Vyasa Puja offering to Srila Prabhupada 2017

(view 2017 offerings by disciples)

 

Dear Srila Prabhupada,
Please accept my most respectful obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet.
Among your innumerable cintamani characteristics, your transcendental facet of “reverse thinking” delights me, educating my soul.
Instead of following the “normal, logical” direction of an assertion, a reverse thinker turns the direction around (or turns around an important element in that assertion), consequentially revealing an unexpected outcome.
For several months I have been meditating on the following divine paradox, for both purification and exultation.
Yes, truly society is most degraded today.  But instead of merely lamenting it’s fallen state, and even hiding away from it, your devotees should see the immense silver lining glittering within the dark cloud. The bhakti reality is that the more polluted is humanity, the greater the opportunity is for serving and pleasing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
 
“So Kali-yuga, people are suffering. They're all fallens, all meat-eaters, all drunkards, all fifth-grade, sixth-grade men. They are puffed-up, but actually they are fifth-, sixth- and tenth-grade men, not even gentlemen. Therefore my Guru Mahārāja used to say that ‘No gentleman can live here. The society is so polluted’.”
 
And now for the contrarian hook, the unexpected divine reversal:
 
“But there is opportunity of serving Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Because the society is so fallen, therefore there is good opportunity to serve Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's incarnation is to reclaim these fallen souls. So you have got the opportunity to serve Śrī Caitanya ..., to please Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, because He wanted the fallen souls to be delivered.
 
“Kṛṣṇa also wanted. Yadā yadā hi glānir bhavati bhārata, dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata [Bg. 4.7]. Kṛṣṇa comes... This is... God's business is going on like that. He's very anxious to reclaim all these rascals rotting in this material world. Kṛṣṇa is always anxious. He comes Himself. He comes as devotee. He comes..., sends His bona fide servant, bona fide son.
So this is Kṛṣṇa's concern, to reclaim all these fallen souls. Therefore these are the opportunity. “
 
O eternal father and master, you once described that a Vaishnava is the greatest opportunist. Now, as an aspiring servitor of Mahaprabhu, Radha-Krishna combined, I can more fully grasp the preciously rare reach of that bhakti opportunism. I beg for the spiritual strength and acumen to change my vision, so that it aligns with yours.
 
seeking your unconditional service,
Devamrita Swami
 

Dear Srila Prabhupada,

Please accept my most respectful obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet.

Among your innumerable cintamani characteristics, your transcendental facet of “reverse thinking” delights me, educating my soul.

Instead of following the “normal, logical” direction of an assertion, a reverse thinker turns the direction around (or turns around an important element in that assertion), consequentially revealing an unexpected outcome.

For several months I have been meditating on the following divine paradox, for both purification and exultation.

Yes, truly society is most degraded today.  But instead of merely lamenting it’s fallen state, and even hiding away from it, your devotees should see the immense silver lining glittering within the dark cloud. The bhakti reality is that the more polluted is humanity, the greater the opportunity is for serving and pleasing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

So Kali-yuga, people are suffering. They're all fallens, all meat-eaters, all drunkards, all fifth-grade, sixth-grade men. They are puffed-up, but actually they are fifth-, sixth- and tenth-grade men, not even gentlemen. Therefore my Guru Mahārāja used to say that ‘No gentleman can live here. The society is so polluted’.

And now for the contrarian hook, the unexpected divine reversal:

But there is opportunity of serving Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Because the society is so fallen, therefore there is good opportunity to serve Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's incarnation is to reclaim these fallen souls. So you have got the opportunity to serve Śrī Caitanya ..., to please Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, because He wanted the fallen souls to be delivered.

Kṛṣṇa also wanted. Yadā yadā hi glānir bhavati bhārata, dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata [Bg. 4.7]. Kṛṣṇa comes... This is... God's business is going on like that. He's very anxious to reclaim all these rascals rotting in this material world. Kṛṣṇa is always anxious. He comes Himself. He comes as devotee. He comes..., sends His bona fide servant, bona fide son.

So this is Kṛṣṇa's concern, to reclaim all these fallen souls. Therefore these are the opportunity. 

O eternal father and master, you once described that a Vaishnava is the greatest opportunist. Now, as an aspiring servitor of Mahaprabhu, Radha-Krishna combined, I can more fully grasp the preciously rare reach of that bhakti opportunism. I beg for the spiritual strength and acumen to change my vision, so that it aligns with yours.

seeking your unconditional service,

Devamrita Swami