Radhastami message from Guru Maharaja

Please accept my blessings. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Today in Mayapur is the auspicious day of Sri Sri Radhastami. We are very happy to celebrate here this day and as well as it is a most important festival here because Radharani is the creator of Navadvipa Dham. She made it in order to please Krsna. Here when Krsna comes He accepts the mood of Radharani; He comes as Lord Gauranga.

This is also the 40th anniversary of my taking the Sannyasa ashram which I did in 1970 in Kolkata on this sacred day of Radhastami. So I just want to send you my best wishes and blessings on this very auspicious day.

Also what we learn from Radharani is that by trying to use our thoughts, words and deeds in serving Krsna we will also taste the highest bliss and the other things are very insignificant comparing to serving Krsna. And Radharani as the Ahladini Sakti, She is most expert to serve Krsna. So you can just take the dust from Her feet and try to serve Krsna chanting His holy names hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare. Srila Prabhupada said in a lecture, I think in London, that chanting Hare Krsna, Hare is the way of addressing Radharani. By saying Hara, that refers to Radha. So to address Her as Hare: so Radha please accept me in the service of Krsna; Krsna please accept me in your service. So by saying Hare Krsna we get the special mercy. Normally to get the blessings of Radha and Krsna is not so easy; it is not easier to always get Krsna's mercy but by Radha's mercy one can get and if one gets the mercy of Lord Caitanya then it is easy to get Radha's mercy. So we chant first jaya sri krsna caitanya prabhu nityananda sri advaita gadadhara srivas adi gaura bhakta vrnda; then we chant hare krsna hare krsna krsna krsna hare hare hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare.

So I hope that you all stay very active today, you have a wonderful, blissful, transcendental Radhastami and I take this opportunity to wish you all the best.

Your well wisher always,

Jayapataka Swami

See web sites:
http://www.jpsoffice.info/
http://www.jpsvani.com/
http://www.namahatta.org/
http://www.mayapur.com/
http://www.victoryflag.com/

PS: This message was dictated on Radhastami but due to initiation interviews on Radhastami and initiation the following day it got delayed in sending out this message. Kindly forgive us.

Diary of Guru Maharaja - August 31, 2010

Guru Maharaja was invited for a Vaisnava feast at Sulabh Bhojanalaya (Big Kitchen) by one of our Godsister Janani Radha Mataji. She is an elderly lady and a very simple devotee. She always carries Laddu Gopal Deity with her. She is very devoted to Guru Maharaja. She has been collecting donation for two years since the stroke to arrange a feast to all the Mayapur vasis in regards to the full recovery of Guru Maharaja's health. She wanted Guru Maharaja also to take prasad along with other devotees. Since Guru Maharaja has a different diet, eats slowly and the time of his prasad is also early he said he would just visit the devotees.

Janani Radha Mataji had instructed the door keepers to not stop any devotee and to allow every one to take prasad. She didn't want to commit any vaisnava aparad as this feast was arranged for the recovery of Guru Maharaja's health. She was praying to her Gopal for the blessings. Around 1500 to 2000 devotees took prasad and every one seemed to be very happy. In the end Guru Maharaja also came and thanked the devotees for accepting the prasad. Everyone praised Janani Radha Mataji's endeavor to arrange such a big feast which is difficult for a poor lady. It just shows how if someone has a sincere desire to serve Guru and Krsna then nothing is impossible to achieve.

In the evening Guru Maharaja went to the community hall for the Vyasa Puja celebration. Guru Maharaja recollected different memories when Srila Prabhupada was in Mayapur. The local grihasta devotees had made hundreds of preparations for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada.

by Vaikunthapati Das and Ratnavali dd

Guru Maharaja's offering to Srila Prabhupada - 2010

My dear spiritual father Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,

Please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace.

When I offered to serve you life after life, you replied, "Why do you want me to come back again and again?"

So then I said, "Well, if you do not want to take me back to Godhead, then I want to serve you here, life after life." You smiled.

On another occasion I said, "Srila Prabhupada, you are the most merciful and I am the most fallen - ".

You interrupted and said, "You are not the most anything."

In this way you are always giving your mercy in so many ways. I am very grateful that I had many personal exchanges like these with Your Divine Grace.

