om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah
namah om visnupadaya krsna-presthaya bhutale
gurudasa jayadvaita svamin iti namine
Dear Srila Jayadvaita Maharaja,
Please accept my most humble obeisances millions of times at your lotus feet.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam
anukulyena krsnanu-silanam bhaktir uttama
“When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge obtained by monistic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Krsna favorably, as Krsna desires." BRS 1.1.11
This is Srila Rupa Gosvami's definition of pure devotional service which must be devoid of any other desire. We are coming in a glorious sampradaya where there is no compromise. That uncompromising spirit of 'Nothing but the best will do' is intrinsic to your nature.
You once told me that prior to Krsna consciousness you checked out university for some months and that you quickly lost all faith in what was going on there. Another time you described that people were there mainly for four reasons:
To avoid the Vietnam draft
Others were very career oriented
Some left highschool, but were not ready for the job market and mom and dad paid for them to spend four years in some park with nice people, -boys and girls-, have a bit of leisure and sometimes turn in a testpaper
People in the fourth group were there for knowledge and it seemed to you at the time that that was the group the most cheated
Your analysis of those days showed that you had no faith in a material career, nor in sense gratification and that you were looking for real knowledge. No wonder that you felt attracted to Srila Prabhupada and his movement, you were as Kuntidevi describes 'akincana gocaram', materially exhausted.
janmaisvarya-sruta-sribhir edhamana-madah puman
naivarhaty abhidhatum vai tvam akincana-gocaram
"My Lord, Your Lordship can easily be approached, but only by those who are materially exhausted. One who is on the path of [material] progress, trying to improve himself with respectable parentage, great opulence, high education and bodily beauty, cannot approach You with sincere feeling." SB 1.8.26
That uncompromising spirit has never left you or never wore out with time, but rather became deeper and more and more full of meaning in service and realisation of transcendence. Your heart has become soft and rich with devotion to Srila Prabhupada and Krsna, Now it is in their service, that 'nothing but the best will do'.
You kindly accepted us as your disciples, although you had no personal desire to do so and become entangled in that way and be distracted from other service. Still you did so because of your very kind and compassionate nature. For us you made an exception, how to repay it? I am simply remembering over and over; 'Nothing but the best will do'! I have not fulfilled that as yet.
Nonetheless by your mercy a lame man is walking, a blind man sees the spiritual sky and can speak some words that inspire others in devotional service, by your mercy a stubborn man's heart is also gradually melting. By your example you save me again and again from being a fool and engage me as your servant.
sarva devo mayo guru -You embody all the good qualities of the demigods. Your complete loyalty to Srila Prabhupada makes me poor in devotion. Your strictness in following him makes me aware of my duty. Your vast learning in his books reminds me that I must study. Your kind and compassionate dealings with people, the faith you have placed in me, win me over again and again. upadeksyanti te jnanam jnaninas tattva-darsinah "The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth." BG 4.34. All your qualities are simply purifying me.
Even with all my shortcomings I can never forget, that 'Nothing but the best will do'. I pray that I may find the strength to fulfill your desires in this lifetime.
Your servant,
Kadamba Kanana Swami
