ISKCON—Miami
ISKCON-Miami
Srila Rupa Gosvami has described in his Bhaktirasamrta-sindhu that there are six characteristics of pure devotional service. His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada exhibits these characteristics in full as he is situated on the platform of pure devotional service.
1. Pure devotional service brings immediate relief from all kinds of material distress: Srila Prabhupada is a soul completely surrendered to Krsna, a pure devotee, the jagad-guru of this universe. Krsna states in Bhagavad-gita, verse 66, chapter 18, "Just give up all varieties of religiousness and surrender unto Me and in return I will protect you from all sinful reactions. Therefore you have nothing to fear." Srila Prabhupada has given everything to Krsna-body, mind and words. He is famous all over the world, is always receiving valuable gifts, but uses nothing for himself. He gives everything to Krsna, and so Krsna has relieved him from all material distress. And by his mercy, he has come to this western world on the order of his spiritual master to give us the message of Srimad Bhagavad-gita. Srila Prabhupada said when he first came here that all his Students were morose when they came to him, but now they are chanting Hare Krsna and dancing like jubilant peacocks. All Glories to His Divine Grace for he has relieved us from the miseries of material existence by giving us the supreme opportunity to serve his transcendental lotus feet,
2. Pure devotional service is the beginning of all auspiciousness: Srila Rūpa Gosvami defines all-auspiciousness as welfare activities for all people of the world. Srila Prabhupada is giving to everyone the greatest welfare work-that which is eternal-love of Godhead. By his infinite mercy he is distributing love of Godhead to all the fallen souls of this Age of Kali. Everyone in this material world is a fool number one, but Srila Prabhupada is giving everyone the chance to get out of this most foolish and miserable position by giving us the prime benediction for humanity at large: Sri Krsna sahkirtana. No one in this material world can give us this greatest thing of being able to render service to the Supreme Lord. Krsna says "Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service to him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth." Without Srila Prabhupada there is no way to become self-realized, as he is the transparent via media to Godhead. And thus Srila Prabhupada is certainly performing the highest welfare work for all humanity: distributing profusely to everyone, regardless of race, creed, color, pure love of God. All Glories to His Divine Grace.
3. Pure devotional service automatically puts one in transcendental pleasure: Rupa Gosvami says there are three kinds of pleasure-material pleasure, the pleasure of Brahman, and Krsna conscious pleasure. Krsna conscious pleasure is the highest because it is eternal, whereas the others are temporary. Srila Prabhupada is fully in Krsna consciousness and therefore can never return to the material platform. However attractive material life may seem, he knows that it cannot be compared to the spiritual Krsna consciousness activities. Srila Prabhupada does not aspire after any happiness of the material world, not even the yogic perfections. He is in knowledge that material happiness is a little puddle compared to the happiness of simply giving everything to Krsna. He is in complete transcendental happiness as he has surrendered everything to Sri Krsna. Srila Prabhupada has only one desire and that is to always be engaged in service to his spiritual master. All Glories to His Divine Grace.
4. Pure devotional service is rarely achieved: In Bhagavad-gita it is stated how rare it is for one to come to Krsna consciousness. "Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection; and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth." One can perform so many penances, austerities, give so much charity and still not attain love of God. There is only one way to achieve this ultimate goal of life, and that is through the mercy of the pure devotee. Our beloved spiritual master Srila Prabhupada. Pure devotional service is so very rare and yet Srila Prabhupada has attained to this stage by giving himself completely to the Lord, and now, he is so kind, so humble, so very merciful, beyond our conception, that he is distributing this pure devotional service to us, the most fallen living entities. All Glories to His Divine Grace.
5. Pure devotional service derides the conception of liberation: Before Srila Prabhupada came to save us, we were all in nescience, thinking that to become one with the Lord was the ultimate, wanting to give up all material possessions and simply merge into the shining effulgence of the brahma-jyoti. But then Srila Prabhupada came and told us that impersonal Brahman is not the ultimate, we do not have to give up our identities, we are all eternal individuals, we are simply Krsna's maidservants, we should not give up all our possessions, but utilize all our possessions in Krsna's service, do not stop eating, but eat only Krsna prasadam. All Glories to His Divine Grace.
6. Pure devotional service is the only means to attract Krsna: Krsna says that there is no means to attract Him except by transcendental loving service. "One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the Kingdom of God." (Bg. 18.55) Srila Prabhupada is so great, so magnanimous. Krsna is the Supreme Pure. One must be completely pure to approach Him. Srila Prabhupada is a pure devotee of the Lord, he has given everything to Krsna, simply out of love, and so Krsna has become attracted by his love. Srila Prabhupada, out of his unlimited mercy, has become our transparent via media to Krsna. We are so fallen, so contaminated, and yet, our jagad-guru has come to this western world to give us the wonderful opportunity to render some service to him, and by letting us serve him, he has given us everything. All Glories to His Divine Grace.
