Another transit - Bhaktirasa prabhu claims his inheritance
 
 

September 24 2008

08:25 AM

I was just informed by my wife Sitala that Sriman Bhaktirasa prabhu from Christchurch New Zealand, left his body a short while ago. He was diagnosed with cancer of the kidney about two years ago.Bhaktirasa was a well liked devotee who joined (I think) in the late 1970s or early 80s. He was a disciple of HH Tamal Krishna Goswami.

He was being cared for by Srikari dasi, his first wife. She said that for the last couple of months he was in a good deal of pain and was having a difficult time. However, just shortly before he left, his countenance changed and his face became clear and bright. He looked just like a small innocent child. His eyes opened and he was looking at something others could not see. He was smiling beautifully. He said, “Krsna. Krsna. Krsna!” and then he left.

I had heard yesterday he was about to leave and I sent him the following letter. I don’t think that he will have received this in time, so I want to post it here as a short tribute.

September 23, 2008 - 23.37Dear Bhaktirasa prabhu,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Last year I wrote to you because I heard you were coming to the end of your earthly stay and you were about to move on. Somehow that was not the time and you have remained for more than a year and half.

Now today I have learnt that you are on the verge of leaving us. I am sorry I have not written earlier to keep up with your condition. I am sorry I cannot be there to wish you well and assist you in your journey.

There is nothing much to be said. I am sure you have heard it all before over the last couple of years. I am sure you have prepared for this moment and that therefore you will have fixed your mind at the lotus feet of our transcendent Lord.Still I want to offer you my heartfelt best wishes one final time. Just this week we have heard about the departure of Sriman Sadaputa prabhu and Sriman Sundararupa prabhu. Now your time has also come. One day it will be my turn. All of us have made this transition many times before. This time, by the grace of Srila Prabhupada we have a chance to make this one the last. By chanting and hearing about the glories of Lord Krsna He tells us that we no longer have to take birth again in this material world.I sincerely pray to Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri Gaura Nitai that you will meet with no impediment on your journey home back to Godhead. I am sure you have detached yourself from all material identifications and as such you have qualified yourself to become an eternal associate of the Lord.Chant Hare Krsna, glorify Krsna, serve Him with your heart and soul. He is waiting to welcome you into his eternal pastimes. Please accept his invitation and go to Him.

Please accept my humble well wishes and be successful in all respects. And please, when you meet the Lord, request Him to not forget this lowly soul but to bring me back also to his Holy dhama.

All glories to your lotus feet, all glories to your glorious departure, all glories, all glories, all glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga!

I remain your humble servant, Hari-sauri dasa

So today, September 24 2008, Bhaktirasa prabhu has reached his denouement. A very successful one, and one that Srila Prabhupada often told us is our rightful inheritance if we remain faithfully serving:

 [TD 3] Bury Place London, July 25 1976: 

 “Describing the material world as a very dangerous place, he advised the devotees to remain sober. They should stick to the spiritual principles, read his books and avoid being discouraged. If the karmis were successful in having them evicted, he said that Lord Krsna would certainly provide another suitable place.
 

“But go on executing your routine work,” he said. “I am very glad to see that you are taking care of the Deities very nicely. Whenever I come I see. This is very encouraging…. So God consciousness means you have to face difficulty, but you should not be discouraged. You must go on with your business, then success is sure. When there is difficulty, a devotee thinks, ‘It is my good fortune that Krsna has given some difficulty to counteract my previous bad action.’ So in this way, if we live, then mukti-pade sa daya-bhak. If one is not opposed by all these difficulties and with determination he goes forward, then for him going back to home, back to Godhead is guaranteed. Daya-bhak means it is inherited. Just like the son gets the father’s property, there is no law to check it. Similarly, those who are humbly, tolerantly, going on with Krsna consciousness with full determination, for them going back to home, back to Godhead, is fully guaranteed.”

Early last year when I first learned of Bhaktirasa’s condition, I had a very affectionate exchange with him. Its a little long but I think it is worth the read because it shows how devotees prepare for death.

