Thursday, August 22, 2013

Culture or consequence






The following is an homage that i wrote to my spiritual master Srila Ravindra Svarupa Prabhu for this years Vyasa-puja.  Since i celebrated both my guru’s and Lord Balarama’s appearance days this week, and since it very much fits the theme and tone of the blog, i thought it fitting to make it this weeks entry.

Dearest Gurudeva,

Respectful obeisances to you on this auspicious day.  i don’t always write one of these things because i often find myself just asking you for stuff, and i don’t want this occasion to go the way of christmas where everyone forgets about their spiritual master’s birth and instead throws fits about getting the incorrect toy or the wrong color iphone.

But i realize that by not writing an offering, i am missing out on an opportunity for expressing gratitude for all you have given me, so i will try to become more regular with it so as to attempt to rejuvenate our culture as well as to become a more worthy disciple.

Recently, i was reading the pastime of  Lord Balarama going on pilgrimage and His encounter with Romaharsana.   Lord Balarama’s reaction to the so-called spiritualist’s lack of proper etiquette was to first say these words:

“Although he is a disciple of the divine sage Vyäsa and has thoroughly learned many scriptures from him, including the lawbooks of religious duties and the epic histories and Puräëas, all this study has not produced good qualities in him. Rather, his study of the scriptures is like an actor's studying his part, for he is not self-controlled or humble and vainly presumes himself a scholarly authority, though he has failed to conquer his own mind.”

After speaking these words, the Lord fatally stabbed Romaharsana with a blade of kusa grass.

When i read this passage, i couldn’t help but think what Lord Balarama would say about me.  i imagine that i too would get quite the kusa grass lashing. 

It has been two decades since i first heard you speak, and that moment was not one to be taken lightly, for it changed the course of my life in a major way.  There is no doubt that i am a much better man than i would have become without your guidance and instructions, but i would be a complete idiot to say that have done my best.

With the amount of knowledge and mercy that you have bestowed upon me, i should be a much better representative than i am today.

But Lord Balarama hasn’t killed me yet, so i suppose i still have time to try to get it right.

For the majority of the years that i have heard your annual vyasa puja address, you simply request that your disciples get along with each other and cooperate in their Krsna consciousness.  But i think we owe you more than that.  For what you have given us, we owe you nothing less than the absolute best that we could possible muster up.

So i apologize for taking so long to realize my duty, and i hope i can always remember it and apply it in my every action, thought, and word.  Thank you for all that you have given us. There is truly no way for us to repay your kindness.

yours in the service of Srila Prabhupada,

carucandra dasa

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