His Seamless Harmonization of Humanity and Divinity
I feel we are very fortunate because I really see that when Śrīla Guru Mahārāja was in the West, he would manifest his human side in a particular way. Although I know he was also manifesting it everywhere, maybe in the West he was more in touch with what might be understood as normal devotees or even non-devotees [those who are not directed connected with Vaiṣṇavas]. We could witness how our Gurudeva was simultaneously fully human and fully divine. What really touched me was that he was so accessible, personal, caring, and simple. I could really feel he was genuine; not like a show. Śrīla Bhakti Kiṅkara Dāmodara Mahārāja was saying we can try to imitate simplicity, but it is nearly impossible. To be simple-hearted like Gurudeva is not possible for me. It is very complex to try to imitate something so simple.
Śrī Madhusūdana Mahārāja gave me the picture of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gokulānanda from Govardhana. So I worship those deities. Then, a few weeks ago weeks ago, I received a package from India. The postman said "It is for you from India, and quite heavy." So when I opened the box, I saw that Gaura Nitai were coming. I immediately remembered this instruction of Gurudeva from twenty or so years back.
He was really grateful for even small sevās. I especially witnessed this gratitude as related to devotees who hosted him such as Viśvaṃbhara Prabhu and Bindu Mādhava Prabhu in France. When I would meet Śrīla Guru Mahārāja, he often used to ask "How is Bindu Mādhava Prabhu?" "How is Viśvaṃbhara Prabhu?" He was really concerned in a very personal and caring way and so grateful for that sevā. So I am very grateful to our Bindu Mādhava Prabhu and very sad that he is now no longer present because he has so many memories of traveling with Gurudeva as his driver on many tours.
I remember this pastime when we were in Jaipur and Guru Mahārāja was sitting on a bench in the airport. The bench had three seats, one of which Guru Mahārāja occupied and two of which were empty. All the devotees were sitting at his feet and were listening to his final hari-kathā before flying to another country. And then after a plane had landed and the passengers were coming out, one old lady who was just passing by the group of devotees fell unconscious, almost falling on the devotees and landed just next to the feet of Guru Mahārāja. Immediately Guru Mahārāja showed his simple heart and his human side. He took the lady and made her sit next to him on the bench. Some devotees were really shocked. One lady devotee came and said "Ah, you are a woman and cannot touch a sannyāsī" but Mahārāja was fully above the rules and regulations. We could say he really wanted to take care of this soul. I guess he was really seeing the soul and how just the soul fell and he just manifested his compassion and human side. So this pastime also touched me.
What really moved me was Śrīla Gurudeva’s open-mindedness and non-sectarian approach to spirituality. He was completely open to everyone. This is how like we have so many guests in this zoom session from all from different spiritual organizations, but all of them feel that there was no difference between themselves and his disciples. I think it is the real quality of our Gurudeva that he does not make distinctions; he is really above all this. He sees all devotees like one family. I am sure our Gurudeva would be really happy to share with other traditions also.
Gurudeva’s approach to the word 'preaching' also really touched me. I had some feeling that the word preaching was hurting me in some way because in French language the word preaching is some kind of bad word. Preaching means that you try to pressure someone to convert them. Then I heard our Gurudeva saying that preaching means an opportunity to glorify Kṛṣṇa for your own purification and not to try to convert or change the mind of another person who is talking with you. Then it was such a feeling for me that this approach of sharing our experience became a realization that glorification of the Lord or the devotees was for our own purification. Like when chanting japa or kirtana, we do this as a service but also to purify our hearts. So this approach of sharing our realization for our own purification and not for convincing the other really touched me. For me, it is like a revolutionary way of saying this.
The last thing I want to share is about the first time I met our Gurudeva. It was near New Māyāpura in France in the small house of Kṛṣṇa Dāsi Didi. I heard from an ISKCON devotee that one great sādhu was coming and I went although I did not know what to expect. At that time in New Māyāpura, there was a kind of exclusivity of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness through ISKCON. Even then I went and as many of you shared it was like a big overwhelming experience to see Śrīla Gurudeva coming out of the car with Anantarām Prabhu and some other brahmacārīs. The program was amazing and then afterward I went to the room he was staying in upstairs. I explained to Mahārāja that I had met my wife and she had some small-sized deities of Kṛṣṇa Balarāma since she was very young, but we did not know if we should worship them.