January 28, 2007 

Dear Bhaktirasa prabhu,Please accept my humble obeisances _/\ò_. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!Its been quite a long time since we last contacted each other. I saw your wife and daughter here in Mayapur and they told me that you have been given your notice. So I wanted to write and offer you my prayers and well-wishes for your successful completion of life in this body and your attainment of transcendental life.I don’t know exactly what your condition is except that you have advanced cancer. I sincerely hope that this is not causing you too much pain. I know from other devotees that have contracted it that it can be intensely distressing; at the same time I know of other devotees who, by Krsna’s mercy, have been able to tolerate that and utilize the opportunity to focus their attention on Krsna and successfully leave.Leave we must, by one means or another, and few of us can say exactly when that will occur. But it is not important when we leave, but how. As devotees and followers of Srila Prabhupada we are so fortunate because we know how we should leave. Simply we have to invoke that good fortune and depend on Krsna’s mercy at every moment.

My godbrother Dhami das in Murwillumbah, who has been on kidney dialysis three times a week for the last 14+ years, has made the decision to discontinue his treatment. Life in his diseased body has simply become too hellish. It means he will have between 1-3 weeks before he leaves, once the dialysis finishes.

We had a long phone conversation yesterday (I am in Mayapur nowadays). He was telling me how he was just hoping that he may take his next birth in a family of devotees. I told him that this was completely bogus. This is not what Srila Prabhupada trained us for. Even if we think we are completely unworthy, if we simply surrender our hearts and minds to Radha and Krsna, and pray to Them to take us back to Their transcendental abode, that is all that is required. It is up to Them to decide where we go next and we should not interfere with that process by imposing our own demands or expectations (or lack of them).

I sent Dhami one of Srila Prabhupada’s translations and purports from the SB which I also want to share with you. It has some wonderful instructions about praying the Lord for His benediction and I think you may also find it very inspiring to mediate upon:

SB 5.18.9

svasty astu visvasya khalah prasidatam dhyayantu bhutani sivam mitho dhiya

manas ca bhadram bhajatad adhoksaje avesyatam no matir apy ahaituki

TRANSLATION

May there be good fortune throughout the universe, and may all envious persons be pacified. May all living entities become calm by practicing bhakti-yoga, for by accepting devotional service they will think of each other’s welfare. Therefore let us all engage in the service of the supreme transcendence, Lord Sri Krsna, and always remain absorbed in thought of Him.

PURPORT

The following verse describes a Vaisnava:

vancha-kalpa-tarubhyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eva ca

patitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah

Just like a desire tree, a Vaisnava can fulfill all the desires of anyone who takes shelter of his lotus feet. Prahlada Maharaja is a typical Vaisnava. He prays not for himself, but for all living entities — the gentle, the envious and the mischievous. He always thought of the welfare of mischievous persons like his father, Hiranyakasipu. Prahlada Maharaja did not ask for anything for himself; rather, he prayed for the Lord to excuse his demoniac father. This is the attitude of a Vaisnava, who always thinks of the welfare of the entire universe.

Srimad-Bhagavatam and bhagavata-dharma are meant for persons who are completely free of envy (parama-nirmatsaranam). Therefore Prahlada Maharaja prays in this verse, khalah prasidatam: “May all the envious persons be pacified.” The material world is full of envious persons, but if one frees himself of envy, he becomes liberal in his social dealings and can think of others’ welfare. Anyone who takes up Krsna consciousness and engages himself completely in the service of the Lord cleanses his mind of all envy (manas ca bhadram bhajatad adhoksaje). Therefore we should pray to Lord Nrsimhadeva to sit in our hearts. We should pray, bahir nrsimho hrdaye nrsimhah: “Let Lord Nrsimhadeva sit in the core of my heart, killing all my bad propensities. Let my mind become clean so that I may peacefully worship the Lord and bring peace to the entire world.”

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has given us a very fine purport in this regard. Whenever one offers a prayer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one always requests some benediction from Him. Even pure (niskama) devotees pray for some benediction, as instructed by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His Siksastaka:

ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram patitam mam visame bhavambudhau

krpaya tava pada-pankaja-sthita-dhuli-sadrsam vicintaya    [Cc. Antya 20.32, Siksastaka 5]

“O son of Maharaja Nanda [Krsna], I am Your eternal servitor, yet somehow or other I have fallen into the ocean of birth and death. Please pick Me up from the ocean of death and place Me as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet.”

In another prayer Lord Caitanya says, mama janmani janmanisvare bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi: [Cc. Antya 20.29, Siksastaka 4] “Life after life, kindly let Me have unalloyed love and devotion at Your Lordship’s lotus feet.” When Prahlada Maharaja chants om namo bhagavate narasimhaya, he prays for a benediction from the Lord, but because he is also an exalted Vaisnava, he wants nothing for his personal sense gratification.

