Cooperating with Srila Prabhupada and Update on Nrsmhadevi dasi

By Mahadevi dasi

My dear family of devotees around the world,

Pamho. Agt our most munificent Srila Prabhupada who has so kindly given us Krsna here, Krsna there and Krsna everywhere:)

“When we become convinced that Krsna is our ultimate Friend and Protector, how happy and peaceful we will be. Just be in love with Krsna! Then, you’ll see how much tranquility you will feel, how you feel protected by Krsna, how you avoid insufficiency, how you become pure, and how you make progress in spiritual life. Thank you very much.”
(Srila Prabhupada, when and where?)

Our Prabhupada has successfully disseminated what no other previous or present acarya has been able to do in every town and village of this material world. Srila Prabhupada has so graciously bestowed upon us his own unique, simply wonderful blend of Hare Krsna Bhakti Process, that was Personally given to His Divine Grace by Krsna Himself!

“I fervently appeal to you to extend your cooperation for successful execution of this great movement, ISKCON. Thank you once more.” (Los Angeles,
23/12/68)

It was Prabhupada’s blood, sweat, tears and unsurpassed compassion for us that developed the satsang and internal awareness we enjoy today. Without Prabhupada’s complete dedication to his Spiritual Master and to Lord Caitanya’s ISKCON, (despite his tensions, obstacles, n severe health problems), there would be no Hari Hari Bol!

It is Prabhupada’s global vision that created and maintained ISKCON, which he knew would save all the conditioned souls on this planet. We must carry on his broad vision to keep ISKCON alive and healthy.

Prabhupada’s broad vison would see a spark of interest in any devotee to serve Krsna. Prabhupada would fan this spark to a glowing fire with his love and kindness. Can we also do this for each other? Looking for what’s right, instead of what’s wrong. Looking at the utility of the offered toilet tissue, not the brand name:) And even if we can’t use, we can show an attitude of gratitude to the person who has tried to serve in some capacity.

Srila Prabhupada risked his life to give us KRSNA. Let’s pray to keep the mood of Prabhupada’s Sunday Love Feast… with each other, as well as with others. Prabhupada has given us everything that we need to enliven our dormant Krsna Consciousness.

Srila Prabhupada’s Books are the panacea for all suffering on this planet. No one has ever written, explained or distributed the spiritual science of Krsna consciousness like the way our Prabhupada has given AND still continues to give! Let us show our loyalty and gratefulness to Prabhupada’s Books by reading Them, as well as sharing Them with others.

“The Western learned circle, they are admitting that the greatest contribution of Hare Krsna movement is these authentic translation of Vedic literature.” (Morning walk in Bombay, 21/11/75)

Any foreigner or Indian who knows anything about Hare Krsna Hare Rama is indebted to Srila Prabhupada and the followers of his Sacred Mission, ISKCON.

During the recently celebrated 33rd anniversary of the world-famous Krsna Balaram Mandir in Sri Vrndavana Dhama on Ram Nomi, it was again firmly established that Srila Prabhupada is the one who has put Vrndavana on the map! Vrndavana has become a thriving “tourist spot”; back-packers, students, Delhi wallas, viewers of the Taj and busloads of souls are coming to Prabhupada’s temple daily. Many Brijabasis have now become crore-aires! :)

Because of the high standard of worship that has been established by Prabhupada in his Krsna Balaram International Temple, Vrndavana pujaris have increased their standard of Deity worship, especially in the seven major temples. Prabhupada’s dynamic, pure devotional potency has influenced seekers around the world to inquire about Krsna Consciousness, moreover attracting millions of visitors to Vrndavana.

Srila Prabhupada’s Divine Grace and the decades of preaching work in ISKCON have made Hare Krsna an increasingly popular, celebrated mantra and a bonafide, multi-cultural religion. The current rise of interest in yoga, vegetarianism, mantra meditation, spiritual music and spiritual values is also largely due to Lord Caitanya’s Sankirtana Movement that has been propagated by Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON.

