All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga Srila Govinda Maharaj's health news 21 January 2009 | 16 Jan | 15 Jan |
Report 21 January 2009 Dear Devotees of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Dandabat! His Divine Grace, Srila Gurudev returned from the hospital yesterday afternoon. The devotees greeted him with affectionate faces and a lovely kirtan. The doctors have instructed that Srila Gurudev's environment and activities be just like in the hospital, though. This means a minimum of visitors and lots of quiet and rest. Srila Gurudev has had pneumonia several times in the last so many months, a great strain on the vitality of a young person, so it is not at all surprising that his recovery will take some time and care. Though most of the devotees will not see His Divine Grace very much for a while, we are all, here and everywhere, feeling great relief to have him home again. All glories to your service to our divine loving Master Your servant |
| Report 16 January 2009
Dear Devotees of the Srl Chaitanya Saraswat Math Dandabat! Today Srila Gurudev was finally transferred from the Critical Care Unit to a very nice private room at Apollo Hospital. Now he can be attended around the clock by his dear affectionate devotees, whereas in the CCU everyone had to observe the highly restricted visitor times. The doctors said today that Srila Gurudev is responding very well to the medicine and treatment. Here, our Kolkata Math remains full to the brim with devotees, many coming and going both from Nabadwip and abroad. Sripad Goswami Maharaj, Giri Maharaj, Parvat Maharaj, Ashram Maharaj, Trivikram Maharaj, and Bharati Maharaj are all here, and others are expected later in the month. Akincana Maharaj is remaining in Navadwip and giving class every day to the highly appreciative devotees there. So here is a happy atmosphere of family dealings so characteristic of our beautiful Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math Centres, with lots of happy dealings, lots of service, lots of kirtan, and lots of prasadam, all centered on our beautiful loving Srila Gurudev. All glories to our perfectly affectionate Divine Master! Dandabat! |
| Report 15 January 2009
All Glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga!! Dear Devotees, Srila Gurudev has, since the beginning of the year, shown quite an improvement in his health and vitality. Almost every day he has graced the devotees with his holy darshan and often speaks in spite of expressing too much weakness to do so. Of course this is another example of the heart-melting self-sacrificing nature which is always manifest in him. One day when I was in Navadwip, I heard that he invited the devotees to just sit with him and watch TV as he was not feeling so strong for speaking. He is so affectionate, and usually ends any meeting by taking pictures of everyone. Vaidehi Didi from America has been taking videos of the darshans almost daily. Those will be available soon, and are already being transcribed as well. His Divine Grace spoke Christmas day, praising especially Lord Jesus' quality of tolerance, and again on New Years Day, emphasizing that the lotus foot dust of the Vaisnava is the symptom of the mercy of Krsna. The day before yesterday, Sripad Goswami Maharaj was relentlessly praising Srila Gurudev, and Gurudev was sending it all up to Srila Guru Maharaj. He did not keep one drop of that for his divine self. His life is is the personification of all that is most divine in the scriptures. Yesterday morning, Srila Gurudev was feeling unwell and went to hospital. Srila Gurudev has expressed his happiness that devotees are coming here and staying. He said it is a good symptom, and that it will be an even better symptom if they stay past Gaura Purnima(!). He is especially very joyful, he said, to see many devotees happily staying and serving in Navadwip. He has expressed many times that he wants the devotees to learn to love Navadwip Dham. Well, I will send this off now, and update it soon. Please accept my dandabat! Srilekha d.d.
