Harsa devi dasi
Dear Romapada Swami Maharaja,
I am Harsa devi dasi. On the occasion of your Vyasa-puja, please accept my sincere and humble obeisances to you! All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to ISKCON! All glories to you!
As time goes by, it’s been several years since we last met. But I deeply feel it that you haven’t left me, you’ve been taking care of me every minute and showing me kindness. You are already older and have traveled thousands of miles to China to give us lectures. I can understand your sincere need for every disciple to grow strong in Krsna consciousness and apply the knowledge learned to all aspects of life. Krsna consciousness is a science with great love and wisdom, which is needed by society and the whole world. It requires the love of God, and due to the concept of physicality, as Srila Prabhupada said, this world is driven by the false self to generate disputes and jealousy. This is mine, that is mine, and they do not know that everything belongs to Lord Krsna. To change this world, we must first realize ourselves. We cannot be theoretical experts who only talk but do not act.
Srila Prabhupada said that Prabhu should be like a gentleman, and Mataji should be like a lady. We should change our mentality and behavior, and not be proud to be a practitioner. Originally, I only read about the Lord’s pastimes, but after repeatedly listening to your lectures, I began to realize how great the Lord’s character is. Sisupala offended Lord Krsna in front of everyone. Arjuna and the others were very angry and wanted to kill him, but Lord Krsna stopped them. Sisupala offended Lord a hundred times before Lord killed him. I want to learn from the Lord. If I don’t say a hundred times, I will be extremely angry once.
Brahma, due to his pride, did not believe in Krsna and stole the cows and cowherd boys. The Lord then expanded as the same cowherd boys and cows and brought them before His parents. The Lord did not criticize Brahma. This pastime tells us that pride is the enemy on the path of cultivation, and humility is the foundation of cultivating Krsna consciousness. Our physical concepts and ignorance can easily lead to pride. Srila Prabhupada said, ‘Poor people are proud of a penny’, how small we are. Brahma did not see the display of Lord Krsna and only tried to understand the Lord according to his own cognition. This is so dangerous. In the material world, looking at problems according to his own cognition will cause many troubles. I remember one time when I went to the ward, the nurse told me that the patient was urinating naked and playing hooliganism. I immediately remembered the teacher’s lecture that this disease is a precursor to death, because there is only a weak yang energy left in the body, so it shows an excited state. Therefore, when looking at people and things, we cannot look at the surface phenomena. After a few minutes, he left the body due to liver cirrhosis and massive bleeding. We saw that the surface phenomena were not the truth of things, and most people immediately came to conclusions and blamed others when they saw the surface phenomena. Only then did I realize how important it is to have the guidance of a teacher.
The pastimes of Damodara tells us that we must move forward in Krsna consciousness when encountering any difficulties. Mother Yasoda tied Krsna with a rope, but it was always a little short. She continued and continued. As long as we persist, Lord Krsna would definitely give a lot of mercy. What moved me the most was that Krsna rescued the two sons of the demigod through this pastime. Lord was so subtle and never ostentatious, using actions to inspire everyone. He had no discrimination, allowing everyone to breathe fresh air every day, sunshine and moon dew shining on the earth, rain and the growth of all things allowing everyone to enjoy delicious food. He treated every sentient being equally. I love the Lord, grateful for His great love, His wisdom, and everything I love about Him.
Dear Guru Maharaja, I have encountered many difficulties in the past few years, but it is your kindness that has helped me overcome them. There is a saying in Chinese practice that goes, ‘The mind does not die, but the Tao cannot be born.’ Yes, it is true. The greatest kindness that the Lord has given to devotees is various obstacles. Through various tests, I have seen that the world is short and learned that without the guidance of a spiritual master, it is difficult to move forward.
Dear Gurudeva, thank you for your kindness, which has allowed me to believe in the Lord in the face of difficulties and move forward on this path. I want to learn from the residents of Vraja, especially the cowherd girls and Radharani. They are the greatest sages in the universe, so simple and pure, without any flaws, just serving again and again.
Please once again accept my deep obeisances! Sincerely wish you preaching smoothly, and good health!
Your servant,
Harsa devi dasi