We can feel grateful, excited, and satisfied to be a member of ISKCON!

“Your love for me will be shown by how much you cooperate to keep this institution (ISKCON) together, AFTER I AM GONE.”

Prabhupada knew we would fight, find fault with each other, and forget. He knew we would be confronted with numerous tensions, especially with each other. There were even major problems during Prabhupada’s vapuh years with us.

Yet, Prabhupada didn’t really leave us and he never will!

It is our simple, chaste faith that reveals his all-pervading, personal presence with us in every situation…. everyday. To be solution-oriented as opposed to wallowing in the problems is healing and productive.

“You are cooperating; therefore I am getting the credit. Otherwise, alone what could I do? Ekake amara nahi paya bolo. Caitanya Mahäprabhu Himself wanted our cooperation. He is God, Krsna. And therefore cooperation is very important thing. Nobody should think that “I have got so great ability. I can do.” No. It is simply by cooperation we can do very big thing. “United we stand; divided we fall.” (Room conversation in Mayapura, 16/3/76)

May we pray to exercise the sastra-caksuh that Prabhupada so kindly gave us. If we really do want to see Guru and Krsna in every devotee, in every person, and in every challenge. then we will see. Simple for the simple; most difficult when we forget. I have many personal experiences of forgetting:)

Let us pray to remember that Prabhupada is STILL walking and talking amongst us, in every exchange with another devotee, in every meeting, in every tension, in every endeavor, in every health problem .everyday. , “Yes. You can do this. Now, you can push on. It is a good movement for the benefit of the whole world. Krsna will help you. Krsna will recognize you. Go on pushing rightly. Our only mission is para-upakära—we don’t want to exploit anyone—Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission.” (Bhubanesvara, 3/2/77)

Let us be unified, even amongst our diversities.. for Prabhupada and his ISKCON Mission. Even in the outside world, big corporates “work it out”, even if they agree to disagree on some issues of management or whatever. Let us enthusiastically maintain the numerous preaching activities that Prabhupada established within ISKCON, including the “preaching” of nurturing and taking care of devotees, before moving on to “bigger and better.”

Let’s make room for each other to use individual personalities and creative abilities to push on BHAKTI or consciousness of Krsna, as Prabhupada does.

If we are rude, hurtful, or callous to each other, it is explained that we must be having the same issues with Guru and Krsna. How many times have we heard some devotee say, “I’m so fried because so and so will not hear me out and I feel it’s either his way or the highway!”

Let us pray more fervently to apply this wonderful BHAKTI Process in behaving as humble servants and well-wishing friends with one another, respectful and encouraging to ALL One time, a devotee was giving SB Class in Vrndavana and he was commenting on third verse of Siksastaka. “…. devoid of all sense of false prestige and ready to offer ALLLLLLL respect to others.” He repeated that phrase, “ALL respect to others” several times and slowly; we thought maybe he had forgotten what he was going to say and was stalling for time.. haha… But actually, the rest of the Class was all about that.

“To ALL, not just GBC, TP, TC, rich devotee, big collector, big name and position, etc. TO ALL…. sweeper of temple room, pani walla, to new bhakta, to those whom we don’t like or disagree with, and to those who may have left our family for one reason or another.”

Let’s not lock the door on those whom we may not agree with, but use the vijnana of Krsna Consciousness to work it out, as Prabhupada expects of us. Let’s take a few minutes out of the day to render some random act of kindness with devotees in our family, not only to those whom we are giving a BOOK to or soliciting a donation from:)

We can consciously choose “win-win” for all difficult encounters with each other, so that during any communication with another… we have tried our best to share Prabhupada’s kindness and common sense. It is our duty to recognize and counter impersonalism and voidism with each other, thus truly caring about each other as part and parcel of Prabhupada’s family.

This is the cooperative spirit that Prabhupada requested of us. Families may fight with one another, but we also want to resolve with bhakti. That sincere desire to “want to resolve” or “get to work it out with this devotee” will reveal the resolution to any “heavy situation.”