|
|
All Glories to Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga! Yesterday and again today Srila Gurudev gave beautiful talks during his darshan time. His Divine Grace said yesterday that in Srila Guru Maharaj's later days he constantly read Mahabharata. Many times Srila Gurudev would be there, but when he would miss the reading, Srila Guru Maharaj would later happily tell him all about what he had read in his absence. Gurudev said that the Adhosaja plane, beyond the perception of this plane, is attained only by giving satisfaction to the Vaisnava. There is no other way. Then he told the story of Draupadi Devi's cooking for one poor Vaisnava after the Rajasuya Sacrifice. Krsna told Maharaj Yudhisthira that the sacrifice would be finished when one bell would ring. But when everything was completed, the bell still hadn't rung. So Krsna directed them to the house of a poor Vaisnava who lived on the outskirts of town. The Pandavas went there and convinced him to come with them. Draupadi devi cooked very beautifully for him, and he took that. But the bell didn't ring. Then Krsna asked them if there had been any offense. And Draupadi devi confessed that when the Vaisnava sat to take that very exquisite meal she had prepared, he mushed all the preparations together first. Draupadi felt some criticism in her mind that he could not appreciate what she had cooked. So Krsna told her to cook again. And this time with great respect she offered her cooking to the Vaisnava and with each mouthful the bell rang. Gurudev said this was to teach us the sovereign importance of offenseless Vaisnava Seva. Gurudev quoted Brahma Samhita, "Ishvara Paramah Krsna..." He said, 'You can believe or not believe, that is not the question. Bit it is fact, and why should we not believe the scripture? Brahma is telling that Krsna is the Supreme Controller and the Cause of All Causes.' He said that in our mission everything is going up to the position of surrender to Akhila Rasamrita Murti Krsna, the emporium of all Rasa. He then said that the first three verses of Srimad Bhagavatam are very concise and contain everything. In the back of his long new verandah is a very big picture of Srila Guru Maharaj. Mahananda Prabhu said earlier, it was when this picture was installed that the devotees felt that Srila Gurudev accepted this new verandah to be his new home in Dum Dum Park, and thus confirmed his move from the previous verandah. Today Srila Gurudev again said that we do not serve Krsna directly. Vaisnava seva is what Krsna Consciousness is. We will find Krsna there. He said he is amazed to see that the devotees are always doing something for the service of Krsna. But he said it is because Krsna has chosen them to be His servants. Otherwise where will they get so much inspiration to serve? He mentioned Sripad Ashram Maharaj and also Kamala Nayana didi of Venezuela and their attachment for serving the cows in Navadwip. Gurudev also talked about Ekacakra, now known as Virachandrapura, and how he wants to go there. Acarya Maharaj is going there to put on the railings for the temple. He also said that since Sripad Acarya Maharaj found a nice quiet alternative road on which to travel to Navadwip, that he might go there on Saturday! He laughed and said, "This is my nature!" Sripad Ashram Maharaj explained after class this morning that Srila Gurudev's health is now being monitored by four top class physicians, all experts in their respective fields. When His Divine grace went to see them the other day, they gave him a good bill of health. But they will continue to monitor, and this is a great comfort. Gurudev is visibly much much more comfortable and strong. Under the docotrs' orders, he is walking as much as possible, even going up to the third floor yesterday. Gurudev's cataract is getting bigger daily, though, and there is a visual impairment. He wants the devotees to sit close so that he can see everyone's faces. Srila Gurudev is always taking oxygen when he talks to us, and in fact he is speaking too much. But he said he wants to see the faces of the devotees and he is 'cheating' for that. He also said that he wants the devotees to go to Navadwip for the festival, and he will be there "in his heart and mind, non-different." Jaya Gurudev! More later. Dandabat. Asking your blessings Srilekha d.d. |
|
All Glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga Dandabat from Sri Chaitanya Krishnanaushilana Sangha! Srila Gurudev continues to give his holy darshan to the devotees here at 3PM every afternoon. The devotees happily and quietly sit with his Divine grace and the atmosphere is very soft and sweet. Sometimes Srila Gurudev tells us little things about his health. Today he told us that many years ago when he led a pilgrimage party to Bhadarikashram, he rode a horse for much of the way. It is maybe 180 or 200 miles of walking or riding, though now it is possible to go there by car. It was while riding that horse that his vertebrae was damaged. He said that he was a young man at that time and didn't care about pain. But now that damaged vertebrae became cracked in 6 pieces and was so painful. Of course now that has been relieved. Gurudev said that all day today he is remembering Bhadarikashram and going there by mind, by memory, remembering the temple there, the prasadam, and the songs. And in that way he was sharing and bringing us there too. Everything he says has that kind of quality. Yesterday Srila Gurudev pointed out his Mrdunga on a shelf and said that he feels he cannot play it anymore. Then he sang a few lines of Deva Bhavantam Vande and told us that he was spending his days remembering Srila Guru Maharaj and Mahaprabhu, and reading Krsna Karnamrita. "Mature," he said. "But I think I am mature." Divya Shakti didi arrived from America yesterday and brought Srila Gurudev many gifts, one of which was a box of flowers form the airport in Thailand. Srila Gurudev was very happy and had them put in vases and offered to Srila Guru Maharaja and the beautiful picture forms of