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EDITORIAL December 18, 1999 VNN5103 Comment on this story Our Inspiration BY SWAMI B.A. PARAMADVAITI  EDITORIAL, Dec 18 (VNN) — What follows is an excerpt from the speech by Srila Bhakti Alok Paramadvaiti Maharaj at the last day of the WVA Symposium in Vrindavan at the Vaisnava Forum in Yamuna Kunj. That same day, November 22nd, very early before dawn, at 2:10, Srila Bhakti Pramod Puri Maharaj had departed from this world at Sri Jagannath Puri Dham in Orissa. With very mixed feelings I'm entering into the closing section of the wonderful WVA Symposium which is ending very sadly. At the same time it is not sad at all because it is simply the sweet will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead to Whom we should always obey. This is the right way to see things and there is no other way indeed. Our Lord has desired to take His dear servant with Him. Our beloved Guru Maharaja, the fountainhead of inspiration for the WVA, the guide and beloved master of all the sincere vaisnavas in the line of Srila Rupa Goswami coming down to us in the intimate and confidential service of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad is no more in our midst. He was jagat guru, mahopadesak-pratna-vidyalankar, the leader of the Gopinath Gaudiya Math and the affectionate friend of all the Vaisnavas and also of this insignificant soul. It us due to his inspiration only that we were able to push on against all types of hardships we had pulling on against hardships and now therefore it is a sacred duty to continue all the efforts for Vaisnava unity, which were very much inspired by him. Speaking about the WVA, he once said, "Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur has predicted, that all the Vaisnavas in South India will eventually come to understand the position of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and they will joyfully join in what is supposed to be the world religion for this age kali kalera yuga dharma, nama sankirtana, krishna-vina-nahi, tare prabhartana Srila Puri Maharaj never felt to be a master. He lived like a servant of the servant of the servant, and that is why he is a real master. He is one of those personalities, which we could call supreme personalities of servitude to God because his service attitude was supreme. Srila Puri Maharaj was the chef editor of the Nadiya Prakash, the only spiritual newspaper ever published in India at least to my knowledge. He did such a host of services that is very difficult to glorify them all. If you considered that he initiated over hundred twenty sannyasis and babajis, it's in itself an amazing number considerate that his own gurudeva only initiated twenty. Off course Guru Mj would always say, this is initiation from Prabhupad, I am giving I am just serving him here. He installed almost one hundred deities in India, whenever anybody liked to installed Thakurji, Srila Puri Maharaj was called because it was well known for his purity and knowledge. Anybody who saw him could get sraddha, just by seeing him. The disciples of Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Maharajwill never forget their pastimes. Srila Puri Maharaj was 3 years older than Srila Sridhar Maharaj, but he always said Srila Sridhar Maharaj was senior to him, and he insisted on it. Surely these are not ordinary dealings among Godbrothers. One day before Srila Sridhar Maharaj left this world, Srila Puri Maharaj, who was already over ninety years, came to the Math and said, "Tomorrow Guru Maharaj will leave the world." How did he know it? Because they were one in their love to their guru. As a matter of fact Srila Sridhar Maharaj departed the next day. just as if they had an agreement. Srila Puri Maharaj blessed all of us in his Vyasapuja on the 12th of October and then he waited till the end of Karttik, approaching the full moon, the rasa- purnima, before entering the nitya-lila with his eternal Lord. Srila Puri Mj gave us a message. "Please, take care to do everything properly. Do not be depend all life making the guru decide all the time." Ssometimes he said, "Leave me in peace. Let me rest and chant." His sadhana, meditation, japa, Gayatri, every thing he did was just madhuram, madhuram, madhuram, sweet, sweet, sweet. Just like Krishna is sweet, His pure devotee is also sweet, and what he does is also sweet. We are now deprived of such sweetness among us. This is very much intolerable and there is no way for us to replace that by looking at the movie or reading his book, because the association with Sri Guru cannot be so easily substituted. Now we have to surrender again. Once we approached Srila Sridhar Maharaj with the question, "What we have to do now in the separation from our guru?" He answered, "Now you have to really surrender." Srila Puri Maharaj understood the spirit of the WVA, he favored and pushed it. He accepted to be the first President and protect all the Vaisnavas. With his proverbial humility he said, "You're giving me the opportunity to do something for my spiritual master, therefore I accept it." In this way the WVA was started and to show his endorsement he moved to Vrinda Kunja together with SrilaNayanananda Das Babaji Maharaj and giving lectures for so many devotees from all the Maths. Every body was so surprised, "What is going on?" Then we said that "We have started the WVA, we need all of you to participate". Then everybody came. The first meeting started with 33 sannyasis from 19 missions. The next meeting was in Mayapur, right in the Gopinath Gaudiya Math, in the temple of our Puri Maharaj and Bodhayana Maharaj organized a big prasadam distribution. Today we are facing a great disaster. Our wellwisher, our president, our guardian, our beloved master, has now gone to meet his beloved, Sri Krishna. Srila Puri Maharaj was the personification of guru-tattva. We want to remember him forever. It is my humble request to all that you should read his books and we want to request all the devotees to read all his books. We should follow very strictly the path of bhakti. I must honestly admit that in my intensive engagement of organizing temples, sometimes I cannot always observe a strict sadhana. Some devotees think that it is not so important to have a strict sadhana. This is not true. It is very important to get up earlyin the morning and engage in pure devotional acts like japa, study of the scriptures and so forth. Srila Puri Mj was an excellent example. Srila Puri Mj was the teacher of the art of sadhana and whoever got the slightest association with him, he could definitely came in touch with that wonderful art and his wonderful love. On the occasion of his disappearance I pray that, by his mercy, the unity of the Vaisnava family will be accomplished and that the orthodox Vaisnava practices, i.e. the Art of Sadhana will remain alive in our heart. All glories to Srila Bhakti Pramod Puri Maharaj. Nitya-lila pravista Om Vishnupada Paramahans Parivrajakacharya 108 Sri Srimad Bhakti Pramod Puri Goswami Maharaj ki jay ! About the Author  Other Stories by this AuthorComment on this story Contact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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