The first desire expressed in his prayer is svasty astu visvasya: “Let there be good fortune throughout the entire universe.” Prahlada Maharaja thus requested the Lord to be merciful to everyone, including his father, a most envious person. According to Canakya Pandita, there are two kinds of envious living entities: one is a snake, and the other is the man like Hiranyakasipu, who is by nature envious of everyone, even of his father or son. Hiranyakasipu was envious of his little son Prahlada, but Prahlada Maharaja asked a benediction for the benefit of his father. Hiranyakasipu was very envious of devotees, but Prahlada wished that his father and other demons like him would give up their envious nature by the grace of the Lord and stop harassing the devotees (khalah prasidatam). The difficulty is that the khala (envious living entity) is rarely pacified. One kind of khala, the snake, can be pacified simply by mantras or by the action of a particular herb (mantrausadhi-vasah sarpah khalakena nivaryate). An envious person, however, cannot be pacified by any means. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja prays that all envious persons may undergo a change of heart and think of the welfare of others.

If the Krsna consciousness movement spreads all over the world, and if by the grace of Krsna everyone accepts it, the thinking of envious people will change. Everyone will think of the welfare of others. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja prays, sivam mitho dhiya. In material activities, everyone is envious of others, but in Krsna consciousness, no one is envious of anyone else; everyone thinks of the welfare of others. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja prays that everyone’s mind may become gentle by being fixed at the lotus feet of Krsna (bhajatad adhoksaje). As indicated elsewhere in Srimad-Bhagavatam (sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh [SB 9.4.18]) and as advised by Lord Krsna in Bhagavad-gita (18.65), man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah, one should constantly think of the lotus feet of Lord Krsna. Then one’s mind will certainly be cleansed (ceto-darpana-marjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12]). Materialists always think of sense gratification, but Prahlada Maharaja prays that the Lord’s mercy will change their minds and they will stop thinking of sense gratification. If they think of Krsna always, everything will be all right. Some people argue that if everyone thought of Krsna in that way, the whole universe would be vacated because everyone would go back home, back to Godhead. However, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that this is impossible because the living entities are innumerable. If one set of living entities is actually delivered by the Krsna consciousness movement, another set will fill the entire universe.” [end of purport]

As Srila Prabhupada says here, this is a very fine purport. Please mediate on this and pray sincerely to Srila Prabhupada and Krsna for the real benediction They are offering–to go back home, back to Godhead. Don’t think of yourself as being unworthy. The whole point of Srila Prabhupada’s appearance was to give the unworthy the chance to become worthy. And when do we become worthy? — As soon as we decide to be. That’s all, there’s nothing more to it than that. Just make the decision that you want to receive that benediction of going home, and Krsna will reciprocate.

I will also mention here about two seemingly ‘ordinary’ devotees who were wonderfully benedicted in their final stage of life:

———————————————-

In a message dated 10/11/2006 11:50:33 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,

bhavadasa@hotmail.com writes:

Hare Krsna,

All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I have just received news from my Godsister, Padyavali dd (Rudrani’s biological sister), that Rudrani dd passed away this morning at 2:00 AM.

Padyavali described the moments leading up to her sisters departure… She said that Rudrani was feeling quite comfortable all day yesterday, and everything seemed to be going well. However, this morning at 2:00 AM, Rudrani called over to Shanti (who had been caring for her for many years, and who never left her side) to come over to her. Rudrani told Shanti that she felt an unusual sensation in her heart. They held hands and chanted the Holy Names (the Maha mantra) for some time.

Shanti told her to concentrate on the picture of Vrndadevi (in gopi form) that was on the front cover of a very nice hand made get-well card (11″x16″) in which the devotees had written their well-wishes.

After a few moments, Rudrani responded, “I see the real Tulasi. I have to go now!”, and left her body!

I am sure we were all praying to Vrndadevi to be there for her dear servant Rudrani–to personally take her back to Godhead… It appears she did just that.

All glories to Rudrani and her many years of dedicated and loving service to Srimati Tulasi Maharani!

We will greatly miss you, my dear Godsister!

Hare Krsna,

Bhava dasa

———————————————–

Here’s another one:

—————————————-

Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2006 15:05:54 +0000

This was a message that I recieved from Mayapura. It should encourage all devotees that Srila Prabhupada’s promise that we will go back to Godhead in this life holds true for all sincere devotees.

