Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA

Dear Srila Prabhupada,

Please accept our most fallen obeisances at your lotus feet. We pray by your grace that we may never deviate from your order and in this way obtain your association forevermore.

We have a copy of a letter you wrote in 1968 to a devotee who had written you that he missed your association. You said:

To feel separation from the spiritual master or Krsna is a very good position. That means one who is in pure love with Krsna and His representative, the spiritual master, thinks always of them. And this thinking process is Krsna consciousness. if we can think always of Krsna in separation, that is Krsna consciousness. and on the absolute platform, there is no difference of separation and meeting. The separation is also meeting; rather; in separation one relishes the loving relationship more tastily. So don't be disappointed that you are separated from me; I am also always thinking of you-how you are making progress there.

We are sure you are still thinking of us, and we are thinking of you. "On the absolute platform, there is no difference of separation and meeting," so this is a great consolation.

But yet, because we never really appreciated you enough while you were here, we are disconsolate. For this, the time for remedy seems past. For some reason or another we were on the same planet at the same time with you, when this most rare and unique opportunity was available-the association of a such a person as you-and we did not sufficiently appreciate it. We shall never again get such an opportunity. Now that you are gone, only now do we understand what we had. We did not love you enough.

And even now we know that you are thinking of us far more than we are thinking of you. Even now we are such scoundrels that we do not appreciate you, that we sometimes become occupied with things not related to your order.

Still there is hope for us. It's true you have left the planet, but just as truly you have left behind your order for us to execute. If we have just a little faith in you, then we can accept that you are present to us in that order. You have said so. If we can be faithful to that order, we can have your association. We can appreciate that association even if we did not while you were among us.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu said:

Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Sri Krsna as they are given in Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. In this way, become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land. If you follow this instructions, your materialistic life at home will not obstruct your spiritual advancement. Indeed, if you follow these regulative principles, we will again meet here, or, rather, you will never lose My company. (Cc. Madhya 7.128-129)

"You will never lose My company!" We know, Srila Prabhupada, that you are not affected by death (which is meant only for materialists); and if we are faithful, neither will we be affected. As this Krsna consciousness movement goes on, we see the proof of this. The materialists question: "How will they be able to go on without their leader?" They are quite right in thinking that we cannot go on without you. We can't go on for a minute without you. But we are going on. Going on only because you are present.

We simply beg your continued mercy. Please grant us the strength to keep your order beating in our hearts. In this way we have your association. In all the good qualities of our Godbrothers and Godsisters we see you. When we see these manifold saintly qualities in them, we remember you, because it is only because of you that they are there. Please grant us the good sense to keep up the association of such saintly persons in your absence. They are your representatives, and you have delivered us into their association. By associating with them we associate with you; please allow us to take solace in such association.

"Liberate everybody in this land!" This is your order. Your order is God's order. Let us broadcast to the world your stature by the one fitting memorial worthy of you: our country delivered entirely unto your lotus feet. As we love you, we will do it.

We know this will find you in eternal good health.

Your most fallen servants in Philadelphia

Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/svp/vyasa-puja-homages/philadelphia/philadelphia-3