Berkeley

BERKELEY

nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhū-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine

namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine
nirvisesa-sūnyavadi-pasatya-desa-tarine

Dear Srila Prabhupada,

In the Science of Self-Realization you have stated, "'Animal' means that one has no memory. So when your memory of God is reducing, that means that our human qualities are reducing." Stricken with amnesia and concerned only with the animal technology of eating, sleeping, mating and defending we were nothing more than two-legged animals-dvi-pada-pasu. Being deeply absorbed in the bodily conception of life, completely unaware of our true identity as spiritual beings, we have been engaged in a hard struggle for existence in this material world since time immemorial. In such a fallen condition, with our real knowledge veiled by unlimited lusty desires, we have just begun to be able to perceive the evils of birth, death, disease and old age by dint of your merciful salutary instructions. You have described this struggle for existence as the living entities' attempt to enjoy pleasurable experiences while simultaneously avoiding miserable ones. You have taught us that modern society is simply engaged in patchwork activities meant to cover over the perpetual miseries of material existence and have compared this foolish attempt to "blowing on a boil" to get relief, which obviously is only symptomatic and extremely ineffective. With undefeatable reasoning and logic you have revealed to us the uselessness of endeavoring for material happiness, which is destined to come our way, even unsolicited, as does distress. "Happiness and distress appear and disappear in due course, just as the winter and summer seasons," you would say, repeating the words of Lord Krsna, "so simply tolerate them without being disturbed." Or you would teach us a poem by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in which he writes:

Enjoyment, sorrow, what but lots
To which the flesh is heir?
The soul that sleeps alone concludes
In them he hath a share.
The flesh is not our own alas
The mortal frame a chain -
The soul confined for former wrongs
Should try to rise again!!

Although we were tightly bound to the world of birth and death by the chain of material consciousness, you have carried us to the spiritual world on the wings of your ambrosial words. "Preaching," you say, "means to convince others that without becoming Krsna conscious their lives are simply wasted." One who has life can preach. No one can preach with as much conviction as you, Srila Prabhupada. You are the most merciful of all. To give a diseased man what he desires to eat even though it is not good for him is not merciful but rather cruel. You give only Krsna. Srila Prabhupada, you are the total physician for our composite disease of material life and its miseries. You have given us the internal medicine-bhakti, devotion to Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Untainted by selfish motivations, you are the only one who has delivered the message of Lord Krsna purely, without interpretation. So many "show bottle" gurus have come to the West to take selfishly for themselves money, followers, etc. But you came to give, not to take. To give krsna-prema-maha-dhana-the greatest treasure of love of Krsna. The other so-called svamis and gurus have taught only bits and pieces of the yoga process and are compared to the goldsmith, who uses a small hammer and taps the gold many times. But you, Srila Prabhupada, are like the blacksmith, who uses a large hammer and with one stroke his job is finished. You have taught us to take the big hammer of bhakti-yoga (kecit kevalaya bhaktya) and finish all material life.

The pathway to the spiritual world has been revealed by the intensely bright effulgence radiating from your transcendental words, which have been made available to conditioned souls around the world via the purports of your wonderful books.

You have given to us the message of the living world-as taught by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu-that we are all eternally the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of the servant of Lord Sri Krsna.

You have taught us that the secret of success is to use everything in the service of the Lord, especially our tongue. Simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra and eating krsna-prasada we can go back home to Godhead. Please help us to realize how fortunate we are.

You have said that our love for you will be shown by how much we cooperate with one another in your absence. Please help us to become free from the propensity to find fault with one another. We pray for the ability to see in each other the good qualities and to combine together like a bunch of sticks, so as to be a strong force in the battle of re-establishing religious principles.

yasya deve para bhaktire yatha deve thata gurau
tasyaite kathitaḥ hy arthaḥ prakasante mahatmanaḥ

"Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the tenets of Vedic scriptures automatically revealed." If one claims to have faith in a bridge he must be willing to walk across it. Activity is the proof of one's faith. You have stated in the Bhagavad-gita (9.3 purport) that it is only by faith that one can advance in Krsna consciousness. you have given us the science of self-realization. Please help us to follow your instructions, for knowledge of theory does not good unless applied. Does a lamp reveal anything to a blind man although in the palm of his hand?

We, the residents of New Jagannatha Puri Dhama beg to be allowed to eternally assist you in spreading the message of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu to every town and village.

Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/svp/vyasa-puja-homages/berkeley/berkeley-1