Transcendence in Action – Part 3 [granthraj]

I apologise for not sending any emails since the last update. I have been mostly in Nasik and then in Bhaktivedanta Hospital trying to serve Gurudev.

Gurudev’s purity and transcendence is truly bewildering for me to understand. His lila of showing us the way to tolerate apparent sickness and disease continues everyday. As his disciples, we must truly be blessed to be present and be a part of Gurudev’s lila.

Transcendence in Action – Part 2 [granthraj]

Transcendence in Action [granthraj]

Medically, as by now most devotees would have heard and read in Granthraj postings etc, Gurudev’s health remains stable but is critical. The lung infection is serious, as the CT scans have shown, and Maharaj has had very, very bad attacks where he described to us as if his entire chest was being squeezed and suffocated. One night, the attacks began in the Bhaktivedanta Hospital at 10 pm and continued unabated and relentless until 4 pm in the morning. Unlike the episode of the leg pain that H.G Sevananda Prabhuji had described, this was totally life-threatening. Like both episodes however, Maharaj tolerated to no end and placed his life in the Lord’s lotus hands. He said later in the morning – "Last night I was ready to leave (he said that 2 times to us in that episode), but I thought that if Krsna wants I will continue – but I have to tolerate to discover what the Lord wants, and not impose on Him." This instruction is very deep and very satisfying.

However, Maharaj, being a pure devotee of the Lord, is under the total protection of the Lord – he invests zero faith in medicines, physical diagnosis and medical reports. Mahraj quoted 7.9.17 to me and sternly told me: "duhkhausadham tad api duhkham atad-dhiyaaham bhuuman bhramaami vada me tava daasya-yogam" – "Although there are many remedies by which to get out of miserable life, any such remedies in the material world are more miserable than the miseries themselves. Therefore I think that the only remedy is to engage in Your service. Kindly instruct me in such service."

Maharaj stressed that, at the fag end of our lives, the real test is not how much Bhagavatam we have studied, or how much we have written or spoken or preached on Bhagavatam, or studied slokas, but by how much we practice all of the above when the body gives up on us and deteriorates. In our prime, away from pain, it is easy to preach, he said, but real purity is tested at the point when disease attacks us. He told me to be very careful in my behaviour.

Medically speaking, Maharaj’s oxygen saturation is stable but low. His condition is expected to continue in this manner indefinitely. Specialists doctors have assembled to offer some suggestions on treatment, and, Krsna willing, I am flying in to meet them and serve Gurudev, on his instructions, on New Year’s day by noon.

Gurudev is ready and happy to see devotees from all over the world. Please, however, note that your darshan timings may have to work around Gurudev’s timings; generally however, the best times are in the mornings. We will also try and put as many devotees together, because then Gurudev says he will not have to exert his breath. Every ounce of his breath counts now towards his life. This is very important.

So, please inform Vaishnava Seva Prabhuji or myself of your timings so that we can work out Maharaj’s timing to the best of his comfort. In the event that you come all the way and cannot see Maharaj for any reason, please tolerate.. Maharaj said this to me 4 days ago: "It is not coming here to see me that pleases me most. That actually pleases you more -  I am not an exhibit and do not want to be propped up to be one; what pleases me most is if you lovingly follow my instructions very strictly  – then I will never leave you son." Maharaj told me how many of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples who had much physical association with Srila Prabhupada left the movement when he departed from this world. But many of his disciples who hardly had any physical interaction with Srila Prabhupada have now gone on to lead ISKCON and perform wonderful devotional service to their spiritual master. Maharaj told me that this is way of our parampara – vani is eminently more important than vapu.

So please come and take darshan of our beloved spiritual master – your sincere prayers are the best to please him, as he continues his preaching of Srimad Bhagavatam unmotivated and therefore uninterrupted, even in the midst of a deadly disease that tries everyday to take his breath away. But please stay as briefly as possible to avoid over exerting Gurudev, even when he tells you otherwise.

In the nights, when the hospital becomes quiet and peaceful, and the room is dimly lit, I watch from the end of that room my beloved spiritual master, as he tries to take rest, huddled with his palms as his pillow; his countenance is serene, like an innocent child, totally dependent on his Supreme Father, without a care in the world, knowing that the Lord is there to protect him. As I take darshan of him in that way, I realise that here before me is really a Gosvami, a perfect master of his senses, and a true pure devotee of the Lord, a great and venerated Vaishnava.

Prabhus and Matajis, being his children, we all have a little of Maharaj’s exalted qualities in us; Srila Prabhupada said that always of his disciples. Maharaj tells me always – you are all my jewels, my children. No one is dearer or further to Gurudev. Please, we must turn this difficult curve together, as one, dedicated to preaching the glories of our beloved spiritual master, and, Krsna willing, do him justice in our spiritual lives, until our lives depart from us.

Your servant
Devakinandan Das

Disclaimer: This article was originally published in the Yahoo Groups granthraj – run by the disciples of H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj – by the devotee name mentioned above. The posting in this article, is original realizations of our Guru Maharaj and the devotee who wrote this. Any comments regarding this article would be passed on directly to the devotee. In this article, ‘Maharaj’ and ‘Gurudev’ implicitly refer to our spiritual master H H Mahavishnu Goswami Maharaj.

Related posts:

1. Transcendence in Action – Part 8 [granthraj]
2. Transcendence in Action – Part 7 [granthraj]
3. Transcendence in Action – Part 6 [granthraj]
4. Transcendence in Action – Part 5 [granthraj]
5. Transcendence In Action – Part 4 [granthraj]
6. Transcendence in Action – Part 2 [granthraj]
7. Transcendence in Action [granthraj]