Sivarama Swami

—————

Mata Saci dd came here from South America to leave her body; she had had Multiple Sclerosis for years and came here after Gaura purnima this year. The devotees spent a lot of time with her chanting over the months in her room in the Conch Building.

She was a very unassuming devotee; she had two boys she was attached to, and she went through a process of slowly giving up all her attachments as she lay there.

A few days before she left, she started to cry and tremble; her husband asked her the cause of her distress. She said Krishna was there, asking her to dance. She couldn’t say yes.

Some time later (I’m not sure if it was the next day, or later), the same thing happened, only this time she was smiling; she said Srimati Radharani was there, saying to her, “You can say no to Krishna, but you can’t say no to me…. come….” and held Her hand out. She told her husband that she was a young gopi.

She left her body on Rasa Purnima…

—————————————————————

So Bhaktirasa prabhu, now you must focus your mind on that one point–taking shelter at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada and Radha Krsna. If you can place your heart in Their transcendental hands They are sure to welcome you. Let Krsna decide where you will go. All you need do is humbly request Them to give you a place at Their feet.

Pls. keep in touch and let me know how you are doing. If I can help in anyway, please allow me to do so.

Your humble servant,

Hari-sauri dasa

Bhaktirasa’s reply:

February 2, 2007Dear Hari Sauri Prabhu,Please accept my most humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada.I thank you dearly for your very kind letter and the words of Srila Prabhupada, it touched me greatly that you remember me and took the time to write.I remember well the last time I saw you in 1986 when I went to Mayapur and how kind you were to me, thank you. So much has happened since then, many struggles with my health, physically, mentally and spiritually.

I have been blessed in many ways by Krsna’s mercy, though it has not always been easy to appreciate at times.

I was diagnosed with kidney cancer well over a year ago now. Normally doctors would simply remove the affected kidney and the tumour, but in my case, because I was born with only one kidney this was not an option, neither is a transplant an option because of the cancer. The cancer has metastisised to a lymph node next to the kidney, but so far has not spread elsewhere, and in the first 9 months since diagnosis it has not increased in size. I am still waiting for a more recent update on that, but a recent blood test shows my kidney and liver are still functioning normally.

It seems there is no effective chemotherapy for kidney cancer, which has turned out to be a real blessing for me after reading up on the horrors of chemotherapy. So Krsna has made life easier, and my chances of recovery by alternative treatments much better. Fortunately I am in no pain whatsoever, though I have lost a great deal of weight (and I had little to start with) and I have struggled greatly with reduced energy levels.

Recently I began another type of alternative treatment which after only a few weeks has improved my energy levels and am beginnning to feel almost human again.

I am very blessed by a wonderful community of devotees here who have shown much love and support. I remarried two years ago and my wife has proved to be another blessing, I dont think I would be quite so positive about it all without her. Like me, she struggles in her Krsna consciousness, but has a big heart and a sincere desire to become Krsna conscious.

Apparently people can survive for years with kidney cancer, so, unless the treatment I’m doing cures it (which it has done in other cases), it is simply a waiting game, waiting for the disease to progress. So, again I am blessed with perhaps enough time to prove myself worthy of Prabhupada’s mercy.

My situation has certainy helped me gradually become more serious and helped me overcome a few of my more obvious anartas. You may have heard that another devotee here, Yogamaya dasi passed away only a few months ago from cancer. It was a rather quick decline and the community here rallied to her aid. Her passing was quite wonderful. She was a humble devotee and very dedicated.

I am sorry to hear about Dhami prabhu, it must have been hellish to be on dialysis for such a long time. I really appreciate what you have related to me me in this regard, we should not sell ourselves short, but must strive and hope for Krsna’s full mercy. Though I believe to be born in a vaisnava family is still a most fortunate position.

Every once in awhile I send an email out to devotees and friends updating them on my situation when there is any significant change. If you wish I would like to keep you informed in this way also, and would appreciate any further advice you can offer.

You expressed a desire to help in whatever way you can. To be honest our main struggle on a pratical level is financial as the treatment I am receiving is three times a week for a good many months, but local devotees have offered to help in this regard. I think possibly the best way you could help is to enlist the mercy of Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Gaura Nitai and Nrsimhadeva for me in whatever way you feel appropriate. Please pray that I gain the sincerity to improve my chanting and my ability to take full shelter of the Lord and his devotees. I have fond memories also of Their Lorships Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra in Mayapur. Perhaps you could ask Them for Their mercy. When I was there with you in 1986 on Subhadra’s appearance day I paid my obeisances in a nest of red ants, you directed me to run to a tap to wash them off. After the program was over you invited me to take prasadam at the house there, which I remember with great affection, I was blown away by the huge variety of subjis and the wonderful taste of the prasad. In our home we have very beautiful Jagannatha deities made in Puri as well as Lord Nrsimhadeva.