“So, you are trying so much for my comfort. I do not know whether I shall be able to repay you. Then, I shall try my best. It is not possible to repay your debts, that so kind. So I can simply pray to Krsna to give His blessings to you, so that you may remain very steady in devotional service and preach this cult all over the world. Otherwise, I have no other means. Without your help, I could not do anything. So, you are very much kind. Kindly continue your cooperation.” (31/3/77, Mayapura)

Our Srila Prabhupada and Krsna will Personally enlighten us with amazing ideas to solve or ease our disturbances. They will also show us the humor and how temporary “the whole show is.” Prabhupada and Krsna are speaking to us directly in so many ways, if we open our hearts to hear through the devotees and even from sources in the material world.

“For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost nor is he ever lost to Me.” (Bg 6.30) In fact, every answer to every question, every solution to every problem is contained within the all-auspiciousness of

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

and in the Krpa of Vaisnava seva.

On May 23, our dear Nrsmhadevi dasi (of Prabhupada’s Home in Vrndavana for 20 years) came by stretcher in an ambulance from Apollo Hosp in Delhi to Vrndavana. Nrsmhadevi had experienced a bad fall a few months back, and the injury at the bottom of her spine became worse. Trying various methods to deal with multiplying problems, she finally had to be admitted to the hospital in Delhi for 3 weeks. After numerous tests and procedures, she was released to come back home to Vrndavana.

I had been praying in Jagannatha Puri for some temple seva to ISKCON Vrndavana, whereby I could feel more useful in my personal relationship with Srila Prabhupada and the devotees. I have plenty of service to keep me busy everyday, but I wanted some “little” tapasya for purification. Of course, I had “to tell” Krsna and Balaram that the service had to be within my limits of tapa:) In other words, not so tapa, but just a little:)

Immediately on my return home to Vrndavana, Prabhupada presented to me the opportunity to serve this long-time ISKCON Vrndavana temple devotee! Amazing how personal our Srila Prabhupada is!

Due to a need and greed for Vaisnava krpa, we’ve been trying to serve as her full-time caregiver for the past month in the MVT. Unable to get up or move much, Nrsmha’s body has been receiving a daily and nightly medical regulation of bathing, massage, “rolling yoga”:), pranayama, acupressure, nutritious Prasad, a small arsenal of allopathic meds, humor, comfort, KRSNA Book, Prabhupada videos and Prabhupada’s all-wonderful Process…. in bed!

Care-giving has become an on-going “preaching” seva Here in Vrndavana. We are so fortunate in ISKCON Vrndavana to “get the nectar” on two radio stations, giving us Prabhupada’s full daily temple program. This blessing is so much appreciated by devotees recuperating or leaving their bodies.

Due to the all-healing Presence of our Srila Prabhupada, Nitai Goura, Krsna Balarma, Radha Syamasundara, Srimati Tulsidevi, and the love of the devotees, Nrsmhadevi is much stronger. She is now able to sit up with the assistance of back support. Our dear sister is enjoying reading again, making ghee wicks, and participates in visualization exercises for future healthy service! In a recent hospital visit for the one month assessment, Drs. were impressed with her recovery! Yet, she still has to stay in bed for another month!

We would like to humbly request that you send your prayers, well wishes, and possibly some humor for Nrsmhadevi mataji. On a practical note, we need a hospital bed asap.

Also, if there is any devotee who would like to come and stay in Vrndavana for a month and render full-time care-giving seva to Nrsmhadevi, your room and board would be covered, and some extra Laksmi would be offered. AC is being installed in her room where she is being re-located, so no worries for the hot Vrndavana weather:) Please contact me @ bhakti108123@yahoo.com

All glories to all of Prabhupada’s family of Krsna’s devotees. Dunyavats and dandavats:) for always being my source of inspiration. If I can’t become a genuine devotee in this lifetime, please allow me to live in your association, and fetch something when you need. Hoping this meets you and your families healthy and enlivened.

Ys Mahadevi dasi