—Woomapati

-Woomapati
Vyas Puja Tribute
"The Spiritual Master is honored as much as the Supreme Lord on account of His being the Most Confidential Servitor of the Lord. This is acknowledged in all revealed Scriptures and is followed by all authorities. Therefore I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Lotus Feet of my Spiritual Master who is the bona fide representative of Hari." (prayer)
"O Suta Goswami, the great sages who have completely taken shelter of the Lotus Feet of the Lord can at once sanctify others who may come into touch with them while the water of the Ganges can do so after a prolonged use only." (Srimad Bhagwatam, 1.1.15)
I offer my most humble and respectful obeisances to my beloved Spiritual Master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Goswami Maharaj, who out of His unlimited compassion and mercy has brought Krishna Consciousness to the most fallen souls of the kaliyuga.
One can only approach Krishna by the mercy of the bona fide representative of Krishna. How can we know how to approach Krishna by ourselves? Only someone who already knows how Krishna wants to be approached can direct others in the proper way of approaching Him. For this reason the Spiritual Master is honored and respected as much as Krishna Himself. This can be easily seen in His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami; for, which of us would know anything of the Supreme Absolute Truth, the All-Attractive Sri Krishna without the causeless Mercy of our Spiritual Master?
"I was born in the darkest of ignorance and my Spiritual Master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Him." (prayer)
The genuine Spiritual Master teaches completely in accordance with the revealed Scriptures without any personally motivated interpretations, as the mailman delivers the letter without writing anything on himself. In this way, the Spiritual Master shows the student the Source of Divine Knowledge, so that the student can now see. The Spiritual Master also shows the student how to live in the revealed knowledge according to the directions in the Scriptures Themselves. I was such a fool to think that on my own I could find anything, let alone the Supreme Absolute Truth, but my Spiritual Master, by refusing to compromise with my idiocy, told me to simply take Krishna's Word for things and see if it wasn't better that way.
What can I say; what can I do; what can I write to communicate? Krishna Consciousness is perfect. Prabhupada is the perfect Spiritual Master. Everybody should fall at His Lotus Feet in humility and surrender. He has made His Mercy available to everyone and anybody who wastes this opportunity is a fool. Who else is showing so plainly the Beautiful Truth, the Supreme Person Sri Krishna? Who else is teaching us how to love Krishna the way that Krishna wants to be loved?
I beg to offer this most unworthy and inadequate tribute to my Spiritual Master, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Goswami Maharaj on Vyas Puja, 1969. I prostrate myself at His Feet and offer my most respectful obeisances and undying gratitude again and again and again.
Namah Om Vishnupadaya Krishnapresthaya Bhutale Srimate Bhaktivedanta Swamin Iti Namine.
-Woomapati
(ISKCON-Los Angeles)
 

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