Thank you again for you kindness and I pray you are in good health,

Your servant,

Bhakti rasa das.

My response: February 13 2008Dear Bhaktirasa prabhu,Please accept my humble obeisances _/\ò_. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!Thank you for your reply. I am happy to hear that although you have kidney cancer you have not suffered much pain and that the condition has not progressed. It is also a blessing that you don’t have to go through chemotherapy, it is pretty hellish and even then doesn’t give any gaurantees.

Natural cures are the best way so let’s hope that you get some good effect. My godbrother Praghosa prabhu, a well-known book distributor from America and now my neighbor in Mayapur, had a huge tumor in his back, wrapped around his spinal cord, but somehow by a combination of chemo and nature cure, he recovered and is back out on the streets of NY collecting and selling Srila Prabhupada’s books. So hope is always there.

At the same time, even if you recover from this problem, death is inevitable and so the real cure is to chant the holy names. Srila Prabhupada always stressed on this as the only panecea for our distress. It is the only medicine to cure the material disease.

When I was with His Divine Grace in Nov. 1976, a young girl and her mother came to Vrindavan so that the girl could leave her body there. She was perhaps one of the first ISKCON devotees to do this. They had a darshan with Srila Prabhupada, and he was very practical and quite strong in focusing his disciple on her real business:

TDiary Vol 5

November 11, 1976 — Vrindavan dhama

Another recent arrival has been a mother and daughter, Antardhyana dasi and Manisha dasi. Manisha is initiated even though in her early teens, but she is terminally ill with leukemia. Having given up any hope of a cure they have come here so that Manisha can leave her body in the holy dhama. They had requested a darsana with Srila Prabhupada and he received them this morning just before his massage. When they came in, Manisha burst into tears as they explained her condition and prognosis. She was afraid and upset at the prospect of imminent death and was clearly not mentally prepared for it.

Srila Prabhupada however, was not swayed by her weeping. He was firm, and spoke rather strongly, focusing in on the reality of her condition. Rather than offer sympathies with some sentimental, bodily-based words of solace Srila Prabhupada chose to cut through the fear and doubt shrouding his disciple’s mind and intelligence and meet the problem head-on. “Everyone is going to die,” he said. “Who is going to live? Who is here? Can you show me anyone who is going to live? Can you show me?”

Antardhyäna shook her head. “No, everybody’s going to die.”

“So today or tomorrow, everyone will die. So where is the anxiety?” he asked them. “Die or not die, tomorrow or today, but one should chant Hare Kåñëa, that’s all. Why one should be depressed? And everyone is going to die. I am going to die tomorrow, he is going to die day after tomorrow-everyone will have to die. Who will live here? So what is the anxiety? Chant Hare Krsna. That’s all.”

Jagadisa told Srila Prabhupada that she had come to die in Vrndavana.

“Nobody will live,” Prabhupada repeated. “Don’t be in anxiety. That’s all. Anyone who has come to this material world will die. One is going to die today; another is going to die tomorrow. It is a question of first and second, but everyone will die. So before death one should be complete in Krsna consciousness. That is success of life. The tree is standing for thousands of years. So what is the use of living like that? A tree cannot chant Hare Krsna but lives for thousands of years. Do you think that kind of living is very worthy, standing in one place, cannot move even, and what to speak of chanting? So you have got the chance to chant Hare Krsna. Utilize that. Don’t be anxious that ‘I am going to die.’ Who is going to live? Why don’t you understand that? Nobody is going to live. So before death one should be complete in Krsna consciousness. That is success.”

Prabhupada’s direct and practical words helped Manisha focus. She stopped sobbing and regained her composure. But still she had a fear. “But if one is not, Srila Prabhupada, what will happen?”

Prabhupada didn’t quite understand her query and I repeated it. “If one is not complete in their Krsna consciousness then what will happen?”

