Locana dasa

Dear Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to you, Maharaja.

To my loving and humble spiritual master who is a reservoir of mercy for me, all the devotees, and people in general, I want to thank you for all your instruction. You instructed me to always study Bhakti Sastri which are the books Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Nectar of Devotion, Nectar of Instruction, and Sri Isopanishad. Thank you very much for instructing me to read these great spiritual books. They have helped me so much in my Krsna consciousness. I have learned to take what I need to become self-realized and to work within my capacity, in order to make gradual advancement.

Every day I realize how much I need a spiritual master. I just think back when I didn’t have you Maharaja – I was smoking marijuana, trying to read Bhagavad-gita, and coming to the temple intoxicated. I was going crazy; I was breaking other regulative principles as well. Now I have taken shelter of my spiritual master, Guru Maharaja. I have been following the four regulative principles for 9 years. The relationship with my wife is a beautiful, spiritual Krsna conscious relationship. We don’t argue or say anything bad to each other. We have a wonderful relationship and I am happy with it. Hare Krsna.

Now I know it is impossible to live in this material world without taking the shelter of Guru Maharaja yet I have not taken complete shelter of you. I still watch TV, I still don’t offer my food all the times, I still don’t get up for Mangala arati as much as I should and I don’t distribute books enough. It is not easy to take complete shelter of the Spiritual Master. So, I pray to Lord Nityananda, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Srimati Radharani and Lord Krsna that I don’t do anything to offend the lotus feet of my spiritual master, Romapada Swami.

Maharaja, I would like to offer you this prayer by Bhativinode Thakura. I offer you Maharaja, all my respects. With this, I may have the energy to know you correctly; then by chanting the holy name in great ecstasy, all my offenses will cease. When will such mercy fall to this one who is weak and devoid of intelligence? Allow me to be with you. If you examine me, you will find no qualities but because of your life and mercy I have become your devotee. In the book, ‘Spiritual Master and Disciple’, Srila Prabhupada says that the Spiritual Master and the disciple relationship is eternal with no beginning and no end. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and appreciation to know that our relationship is eternal. Tears of joy come to my eyes; Krsna is so merciful. Now, I have to do my part by taking full shelter of your lotus feet. Your mercy is all that I am made of. If you are not merciful unto me, I cannot maintain my life.

Happy Vyasa-puja, Maharaja.
Locana dasa and family