Vyāsa-pūjā Homage, 1978

Vyasa-pūja Homage, 1978

This year's Vyasa-pūja publication is unlike others in a number of ways. For the first time we are writing about a person who is no longer physically present on this earth. In his vapuḥ form Srila Prabhupada is no more walking with us. But if anything is the main theme, in almost all the homages this year it is the feeling that we know he is present in his instructions. It is very encouraging. The very fact that with no hesitation we are producing the Vyasa-pūja book just as we did when he was with us in his vapuḥ form is encouraging.

But this year is also the first year that we read the full lamentation of the devotees. In former years only a few expressed a dreadful conjecture, "Will Prabhupada leave us one day?" Now it has happened. This year we find the devotees lamenting his disappearance: Srila Prabhupada, you've gone! This feeling-in-separation is union-in-separation-it is transcendental, and nothing to hide or be ashamed of. The gopis cried for Krsna with no social consideration. But that crying is the absolute way of being with Him in the most ecstatic mood.

This year a greater sense of responsibility is expressed than ever before … We are not the "children of the society," as Srila Prabhupada used to call us in 1966: we cannot simply laugh and play, beholding the activities of our Guru Maharaja as he preaches his world movement before our gleeful eyes. This is another major theme of this year's entries: Now that he is gone, we gave a big responsibility. "Now we must FOLLOW those instructions!"-that is also stressed by the devotees writing this year.

And for the first time we are greeting and worshiping the new gurus personally selected by Srila Prabhupada. His mercy is being perpetuated by the new initiating gurus-this is also a part of the 1978 Vyasa-pūja to Srila Prabhupada. It is proof of his continuance, proof of his glory.

So this book is a publication of love; it needs no other reason to be. It is our homage to Srila Prabhupada. We know we must go on vigorously preaching in this world, but to ease our separation from Srila Prabhupada and to remember him in love, the yearly Vyasa-pūja book is a wonderful tradition-and that was given to us by him.

-Satsvarūpa dasa Goswami

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