‘She will get again birth in a human body,” he assured her. “That is guaranteed so that he’ll get again chance of chanting. That is also great gain. Ordinary person, he does not know what body he is going to get, next body. But a person who is in Krsna consciousness, chanting, he is guaranteed. Sucinam srimatam gehe–he is guaranteed to take birth as human being in a very sacred family like brahmana and very rich family.”

Because he had other commitments he had to end the darsana at that point. “So I have to go.”

Despite the meeting being so short, Prabhupada’s few words struck home and Manisha was visibly relieved and thankful. “Thank you, Srila Prabhupada.”

“Hare Krsna. Nobody is going to live here,” Prabhupada told her again as he rose from his seat. “Everyone is going to die. Before death, chant Hare Krsna.” With a compassionate smile of reassurance to his young disciple he added, “Don’t be worried.”

Her mother though still sought some further comfort. “She is worried Prabhupada, about…”

“What is the worry? I have already said everyone is going to die,” Prabhupada interjected.

Antardhyana managed to be very specific. “She is worried about seeing the Yamadutas. This is what she is worried about.”

Prabhupada addressed Manisha directly and repeated the practical formula for overcoming death. “Chant Hare Krsna, always think of Krsna. That’s all.”

Manisha nodded, accepting his words as the proper solution. “Yes, Srila Prabhupada.”

“This is our business,” Prabhupäda concluded. “The cats and dogs cannot do this. That is the advantage of human form of body.”

Both his visitors were grateful and happy to get a few words of encouragement and guidance. Manisha left feeling heartened by her first personal meeting with her spiritual master and the two of them will reside in the guest house until her departure.

November 12, 1976

SB Class

Prabhupada’s concluding words, although seemingly general, directed some further good philosophical advice to his disciple Manisha, who was sitting at the back of the temple room with her mother. “So we have to learn what is bhakti. Bhaktih paresanubhavo viraktir anyatra syat [SB 11.2.42]. If actually we advance in devotional service, then naturally viraktir anyatra syat. That is niskincana, no more taste with the material world. Niskincanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya param param jigamisor bhava-sagarasya [Cc. Madhya 11.8]. We must know why we shall take to devotional service, param paran jigamisor, not to remain within this material world. Padam padan yad vipadam na tesam [SB 10.14.58]. Here in the material world, padam padam vipadam—every step there is vipada; there is danger. So don’t think that ‘She is dying’ or ‘He is dying, and I shall not die.’ Everyone will have to die. Every step, there is danger of dying. So before that death we must become fully Krsna conscious so that ante narayana-smriti [”At the time of death one should remember Narayana”—SB 2.1.6].

“The end will come today or tomorrow or day after tomorrow. Nobody will live here. But the success is if we can remember Narayana at the end of life. That is success. Ante narayana-smritih; we should practice that. Don’t bother about that ‘I shall die tomorrow. You are dying today, so I am better than you.’ Nobody will live here. Everyone will die, and we must be prepared for death. And the devotee has no fear for dying, because if he is completely surrendered to Krsna, then he is going back to Him. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti [Bg. 4.9]. Simply by surrendering to Krsna…Our bhakti-yoga is so easy, simply man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], very simple thing. So we should take to bhakti, devotional service, and reject everything. Niskincana. That will make your life successful.”

[end]

I will certainly be happy to offer prayers to Sri Sri Radha Madhava, Panca-tattva, Sri Prahlad-Nrsimhadeva, and Their Lordships Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi on your behalf. Lord Jagannatha is as effulgent as ever and His temple has been expanded and improved. The puja there is going on very nicely. He is very merciful and liberal and I am sure He is eager to bless you in your spiritual endeavors.

Dhami prabhu in Australia is now making his preparations to depart. He has spoken with his doctors and they are willing to cooperate. The doctor told him that once he discontinues his dialysis he could leave within 1-3 days. Apparently they advise that instead of doing a 5 hour continuous dialysis, he should do two sessions of about 2 hrs. each. This will allow a build-up of potassium in his body, and if he eats potassium rich food, the end result will be a heart attack. This is preferable than a slow decline over several weeks.

Now on Thursday morning some of the devotees will meet at Dhami’s house and discuss with him how they can help him in his final days. They will organize a roster for chanting and home care.

Please do keep in touch and let me know how you are doing.

Your humble servant,

Hari-sauri dasa

That was the extent of our exchange last year. Even though I regret not following through, Bhaktirasa prabhu has shown an exemplary course, one that I can only pray to Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri Radha Madhava to emulate.

All glories to Sriman Bhaktirasa prabhu!