Now I am trying to follow the GBC, as your representative. They asked me to stay here in Los Angeles to undergo treatment for my stroke. By the time of your Vyasa puja celebration I will have been here over six months. Gradually I am recovering.

I am very happy - and I am sure Your Divine Grace is also pleased - that the Plenatarium is underway thanks to the efforts of Ambarisa Prabhu and his team.

This is the first time I have been absent for so long from Mayapur, and it is the first I missed the parikrama. I am doing all this as a sacrifice for your pleasure. I am feeling great separation from the holy dhama.

I was very pleased to hear that 40 years ago here in Los Angeles the small deities, Sri Sri Rukmini Dwarakanatha, ordered you to establish Krishna Consciousness in India, which you subsequently did. This was told by Brahmananda prabhu. So somehow I am here in your western headquarters, and although I am away from the world headquarters in Mayapur, I am feeling connected to Your Divine Grace and I visit your temple every day.

I hope that all the devotees take this opportunity of your Vyasa Puja to unite. As you famously said: The way to show our gratitude for all you have done for us is to cooperate in pushing on this movement. So, we are trying to cooperate, and we hope all the devotees will cooperate for Your Divine Grace's pleasure.

Many of my godbrothers have been phoning me. Somehow they have kept the tradition going in Mayapur in my absence. So I am very happy for that. I hope the Mayapur devotees will also be examples of how you have taught us to work together. I also trust they will receive everyone nicely in Mayapur, the spiritual home for the worldwide preachers.

Since I have not been able to travel, I cannot visit my zone or the devotees and disciples in Asia, Latin America, and around the world. However, they tell me that they are dedicated to serving your grace. Please have mercy on them.

Your Divine Grace has given us wonderful teachings. Now, staying here in the west for so long, I am seeing that it is very difficult to preach to the westerners; they are very much immersed in their own tamas and rajas point of view, trying to be happy. So I am very appreciative of all the miracles you have performed in bringing the western people to Krsna consciousness, and I am trying to encourage the devotees everywhere to engage in the preaching activities Your Divine Grace has inaugurated so that Lord Caitanya will be seen as the savior of the entire world for His gifts of spiritual vision and true love for Godhead.

Again and again I bow down to your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace!

Your servant eternally,

Jayapataka Swami


P.S: This offering was written by guru maharaja when he was in Los Angeles for publishing in the Vyasa-Puja book.

Janmastami Message from Guru Maharaja

Please accept my blessings. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I wanted to take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy Janmastami Festival and a very joyful Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa Puja.

Here in Mayapur we had already three Vyasa Puja celebrations; one at the National school, one at the Community Centre and one at the International school. So I think that here they want to increase every year some new event. They want to have one week celebration of Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa Puja. So of course tomorrow we will have in the temple the formal Vyasa Puja Celebration. Since Srila Prabhupada's feast falls on the Nanda Mahotsava day here they have various cooks had their kitchens inspected and authorized so that they can cook for Srila Prabhupada. We hope to get 2000 pots of preparations. This is what we are doing here in the Mayapur Dhama.

I have been in Mayapur, India since mid July over a month and a half. I was making some progress under the guidance of Dr. Acyutananda but then I got a fever and I was admitted to the hospital for about a week. Then my progress has regressed a little bit but gradually I am taking up. I was able to take a double even a couple of triple steps but now the doctor didn't want to try and I have been walking with the gait belt with one person.

I am going on one hand with the therapies and on the other hand we had the GBC subcommittee for Mayapur, 6-7 people we all met at Mayapur and we discussed about the various topics. So I have been very busy here between the therapies and few meetings and attending Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa Puja festival. So today is the Janmastami. I hope you are seeing the offerings in the www.mayapur.tv website which has a streaming video of how things are going on and you can also watch www.mayapur.com which shows other things. These are the highlights here in Mayapur.

I wanted to take this chance to wish you all a very, very blissful, a transcendental Janmastami. We were discussing this morning how understanding that Krsna's appearance and His activities are all divya, transcendental. It is so important because He says, that if one understands that His birth and activities are transcendental then they will come to Him at the time of death; they don't have to take rebirth again. I hope that everybody has clearly understood how Krsna's birth, His appearance, His pastimes are all transcendental. We are very grateful to HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada that he has brought this Krsna consciousness movement all over the world. I am very happy that I could be his disciple and I hope that I will be able to expand the movement with whatever time I have left.