I remember this pastime when we were in Jaipur and Guru Mahārāja was sitting on a bench in the airport. The bench had three seats, one of which Guru Mahārāja occupied and two of which were empty. All the devotees were sitting at his feet and were listening to his final hari-kathā before flying to another country. And then after a plane had landed and the passengers were coming out, one old lady who was just passing by the group of devotees fell unconscious, almost falling on the devotees and landed just next to the feet of Guru Mahārāja. Immediately Guru Mahārāja showed his simple heart and his human side. He took the lady and made her sit next to him on the bench. Some devotees were really shocked. One lady devotee came and said "Ah, you are a woman and cannot touch a sannyāsī" but Mahārāja was fully above the rules and regulations. We could say he really wanted to take care of this soul. I guess he was really seeing the soul and how just the soul fell and he just manifested his compassion and human side. So this pastime also touched me.
What really moved me was Śrīla Gurudeva’s open-mindedness and non-sectarian approach to spirituality. He was completely open to everyone. This is how like we have so many guests in this zoom session from all from different spiritual organizations, but all of them feel that there was no difference between themselves and his disciples. I think it is the real quality of our Gurudeva that he does not make distinctions; he is really above all this. He sees all devotees like one family. I am sure our Gurudeva would be really happy to share with other traditions also.
Gurudeva’s approach to the word 'preaching' also really touched me. I had some feeling that the word preaching was hurting me in some way because in French language the word preaching is some kind of bad word. Preaching means that you try to pressure someone to convert them. Then I heard our Gurudeva saying that preaching means an opportunity to glorify Kṛṣṇa for your own purification and not to try to convert or change the mind of another person who is talking with you. Then it was such a feeling for me that this approach of sharing our experience became a realization that glorification of the Lord or the devotees was for our own purification. Like when chanting japa or kirtana, we do this as a service but also to purify our hearts. So this approach of sharing our realization for our own purification and not for convincing the other really touched me. For me, it is like a revolutionary way of saying this.
The last thing I want to share is about the first time I met our Gurudeva. It was near New Māyāpura in France in the small house of Kṛṣṇa Dāsi Didi. I heard from an ISKCON devotee that one great sādhu was coming and I went although I did not know what to expect. At that time in New Māyāpura, there was a kind of exclusivity of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness through ISKCON. Even then I went and as many of you shared it was like a big overwhelming experience to see Śrīla Gurudeva coming out of the car with Anantarām Prabhu and some other brahmacārīs. The program was amazing and then afterward I went to the room he was staying in upstairs. I explained to Mahārāja that I had met my wife and she had some small-sized deities of Kṛṣṇa Balarāma since she was very young, but we did not know if we should worship them.
Mahārāja said, "Better worship Gaura Nitai." I said in my mind that I do not have any deities of Gaura Nitai, but I have those deities of Kṛṣṇa Balarāma. So I thought Mahārāja did not understand and so I asked him again and then he gave the same answer, "Better worship Gaura Nitai. Gaura Nitai are Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma." For me, it was really a mysterious answer. This was long ago, maybe in 1999. Then I studied my Zoroastrian in France and was very busy with kids.
After my initiation, I asked Mahārāja again if I should worship deities. I did not indicate Kṛṣṇa Balarāma because we had put Them to sleep and we did not have any deities at home. Then he said, "If you are very busy, maybe the best is to take a picture of some deity you like very much and worship them. Like this if you have some mistake in the worship or if you cannot feed them properly, but they are already worshiped in the temple, there won’t be any offense." And so I did that all these years.
Śrī Madhusūdana Mahārāja gave me the picture of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gokulānanda from Govardhana. So I worship those deities. Then, a few weeks ago weeks ago, I received a package from India. The postman said "It is for you from India, and quite heavy." So when I opened the box, I saw that Gaura Nitai were coming. I immediately remembered this instruction of Gurudeva from twenty or so years back.
So, in a way I am very happy that Gaura Nitai are coming like this to my small place in the forest. At the same time, I wonder what will I do [to serve properly] because it is quite austere here. I recall the prediction of Śrīla Gurudeva has manifested and now They came to live here to stay with me in the forest. Maybe he brought the deities in some mystical way. So I told the deities that it will be quite vigorous here, but they seem very happy.I felt that we can see that Śrīla Gurudeva’s plans are not only related to the present moment. He can see the future and give some mysterious instructions that may manifest years later.
—Uddhava Dāsa, France
(Excerpted from Zoom meetings held on April 27- 28, 2024)
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| photo from Amit Kumar |
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