Special address to the Vyasa-puja ceremony in Radhadesh

During the Vyasa-puja festival Maharaja gave a nice speech in answer to our service and offerings.


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The guru-disciple is a mystical thing, because it's part of a system that is revealed by Krsna in the scriptures and personally blessed by Him. In practical life it's also about a relationship based on love and affection and what we share is our desire to make more and more spiritual advancement. So that makes a Vyasa puja an inspiring experience a festival of purity. I want to thank all of you for coming to Radhadesh and participating in the festival. To me it was a meaningful exchange, a purification and I realize that it is actually important to observe this tradition of Vyasa Puja. Beforehand I had my moments of hesitation, should I really have such a big celebration for my birthday? But then I thought, well at least we will all be going to Amsterdam for Queensday. The whole year I travel around the world to meet devotees in so many countries, but I rarely do anything for the country of my birth, so by once a year bringing so many people from all these countries back to Queensday in Amsterdam, is in a way paying of my debt. Thank you all, very much for coming.

Satsvarupa Maharaja wrote in his book 'Remembering Srila Prabhupada'


You didn't want a book about you.  "Give us volumes of books about Krsna", you said. Finally in your last days you assented - we may do it if it is spiritual.

This year you made an actual book with offerings and at first I felt a bit embarrassed, a book about me, but then I realized it's not a book about me, but a book about you and me with Krsna in the centre. I thank you so much for that. The most wonderful thing is that you all share your heart and also bring up some points in our exchanges that have made a deep impression upon you. This makes it a pleasure to read. Here are just a few samples, I couldn't include more, although many more of your words were very meaningful;

"You teach me to be positive. Yes, we can do it, we all can reach Krsna. You teach me that I should not be taken so seriously, but the one who should be taken serious is Krsna."

"Please bless me that your lotus feet be my only shelter and my eyes be fixed upon them and never look in maya's direction, let the effulgence of your lotus feet make me blind, because this is the only guarantee that I
will not look in maya's direction."

"I want you to be a sadhu - not to become one - but to be one."

"I am a demanding spiritual master, because I want you to become a pure devotee. Not that I am pressurizing you to push yourself in the mode of passion, but I want you to build a spiritual life. I want you to think of the components and combine them intelligently, around hearing, chanting,worshipping and so on; to think about what to accept and what to avoid."

"I wonder - Guru is always here and always been. Sometimes seen. sometimes not seen...our part is only to accept an outreached hand..."

"I have no taste for Krsna book, nor any burning desire to learn more about Him but when I see how much you 're attracted to Him then I wonder, who is Krsna? What sort of person must He be that he has purchased you like that?"

"In Mayapur last year, someone asked You; 'What is the thing You like to see the most in your disciples. Your answer;" That they take shelter! shelter in Krsna, the holy name, the process of Krsna consciousness, sadhana, cleanliness, tilaka..."

During a memorial celebration of Bhakti Tirtha Swami, someone glorified his disciples as "strikingly real". You remarked after the ceremony tht you would like your disciples to be like that, very real people."

Thank you very much for your dedication, may Krsna bless with transcendental love for Him.

Yours as the servant of the servant of Srila Prabhupada.