I want all of you devotees to please take advantage of Srila Prabhupada's mercy. Now I see that Krsna had to kill a lot of demons; like Him and Balarama, They killed Pralambasura, Putana and so many demons. But Lord Caitanya, He said he won't lift any weapon on rivals. At one point He almost used His chakra against Jagai and Madai but Lord Nityananda prayed please forgive them and they also prayed for forgiveness. Lord Caitanya, He changed the mentality from demonic to devotee; so this is our great chance by the mercy of Lord Caitanya on this day we can have our consciousness fully switched to devotee consciousness and thus get the mercy of Krsna. Simultaneously the devotees of Lord Caitanya can be present in Caitanya lila and Krsna lila.

In the tenth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada personally tells how if we are Krsna conscious in this life, then at the end of life we can go to the universe where Krsna is having His pastimes get trained up and transfer back to Godhead. Of course if we have lot of desires we will anyway take birth in the heavenly planets and then take birth in the yogis, brahmins or rich mercantile family. But we really don't want that, we would rather directly be in Srila Prabhupada's service or be at Krsna's service but in case we don't have that focus yet then we can get this auspicious birth. I hope all the devotees will keep the focus and utilize this human form of life to get back to Krsna in this very life because if they take birth in the heavenly planets then they may miss altogether Lord Caitanya's sankirtan movement which is about 10,000 years in this Kali yuga. This is our chance. I now understand why the acaryas they pray that they can take birth immediately in the family of devotees and continue where they left out. Jai! So I thank you for taking time to read this short message and I do hope that your Janmastami festival is ecstatic and you will have a very blissful Srila Prabhupada Vyasa Puja. Hare Krsna. If you get this letter late well I sent out on the auspicious day and I hope that blessing will work.

Your well wisher always,

Jayapataka Swami

Diary of Guru Maharaja - 30th August 2010

  

This year in Mayapur they have arranged special events to celebrate Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa Puja. Srila Prabhupada's adivas ceremony was performed on 29th evening after sandhya arotik.

Three day Vyasa puja celebrations happenned in three different locations. On 30th the celebration took place in Bhaktivedanta National school. During Kolkata Ratha Yatra the National school had enacted a drama of Jagannatha Baladeva and Subhadra Devi written by HH Gour Govinda Maharaja. Guru Maharaja watched this drama and he really liked it. When he came back to Mayapur he wanted to make a visit to National school but Guru Maharaja had to go back to Kolkata for his treatment and then to Bangladesh. Therefore the principal of the school, Radhakanta Gopal prabhu and Padma Radhika Mataji after discussing with Bhakti Purushottama Maharaja came up with the plan to celebrate Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa Puja at the school and invite Guru Maharaja.

The staff and students read their offerings to Srila Prabhupada. They enacted drama, performed dance and sang songs. HG Jananivas prabhu, HG Pankajanghri Prabhu and HH Bhakti Purushottama Maharaja were also present along with Guru Maharaja. There was abhisek and aroti to Srila Prabhupada. Guru Maharaja gave a small speech appreciating the efforts of National school, how it is significant to have both spiritual and material education. Gour Govinda Maharaja's drama, touched Guru Maharaja's heart and his appreciation for Maharaja grew even more. Guru Maharaja said he was praying for all the students, staff and the parents. Guru Maharaja took his lunch at the school. The room were he had his lunch was decorated with colorful papers and balloons, and they had decorated the walls of the room with greeting cards made by the students welcoming Guru Maharaja. After prasad Guru Maharaja blessed the teachers and students.

by Ratnavali dd

Diary of Guru Maharaja - 29th August

 

After the breakfast Guru Maharaja took darshan of the Deities and then went to the Gym to do his physiotherapy. Around 1.30 he returned to his quarters. Had his lunch and then took rest until 4.30. He did his walking practice and he was about to start his excercise with a newly purchased machine from Bangalore when we both came to his quarters at 5.30pm. There was some problem in operating this machine and Krishnakumar prabhu from Italy who is a technical expert in electrical and electronic equipments was fixing it. It would take 15 minutes or so to get it fixed.