Their Lordships Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharva Govindasundharjiu. Another thing she brought was a tiny device for measuring blood oxygen and pulse, sent by Sanatani didi, which fits on the end of Srila Gurudev's lotus finger. He was very surprised at first at how small it is, but later so happy at the result. He said that four times a day they were measuring this in the hospital, but with a big machine. He said no one can keep up with America. As soon as others make something like America, America has already improved it. Srila Gurudev said that all the tests are coming back normal, but still some trouble with blood sugar. The doctors are very satisfied with his recovery. Today one Didi from Kaikali Math, Srimati Bhanima didi, held a big festival here simply out of affection for Srila Gurudev. She wished to worship His Divine Grace, to celebrate his coming home from the hospital, and to honor and feed the devotees. First she offered arotik to Gurudev and then the Bhog. She does this a few times every year. Srila Gurudev, after taking the extraordinary feast cooked by Kamalesh Prabhu, commented that it was the best prasadam he had taken for years. All the devotees honored this Mahaprasad very happily! Every day is actually an amazing festival in Sri Caitanya Saraswat Math!!!! This afternoon His Divine Grace went out in the car! We all saw him off, very happy that he is feeling strength to go out again after quite some time now. In fact, Srila Gurudev said earlier that his health was improving day by day and that he is now considering an operation for his cataract. He said there is one very good and affectionate doctor here whom he likes very much and who can do the job. Dandabat to all. Srilekha d.d. |
|
Dandabat from Sree Chaitanya Krishnanushilana Sangha, Kolkata Please excuse the lateness of this report. I spent a few cyber-free days in Nabadwip Dham and Bamunpara Dham this week, and am just now catching up. The wonderful news is that His Divine Grace Srila Gurudev is home again, back in his transcendental quarters in the Sevak Bhavan. The day that Srila Gurudev arrived here, he sang "Hari Haraye Namah Krsna..." as he ascended the stairs to his rooms on the first floor. (Second floor US). Srila Gurudev's health is still quite delicate, but at the same time He mercifully wishes to see his devotees and friends, and to allow us to visit him. So he said that the devotees can meet with him at three o'clock every day. ÊSrila Gurudev took out his camera yesterday and took pictures of the devotees, and told others to take some as well. This went on for some time, Srila Gurudev looking at us through his camera, and we beaming back at him, so happy to know that he feels we are all, both present and absent, his family members. Srila Gurudev said that he was feeling better but that the doctors always say things will be healed before they actually will. I was thinking that just as the Lord has an individual relationship with every living being, so Srila Gurudev is also reciprocating with and teaching each one of us in an individual way, according to our own necessity. His dealings are always merciful and sweet like nectar, if only we can develop that faith. Why do the great sober devotees faint and weep when they think of the Lord? Because He is heart-meltingly sweet, merciful and beautiful beyond any ordinary words. And Srila Gurudev is the Lord Himself. He is painstakingly dealing with the heart, always seeing good, always seeking to be understanding and to bring harmony to every situation. And through the forest of ego, the echoes and shadows of our mental world, we are searching for him. Yesterday Srila Gurudev talked about his Ladies' Ashrams around the world. The new Ladies' Ashram in Bamunpara is now completed. It, like all the buildings in our Maths, is a manifestation rather than a construction! I was fortunate to be there recently, and I took rest that afternoon in one of the lovely rooms of that jewel-like ashram in that divine most Divine Land. Srila Gurudev was wondering out loud about how it is that the devotees of our Math are so sweet. Of course we all felt we knew the answer to that one! Today Srila Gurudev expressed compassion for those who died in the bombing of a Bombay Hotel. One policeman died heroically while fighting with the terrorists, and Srila Gurudev said that by seeing the man's face he could say that he was a very good man. What astonishingly good fortune to be recognized by such a Vaisnava! Quoting Srila Rupa Goswami, Srila Gurudev said that Mahaprabhu is chanting japa on the cloth belt around his waist, and everything He is doing He is also distributing. The verse describing this vision is Srila Guru Maharaj's mantra, Gurudev said. Guru Maharaj chanted it every day while bathing. Srila Gurudev said that we are all servants, that he was so happy to have been and to be a servant of Krsna and the Vaisnavas all of his life. He quoted the verse from Ohe Vaisnava Thakura, describing how the devotee feels himself helpless, and that the mercy of Sri Gurudev is all that he is made of, and the joy of that wondrous relationship. So that is the news in brief, very ineptly presented. Srila Gurudev is recuperating well, but continues to be quite vulnerable to infection. Anyone who is feeling unwell is careful to protect His Divine Grace's health by waiting until fully recovered before coming onto the verandah. The importance of this precaution is obvious, but we still have to help each other to remain meticulously, and permanently, alert. Srilekha d.d. |
