Vyasa Puja Offering from Chaturatma Dasa:
“2004 Vyasa Puja Offering”
Dear Srila Prabhupada,
Please accept my eternal obeisances at your lotus feet. It is by your grace that myself and many others are gathered here to sing your praises, your successes, and your glories. I beg your permission and blessings in offering this Vyasa Puja homage.
“Okay class, clear your desk. We are going to have a pop quiz.” These words are the most feared words for any student. They immediately ask themselves ”have I listened enough in class? Did I read the chapters I was supposed to? Have I understood the lectures? Can I remember any of what I heard?” The test. This is such a wonderful example that you use for us. We all have to face the ultimate test—the time of death. Our final exam. As we grow older—yes despite our efforts and disbelief it is happening—as we grow older we are finding our god brothers and god sisters are actually dying. Soon it will be our turn. Are we indeed ready? We do have those dreaded pop quizzes. Those times when Maya test our determination, our conviction, our belief in your instructions. You have told us that we all will have to “fly our own plane” when the time comes. Yet our ability to fly that plane with knowledge, conviction and belief is based on how closely we have followed your teachings. All the activities you have ask us to do prepare us for that moment. Activities such as reading and studying your books, preaching the glories of the Holy Name, taking up the kirtan of the Holy Name, serving the vaisnavas, and worshipping the deity. These are only a few of the items you have told us to perform. Your wonderful book, The Nectar Of Devotion list many many more. You even warned us—“If I told you everything you would faint!” Therefore your glory is that you could give us the essence. Only you could go to the unchartered West where no one had gone before and preach boldly. You could and did establish devotional service as a worldwide reality. You translated books in a way that gets to the core of the issue. Not wasting precious time on those non essential points. This is why you are called Bhaktivedanta. You have done all of this to prepare us for not only the pop quizzes of life but the final exam as well. We pray that you bless us to be shining examples of your efforts and show your success by our own success.. We pray that we all meet with each other at your Lotus feet in our next life. As we look around us these last two days we see that the forces of nature have also tested us. Great efforts have been made to interrupt the Janmastami Vyasa puja festival we perform each year. Yet despite the conditions all your devotees and disciples have attended in great numbers here. They have seen this test and passed it. Please bless with this same determination as we approach our final exam. And prepare to got Back to Home Back to Godhead by your grace.
Gurudeva, your mercy is all I am made of. Without your mercy I can only weep.
Begging to be a worthy disciple I remain
Your humble servant
Chaturatma dasa