Guru Maharaja's day is generally packed with therapy, excercises, evening class so there is hardly anytime to do other activities like correspondence, or meeting with devotees. Since there was a gap we took this opportunity to discuss some matters concerning upcoming online initiation. He had earlier  asked us to download a 5minute youtube video interview of HH Radhanath Maharaja on fox news for him to see which we had it downloaded for him. Guru Maharaja watched this clip. Here is the url of this youtube if anyone is interested to see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhl_DEuUIzU&feature=player_embedded. The interview was about Maharaja's Autobiography book "Journey Home". Guru Maharaja commented Fox news is the second most watched news channel in USA. He said we could show this to Acyutananda prabhu (He is Radhanath Maharaja's disciple).

Just then a couple had arrived to have darshan and get blessings of Guru Maharaja. They are from Durgapur, West Bengal. Guru Maharaja inquired about their names for which they replied Syama Madhava das and Dayavati devi dasi. Both Guru Maharaja and ourselves we commented it couldn't be just Dayavati dd. Dayavati means merciful. It doesn't denote any personality. Guru Maharaja asked us to check her name in the database and clarify. Luckily we had our laptop with us at that time to check and her name was Dayavati Gopi dd. She had taken initiation in 2003. They became extremely happy to know her real name after so many years with the mercy of Guru Maharaja!

While this was happening the team of JPS care takers headed by Maha Varaha prabhu had their regular weekly Sunday meeting. They discuss on how to improve their services to Guru Maharaja and clarify any issues or misunderstanding so that the team can effectively serve Guru Maharaja.

Guru Maharaja did his excercise on the fixed machine for a while and then took his dinner prasad about 8pm while some devotees were singing kirtan outside his room. After the dinner, Guru Maharaja came out to give cookies to the devotees. Two Spanish speaking matajis, daughters of a Srila Prabhupada disciple were there. Guru Maharaja enquired about them. He commented that their father was Guru Maharaja's friend. He had also come to see Guru Maharaja but he had stomach upset due to some prasad that he had taken earlier so he had to leave. Guru Maharaja gave thoughtfully few cookies for him as well. Guru Maharaja went to take his rest after this.

by Vaikunthapati das and Ratnavali dd

Bangladesh and Haridaspur visit - 23rd to 28th August

Guru Maharaja returned from Bangaladesh yesterday night at 9pm to Sri Mayapur. Guru Maharaja went to Rupa Sanatan Mandir, Jessore. On the way he stopped at Haridaspur temple which is at the border of India and Bangladesh. A team of devotees including Acyutananda prabhu, Ganga prabhu, Mahavaraha prabhu, Madhava Kanta prabhu, Rucirangada prabhu along with other Mayapur devotees traveled with Guru Maharaja to Bangladesh.

In Bangladesh he gave a massive initiation ceremony and did other preaching programs. The initiation was very well organised. Sarvodoya Gaura prabhu from Mayapur Nama-Hatta had gone to Bangladesh one month ago to prepare this initiation program. HH Bhakti Purusottama Swami Maharaja and HH Gauranga Prema Swami Maharaja were also present assisting Guru Maharaja  in his initiation and preaching activities. Many hundreds of devotees took initiation everyday during this visit. They had built a new swimming pool for Guru Maharaja's water theraphy.

Upon his arrival to Mayapur, Guru Maharaja took dinner at his quarters and took rest.

Guru Maharaja Leaving From Mayapura To Bangladesh

Guru maharaja left Mayapura an hour before for Bangladesh. As he was leaving Mayapura many devotees gathered at his residence to see him. After his breakfast he gave darshan and maha to everyone. Before he got into his car took darshan of Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri Radha Madhava and Their asta sakhis, Sri Sri Prahlad Nrsimhadev and Sri Sri Panca Tattva deities. He will be coming back to Mayapura in four or five days. He is going to Bangladesh for the first time after the stroke, so thousands of devotees must be waiting there to see him. Guru maharaja will be celebrating Balaram Purnima (appearance day of Lord Balarama) tomorrow with Bangladesh devotees.


Wish you all a Happy Balaram Purnima!!!