November 19, 2008 10:47 PM (by Srilekha Devi Dasi) Dandabat! Today Srila Gurudev is feeling much better, and the doctors are discussing when he will be released. Srila Gurudev is thinking that it will be Friday. I went over to the hospital today for a few minutes with Krsna Kanta didi, as she had just arrived in India. Srila Gurudev was , as always, very kind and gracious. Then he talked to all of us very seriously. Gurudev said that there is no way to avoid what will happen. What will happen will happen, no way to stop that. But we must remember Krsna. There is no alternative; His will is behind everything. He said this repeatedly. I've really been thinking about this. To remembered that Srila Guru Maharaj said that the word, Devasya, means Beautiful and Playful. The laws of this plane provide reactions to every action. Hopping aboard this flow, the elevationists shuttle themselves to the heavenly domains. Those fully ignorant of these laws wander like blind men in a terrible and dangerous jungle. And people like me, who might know a little better, still grumble that whatever unpleasantness we have to go through is somehow unfair; a mistake, especially when dished out by another human. But Srila Gurudev is a devotee. He isn't interested in karma or justice. He is interested in Krsna. What will happen will happen, but we must find the Lord's divine will everywhere. He is a Beautiful and Charming Despot, Liar and Thief! No rules bind Him. There is no Complaints Department. He does as He likes. Our independence is miniature; it exists within His independence. But we are told that the flow of His Sweet Will is nectarean beyond expression. Draupadi Devi was humiliated in the most shocking manner imaginable - she whose qualities and devotion are so elevated and rare. Then what to speak of us? We have no claim. The Lord's divine play will not be held within the bounds of our puny ideas of what should and should not happen. (Duh!) How much longer will I refuse to see the Lord extending His divine Hand, and stop absorbing my mini-consciousness in the ramblings and complaints of this cheater mind that carried me away so so long ago? My sincere dandabat Srilekha d.d. |
18 November 2008 morning (by Srilekha Devi Dasi) Dandabat to all the devotees of our beloved Srila Gurudev. This site is for those affectionate members of this most auspicious family who, by their natural hearts' feelings, are feeling the need to know about the health of our His Divine Grace. Srila Gurudev's form is fully transcendental. In spite of his showing some illness, he is revealing his deep inner life, by glimpses, to his beloved devotees. Material activity is impossible for the pure Vaisnava; everything he does, says or feels is effulgent with his inherent pure, divine nature. Great Vaisnavas like Srila Haridas Thakura demonstrated, and, as mentioned by Goswami Maharaj on Saturday, Srila Vamsidas Babaji demonstrated, under different circumstances, these wondrous qualities. Srila Gurudev has on several occasions shown very grave health conditions, but his deep inner passion for seva, his immeasurable love, and profound heart-melting humility were always glowingly revealed from his pure heart under these as in all circumstances. (And, of course the next thing could be you hear His Divine Grace is in Russia or somewhere preaching with full vigor!) Update: NOV 17 Mahananda Prabhu reported this morning that while Srila Gurudev was resting and preparing for the operation to be done later that morning, he was speaking affectionately with the devotees by his side. At 2PM Srila Gurudev's doctors reported, after a successful treatment procedure, that everything went well and His Divine Grace will be brought back to his room to rest in fifteen minutes. At 2:50PM Jamuna Priya didi reported that Srila Gurudev is better than expected by the doctors and is well and singing beautifully... All Glories All Glories to His Divine Grace! |
Dandabat Everyone 15 November 2008 evening (by Srilekha Devi Dasi) Just a brief note about Srila Gurudev's health. Today the doctors, who all have become exceedingly affectionate toward His Divine Grace, explained the MRI and Xrays that were taken yesterday. Essentially one of the vertebrae in Srila Gurudev's spine is cracked and the nerve is very much affected by this. This information alone has given Srila Gurudev much relief as he was not able to understand the cause of this new and very severe pain. There is a procedure done only by injection which encapsules the nerve and fortifies the bone as well. Srila Gurudev is very happy; this will be done on Monday. Otherwise Srila Gurudev's overall condition of bronchial pneumonia is very much improved and he is feeling stronger. Sripad Goswami Mj pointed out that although of course we are so much deeply concerned with Srila Gurudev's health which has become quite delicate, still he shows us amazing things like suddenly reciting slokas one after another for long periods of time on a certain theme, or singing beautiful devotional songs, that remind us that his internal life is something else altogether, something that we really cannot conceive of. A devotee said today that Srila Gurudev said that this procedure will give others (us) relief, but he knows that he deserves all of this suffering. This is his glorious vaisnavata, his natural sweet vaisnava humility. Goswami Mj said that in the last days of Vamsidas Babaji, he was suffering and surrounded by his loving followers. And he said to them, "Here is your vaisnava!" So as to say, here now you see what a sinner I am. And thus their glories are revealed to us. To me who reels with every slight, every interference with my misconception of having some position of respectability. They are so far from that. Always serving everyone, always giving with so much love, SO much tolerance and so much patience. So exalted and yet they are oceans of humility and affection for the insignificant and foolish. He is trying to teach us love, and by love we will find him. Srila Guru Maharaj said that the Highest form of Divinity, Mahaprabhu, the Ocean of Divine Love, He will give what is valuable to HIM, His coin, not pieces of clay or wood, but his own coin and he will give it to the lowest person. So we have to go on, content with our own endeavor, and pray for the vision of that magnanimous gift. With faith we will see that Divine Personality, Srila Gurudev manifest gloriously in our hearts. Hope this meets everyone very well. With love Srilekha d.d. |