like water to the Bhakti lata beej a fortunate soul gets from Guru after wandering in these 14 worlds for millio

His Big Appreciation for Our Small Efforts

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Within the first few weeks after my very first darshan of Srila Gurudeva, I understood and knew from the core of my heart that if I follow this sadhu and his instructions, then I will be taken care of and I will be rescued. I don't know how many lifetimes it will take, but if I just follow this sadhu, I knew for sure I will be saved. I had met other spiritual personalities, but these were the lotus feet to which I could fully give myself. There were no doubts; I can let go, I don't have to hold back. I might hold back from conditioning, but actually, there is no need anymore. Once in Guwahati, I remember one of Guru Maharaj's gestures. I was there with my sister. When Guru Maharaj came out of the room, I was alone in the crowd of Indians. He saw me from far. I am always amazed he remembered me. He smiled and he gestured with His lotus hand, "Are you staying?" It was like a casual exchange that friends would have with each other. It blew me away. I remember another

He Reveals His Presence in Unlimited Ways

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In 2005, I had been very sick for many months and was doing some Ayurvedic treatment with a doctor in Udupi. There were two didis from another sangha there. Every morning we had to wait together for an hour or two outside the treatment room for our turn. One of those didis was a secretary of an ISKCON guru and she read Srimad Bhagavatam every morning. I have to admit my spirits were so low at that time, I was just sitting there reading the newspaper. I was chanting but I couldn't get myself to open a book. I was depressed and in a ton of physical and mental pain. Somehow I finished my rounds but other than that, I couldn't do much. So this had been going on for two or three weeks. This didi read the Bhagavatam, I read the newspaper. Some newspapers in India print a spiritually related column called the S peaking Tree.  I read that even though it was usually Mayavad philosophy. One day I opened it and I was astounded. I cried out, "My Gurudev is in the newspaper! My Gurudev