The last prayer of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti's Gurvastakam reads, "By the mercy of the spiritual master one is benedicted by the mercy of Krsna. Without the grace of the spiritual master no one can make any advancement. Therefore I must always remember my spiritual master. At least three times a day I must offer my respectful obeisances to the lotus feet of such spiritual master." So on this day of Vyasa-pūja, the appearance day of our beloved spiritual master, we offer our obeisances, lying prostrated, millions of times, at the feet of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, who has all the good qualities, but has one quality especially outstanding infinite unlimited causeless mercy. All Glories to His Divine Grace. All Glories to His Divine Grace. All Glories to His Divine Grace.
The jagad-guru of the universe has come to save the fallen souls,
Has come to tell us that this life is meant for reaching the ultimate goal.
Guru Maharaja told Prabhupada to preach Krsna's message to the western land,
To tell us that Krsna is the Supreme and to give us the helping hand.
Before Srila Prabhupada came to us our lives were spent each day
In sense enjoyment, speculation-ultimate decay,
Involved in sex life, drugs and drink; always full of frustration,
Feeling lost, lonely, miserable, looking for some mitigation.
And then Srila Prabhupada came to us to tell us of the Lord-
That we are all His parts and parcels but that we've been allured
Into maya's camp due to our constant greed and lust,
But that we can conquer these enemies simply by accepting the dust
Of the lotus feet of gurudeva, our saviour and our king,
Who has given us Krsna's message and thus given us everything,
Who has told us "Do not waste your time in mental speculation,
And do not care for yogic powers and ultimate liberation.
Simply chant Hare Krsna, dance, take prasadam and to everybody preach,
And by this simple process love of Godhead you will surely reach."
So on this day of Vyasa-pūja we would like to say
That Srila Prabhupada has given us the only way
To end our lives of degradation, misery and strife,
By giving us the full knowledge, bliss and eternal life.
Has come to tell us that this life is meant for reaching the ultimate goal.
Guru Maharaja told Prabhupada to preach Krsna's message to the western land,
To tell us that Krsna is the Supreme and to give us the helping hand.
Before Srila Prabhupada came to us our lives were spent each day
In sense enjoyment, speculation-ultimate decay,
Involved in sex life, drugs and drink; always full of frustration,
Feeling lost, lonely, miserable, looking for some mitigation.
And then Srila Prabhupada came to us to tell us of the Lord-
That we are all His parts and parcels but that we've been allured
Into maya's camp due to our constant greed and lust,
But that we can conquer these enemies simply by accepting the dust
Of the lotus feet of gurudeva, our saviour and our king,
Who has given us Krsna's message and thus given us everything,
Who has told us "Do not waste your time in mental speculation,
And do not care for yogic powers and ultimate liberation.
Simply chant Hare Krsna, dance, take prasadam and to everybody preach,
And by this simple process love of Godhead you will surely reach."
So on this day of Vyasa-pūja we would like to say
That Srila Prabhupada has given us the only way
To end our lives of degradation, misery and strife,
By giving us the full knowledge, bliss and eternal life.
All Glories to Srila Prabhupada, All Glories to Sri Guru
Who's given us love of Krsna, a life all fresh and new,
We wish to offer our obeisances to you,
Srila Prabhupada, our master, father, teacher and guru.
We fall down at your lotus feet and pray to always be
Engaged in your unalloyed loving service eternally.
Who's given us love of Krsna, a life all fresh and new,
We wish to offer our obeisances to you,
Srila Prabhupada, our master, father, teacher and guru.
We fall down at your lotus feet and pray to always be
Engaged in your unalloyed loving service eternally.
ISKCON Miami
Sudama das Adhikary / Riksharaj das brahmacari / Mahavira Das brahmacari / Bhakti Joe / Ricardo / Steve Prabhu / Arundhati dasi / Ken Prabhu / Aniruddha das / Bob Prabhu / Phil / Diane Prabhu / Rohini Davi
Laura Prabhu / Carol Prabhu / Cindy Prabhu / Janaka das / Puspadan das / Monmohini Devi / Nimai Devi / Pedro Prabhu / Jo Ann / Steve Prabhu / Dharma das brahmacari / Zachar Ben lozech bar yofu
Laura Prabhu / Carol Prabhu / Cindy Prabhu / Janaka das / Puspadan das / Monmohini Devi / Nimai Devi / Pedro Prabhu / Jo Ann / Steve Prabhu / Dharma das brahmacari / Zachar Ben lozech bar yofu
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